Search
Search results
The Minds of Billy Milligan
8.0
Rate It
Book
Billy Milligan was a man tormented by twenty-four distinct personalities battling for supremacy - a...
Blood Water Paint
Book
A debut novel based on the true story of the iconic painter, Artemisia Gentileschi. Her mother...
Empire's Heir (Empire's Legacy #6)
Book
Some games are played for mortal stakes. Gwenna, heir to Ésparias, is summoned by the Empress of...
Historical Fantasy
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Nowhere Girls in Books
Dec 24, 2017
powerful (2 more)
timely
honest
Grace and her family have just moved to a new town after her Baptist preacher mother has a spiritual experience and their small Kentucky town decides she is far too progressive for their community. Grace is shunned and the family basically flees for more open-minded pastures. Erin is a beautiful girl who loves science and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She also has Asperger's and a secret. Rosina is a lesbian struggling to be herself within the confines of her conservative Mexican family. She dreams only of playing music and escaping her town, instead of taking care of her gaggle of cousins and working in her uncle's restaurant. Grace soon learns that the former occupant of her new house was Lucy Moynihan, who accused some popular boys of rape. Lucy wasn't believed, had a breakdown, and left town. While she's never been one to stand up for anything before, this angers Grace in a way she cannot fully describe. Erin and Rosina empathize with Lucy's situation, too. So the three find themselves an unlikely trio, and they do something even more unlikely: they form a secret group, made up entirely of girls, to protest the horrible culture at their school--a culture that condones things like rape and mistreatment of women. The group quickly takes off and the three girls realize that the group--and this cause--is far bigger than themselves.
This is an incredibly timely, wonderfully descriptive, and well-written novel that encapsulates the struggle felt by teenagers and young women in dealing with sexual assault, rape, and violence against women. There's a definite trigger for sexual assault/rape, so do avoid this novel if that is an issue for you. This book can certainly be painful to read, but it's an amazing read and incredibly powerful, as well.
The theme of boys and men getting away with horrible things in their towns seems so popular of late in books I've been reading. That could mean that The Nowhere Girls is repetitive, but it's not at all. It's a wonderful additional to this topic, which is a discouraging one and quite representative of how things are in our current society.
For me, the strength of this novel came with its characters and its brutal honesty. I really loved the three main characters, especially Erin, and just felt for all three girls. This is the first book I've read by Amy Reed (but won't be the last), and I was so impressed by her writing. The girls pop off the pages. The novel is written from the perspective of Grace, Erin, and Rosina, as well as Lucy and "Us"--a section that depicts the state of things from various high school females. Reed gives us a fairly diverse cast, including Rosina, whose family are Mexican immigrants; a character with autism in Erin; and several LGBTQIA characters. And, of course, it's wonderful to have so many female perspectives represented. We also get a few glimpses of some of the boys via excerpts from a despicable blog, which is quite effective in its own right.
As I said, so much of the strength of this book comes from its honesty. It doesn't shy away from the fact that the female teens are dealing with some very harsh realities in relation to sex, and it makes it clear how much they truly have to deal with. There are some extremely powerful moments in this novel (there's a chapter that occurs with some of the girls in a model home, and it's just wow. Amazing). It lays so much bare about what high school girls truly must go through. I found the brutal and realistic look at women and sex refreshing--albeit terrifying and heartbreaking. Rape, sexual assault, the power of sex, the way these women use sex to relate to each other and to boys--it's all there, and the result is heartbreaking, sad, powerful, and yes, sometimes hopeful.
A few times, I wasn't sure if I always believed how the authority figures dealt with the girls and their group, but, truly, it's probably a realistic portrayal of small town America. The ending was also a little neat, but still worked in the context of this novel. I kept thinking how much I'd like my daughters to read this book when they're older, because there is so much here: so many talking points and truths and so many wonderful and strong women among all the sadness.
In the end, this was a slow-moving book at times, but it was so well-written and a very powerful read. The characters are so strong, and you truly become part of their world as you read. I feel as if this is a must-read for female teens, and it's just so timely now in our culture, where the news brings more sexual assault talk each evening. There is something about this book that will leave you with hope, despite the horrors, and that's so important right now. Definitely a worthwhile read.
Grace and her family have just moved to a new town after her Baptist preacher mother has a spiritual experience and their small Kentucky town decides she is far too progressive for their community. Grace is shunned and the family basically flees for more open-minded pastures. Erin is a beautiful girl who loves science and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She also has Asperger's and a secret. Rosina is a lesbian struggling to be herself within the confines of her conservative Mexican family. She dreams only of playing music and escaping her town, instead of taking care of her gaggle of cousins and working in her uncle's restaurant. Grace soon learns that the former occupant of her new house was Lucy Moynihan, who accused some popular boys of rape. Lucy wasn't believed, had a breakdown, and left town. While she's never been one to stand up for anything before, this angers Grace in a way she cannot fully describe. Erin and Rosina empathize with Lucy's situation, too. So the three find themselves an unlikely trio, and they do something even more unlikely: they form a secret group, made up entirely of girls, to protest the horrible culture at their school--a culture that condones things like rape and mistreatment of women. The group quickly takes off and the three girls realize that the group--and this cause--is far bigger than themselves.
This is an incredibly timely, wonderfully descriptive, and well-written novel that encapsulates the struggle felt by teenagers and young women in dealing with sexual assault, rape, and violence against women. There's a definite trigger for sexual assault/rape, so do avoid this novel if that is an issue for you. This book can certainly be painful to read, but it's an amazing read and incredibly powerful, as well.
The theme of boys and men getting away with horrible things in their towns seems so popular of late in books I've been reading. That could mean that The Nowhere Girls is repetitive, but it's not at all. It's a wonderful additional to this topic, which is a discouraging one and quite representative of how things are in our current society.
For me, the strength of this novel came with its characters and its brutal honesty. I really loved the three main characters, especially Erin, and just felt for all three girls. This is the first book I've read by Amy Reed (but won't be the last), and I was so impressed by her writing. The girls pop off the pages. The novel is written from the perspective of Grace, Erin, and Rosina, as well as Lucy and "Us"--a section that depicts the state of things from various high school females. Reed gives us a fairly diverse cast, including Rosina, whose family are Mexican immigrants; a character with autism in Erin; and several LGBTQIA characters. And, of course, it's wonderful to have so many female perspectives represented. We also get a few glimpses of some of the boys via excerpts from a despicable blog, which is quite effective in its own right.
As I said, so much of the strength of this book comes from its honesty. It doesn't shy away from the fact that the female teens are dealing with some very harsh realities in relation to sex, and it makes it clear how much they truly have to deal with. There are some extremely powerful moments in this novel (there's a chapter that occurs with some of the girls in a model home, and it's just wow. Amazing). It lays so much bare about what high school girls truly must go through. I found the brutal and realistic look at women and sex refreshing--albeit terrifying and heartbreaking. Rape, sexual assault, the power of sex, the way these women use sex to relate to each other and to boys--it's all there, and the result is heartbreaking, sad, powerful, and yes, sometimes hopeful.
A few times, I wasn't sure if I always believed how the authority figures dealt with the girls and their group, but, truly, it's probably a realistic portrayal of small town America. The ending was also a little neat, but still worked in the context of this novel. I kept thinking how much I'd like my daughters to read this book when they're older, because there is so much here: so many talking points and truths and so many wonderful and strong women among all the sadness.
In the end, this was a slow-moving book at times, but it was so well-written and a very powerful read. The characters are so strong, and you truly become part of their world as you read. I feel as if this is a must-read for female teens, and it's just so timely now in our culture, where the news brings more sexual assault talk each evening. There is something about this book that will leave you with hope, despite the horrors, and that's so important right now. Definitely a worthwhile read.
This is an incredibly timely, wonderfully descriptive, and well-written novel that encapsulates the struggle felt by teenagers and young women in dealing with sexual assault, rape, and violence against women. There's a definite trigger for sexual assault/rape, so do avoid this novel if that is an issue for you. This book can certainly be painful to read, but it's an amazing read and incredibly powerful, as well.
The theme of boys and men getting away with horrible things in their towns seems so popular of late in books I've been reading. That could mean that The Nowhere Girls is repetitive, but it's not at all. It's a wonderful additional to this topic, which is a discouraging one and quite representative of how things are in our current society.
For me, the strength of this novel came with its characters and its brutal honesty. I really loved the three main characters, especially Erin, and just felt for all three girls. This is the first book I've read by Amy Reed (but won't be the last), and I was so impressed by her writing. The girls pop off the pages. The novel is written from the perspective of Grace, Erin, and Rosina, as well as Lucy and "Us"--a section that depicts the state of things from various high school females. Reed gives us a fairly diverse cast, including Rosina, whose family are Mexican immigrants; a character with autism in Erin; and several LGBTQIA characters. And, of course, it's wonderful to have so many female perspectives represented. We also get a few glimpses of some of the boys via excerpts from a despicable blog, which is quite effective in its own right.
As I said, so much of the strength of this book comes from its honesty. It doesn't shy away from the fact that the female teens are dealing with some very harsh realities in relation to sex, and it makes it clear how much they truly have to deal with. There are some extremely powerful moments in this novel (there's a chapter that occurs with some of the girls in a model home, and it's just wow. Amazing). It lays so much bare about what high school girls truly must go through. I found the brutal and realistic look at women and sex refreshing--albeit terrifying and heartbreaking. Rape, sexual assault, the power of sex, the way these women use sex to relate to each other and to boys--it's all there, and the result is heartbreaking, sad, powerful, and yes, sometimes hopeful.
A few times, I wasn't sure if I always believed how the authority figures dealt with the girls and their group, but, truly, it's probably a realistic portrayal of small town America. The ending was also a little neat, but still worked in the context of this novel. I kept thinking how much I'd like my daughters to read this book when they're older, because there is so much here: so many talking points and truths and so many wonderful and strong women among all the sadness.
In the end, this was a slow-moving book at times, but it was so well-written and a very powerful read. The characters are so strong, and you truly become part of their world as you read. I feel as if this is a must-read for female teens, and it's just so timely now in our culture, where the news brings more sexual assault talk each evening. There is something about this book that will leave you with hope, despite the horrors, and that's so important right now. Definitely a worthwhile read.
Grace and her family have just moved to a new town after her Baptist preacher mother has a spiritual experience and their small Kentucky town decides she is far too progressive for their community. Grace is shunned and the family basically flees for more open-minded pastures. Erin is a beautiful girl who loves science and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She also has Asperger's and a secret. Rosina is a lesbian struggling to be herself within the confines of her conservative Mexican family. She dreams only of playing music and escaping her town, instead of taking care of her gaggle of cousins and working in her uncle's restaurant. Grace soon learns that the former occupant of her new house was Lucy Moynihan, who accused some popular boys of rape. Lucy wasn't believed, had a breakdown, and left town. While she's never been one to stand up for anything before, this angers Grace in a way she cannot fully describe. Erin and Rosina empathize with Lucy's situation, too. So the three find themselves an unlikely trio, and they do something even more unlikely: they form a secret group, made up entirely of girls, to protest the horrible culture at their school--a culture that condones things like rape and mistreatment of women. The group quickly takes off and the three girls realize that the group--and this cause--is far bigger than themselves.
This is an incredibly timely, wonderfully descriptive, and well-written novel that encapsulates the struggle felt by teenagers and young women in dealing with sexual assault, rape, and violence against women. There's a definite trigger for sexual assault/rape, so do avoid this novel if that is an issue for you. This book can certainly be painful to read, but it's an amazing read and incredibly powerful, as well.
The theme of boys and men getting away with horrible things in their towns seems so popular of late in books I've been reading. That could mean that The Nowhere Girls is repetitive, but it's not at all. It's a wonderful additional to this topic, which is a discouraging one and quite representative of how things are in our current society.
For me, the strength of this novel came with its characters and its brutal honesty. I really loved the three main characters, especially Erin, and just felt for all three girls. This is the first book I've read by Amy Reed (but won't be the last), and I was so impressed by her writing. The girls pop off the pages. The novel is written from the perspective of Grace, Erin, and Rosina, as well as Lucy and "Us"--a section that depicts the state of things from various high school females. Reed gives us a fairly diverse cast, including Rosina, whose family are Mexican immigrants; a character with autism in Erin; and several LGBTQIA characters. And, of course, it's wonderful to have so many female perspectives represented. We also get a few glimpses of some of the boys via excerpts from a despicable blog, which is quite effective in its own right.
As I said, so much of the strength of this book comes from its honesty. It doesn't shy away from the fact that the female teens are dealing with some very harsh realities in relation to sex, and it makes it clear how much they truly have to deal with. There are some extremely powerful moments in this novel (there's a chapter that occurs with some of the girls in a model home, and it's just wow. Amazing). It lays so much bare about what high school girls truly must go through. I found the brutal and realistic look at women and sex refreshing--albeit terrifying and heartbreaking. Rape, sexual assault, the power of sex, the way these women use sex to relate to each other and to boys--it's all there, and the result is heartbreaking, sad, powerful, and yes, sometimes hopeful.
A few times, I wasn't sure if I always believed how the authority figures dealt with the girls and their group, but, truly, it's probably a realistic portrayal of small town America. The ending was also a little neat, but still worked in the context of this novel. I kept thinking how much I'd like my daughters to read this book when they're older, because there is so much here: so many talking points and truths and so many wonderful and strong women among all the sadness.
In the end, this was a slow-moving book at times, but it was so well-written and a very powerful read. The characters are so strong, and you truly become part of their world as you read. I feel as if this is a must-read for female teens, and it's just so timely now in our culture, where the news brings more sexual assault talk each evening. There is something about this book that will leave you with hope, despite the horrors, and that's so important right now. Definitely a worthwhile read.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Flashback - Single by Mathew V in Music
Jun 18, 2019
Mathew V is a singer-songwriter based in Vancouver, Canada. Not too long ago, he released a heartfelt music video for his emo-pop ballad, entitled, “Flashback”.
“I’m weak, is that what you make of me when I had to get up on my own. Seventeen, when he put his hands on me, and I had to find my way back home. But I, oh I, I’d never play you for a fool. But now, I’m here with nothing left to lose.” – lyrics
‘Flashback’ tells a bitter tale of Mathew V’s personal experience with sexual violence/rape at the age of seventeen, and how it affects his personal life today.
Five years ago, the above-mentioned incident occurred, and ever since then, the 22-year-old survivor has been trying his best to cope with the recurring flashbacks of him being violated sexually.
‘Flashback’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and piano-driven instrumentation flavored with sentimental elements.
“Writing this song was one of the hardest things I‘ve had to do in my life. I wrote this song about my experience with sexual violence/rape at seventeen years old, and how that situation has influenced and affected my life today. It was something that I always knew I had to process and had always avoided. But with every new song I wrote, I still had this in my closet, this weight on my chest.” – Mathew V
After 10 years of classical operatic vocal training, Mathew V moved to London, England at the age of 17 to teach himself how to write pop music.
Since then, he has penned a deal with 604 records and his debut single, “Tell Me Smooth”, went Top 40 on Canadian Radio (Hot AC/AC) for 18 weeks, peaking at #18.
Mathew has written with the likes of Dan Mangan, DiRTY RADiO, and on stage, he’s opened up for the likes of Betty Who, Hanson, Daya, MAGIC! and more.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/mathew-v-flashback/
“I’m weak, is that what you make of me when I had to get up on my own. Seventeen, when he put his hands on me, and I had to find my way back home. But I, oh I, I’d never play you for a fool. But now, I’m here with nothing left to lose.” – lyrics
‘Flashback’ tells a bitter tale of Mathew V’s personal experience with sexual violence/rape at the age of seventeen, and how it affects his personal life today.
Five years ago, the above-mentioned incident occurred, and ever since then, the 22-year-old survivor has been trying his best to cope with the recurring flashbacks of him being violated sexually.
‘Flashback’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and piano-driven instrumentation flavored with sentimental elements.
“Writing this song was one of the hardest things I‘ve had to do in my life. I wrote this song about my experience with sexual violence/rape at seventeen years old, and how that situation has influenced and affected my life today. It was something that I always knew I had to process and had always avoided. But with every new song I wrote, I still had this in my closet, this weight on my chest.” – Mathew V
After 10 years of classical operatic vocal training, Mathew V moved to London, England at the age of 17 to teach himself how to write pop music.
Since then, he has penned a deal with 604 records and his debut single, “Tell Me Smooth”, went Top 40 on Canadian Radio (Hot AC/AC) for 18 weeks, peaking at #18.
Mathew has written with the likes of Dan Mangan, DiRTY RADiO, and on stage, he’s opened up for the likes of Betty Who, Hanson, Daya, MAGIC! and more.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/mathew-v-flashback/
JD
Jane Doe January: My Twenty-Year Search for Truth and Justice
Book
In the vein of Alice Sebold's Lucky, comes a compelling, real-life crime mystery and gripping memoir...
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Ju-on: Origins in TV
Jul 15, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ju-on: Origins is the prequel to the original Ju-on The Grudge on Netflix.
The story mostly follows two story lines:
The first is of paranormal author, Yasuo Odajima and T.V. Hostess Haruka Honjo and follows Yasuo as he tires to find the cursed house to write about.
The second is Kiyomi Kawai who is taken to the house by two of her new classmates.
The series shows how curse of the house affects the two main characters but is also interspersed with snippets of the lives of other people who have lived in the house and flashbacks from the memories of other characters and, at times this can make the show a bit hard to follow.
Ju-on: Origins has an 'Amityville' vibe to it but more so, as in the original films the cures is not restricted to the house, meaning that, even if you get out you may not be safe.
The series is very atmospheric but , although there are ghosts it does focus more on the people who have lived in the house which makes this very grim in parts.
There was something familiar about some of the scenes in Ju-on: Origins, at least part of this is due to the original film, the scene where Kiyomi and her friends first go the house is slightly reminiscent of the school girl sequence in the first film although it does go in a different direction.
Now for some warnings. As i said Ju-on: Origins has some grim sequences. It's a Netflix series and, almost as soon as it went on (At least here in the UK) there were complaints about the auto start trailer which skirts around one of the main scenes which involves rape.
As well as rape there are murders (It makes 'American Horror Story; Haunted House' look tame) violence towards women, children, men (although i don't recall any animal abuse), sex and implied, possible incest so you have been warned
The story mostly follows two story lines:
The first is of paranormal author, Yasuo Odajima and T.V. Hostess Haruka Honjo and follows Yasuo as he tires to find the cursed house to write about.
The second is Kiyomi Kawai who is taken to the house by two of her new classmates.
The series shows how curse of the house affects the two main characters but is also interspersed with snippets of the lives of other people who have lived in the house and flashbacks from the memories of other characters and, at times this can make the show a bit hard to follow.
Ju-on: Origins has an 'Amityville' vibe to it but more so, as in the original films the cures is not restricted to the house, meaning that, even if you get out you may not be safe.
The series is very atmospheric but , although there are ghosts it does focus more on the people who have lived in the house which makes this very grim in parts.
There was something familiar about some of the scenes in Ju-on: Origins, at least part of this is due to the original film, the scene where Kiyomi and her friends first go the house is slightly reminiscent of the school girl sequence in the first film although it does go in a different direction.
Now for some warnings. As i said Ju-on: Origins has some grim sequences. It's a Netflix series and, almost as soon as it went on (At least here in the UK) there were complaints about the auto start trailer which skirts around one of the main scenes which involves rape.
As well as rape there are murders (It makes 'American Horror Story; Haunted House' look tame) violence towards women, children, men (although i don't recall any animal abuse), sex and implied, possible incest so you have been warned
Darren Fisher (2447 KP) rated Island of Death (1976) in Movies
Jan 11, 2021 (Updated Jan 11, 2021)
70's Exploitation At Its Best
Story has it that Greek director Nico Mastorakis saw the Texas Chainsaw Massacre at the cinema and was impressed that such a violent low budget horror film could make so much money. So with that in mind Nico decided to make an even more depraved feature than Tobe Hooper and therefore make even more money! He succeeded in the latter but as for make more money? Well, we can only guess not. I won't bother going into the plot as I assume most people already know about this depraved and sick little flick. All that I will say is that as far as 70's exploitation flicks go this is one of the best. Depravity has never been in so much abundance as is on show here. This will not be to many viewers taste (and a big "no, no" for the Snowflake Generation) as we are subjected to rape, gay rape, incest, drug abuse, beastiality, torture, urinating on pensioners and even a fart in the face as a downright insult. The list of depravity doesn't stop there but to list them all would take some time and spoil it for those that want to watch it for the first time...
The gore is kept to a mimimum and the acting is pretty bad, but as the film progresses this is not really an issue (there are some great bits of crazy dialogue throughout). The majority of death scenes are very imaginative, including deaths involving a plane flight, bulldozer and a pot of paint.
Also there is a cracking soundtrack provided by the legendery Nikos Lavranos (Destination Understanding being the obvious favourite of the 'cult elite').
I cannot recommend this film enough, it is superb, but if you are easily offended I would suggest giving this one a very wide berth. Maybe I need psychiatric help... A MUST SEE.
The gore is kept to a mimimum and the acting is pretty bad, but as the film progresses this is not really an issue (there are some great bits of crazy dialogue throughout). The majority of death scenes are very imaginative, including deaths involving a plane flight, bulldozer and a pot of paint.
Also there is a cracking soundtrack provided by the legendery Nikos Lavranos (Destination Understanding being the obvious favourite of the 'cult elite').
I cannot recommend this film enough, it is superb, but if you are easily offended I would suggest giving this one a very wide berth. Maybe I need psychiatric help... A MUST SEE.