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Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men: The Trauma of Sexual Abuse
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Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men: The Trauma of Sexual Abuse is an indispensable...
ClareR (5721 KP) rated Kololo Hill in Books
Apr 20, 2021
Kololo Hill is a moving story that centres around a family and their lives before, during and after the rise of Idi Amin in Uganda.
Asha is newly married to Pran, and lives with his parents, Jaya and Motichand, and his brother Vijay. The family don’t take Idi Amin’s threats seriously when he initially says that all Ugandan Asians must leave Uganda within ninety days, with nothing except for what they can carry, or face the consequences. But when the soldiers arrive and the violence starts, there can be no denying what they must do. Except they all have different passports. Motichand and Pran have Indian passports, Asha, Jaya and Vijay’s are British. And the British won’t allow them to stay together.
It isn’t just Asians whose lives are in danger. December, the family’s houseboy, is in hiding in their house, as the area he comes from is exterminated by the military.
The danger and fear were tangible when I was reading this book. It’s dangerous to even leave their houses or open their doors, and there is an ever present fear of violence and rape. Even when leaving for the airport, soldiers set up checkpoints so that they can extort as much money as possible form people before they leave.
And then there is the stark contrast between their lives in Uganda and England. Jaya, Asha and Vijay are initially given accommodation in an army barracks before they are placed in houses in (in their case) London.
They go from sunshine, warmth, comfort and colour, to cold, dreary, grey England, where the locals are hostile and accuse them of taking their jobs, or in the case of Vijay, who has part of his arm missing, won’t give him a job because of disability, even though he wants to work.
I was riveted to this book and really didn’t want to put it down. It poses the questions: what is home? Is it the place where you were born? The place where you live? Is home the people who you are with?
There were so many gasp out loud moments in this book. It deserves all the hype around it - and more.
Many thanks to Picador for providing me with an e-copy through NetGalley.
Asha is newly married to Pran, and lives with his parents, Jaya and Motichand, and his brother Vijay. The family don’t take Idi Amin’s threats seriously when he initially says that all Ugandan Asians must leave Uganda within ninety days, with nothing except for what they can carry, or face the consequences. But when the soldiers arrive and the violence starts, there can be no denying what they must do. Except they all have different passports. Motichand and Pran have Indian passports, Asha, Jaya and Vijay’s are British. And the British won’t allow them to stay together.
It isn’t just Asians whose lives are in danger. December, the family’s houseboy, is in hiding in their house, as the area he comes from is exterminated by the military.
The danger and fear were tangible when I was reading this book. It’s dangerous to even leave their houses or open their doors, and there is an ever present fear of violence and rape. Even when leaving for the airport, soldiers set up checkpoints so that they can extort as much money as possible form people before they leave.
And then there is the stark contrast between their lives in Uganda and England. Jaya, Asha and Vijay are initially given accommodation in an army barracks before they are placed in houses in (in their case) London.
They go from sunshine, warmth, comfort and colour, to cold, dreary, grey England, where the locals are hostile and accuse them of taking their jobs, or in the case of Vijay, who has part of his arm missing, won’t give him a job because of disability, even though he wants to work.
I was riveted to this book and really didn’t want to put it down. It poses the questions: what is home? Is it the place where you were born? The place where you live? Is home the people who you are with?
There were so many gasp out loud moments in this book. It deserves all the hype around it - and more.
Many thanks to Picador for providing me with an e-copy through NetGalley.
Bondage Rescue (Kiss of Leather #3)
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Kyle’s best friend Marshall resurfaces and he’s in a lot of trouble. Can the men at Kiss of...
BDSM M_M Contemporary Romance
No Shame (No Shame #4)
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(This is NOT a stand alone novel. See end of this description for details) Brad feels nothing but...
M_M Contemporary Romance
Having read, loved and recommended The Bees many times (and The Ice, too!), I thought I knew what to expect from Laline Paull. Well, I was right and wrong!
Firstly, I loved Pod.
Secondly, it gave me a lot to think about.
Thirdly, how does Laline Paull put herself in a dolphins shoes (flippers? Sorry…) and not make it sound like a children’s book? And I should stress: this is NOT a children’s book.
Paull may have anthropomorphised dolphins, various fish, all and any sea life, but she has stayed pretty close to what I’ve learnt is their true nature (thank you David Attenborough!). Dolphins are very intelligent, playful and seem to know what humans want (maybe that’s just me reading more into these things). But they’re also hunters, they have a pecking order, and I don’t think you’d want to be at the bottom of it if you were a dolphin!
This novel shows the joyful side of being a dolphin, the way that they must work together for the greater good of the pod. It also shows how violent they are - there’s even a dolphin rape scene that was every bit as upsetting as if it had been a human.
In amongst all the dolphin drama is a message for us humans. We see the damage the human race is doing to the oceans: pollution, over-fishing, capturing dolphins for food, entertainment, or warfare.
Pod is graphic in places. It most definitely doesn’t pull its punches - and why should it?
This novel is not sentimental, jam packed with happy, child-friendly dolphins. Pod looks at the real struggles of sea life (and there’s not just dolphins involved). These dolphins are fighters, authoritarian, protective of one another, followers of tradition as well as migration routes, they deal with the results of humanity’s selfishness and cost-cutting.
The imagination and empathy that must have gone in to writing this: I’ve seen how a dolphin, a whale, a wrasse, a clam, a remora and a sea anemone feel and behave (I like to think so, anyway!).
How could I NOT love this book? 🤷🏼♀️
Firstly, I loved Pod.
Secondly, it gave me a lot to think about.
Thirdly, how does Laline Paull put herself in a dolphins shoes (flippers? Sorry…) and not make it sound like a children’s book? And I should stress: this is NOT a children’s book.
Paull may have anthropomorphised dolphins, various fish, all and any sea life, but she has stayed pretty close to what I’ve learnt is their true nature (thank you David Attenborough!). Dolphins are very intelligent, playful and seem to know what humans want (maybe that’s just me reading more into these things). But they’re also hunters, they have a pecking order, and I don’t think you’d want to be at the bottom of it if you were a dolphin!
This novel shows the joyful side of being a dolphin, the way that they must work together for the greater good of the pod. It also shows how violent they are - there’s even a dolphin rape scene that was every bit as upsetting as if it had been a human.
In amongst all the dolphin drama is a message for us humans. We see the damage the human race is doing to the oceans: pollution, over-fishing, capturing dolphins for food, entertainment, or warfare.
Pod is graphic in places. It most definitely doesn’t pull its punches - and why should it?
This novel is not sentimental, jam packed with happy, child-friendly dolphins. Pod looks at the real struggles of sea life (and there’s not just dolphins involved). These dolphins are fighters, authoritarian, protective of one another, followers of tradition as well as migration routes, they deal with the results of humanity’s selfishness and cost-cutting.
The imagination and empathy that must have gone in to writing this: I’ve seen how a dolphin, a whale, a wrasse, a clam, a remora and a sea anemone feel and behave (I like to think so, anyway!).
How could I NOT love this book? 🤷🏼♀️
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Accused (1988) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: We start The Accused by seeing Sarah (Foster) running from a bar desperately looking for help before she gets asked all the intimate questions after a rape. District prosecutor Kathryn Murphy takes over the case and takes Sarah back to the crime scene to identify the suspects. While Kathryn puts a case together she learns more about Sarah’s character and while the defence makes out Sarah is just telling a story. We see Kathryn and Lieutenant Duncan (Mulligan) try to investigate what happened they find out there are no witnesses and the case is struggling to come together. After the suspects get put in jail for a reduced charge of reckless endangerment Sarah pushes for more and after a confrontation with one of the men who got off cheered on, Kathryn opens a new case against the people who cheered on and watched leading to the ability to charge the rapist.
What The Accused shows us is however a story sounds it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. We have to let the prosecutors create a case before we judge who is guilty. It shows we need to stand up for what is right and not everything is what it seems. We see how difficult it can be for the victim against such a large amount of suspects who unite. We see how the prosecutor risks everything to get the truth about the night after finally seeing the light about what really happened. This case could break her career but as she is doing the right thing it proves to be the right thing. A big plus The Accused uses is not focusing on any of the men involved we a left to only see and hear about their actions. The Accused is a great story about fighting for what is right and how monstrous people can be. (9/10)
Actor Review
Kelly McGillis: Kathryn Murphy the district prosecutor who will fight for justice but only once she has learned all the facts. She agrees to plea agreement for the rapist but once challenged by Sarah she decides to go after the people who cheered them on. Kelly gives a good performance searching for the truth. (8/10)
kelly
Jodie Foster: Sarah Tobias the victim who has to go through the rape only to be left questioned by people on her side and the people against her. Sarah refused to back down and wants to see the people pay when she finally gets the chance on front of a courtroom full of people. Jodie gives a great performance that she full deserved the Oscar she won. (10/10)
jodie
Support Cast: Where The Accused chooses not to focus on the rapist we don’t meet too many supporting characters, we only see their actions and hear how other people saw them.
Director Review: Jonathan Kaplan – Jonathan does a great job directing The Accused he focuses on the victim and the case being built against the rapist. (9/10)
Crime: The crime The Accused focuses on was based on a real case and shows the seriousness of it. (9/10)
Drama: The Accused uses the effects to create the drama of what happened to the people involved. (9/10)
Settings: The Accused uses the settings well, we see The Mill where the crime happens, the office to see how the world is different for our victim, the small beat up house the victims lives in showing that she would be considered lower than the people involved and almost not important and the home of the prosecutor which shows us the difference in working class the two women have. (9/10)
Suggestion: I would suggest watching The Accused as it shows the victims problems after the assault rather than trying to make a monstrous villain for a crime film. (Watch)
Best Part: The Courtroom
Worst Part: The Deal
Believability: Based on a real case a young woman suffered through. (9/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: Jodie Foster won Best Actress.
Box Office: $32 Million
Budget: $6 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 51 Minutes
Tagline: On April 18th 1987, Sarah Tobias stops for a drink at a bar called The Mill.
Trivia: Upon seeing a pre-screening of the film, Jodie Foster thought her performance as Sarah Tobias was so awful that she immediately began preparing for and taking the GRE’s for graduate school. She was prepared to leave her film career behind and focus on academia…until she won the Academy Award for her performance.
Overall: Would you fight for the truth
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/01/28/the-accused-1988/
What The Accused shows us is however a story sounds it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. We have to let the prosecutors create a case before we judge who is guilty. It shows we need to stand up for what is right and not everything is what it seems. We see how difficult it can be for the victim against such a large amount of suspects who unite. We see how the prosecutor risks everything to get the truth about the night after finally seeing the light about what really happened. This case could break her career but as she is doing the right thing it proves to be the right thing. A big plus The Accused uses is not focusing on any of the men involved we a left to only see and hear about their actions. The Accused is a great story about fighting for what is right and how monstrous people can be. (9/10)
Actor Review
Kelly McGillis: Kathryn Murphy the district prosecutor who will fight for justice but only once she has learned all the facts. She agrees to plea agreement for the rapist but once challenged by Sarah she decides to go after the people who cheered them on. Kelly gives a good performance searching for the truth. (8/10)
kelly
Jodie Foster: Sarah Tobias the victim who has to go through the rape only to be left questioned by people on her side and the people against her. Sarah refused to back down and wants to see the people pay when she finally gets the chance on front of a courtroom full of people. Jodie gives a great performance that she full deserved the Oscar she won. (10/10)
jodie
Support Cast: Where The Accused chooses not to focus on the rapist we don’t meet too many supporting characters, we only see their actions and hear how other people saw them.
Director Review: Jonathan Kaplan – Jonathan does a great job directing The Accused he focuses on the victim and the case being built against the rapist. (9/10)
Crime: The crime The Accused focuses on was based on a real case and shows the seriousness of it. (9/10)
Drama: The Accused uses the effects to create the drama of what happened to the people involved. (9/10)
Settings: The Accused uses the settings well, we see The Mill where the crime happens, the office to see how the world is different for our victim, the small beat up house the victims lives in showing that she would be considered lower than the people involved and almost not important and the home of the prosecutor which shows us the difference in working class the two women have. (9/10)
Suggestion: I would suggest watching The Accused as it shows the victims problems after the assault rather than trying to make a monstrous villain for a crime film. (Watch)
Best Part: The Courtroom
Worst Part: The Deal
Believability: Based on a real case a young woman suffered through. (9/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: Jodie Foster won Best Actress.
Box Office: $32 Million
Budget: $6 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 51 Minutes
Tagline: On April 18th 1987, Sarah Tobias stops for a drink at a bar called The Mill.
Trivia: Upon seeing a pre-screening of the film, Jodie Foster thought her performance as Sarah Tobias was so awful that she immediately began preparing for and taking the GRE’s for graduate school. She was prepared to leave her film career behind and focus on academia…until she won the Academy Award for her performance.
Overall: Would you fight for the truth
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/01/28/the-accused-1988/
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Marionette (Dark Carousel #3) in Books
Nov 15, 2020
I have definitely taken a shine to the Dark Carousel series by Anya Allyn. There's something about it that has definitely reeled me in. As soon as I finished reading Paper Dolls, I dove right into reading Marionette, the third book in the Dark Carousel series. This one definitely had a lot of action going on!
Cassie and Molly are prisoners in Balthazar's castle as its inhabitants try to find the second book of The Mirrored Tree. Cassie and Molly desperately search for a way to leave the castle so she can be reunited with her family and with Ethan. However, things take a turn for the worst when Cassie learns her fate of which she can not escape if she wants to save her world and all of its occupants.
I find that the plot of each book in the Dark Carousel series gets weirder and weirder. The plot in Marionette so much different to the one that first started it all in Dollhouse. However, Marionette was a fast paced read, in fact, in some parts, it was a little too fast paced. There were times I was left feeling confused about what was going on. Luckily, that only happened a few times, and the rest of the plot felt solid. Marionette was quite a page turner, and I kept wanting to know what would happen next. Marionette definitely has more action in it than Paper Dolls did. It seemed like there was always something happening in Marionette. This book focused more on Cassie and somewhat on Ethan. We learn more about the different worlds (which has me confused) and more about the ice world which Cassie is from. We also learn more about Zack, Viola, Emerson, and Parker as well as the castle itself. I do wish the worlds weren't as confusing. It's hard to keep up with all the different worlds and what happens when you see your copy on that world. I wish it was better explained or that there was some kind of appendix or something in the book to help explain it. I also don't understand why the bad people need Molly. I sort of understand why they want Cassie, but I don't see what use Molly is to them as she has no powers or anything of the sort. There were a few plot twists that I didn't see coming. This book didn't really end in a cliffhanger, but I will still read the last book in the series to complete the story.
As always, Anya Allyn did a fantastic job with her characters. Cassie puts up a good fight and tries to protect everyone. I was really routing for her throughout Marionette. Molly is written well, but I feel like she's sort of a useless character. I wish I knew more about why Aisha decided to just give in to the Batistes, so more backstory there would have been nice. I am hoping there will be more backstory on Lacey as well so I can know why she sometimes speaks in third person. I know it was sort of explained that she went crazy after everything went down at the end of Dollhouse, but I'd like to know a bit more. Perhaps all of these things will be explained in the last book of the series. One character I felt bad for was Zack. I felt like he was sort of a prisoner in all of this too, yet he's very protective and sweet towards Cassie. I get why Cassie was angry at him, but he had no choice. I really wished Cassie was a bit nicer towards him in the book. I was saddened that there was hardly any Jessamine in Marionette. Jessamine is my favorite character, yet she's only in the book for the beginning for a little bit. I'm hoping she'll be featured more in the next book.
Trigger warnings for Marionette include death, murder, rape and attempted rape of a minor (not graphic), mentions of sex (not graphic), the occult, violence, alcohol, and imprisonment.
Despite the fast pacing in places, Marionette is still a great read. With great characters and lots of action, this book definitely holds one's attention throughout. I would definitely recommend Marionette by Anya Allyn to those aged 16+ who like a bit of science fiction with their supernatural horror. Now on to the next and final book in the Dark Carousel series entitled Music Box.
Cassie and Molly are prisoners in Balthazar's castle as its inhabitants try to find the second book of The Mirrored Tree. Cassie and Molly desperately search for a way to leave the castle so she can be reunited with her family and with Ethan. However, things take a turn for the worst when Cassie learns her fate of which she can not escape if she wants to save her world and all of its occupants.
I find that the plot of each book in the Dark Carousel series gets weirder and weirder. The plot in Marionette so much different to the one that first started it all in Dollhouse. However, Marionette was a fast paced read, in fact, in some parts, it was a little too fast paced. There were times I was left feeling confused about what was going on. Luckily, that only happened a few times, and the rest of the plot felt solid. Marionette was quite a page turner, and I kept wanting to know what would happen next. Marionette definitely has more action in it than Paper Dolls did. It seemed like there was always something happening in Marionette. This book focused more on Cassie and somewhat on Ethan. We learn more about the different worlds (which has me confused) and more about the ice world which Cassie is from. We also learn more about Zack, Viola, Emerson, and Parker as well as the castle itself. I do wish the worlds weren't as confusing. It's hard to keep up with all the different worlds and what happens when you see your copy on that world. I wish it was better explained or that there was some kind of appendix or something in the book to help explain it. I also don't understand why the bad people need Molly. I sort of understand why they want Cassie, but I don't see what use Molly is to them as she has no powers or anything of the sort. There were a few plot twists that I didn't see coming. This book didn't really end in a cliffhanger, but I will still read the last book in the series to complete the story.
As always, Anya Allyn did a fantastic job with her characters. Cassie puts up a good fight and tries to protect everyone. I was really routing for her throughout Marionette. Molly is written well, but I feel like she's sort of a useless character. I wish I knew more about why Aisha decided to just give in to the Batistes, so more backstory there would have been nice. I am hoping there will be more backstory on Lacey as well so I can know why she sometimes speaks in third person. I know it was sort of explained that she went crazy after everything went down at the end of Dollhouse, but I'd like to know a bit more. Perhaps all of these things will be explained in the last book of the series. One character I felt bad for was Zack. I felt like he was sort of a prisoner in all of this too, yet he's very protective and sweet towards Cassie. I get why Cassie was angry at him, but he had no choice. I really wished Cassie was a bit nicer towards him in the book. I was saddened that there was hardly any Jessamine in Marionette. Jessamine is my favorite character, yet she's only in the book for the beginning for a little bit. I'm hoping she'll be featured more in the next book.
Trigger warnings for Marionette include death, murder, rape and attempted rape of a minor (not graphic), mentions of sex (not graphic), the occult, violence, alcohol, and imprisonment.
Despite the fast pacing in places, Marionette is still a great read. With great characters and lots of action, this book definitely holds one's attention throughout. I would definitely recommend Marionette by Anya Allyn to those aged 16+ who like a bit of science fiction with their supernatural horror. Now on to the next and final book in the Dark Carousel series entitled Music Box.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in Movies
Jan 3, 2018
Superbly acted, funny and emotional
Every so often I head into a movie knowing very little about it. I don't see the trailer, I don't read any detailed reviews. What I do see are a lot of positive headlines in my movie related news feeds and I decide to just go for it. Last year I did the exact same thing with 'Get Out', which turned out to be my favourite movie of 2017. This year, for my first cinema trip of 2018, it's the oddly titled 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'. Not quite as wonderful as Get Out, but a very enjoyable movie all the same.
The three billboards in question lie, unused since the 80s, on a barely used road leading to the home of Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand). While driving past them one day, she stops to ponder for a while, before heading into town to the advertising company responsible for the boards and renting them out for a whole year. The message she spreads across the three boards is a simple one, set to shame the local police force who she feels have become a bit slack when it comes to investigating the brutal rape and murder of her daughter seven months earlier. Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) is named on one of the boards, a respected man of the town, who we later discover is suffering from cancer. Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell) on the other hand is a man with problems, totally inept at his job, living at home with his momma and recently in trouble for beating up a black suspect.
The billboards have the desired effect, bringing the murder case to everyones attention once again and causing uproar around town. But Mildred is a force to be reckoned with, foul mouthed and out for vengeance, and she's brilliant to watch. The movie effortlessly switches between laugh out loud sharp dialogue and gut wrenching emotional drama. Just when you think you've got the whole thing worked out, something major happens to shake things up again. It's a hugely enjoyable rollercoaster ride.
One of the few things I saw before seeing this movie said that if you like Fargo, then you'll enjoy this, and that's a pretty fair assumption. Interesting characters with interesting stories, beautifully told. I loved it.
The three billboards in question lie, unused since the 80s, on a barely used road leading to the home of Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand). While driving past them one day, she stops to ponder for a while, before heading into town to the advertising company responsible for the boards and renting them out for a whole year. The message she spreads across the three boards is a simple one, set to shame the local police force who she feels have become a bit slack when it comes to investigating the brutal rape and murder of her daughter seven months earlier. Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) is named on one of the boards, a respected man of the town, who we later discover is suffering from cancer. Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell) on the other hand is a man with problems, totally inept at his job, living at home with his momma and recently in trouble for beating up a black suspect.
The billboards have the desired effect, bringing the murder case to everyones attention once again and causing uproar around town. But Mildred is a force to be reckoned with, foul mouthed and out for vengeance, and she's brilliant to watch. The movie effortlessly switches between laugh out loud sharp dialogue and gut wrenching emotional drama. Just when you think you've got the whole thing worked out, something major happens to shake things up again. It's a hugely enjoyable rollercoaster ride.
One of the few things I saw before seeing this movie said that if you like Fargo, then you'll enjoy this, and that's a pretty fair assumption. Interesting characters with interesting stories, beautifully told. I loved it.
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated The Lovely Bones in Books
Jan 22, 2018
It was a while ago when I read this book, but I remember enough to write a review, I think.
Firstly, the book is not for the faint-hearted. The beginning is difficult to read for those who are a little sensitive to subjects such as child abuse, rape, and murder. That all happens near the beginning of the book.
The middle of the book it so much better. The reader and the protagonist, Susie Salmon, watch as her family grieve for the loss of their daughter. They do not know what happened to her. To them, she is just missing, most likely murdered. It is only us and Susie who knows what happened. We see Susie as she tries to interact with her family and help them to move on from what has happened to them. It is such a lovely section of the story it makes me want to rate it higher.
However, the ending ruined what the author had spent so much time building. The ending does the rest of the book no justice what so ever. Although to some, the story would feel unrealistic anyway, considering we are watching from the focalisation of a dead person. But it is still believable because of the purpose of the book. The ending completely pulls you from this beautifully written piece. When I was reading it I was like what? Really? This is happening? It was so unrealistic that it ruined the ending. It was like lazy writing. The author could not think of a better ending so she just threw one together and hoped no one would notice. I noticed. And if that isn't what she did, then she ruined a great piece of work.
The family also seemed a little too perfect for me. But I will leave that as it stands.
I'm going to stop ranting now. I have given this book a 6 because I loved the rest of the book up until the ending. If the ending was better, it would have gotten a higher rating. But alas, the book was an alright read. Something I would not really read again unless I had to. And I don't.
Firstly, the book is not for the faint-hearted. The beginning is difficult to read for those who are a little sensitive to subjects such as child abuse, rape, and murder. That all happens near the beginning of the book.
The middle of the book it so much better. The reader and the protagonist, Susie Salmon, watch as her family grieve for the loss of their daughter. They do not know what happened to her. To them, she is just missing, most likely murdered. It is only us and Susie who knows what happened. We see Susie as she tries to interact with her family and help them to move on from what has happened to them. It is such a lovely section of the story it makes me want to rate it higher.
However, the ending ruined what the author had spent so much time building. The ending does the rest of the book no justice what so ever. Although to some, the story would feel unrealistic anyway, considering we are watching from the focalisation of a dead person. But it is still believable because of the purpose of the book. The ending completely pulls you from this beautifully written piece. When I was reading it I was like what? Really? This is happening? It was so unrealistic that it ruined the ending. It was like lazy writing. The author could not think of a better ending so she just threw one together and hoped no one would notice. I noticed. And if that isn't what she did, then she ruined a great piece of work.
The family also seemed a little too perfect for me. But I will leave that as it stands.
I'm going to stop ranting now. I have given this book a 6 because I loved the rest of the book up until the ending. If the ending was better, it would have gotten a higher rating. But alas, the book was an alright read. Something I would not really read again unless I had to. And I don't.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Sometimes I Lie in Books
Aug 19, 2018
A Good Read
When I read the synopsis of Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney, I knew it was a book I had to read. The book synopsis makes it sound very interesting! I was feeling like I had made the wrong choice a little past halfway through the book. However, the second half definitely got interesting!
I enjoyed the world building. It was obvious that the author, Alice Feeney, was meticulous about the building of Sometimes I Lie. Everything felt very real, and I felt like I was experiencing everything first hand.
The pacing of Sometimes I Lie is very slow for a little over halfway through the book. I wasn't sure if I should continue reading because I was bored of this book. However, I am so glad I persevered. I was rewarded with a very fast paced second half that I couldn't get enough of!
As for the plot, it's explained early on with Amber being in a coma. It's just a matter of finding out what led up to the point of her being in a coma. There are so many plot twists in Sometimes I Lie! I never predicted any of them, and they are really well written plot twists as well. The plot twists continue right up to the end of Sometimes I Lie. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure this book out. (That's a good thing)!
Just like the first half of this book, the characters do start out a little boring. I found myself not caring or relating to any of the characters at first. However, once I got to the second half of Sometimes I Lie, I was very much interested in each character. Amber and Claire are very much interesting characters and have an interesting past. I will leave it at that.
There are themes of violence, alcohol, rape and some swear words in this book. I don't feel as if these situations were too over the top.
I would definitely recommend Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney. I would say that even though the first half is boring, hang on for the second half because you will happy you did. The plot twists in this book are amazing!
I enjoyed the world building. It was obvious that the author, Alice Feeney, was meticulous about the building of Sometimes I Lie. Everything felt very real, and I felt like I was experiencing everything first hand.
The pacing of Sometimes I Lie is very slow for a little over halfway through the book. I wasn't sure if I should continue reading because I was bored of this book. However, I am so glad I persevered. I was rewarded with a very fast paced second half that I couldn't get enough of!
As for the plot, it's explained early on with Amber being in a coma. It's just a matter of finding out what led up to the point of her being in a coma. There are so many plot twists in Sometimes I Lie! I never predicted any of them, and they are really well written plot twists as well. The plot twists continue right up to the end of Sometimes I Lie. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure this book out. (That's a good thing)!
Just like the first half of this book, the characters do start out a little boring. I found myself not caring or relating to any of the characters at first. However, once I got to the second half of Sometimes I Lie, I was very much interested in each character. Amber and Claire are very much interesting characters and have an interesting past. I will leave it at that.
There are themes of violence, alcohol, rape and some swear words in this book. I don't feel as if these situations were too over the top.
I would definitely recommend Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney. I would say that even though the first half is boring, hang on for the second half because you will happy you did. The plot twists in this book are amazing!