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Insanely good!
Words cannot describe how much I love this fantasy series by Anne Bishop, but I'm gonna try anyway. First, the characters are fully formed. From the cover one would think that Jaenelle is the main character, and in a way that is true, but in reality each of the players are equally important with rich backstories and thus become real people to the reader.
The world Bishop created in this series is intricate, deadly, wonderful, and beautiful. The books handle some pretty intense subjects, like child abuse, rape, and prostitution, which sounds bad as I write this, but Bishop handles it beautifully. They aren't extra things thrown into the story for attention--each horror is a catalyst for the characters to grow into their destinies. If you read these books, you will love them forever, I promise. These have a special place on the shelf.
  
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Frank Turner recommended In Utero by Nirvana in Music (curated)

 
In Utero by Nirvana
In Utero by Nirvana
1993 | Alternative

"I had a copy of Nevermind on cassette, but In Utero is one of the first records I can remember being released and it meaning something to me. The production is what I loved; it remains one of my favourite records. At this point I was playing in a bedroom band and we were trying to play AC/DC and Iron Maiden and it was really hard; we had neither the skills nor the equipment to play that music. Then In Utero came out and within two days we were covering Rape Me. The guitar on that album sounded like the guitar coming out of our amps, and the drums sounded like the drums that we had. It was hugely empowering for me. It meant that the music I loved was within reach in a way it had never been before. That blew my mind."

Source
  
The Nowhere Girls
The Nowhere Girls
Amy Reed | 2017 | Children
9
9.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
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.
  
Flashback - Single  by Mathew V
Flashback - Single by Mathew V
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
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/
  
Ju-on: Origins
Ju-on: Origins
2020 | Horror, Mystery
8
6.5 (4 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
atmospheric (0 more)
Sometimes a bit hard to follow (0 more)
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
  
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Darren Fisher (2447 KP) rated Island of Death (1976) in Movies

Jan 11, 2021 (Updated Jan 11, 2021)  
Island of Death (1976)
Island of Death (1976)
1976 | Horror, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
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.
  
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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Men Explain Things to Me: And Other Essays in Books

Oct 20, 2017 (Updated Oct 20, 2017)  
Men Explain Things to Me: And Other Essays
Men Explain Things to Me: And Other Essays
Rebecca Solnit | 2016 | Essays
7
5.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Some interesting points but doesn't connect together
Having read many of Rebecca Solnit's works, this is not one of the better ones. While there are some thoughtful ideas, the essays are disjointed from one another, so it seems to be lumped together.

That being said, some of the essays have some important points. This includes marriage equality between same sexes, ensuring inequality from a patriarchal standpoint can be dismantled.

And there is a small amount of intersectionality, discussing the rape of Native American and Indian women as part of a pandemic of violence against women rather than isolated incidents. And while this was written several years before and some of it no longer applies (Dominic Strauss-Kahn) it is still valid as the issues still continue.

The less said about slutwalk, the better.

I would say this is a good introduction to feminism for those who are seeking to understand parts, but I would recommend books with a little more substance than this.
  
Redesigning Fate (The Revive Series, #1)
Redesigning Fate (The Revive Series, #1)
A.M. Wilson | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
SIN!!!!!!!!!!! (3 more)
You will need therapy by the end of this series
Emotional
Heartbreaking
Warning Not For Faint Hearted (1 more)
If you are of squeamish nature do not read.
SIn Mine get another Book Boyfriend
Out of all Indie authors i know there are two that can attack your emotions so brutally and beautifully you will never know to read another book again or just give up and cry in the corner.

There are numerous complex and multi-dimensional characters in Allison books my favorite belongs in this series.


 Alexander Sinclair more commonly known as Sin a moody Bar tender who has heart of gold. Even the psychopathic Stalker Travis has something about him has a sexy I know you could kill rape kill and torture me but man your so appealing there's a part of me that don't care.


These books deal with the darkest of real world situation and should you be of a squeamish nature do not read.
  
Johnny Frank Garrett's Last Word (2016)
Johnny Frank Garrett's Last Word (2016)
2016 | Horror
3
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Disappointing even though it's based on a terrifying true story
I was looking forward to watch this film given that the story of Johnny Frank Garrett is on par with the real life mysteries of Amityville and The Omen. However, the film completely missed the point and went straight to a Rob Zombie type horror film.

Garrett was executed in reality in 1992 following the rape and murder of a nun. On what many believe shoddy evidence, he was found guilty despite proclaiming his innocence throughout. His last words were chillingly prophetic as much of what he said allegedly came true.

Many of those involved in the case including jury members met mysterious deaths as well as their family members post-execution. And this is where this filmmaker came in. Instead of exploring the connections and insanity of the deaths itself, he turns Garrett into a demon-like character which makes the whole film a bit of a joke. What a disappointment.
  
Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
1965 | Sci-Fi
6
6.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Planet X marks the Spot
Sixth Godzilla movie, third for Rodan, second for Ghidorah, if anyone's counting. Not really a proper monster movie, if we're honest, more a sort of Japanese take on a flying-saucer B-picture. Aliens from Planet X ask to borrow Godzilla and Rodan to help deal with their local monster problem (King Ghidorah); evil plans are naturally afoot.

Almost wholly mad; still quite entertaining, but the lack of actual monster action (the three big beasts get very little screen-time) is inevitably quite disappointing. Rattling pace makes up for a lot of the film's flaws, and the basic idea - aliens try to conquer the world using monsters - would be endlessly recycled in future proper Godzilla films. Easy to dismiss this movie as quaintly dated 60s tosh, but surely a film where the forces of evil are driven off by the power of rape alarms has something to say to the #time's up generation.