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Darren (1599 KP) rated 99 Homes (2015) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: 99 Homes starts with hard working young man Dennis Nash (Garfield) trying to keep his family home from being reclaimed by the bank, but he is unsuccessful as real estate broker Rick Carver (Shannon) evicts him from his home with his mother Lynn (Dern) and son Connor.
Desperate for money Dennis turns to Rick who offers him a job involving his construction skills, with this job Dennis starts to learn the trade rising the ranks to become the very person he despised in Rick when he was losing his home.
Thoughts on 99 Homes
Characters – Dennis Nash is the hard-working construction worker, he works to keep the roof over his family home but when he loses his home he goes to all ends to get a job to regain his home. This means Dennis works for the man who evicts him where he learns the trade to make sure he can his home back become the man he once hated. Rick Carver is a real estate broker, he has been evicting for the bank for years now, he doesn’t believe he is doing anything wrong, but he is following the law. He has made a lot of money in this world and takes Dennis under his wing to follow in his footsteps.
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Performances – Andrew Garfield is fantastic in this leading role, this guy is constantly giving us performances that we are left seeing just how talented this guy it. Michael Shannon is the always brilliant star of most movies, he is calm through every single scene which could have himself getting pushed to the limits. Laura Dern is good too in the supporting role as Dennis mother that questions his work.
Story – The story here shows one man’s struggle to keep his family home but needing to turn to the enemy to make the money. We see how far he must go just to make a difference, but can he cope with becoming the man he hates. The story gives us hard to watch scenes as we see people losing their homes showing us a darker side to real estate in America. This is one story that is a good watch, he can be hard at times, but the story is rewarding.
Settings – The settings show us the housing market and how people can be a community when supporting someone’s miss fortune.
Scene of the Movie – Seeing Dennis question his decision.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We get a lot of law discussion, but a lot can go over your head.
Final Thoughts – This is a powerful drama that shows how difficult life could be for the people who lose their homes to the people looking just to make the money by taking them.
Overall: Strong, powerful drama.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/08/03/99-homes-2014/
Desperate for money Dennis turns to Rick who offers him a job involving his construction skills, with this job Dennis starts to learn the trade rising the ranks to become the very person he despised in Rick when he was losing his home.
Thoughts on 99 Homes
Characters – Dennis Nash is the hard-working construction worker, he works to keep the roof over his family home but when he loses his home he goes to all ends to get a job to regain his home. This means Dennis works for the man who evicts him where he learns the trade to make sure he can his home back become the man he once hated. Rick Carver is a real estate broker, he has been evicting for the bank for years now, he doesn’t believe he is doing anything wrong, but he is following the law. He has made a lot of money in this world and takes Dennis under his wing to follow in his footsteps.
REPORT THIS AD
Performances – Andrew Garfield is fantastic in this leading role, this guy is constantly giving us performances that we are left seeing just how talented this guy it. Michael Shannon is the always brilliant star of most movies, he is calm through every single scene which could have himself getting pushed to the limits. Laura Dern is good too in the supporting role as Dennis mother that questions his work.
Story – The story here shows one man’s struggle to keep his family home but needing to turn to the enemy to make the money. We see how far he must go just to make a difference, but can he cope with becoming the man he hates. The story gives us hard to watch scenes as we see people losing their homes showing us a darker side to real estate in America. This is one story that is a good watch, he can be hard at times, but the story is rewarding.
Settings – The settings show us the housing market and how people can be a community when supporting someone’s miss fortune.
Scene of the Movie – Seeing Dennis question his decision.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We get a lot of law discussion, but a lot can go over your head.
Final Thoughts – This is a powerful drama that shows how difficult life could be for the people who lose their homes to the people looking just to make the money by taking them.
Overall: Strong, powerful drama.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/08/03/99-homes-2014/
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Girls' Weekend in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Charlotte, Dani, and Meg have been friends for ages-- bonding over motherhood and the issues that accompany it. However, each woman has their own problems and are reluctant to bring them up with their friends. Charlotte, a busy and successful interior designer, has a dentist husband and a loving son, but she feels like her husband, Brett, doesn't even see her anymore. Dani's life appears great -- a caring husband and two kids, but she can't quite shake the empty feelings she has. And Meg is still reeling from losing her young son two years ago; her grief remains, but everyone around her seems to have moved on. When the three women get a chance to go away for a girls' weekend, they jump at the chance, even if involves a little rearranging of schedules. But once there, they make a fateful decision: they aren't coming back home.
When reading it, the premise seems a little farfetched, but the characters in this novel immediately seem very real and the book gives a lot of little details about motherhood that lend it realism (for instance, humming annoying intro music to a children's show at inappropriate times). Each woman is different, but you can relate to a piece of each of them. I found myself liking parts of each and being frustrated with other parts - just like your actual friends.
It's probably true that parts of the book are stereotypical toward men (and fathers) -- painting them as bumbling and clueless toward their wives and children, but sadly, there is some realism to it, too. Plus, as the storyline progresses, you fixate less on this fact and realize there's more to this story than black and white. Honestly, it speaks universally to many women, especially mothers: those seeking answers in life, those feeling guilty for not being happy when life seems perfect on paper, those wondering when life simply became a series of errands. I felt like Achterberg did an excellent job of dealing with and capturing some of the quintessential problems facing the modern mom.
The book is painful to read at times, but only because it's so well-written. Your heart breaks for Meg and all she has been through. The book lags a little in the middle, but really, the women do too, as they try to figure out exactly what they should do. It is fascinating because they are doing what you can't quite imagine pulling off. My mind was racing as I read: I mean, who would really watch your kids for that long? What spouse would be OK with this? Who could leave their kids for that long? And yet, you sort of dream for the time away, envy the women as you read the novel. It's easy to empathize with them, even as you may question some of their motives.
Overall, the book was easy to read and Charlotte, Meg, and Dani were interesting and relatable characters. The book made me think (and highlight many passages). It's a fun read, but also goes deeper, too. Really enjoyed it.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere on 5/3.
When reading it, the premise seems a little farfetched, but the characters in this novel immediately seem very real and the book gives a lot of little details about motherhood that lend it realism (for instance, humming annoying intro music to a children's show at inappropriate times). Each woman is different, but you can relate to a piece of each of them. I found myself liking parts of each and being frustrated with other parts - just like your actual friends.
It's probably true that parts of the book are stereotypical toward men (and fathers) -- painting them as bumbling and clueless toward their wives and children, but sadly, there is some realism to it, too. Plus, as the storyline progresses, you fixate less on this fact and realize there's more to this story than black and white. Honestly, it speaks universally to many women, especially mothers: those seeking answers in life, those feeling guilty for not being happy when life seems perfect on paper, those wondering when life simply became a series of errands. I felt like Achterberg did an excellent job of dealing with and capturing some of the quintessential problems facing the modern mom.
The book is painful to read at times, but only because it's so well-written. Your heart breaks for Meg and all she has been through. The book lags a little in the middle, but really, the women do too, as they try to figure out exactly what they should do. It is fascinating because they are doing what you can't quite imagine pulling off. My mind was racing as I read: I mean, who would really watch your kids for that long? What spouse would be OK with this? Who could leave their kids for that long? And yet, you sort of dream for the time away, envy the women as you read the novel. It's easy to empathize with them, even as you may question some of their motives.
Overall, the book was easy to read and Charlotte, Meg, and Dani were interesting and relatable characters. The book made me think (and highlight many passages). It's a fun read, but also goes deeper, too. Really enjoyed it.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere on 5/3.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Read Me Like a Book in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Ashleigh Walker's life is crumbling around her. Her parents are fighting constantly, she's not doing well in school, and her boyfriend, Dylan, doesn't exactly make her heart sing. Suddenly, the one bright spot in Ash's life becomes her new English teacher, Miss Murray. Young and hip, Miss Murray engages Ash in a way she's never felt before. She's even joined the debate club, for pete's sake, and started working hard on her English submissions. But there's more to it than that. Miss Murray makes Ash feel something else. If she really admits it, Miss Murray makes Ash feel what Dylan (and other boys) should. Is something wrong with Ash? And more importantly, Ash starts to think... does Miss Murray feel the same way?
This is a lovely gem of a book. It's the perfect blend of heartbreaking and funny. Kessler, who, as I mentioned, has previously written a series of books for young teens, expertly captures the older teen voice in this novel (which was actually her first book, finally published and updated for the more modern, digital era). She creates a picture as she writes, allowing you to vividly imagine her multi-faceted and complicated characters. Ash is no one-dimensional teen: she's intricate and her own person. As she deals with the agony of her parents' own issues, plus her own inner angst about her love life, your heart goes out to the girl.
Kessler easily paints the angst one feels when in love with a teacher, especially if LGBT - coupled with the delusion that comes with youth, no matter your sexual orientation. Ash's feelings are so real, so strong, and she seems so alone. It's an excellent portrayal of what young teens go through as they wrestle with their sexuality (believe me, I know; it took me back to some tough times in high school).
If anything, some of the resolution is a little too easy, a bit quick and forced at times, but it really doesn't diminish from the force of the book. Watching Ash grow up before our eyes is rather magical. There are some excellent comedic portions from the novel to balance out the heaviness, coupled with a great supporting cast of characters, including Ash's best friend, Cat, and some other youth she meets via school, family, and friends. The novel is perfect for teens struggling with their own sexuality, or needing to see someone "like them" in print, and those looking to support a LGBT best friend, but should also be given to parents of those teens -- as Ash's parents play a role in the story as well.
Overall, I found myself completely wrapped in Ash's coming of age (and coming out) tale. Books with a true to life, multi-dimensional lesbian heroine are still sadly hard to come by, it seems, but Kessler's novel certainly tries to change that.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review - thank you!
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
This is a lovely gem of a book. It's the perfect blend of heartbreaking and funny. Kessler, who, as I mentioned, has previously written a series of books for young teens, expertly captures the older teen voice in this novel (which was actually her first book, finally published and updated for the more modern, digital era). She creates a picture as she writes, allowing you to vividly imagine her multi-faceted and complicated characters. Ash is no one-dimensional teen: she's intricate and her own person. As she deals with the agony of her parents' own issues, plus her own inner angst about her love life, your heart goes out to the girl.
Kessler easily paints the angst one feels when in love with a teacher, especially if LGBT - coupled with the delusion that comes with youth, no matter your sexual orientation. Ash's feelings are so real, so strong, and she seems so alone. It's an excellent portrayal of what young teens go through as they wrestle with their sexuality (believe me, I know; it took me back to some tough times in high school).
If anything, some of the resolution is a little too easy, a bit quick and forced at times, but it really doesn't diminish from the force of the book. Watching Ash grow up before our eyes is rather magical. There are some excellent comedic portions from the novel to balance out the heaviness, coupled with a great supporting cast of characters, including Ash's best friend, Cat, and some other youth she meets via school, family, and friends. The novel is perfect for teens struggling with their own sexuality, or needing to see someone "like them" in print, and those looking to support a LGBT best friend, but should also be given to parents of those teens -- as Ash's parents play a role in the story as well.
Overall, I found myself completely wrapped in Ash's coming of age (and coming out) tale. Books with a true to life, multi-dimensional lesbian heroine are still sadly hard to come by, it seems, but Kessler's novel certainly tries to change that.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review - thank you!
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Operation Finale (2018) in Movies
Sep 11, 2018
Very Good Film with 2 Very Good Performances
The kids are back in school, the leaves are beginning to turn and Halloween is just around the corner (if you believe the displays in the stores), which means it's a "dead period" at the Cineplex for decent films. So, the BankofMarquis headed to the "Art House" to check out a well made, well directed and well acted post WWII drama - OPERATION FINALE.
Set in the early 1960's, OPERATION FINALE tells the tale of Israeli Secret Service Agent's attempt to capture Adolph Eichman in Argentina and bring him back to Israel to face a very public, world-wide trial for his role as the "Architect of the Final Solution".
In other hands, this film could have very easily devolved into a Jason Bourne-type action flick with kick-ass Mossad agents fighting Nazi-loving Argentinian police (with assists from once and future Nazi's). But, in the hands of Writer Matthew Orton (in his major Screenplay debut) and Director Chris Weitz (ABOUT A BOY) this film becomes something much more, much deeper and much more interesting than that, it becomes a character study between Eichman and Mossad Agent Peter Malkin.
The first 1/2 hour of the film starts out "action-y" enough, with the discovery of Eichman and the Mossad's planning of the caper that will bring him to justice. We get the "gathering of the team" - and there's a couple of interesting characters in this group - specifically the characters played by Nick Kroll and Melanie Laurent - but the film really takes off and finds it's footing when the team - and the film - is forced to slow down (waiting for their escape plane to show up) and coax a confession (of sorts) out of Eichman.
So the middle part of this film is really a "two-hander" interrogation between Malkin (Oscar Isaac) and Eichman (Sir Ben Kingsley) - and both really bring it. Isaac (EX MACHINA, STAR WARS) shows a sadness and vulnerability as the agent who's life was deeply affected by the death of his sister (and other family members) at the hands of the SS. He is out to nail Eichman for his crime, but discovers a humanity (both in himself and in Eichman) along the way.
But the picture really belongs to the performance of Sir Ben as Eichman. This is a larger than life actor portraying a larger than life character and more than holds the audience's attention whenever he is on the scene - and when it comes down to an interrogation of Eichman by Malkin, the positions are quickly switched and it is Eichman who is the interrogator and Malkin is in the hot seat. It's not quite an "Oscar-worthy" performance, falling just short of that, but darn good nonetheless.
The final 1/2 hour of the film falls prey to the "Argo" ending - making a more exciting escape than it was in real life - but that is just a quibble for a really good, really intelligent and really ADULT film. One that is well worth checking out at an Art House near you.
Letter Grade A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Set in the early 1960's, OPERATION FINALE tells the tale of Israeli Secret Service Agent's attempt to capture Adolph Eichman in Argentina and bring him back to Israel to face a very public, world-wide trial for his role as the "Architect of the Final Solution".
In other hands, this film could have very easily devolved into a Jason Bourne-type action flick with kick-ass Mossad agents fighting Nazi-loving Argentinian police (with assists from once and future Nazi's). But, in the hands of Writer Matthew Orton (in his major Screenplay debut) and Director Chris Weitz (ABOUT A BOY) this film becomes something much more, much deeper and much more interesting than that, it becomes a character study between Eichman and Mossad Agent Peter Malkin.
The first 1/2 hour of the film starts out "action-y" enough, with the discovery of Eichman and the Mossad's planning of the caper that will bring him to justice. We get the "gathering of the team" - and there's a couple of interesting characters in this group - specifically the characters played by Nick Kroll and Melanie Laurent - but the film really takes off and finds it's footing when the team - and the film - is forced to slow down (waiting for their escape plane to show up) and coax a confession (of sorts) out of Eichman.
So the middle part of this film is really a "two-hander" interrogation between Malkin (Oscar Isaac) and Eichman (Sir Ben Kingsley) - and both really bring it. Isaac (EX MACHINA, STAR WARS) shows a sadness and vulnerability as the agent who's life was deeply affected by the death of his sister (and other family members) at the hands of the SS. He is out to nail Eichman for his crime, but discovers a humanity (both in himself and in Eichman) along the way.
But the picture really belongs to the performance of Sir Ben as Eichman. This is a larger than life actor portraying a larger than life character and more than holds the audience's attention whenever he is on the scene - and when it comes down to an interrogation of Eichman by Malkin, the positions are quickly switched and it is Eichman who is the interrogator and Malkin is in the hot seat. It's not quite an "Oscar-worthy" performance, falling just short of that, but darn good nonetheless.
The final 1/2 hour of the film falls prey to the "Argo" ending - making a more exciting escape than it was in real life - but that is just a quibble for a really good, really intelligent and really ADULT film. One that is well worth checking out at an Art House near you.
Letter Grade A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Superwoman in Books
Feb 28, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Superwoman by Sinead Flynn is a story about the strength it takes to pull out of depression and the amount of support it requires. While it can’t be called heartwarming, it can provide hope to those in similar situations.
Louise might not have her dream job yet, because she is still undecided as to just what her dream job would be, but she has basically everything else she could want. She has a good job that pays the bills, good friends, and even shares an apartment with one of them. She is happy and content in her life, or so she believes. Then comes “that morning”, the day when just going about her job turns her life upside down. Now things are difficult for Louise. She no longer has a job due to the recession, yet she still has bills to pay. There is no way she will be able to get a job in her present state considering all she does is take medication, sleep, and refuses to leave the apartment.
Slowly she gets worse and worse until one day while her roommate is away she almost burns down the apartment because she falls asleep while cooking. Thankfully her friends have her back even with her alienating them, and they arrange for her to go back home to be cared for by her parents. However, Louise seems to have given up, labeling the real world as too scary. Will it be possible for the unconditional love of her parents to “snap her out of it” or will she stay safely hidden away in the back bedroom for the rest of her life?
I enjoyed how the book acknowledges the superhuman strength it takes to overcome mental illness, even a circumstantial one. These circumstantial illnesses often seem to be over-the-top reactions to a negative event and are rarely talked about. What I didn’t like was that I felt like Louise’s discovery of the criminal was extremely anti-climatic and would have liked to know more about that situation. The person the criminal was found with was surprising and readers are left to speculate why they were even together.
This book is directed more towards adults, and people who trigger easily should probably think twice about picking it up. It has a large focus on depression, anxiety, and self-loathing after one morning that turns a woman’s life upside down. I rate this book 2 out of 4. The book describes a tough subject very well. Unfortunately once I got to Part 2 (page 120 of 145) the book fell apart. I mean to say it felt unbelievably rushed, there is a lot of important things that happen in the last 25 pages that just get glossed over.
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Louise might not have her dream job yet, because she is still undecided as to just what her dream job would be, but she has basically everything else she could want. She has a good job that pays the bills, good friends, and even shares an apartment with one of them. She is happy and content in her life, or so she believes. Then comes “that morning”, the day when just going about her job turns her life upside down. Now things are difficult for Louise. She no longer has a job due to the recession, yet she still has bills to pay. There is no way she will be able to get a job in her present state considering all she does is take medication, sleep, and refuses to leave the apartment.
Slowly she gets worse and worse until one day while her roommate is away she almost burns down the apartment because she falls asleep while cooking. Thankfully her friends have her back even with her alienating them, and they arrange for her to go back home to be cared for by her parents. However, Louise seems to have given up, labeling the real world as too scary. Will it be possible for the unconditional love of her parents to “snap her out of it” or will she stay safely hidden away in the back bedroom for the rest of her life?
I enjoyed how the book acknowledges the superhuman strength it takes to overcome mental illness, even a circumstantial one. These circumstantial illnesses often seem to be over-the-top reactions to a negative event and are rarely talked about. What I didn’t like was that I felt like Louise’s discovery of the criminal was extremely anti-climatic and would have liked to know more about that situation. The person the criminal was found with was surprising and readers are left to speculate why they were even together.
This book is directed more towards adults, and people who trigger easily should probably think twice about picking it up. It has a large focus on depression, anxiety, and self-loathing after one morning that turns a woman’s life upside down. I rate this book 2 out of 4. The book describes a tough subject very well. Unfortunately once I got to Part 2 (page 120 of 145) the book fell apart. I mean to say it felt unbelievably rushed, there is a lot of important things that happen in the last 25 pages that just get glossed over.
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Darren (1599 KP) rated A.M.I. (2019) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Characters – Cassie is a high school student that has been through a traumatic experience, being involved in a car crash that killed her mother, while others in her life have moved on, she still suffers daily, her boyfriend doesn’t give her time and always makes excuses, while her closest friends are more interested in her lifestyle and boyfriend than her. Cassie turns to an AI system on her phone, that starts guiding her on a killing spree against everyone that has done her wrong. Greg is Cassie’s father that has neglected her after her mother’s death drinking and trying to seduce younger women including one of Cassie’s friends. Liam is the asshole boyfriend that is more interested in a career in American football and sleeping around over being caring towards his own girlfriend, he is one of the most unsupportive people you will ever see in a film. Ruby and Sarah are the best friends that are not supportive in any way more interested in her boyfriend than her friendship.
Performances – Debs Howard in the leading role is very interesting to watch, she has the image of a popular student, only holds the psychotic side back. Sam Robert Muik does give us one of the most unlikable characters of the year. Nobody else really gets any screen time to do much.
Story – The story here follows a teenager girl that is struggling with her mother’s death only to turn to her phone artificial intelligence for a friend, which only turns her into a psychotic killer, taking out revenge on the people that are wronging her in life. This story could easily be one that could have addressed the real life problems Cassie would be experiencing with loss, but instead it just decides to show us that she has no friends or family that want to help her in anyway, despite the fact they should be stood next to her helping her. The speed of which she turns to the phone for friendship is worrying quick and how quickly she starts to kill, though it does have a glancing reference to her head injury, which could have been made more of a point about.
Horror – The horror side of the film does follow Cassie on her slasher style killing spree, it isn’t scary and the kills happen way to quickly to have any tension.
Settings – The film does use the everyday settings which shows how somebody could go lose it and go on a spree.
Special Effects – The effects are used to show injuries, while mostly are off camera too, they don’t need to show us anything if we are honesty.
Scene of the Movie – The slip and slide.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – In one scene Sarah is asked if she wants to call her mother, less than 10 minutes later, she talks about living alone in an apartment.
Final Thoughts – This is an odd little slasher that does everything to make you support the killer over anybody in their life and does almost hit comical with the kills.
Overall: Fun little slasher.
Performances – Debs Howard in the leading role is very interesting to watch, she has the image of a popular student, only holds the psychotic side back. Sam Robert Muik does give us one of the most unlikable characters of the year. Nobody else really gets any screen time to do much.
Story – The story here follows a teenager girl that is struggling with her mother’s death only to turn to her phone artificial intelligence for a friend, which only turns her into a psychotic killer, taking out revenge on the people that are wronging her in life. This story could easily be one that could have addressed the real life problems Cassie would be experiencing with loss, but instead it just decides to show us that she has no friends or family that want to help her in anyway, despite the fact they should be stood next to her helping her. The speed of which she turns to the phone for friendship is worrying quick and how quickly she starts to kill, though it does have a glancing reference to her head injury, which could have been made more of a point about.
Horror – The horror side of the film does follow Cassie on her slasher style killing spree, it isn’t scary and the kills happen way to quickly to have any tension.
Settings – The film does use the everyday settings which shows how somebody could go lose it and go on a spree.
Special Effects – The effects are used to show injuries, while mostly are off camera too, they don’t need to show us anything if we are honesty.
Scene of the Movie – The slip and slide.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – In one scene Sarah is asked if she wants to call her mother, less than 10 minutes later, she talks about living alone in an apartment.
Final Thoughts – This is an odd little slasher that does everything to make you support the killer over anybody in their life and does almost hit comical with the kills.
Overall: Fun little slasher.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) in Books
Jan 31, 2018
As I mentioned in the past review as this is not the first book in the series there will be major spoilers, even though I'm not spoiling anything from this book.
Whether I agree or not, many people find that Scarlet is their least favorite book in the series. As a result, I worry that they may not continue with the series at that point which would be a major mistake. Cress is an absolutely fantastic book and will hit you in the feels more times than I can count.
While they may not be my OTP, Cresswell is probably in my top five or 10 favorite ships. I've never really sat down and tried to figure it out. It's like trying to figure out which puppies in an entire room full of puppies are the cutest. Impossible. As much as I love Wolflet and Kaider, there is just that extra something that Cress and Thorne have.
For those familiar with the Disney movie, Tangled, their relationship is very similar (in my opinion). I absolutely adore the two of them together. While Thorne is a bit of a player, confident, a wanted criminal... he goes on this major character arc over the course of the series. Cress has this romanticized, hero view of him and he realizes that he wants to live up to that image.
I laughed so hard when Thorne barreled into the hallway yelling Cress and then ran right past the room. It both tugged at my heartstrings so much and made me roll my eyes. One of my favourite lines was "You came for me" because it just shows the new, unsure feelings between them while simultaneously showing that they're much deeper than either truly realizes yet. My heart melted.
It is fantastic to see how the characters grow and evolve over the course of the series. Kai starts out as a prince and completely unprepared for his responsibilities. He is thrust into his role much sooner than anticipated and he has to grow up really quickly. He has the weight of an entire people on his shoulders.
All Cinder ever wanted was to be a normal person and she finds out that her life is even more abnormal than she realized. Not only is she a cyborg, but she's Lunar. Not only is she a Lunar, but she's royalty. She has just as much if not more on her shoulders than Kai does. She is the one that people have been putting all of their hopes and dreams on for over a decade.
Cress has been stuck in a satellite by herself with no human interaction for a large portion of her life. Her whole life she had to escape into fictional stories in her own head because of her real life. She never learned to stand up for herself and she's not used to the real world. It was nice to see little elements of her bravery throughout the story despite the fact that that is not her nature.
Sadly, we don't really get to see any development from Scarlet or Wolf. Their stories in Cress are relatively non-existent. Despite the fact that they were the focus of the second book, I do think that it was a negative for me that one of the main pairs was essentially completely overlooked in this book. At the same time, I also have that feeling for Winter and Jacin in regards to the first two books and most of the third. We get little glimpses of them and spend a small amount of time with Jacin, but overall I don't feel like I know their characters whatsoever.
The author does continue the world building but the writing is predominantly focused on the characters and the plot. There are some really nice glimpses into small villages or communities in other places than we're used to. I think it is a nice blend between story and world so that these books are very accessible. It's not heavy world building that might make readers hesitant to dive into such rich, dense worlds (like high fantasy might be).
Overall, I think this is a fabulous novel and I would highly recommend the entire series to people even if science-fiction is not normally what you gravitate towards.
Whether I agree or not, many people find that Scarlet is their least favorite book in the series. As a result, I worry that they may not continue with the series at that point which would be a major mistake. Cress is an absolutely fantastic book and will hit you in the feels more times than I can count.
While they may not be my OTP, Cresswell is probably in my top five or 10 favorite ships. I've never really sat down and tried to figure it out. It's like trying to figure out which puppies in an entire room full of puppies are the cutest. Impossible. As much as I love Wolflet and Kaider, there is just that extra something that Cress and Thorne have.
For those familiar with the Disney movie, Tangled, their relationship is very similar (in my opinion). I absolutely adore the two of them together. While Thorne is a bit of a player, confident, a wanted criminal... he goes on this major character arc over the course of the series. Cress has this romanticized, hero view of him and he realizes that he wants to live up to that image.
I laughed so hard when Thorne barreled into the hallway yelling Cress and then ran right past the room. It both tugged at my heartstrings so much and made me roll my eyes. One of my favourite lines was "You came for me" because it just shows the new, unsure feelings between them while simultaneously showing that they're much deeper than either truly realizes yet. My heart melted.
It is fantastic to see how the characters grow and evolve over the course of the series. Kai starts out as a prince and completely unprepared for his responsibilities. He is thrust into his role much sooner than anticipated and he has to grow up really quickly. He has the weight of an entire people on his shoulders.
All Cinder ever wanted was to be a normal person and she finds out that her life is even more abnormal than she realized. Not only is she a cyborg, but she's Lunar. Not only is she a Lunar, but she's royalty. She has just as much if not more on her shoulders than Kai does. She is the one that people have been putting all of their hopes and dreams on for over a decade.
Cress has been stuck in a satellite by herself with no human interaction for a large portion of her life. Her whole life she had to escape into fictional stories in her own head because of her real life. She never learned to stand up for herself and she's not used to the real world. It was nice to see little elements of her bravery throughout the story despite the fact that that is not her nature.
Sadly, we don't really get to see any development from Scarlet or Wolf. Their stories in Cress are relatively non-existent. Despite the fact that they were the focus of the second book, I do think that it was a negative for me that one of the main pairs was essentially completely overlooked in this book. At the same time, I also have that feeling for Winter and Jacin in regards to the first two books and most of the third. We get little glimpses of them and spend a small amount of time with Jacin, but overall I don't feel like I know their characters whatsoever.
The author does continue the world building but the writing is predominantly focused on the characters and the plot. There are some really nice glimpses into small villages or communities in other places than we're used to. I think it is a nice blend between story and world so that these books are very accessible. It's not heavy world building that might make readers hesitant to dive into such rich, dense worlds (like high fantasy might be).
Overall, I think this is a fabulous novel and I would highly recommend the entire series to people even if science-fiction is not normally what you gravitate towards.