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Aurora (9 KP) rated The Keeper Of Lost Things in Books

Nov 7, 2018

The Keeper Of Lost Things

Ruth Hogan | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

7.8

(18 Ratings)

Book Rating

Heartwarming (3 more)

Interwoven storylines

Emotional

Flawed, but lovable characters

Unnecessary ghosts (0 more)

Great Read

Contains spoilers, click to show

The Keeper of Lost Things intrigued me from the very start. I absolutely love interweaving storylines and the sense of mystery the author instills in everyday objects. The characters, even the most minor ones, are very well-written and flawed in really believable ways. I was impressed by the different struggles that characters had, as well as how relatable the author made their pain. The reader can really feel the despair of grief, pain of watching family members age, and awkwardness of a date gone horribly wrong. What disappointed me, however, was that this poignant realism was often followed by fairly generic ghost-story spirit antics. In my opinion, the author could have stopped with Sunshine's unique empathetic abilities and left out the angry ghosts to keep from going a step too far. Still, I was engrossed in this book and do recommend it, particularly to those who enjoy a bit of the supernatural.

Kudos

Ross (3284 KP) rated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in Movies

Jan 14, 2019

Cast and dialogue (0 more)

Outstanding cast and dialogue

I won't belabour this review, I have nothing new to say that isn't already in these reviews.
The dialogue in this film from start to finish is top notch. The jokes, the put-downs, the nastiness, the crass-ness is all on-point and perfect.
While I hate a film not having an ending, it seemed to fit this film. It really was some people trying to get by and work out how they deal with the hand life deals them and not really moving on. The film tells of the journey of those people, and not where they end up.
The subject matter is very grim, as are some of the events in the film, but it is told with enough realism and so wonderfully acted as to give it all the gravitas it needs, but also to cut through that at times with dark humour.
A brilliant film.

Kudos

Andrew Sinclair (25 KP) rated War Cry in Books

Nov 24, 2019

War Cry

Wilbur Smith, David Churchill | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

This is a fascinating story that follows the lives of two characters who finally meet about 3 quarters of the way through the book. Despite their circumstances they can't resist each other hurting close friends in the process. Meanwhile World War 2 is brewing and both are caught up in the action on opposing sides. At this point the story becomes a kind of global Romeo and Juliet where they must endeavour to keep their relationship secret as there are those who would seek to tear it apart. When you follow their journey as a reader and get to know both characters you can't help but route for them even though some of their actions make you question their morality. This gives it a true sense of realism as the heroes of the book don't always do the right thing. It's an engrossing read and I can't wait to read the sequel which I have already bought.