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The Shallows (2016)
The Shallows (2016)
2016 | Drama, Mystery
Beautiful location (2 more)
Good Sfx
The Cgi for the Shark was great
A decent Shark thriller
A good film with a battle of wits and survival. The Beach location is beautiful, shot at Lord Howe Island off the coast of Australia, and the Sfx were good in most scenes. I was impressed with the Cgi for the Shark, it looked more realistic than many other Shark films over the past 20 years. It is one big mean Shark, although some of the action scenes are a bit over the top. Overall a good film for a simple premise. On the DVD you get extras on Shark attacks, the location for the Beach scenes, and how they designed the Shark.
  
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs | 2013 | Children, Young Adult (YA)
10
7.9 (128 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unique plot (2 more)
Realistic pictures
Imaginative
Very unique story
If you haven't watched the film yet then my advice is, don't watch it. Stick to the book. I fortunately read the book first before the film like I do with every movie that's made from a book. The movie changed alot of the characters, very disappointing. The book however, I absolutely loved reading this! I've never read such an imaginative and creative book, and not just the plot either, the way the book is presented and the author went to the effort of creating photographs that could be passed off as real. Very real. I would happily read this again. Can't wait to start on the next book.
  
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Dean (6926 KP) rated Kill List (2012) in Movies

Feb 11, 2018  
Kill List (2012)
Kill List (2012)
2012 | Horror, Mystery
6
6.3 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Brutal
A very good film...in the end and a bit odd as well. The first 20mins I found very slow and dull. I was worried this could be a low budget shocker that was over hyped. Once the film got going though it is pretty relentless until the end. The violence is very brutal, gritty and disturbing. For once in a film it was quite realistic. The only down side was the twist towards the end which left many questions unanswered. Maybe a film that needs to be watched more than once to get a better understanding of it. Overall a good British thriller that will last long in the memory after viewing.
  
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Sarah (7798 KP) rated I Let You Go in Books

Feb 2, 2018  
I Let You Go
I Let You Go
Clare Mackintosh | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
A great crime thriller
Clare Mackintosh really knows how to write a good crime thriller. Her background in policing comes across so obviously and it makes for a very detailed and realistic story. With a background on policing myself it's refreshing to read a crime story that isn't completely hollywood-ised. Embellished a little maybe, but still a very good representation of policing today.

The plot itself is good and interesting, although potentially not entirely unique. The characters are well developed and I like the twists, some are definitely surprising whereas others may be a little more predictable.


 In all a very good, well written crime story that is definitely not run of the mill.
  
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Chloe (778 KP) May 8, 2020

Couldnt have put it better myself. It was nice to actually read about budgeting etc. Which we all know is a factor of police work

SS
Someday, Someday, Maybe
Lauren Graham | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
7
8.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Quietly Empowering
Realistically, this isn't the most thrilling or exciting story I've ever read. It's a story about a mostly ordinary journey in a realistic world. But when the story was over, it really stayed with me.

It's hard to find a book that is as equally entertaining as it is empowering. This is the first fictional book I've read in a long while where I have cheered out loud "You go girl!" as I went through it.

To anyone interested, I suggest reading / listening to "Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)" before this book, because of all the fun insights it gives you into "Someday, Someday, Maybe".
  
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Kristy S. (3 KP) rated Caraval in Books

Aug 10, 2018  
Caraval
Caraval
Stephanie Garber | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
5
8.1 (97 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was hoping for more. (0 more)
So much potential...
I read this book as it was recommended for those who enjoyed the book Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. The story had all the elements of a book I should love - fantasy, adventure, a challenge, a bit of romance, but I did not enjoy the book as I thought I would. I world Garber attempted to create wasn't fully developed. Where she tried to exude mystery and intrigue felt more like plot holes and underdeveloped ideas. The characters made extreme choices that didn't feel realistic, specifically the protagonist's sister. Overall, the book fell flat for me. It has all the potential in the world, but it fizzled.
  
The Strangers (2008)
The Strangers (2008)
2008 | Horror
6
6.9 (21 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Jump scares (0 more)
Obvious (0 more)
Predictable
I've been meaning to watch this film for quite a while now particular when everyone was excited to see the second one when it hit the cinema. I didn't mind the film and it gave a few good jump scares. However, I just found that the ending was a bit predictable. The one thing I did like is that you never saw the identity of The Strangers. It was supposedly based on true events and I'd be intrigued to know what happened. The scary part about it is the fact that it is realistic and the concept of someone invading your home which you always consider your safe place.
  
Call for the Dead
Call for the Dead
John Le Carre | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Story (2 more)
Length
Characters
One of the finest debuts of all time...
One of the finest debuts of all time, and thanks to John le Carré, a fine writer and real life secret service employee, one of the most realistic spy novels written.

Not only is this an excellent debut from le Carré, but an introduction to one of the greatest fictional spies, George Smiley, best known from "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy".

This may seem a strange one, but the book is quite short, which is a good thing. I enjoy books short and long, but this is excellent for some light reading, and the best place to start with le Carré's books is definitely at the start!
  
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Cast (0 more)
Storyline (1 more)
CGI
Enjoyable, but unoriginal.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The film is described as an adventure to save the island from a volcano, but it soon turns into exactly the same as the first Jurassic World film: genetic engineering, made-up dinosaur out of control etc.

The cast is good, Chris Pratt is excellent as ever, but unfortunately he is the only redeeming feature.

The story, as mentioned, is dull and a repeat of the first Jurassic World, but another disappointment is the use of CGI. Somehow, 25 years after the original Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs have become less realistic, moving down from high quality animatronics to average quality CGI, taking away all the charm.
  
I received a copy of The Evil Queen from Harlequin TEEN (US Canada) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this one more than I actually did.

The righting is great and a lot of it is really evocative but the character of Every came off as about 12 or so. Her reactions didn't strike me as realistic for a high schooler at all.

The dialogue is a bit cheesy at points but I'm not gonna complain to much because what's a fairy tale without some cheese?

I did enjoy the story but the sensual parts did come off a bit awkward to me on account of the MC seeming so young.