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The Last Star
6.8
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The Last Star is the heart-stopping finale to the bestselling 5th Wave series by award-winning...
Big Little Lies
8.6
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Don't want Big Little Lies to end? Then why not order Liane Moriarty's new hit, Truly Madly...
Bleeding Edge
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It is 2001 in New York City, in the lull between the collapse of the dotcom boom and the terrible...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Marriage of Innis Wilkinson in Books
Nov 9, 2020
The protagonists of this story would be Margarette and Roy, but this novel is told from multiple perspectives, including Innis herself. Margarette and Roy belong to the families, that hate each other. Both of the families trying to outdo each other with better events and showing off, and Margarette has to endure all that competing behaviour. Innis is a character, who’s story is running in the background. Innis is an incredibly strange woman. Her story is revealed little by little, but it is very sweet and heartbreaking. I really liked all the main characters, they are very kind, sensitive and pleasant people. Margarette has patience made of steel, she does so much for both of the families, scared to offend them, I know I would have lost my patience in no time. 😀 😀
The book is set in a very small town called Coraloo, during a festival, and the whole vibe feels like Bruge (Belgium) for some reason. I imagine little shops down the little alleys, cobblestone everywhere… It just seems cosy, small and inviting. The narrative is quite slow and steady, the characters are sharing their thoughts about family, love, relationships, but it is quite funny at times when crazy family members join in. The topics discussed in this novel are family relationships, marriage preparations and stress, abandoned dreams, wish to be accepted and many more. This novel has some mystery elements, but the whole novel is more oriented towards romance and wedding.
I really liked the writing style of this book. It was very creative, and even though some of the things kept repeating, I could feel the love for everything through the characters. I am very happy that the author used her experience as a teacher in this novel, I think it was very well utilised. The chapters are medium length, and some of the information was a little repetitive, but I was quite curious to find out more about Innis, so the chapters didn’t feel draggy to me. The ending was very unexpected but left me very satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, I really enjoyed this funny, heart-warming book, that is filled with unique and entertaining characters, as well as very soothing and “cuddly” plot. I think this book is perfect for these long and cold evenings, it feels like a hug.
The book is set in a very small town called Coraloo, during a festival, and the whole vibe feels like Bruge (Belgium) for some reason. I imagine little shops down the little alleys, cobblestone everywhere… It just seems cosy, small and inviting. The narrative is quite slow and steady, the characters are sharing their thoughts about family, love, relationships, but it is quite funny at times when crazy family members join in. The topics discussed in this novel are family relationships, marriage preparations and stress, abandoned dreams, wish to be accepted and many more. This novel has some mystery elements, but the whole novel is more oriented towards romance and wedding.
I really liked the writing style of this book. It was very creative, and even though some of the things kept repeating, I could feel the love for everything through the characters. I am very happy that the author used her experience as a teacher in this novel, I think it was very well utilised. The chapters are medium length, and some of the information was a little repetitive, but I was quite curious to find out more about Innis, so the chapters didn’t feel draggy to me. The ending was very unexpected but left me very satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, I really enjoyed this funny, heart-warming book, that is filled with unique and entertaining characters, as well as very soothing and “cuddly” plot. I think this book is perfect for these long and cold evenings, it feels like a hug.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Fever (The Chemical Garden, #2) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I found this book to be much grimmer than the first book, Wither. In this book, Rhine and Gabriel spend most of their time trying to escape and running from or to some place. It was rather tiring at times, and I often wondered while I was reading, Don't they need to eat more? Seriously, they subsist on almost no food until they get to the orphanage, and even then, Rhine still seems to have an anorexic-like view of any and all food. Not very realistic for teenagers, in my view.
Moving on. Rhine's behavior while trapped in the carnival showed me that she can be very scatterbrained and disorganized, without any real planning abilities, even though I saw her as just the opposite in the first book. She seemed to just give in as the power of the drug "angel blood" is forced on her and Gabriel to control them. Her lack of motivation was disappointing, to say the least. The little girl she escapes with proves to be one of the most interesting variables in the whole book.
Further events once they escape seem to just delay the inevitable, but they do help to draw a more detailed picture of the world that Rhine comes from - the desperation and depravity that so much of society has sunk to as the hope of its children continues to inexplicably die. The division between those that want to continue looking for a cure and those that don't is clear, but what is not clear for most of the book is what is killing Rhine, who should still have 3 years of life to go. The horrible Vaughn of Wither is like a haunting presence throughout the book, and he has more secrets than even I can fathom.
The romance between Rhine and Gabriel is stagnated without the threat of discovery by Rhine's abandoned husband. Between escaping capture, living on the run, and futilely hunting down Rhine's brother, it has little chance to grow much at all. In fact, Rhine seemed to have more chemistry with another boy at the orphanage than she can maintain with Gabriel. Plus, Gabriel knows nothing about the world outside the mansion and is flung reeling into this life of survival that he could not have been prepared for - I can't help but feel sorry for him.
The most fascinating scene in the book is hinted at on the cover from the tarot card in Rhine's hand, but unfortunately those elements won't be covered until the final, untitled book in 2013. I look forward to a conclusion that more cleanly wraps up this series.
Moving on. Rhine's behavior while trapped in the carnival showed me that she can be very scatterbrained and disorganized, without any real planning abilities, even though I saw her as just the opposite in the first book. She seemed to just give in as the power of the drug "angel blood" is forced on her and Gabriel to control them. Her lack of motivation was disappointing, to say the least. The little girl she escapes with proves to be one of the most interesting variables in the whole book.
Further events once they escape seem to just delay the inevitable, but they do help to draw a more detailed picture of the world that Rhine comes from - the desperation and depravity that so much of society has sunk to as the hope of its children continues to inexplicably die. The division between those that want to continue looking for a cure and those that don't is clear, but what is not clear for most of the book is what is killing Rhine, who should still have 3 years of life to go. The horrible Vaughn of Wither is like a haunting presence throughout the book, and he has more secrets than even I can fathom.
The romance between Rhine and Gabriel is stagnated without the threat of discovery by Rhine's abandoned husband. Between escaping capture, living on the run, and futilely hunting down Rhine's brother, it has little chance to grow much at all. In fact, Rhine seemed to have more chemistry with another boy at the orphanage than she can maintain with Gabriel. Plus, Gabriel knows nothing about the world outside the mansion and is flung reeling into this life of survival that he could not have been prepared for - I can't help but feel sorry for him.
The most fascinating scene in the book is hinted at on the cover from the tarot card in Rhine's hand, but unfortunately those elements won't be covered until the final, untitled book in 2013. I look forward to a conclusion that more cleanly wraps up this series.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Second Wife in Books
Mar 25, 2019
Suspense (2 more)
Characters
Plot Line
This Book Is A Cosmic Roller Coaster Of Thrills and Chills!
Do you ever come across a book that is absolutely mind boggling, leaving you scraping what’s left of your jaw, up off the floor because the entire time you read it, you were in awe, and on the edge of your seat? Yea, well I was just like that with this book here. The Second Wive is a cosmic explosion of twists, turns, and unexpected elements as you fly through this book. I read it a month or so ago, via NetGalley, and oh my word. There are no words to describe how this book made me feel.
Every minute of Rebecca’s life changing experiences became my own. Every pounding heart beat, mine. Every questionable thought, mine. Every. Thing. Mine. Watching what she went through as she stepped into her deceased friend’s life as the second wife…..well, sometimes, I had to stop reading because it became that intense for me. Watching her uncover the truth, watching her fears form….it was utterly chilling at times.
With Rebecca’s and Richard’s characters, you have the perfect blend of good and evil. But, the question is this: are they really good, evil and who they say they are? Browne did a fantastic job of waiting til the very end to let her readers know just what they wanted answered. These characters take your heart and squeeze…..squeeze so hard, your heart feels like it might burst and then, at the end of this white-knuckle thriller, you can finally breathe again. Your heart starts beating again, your breath starts to even out, your mind starts to think about all you just endured to reach the end.
If you looking for a book full of laughs and romance, don’t buy this book. You won’t like it if that’s what you are expecting. If you are looking for a book that will make you drool because your jaw is opened like a codfish the entire time, then buy this book. If you are looking for a page-turner, edge-of-seat, white-knuckle, heart pounding to bursting experience, then absolutely, without a doubt, 100% buy this book. You will not be disappointed and you will be giving it 5 star praises as I did. Fantastically down, Browne. Fantastically done.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Bookouture and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Every minute of Rebecca’s life changing experiences became my own. Every pounding heart beat, mine. Every questionable thought, mine. Every. Thing. Mine. Watching what she went through as she stepped into her deceased friend’s life as the second wife…..well, sometimes, I had to stop reading because it became that intense for me. Watching her uncover the truth, watching her fears form….it was utterly chilling at times.
With Rebecca’s and Richard’s characters, you have the perfect blend of good and evil. But, the question is this: are they really good, evil and who they say they are? Browne did a fantastic job of waiting til the very end to let her readers know just what they wanted answered. These characters take your heart and squeeze…..squeeze so hard, your heart feels like it might burst and then, at the end of this white-knuckle thriller, you can finally breathe again. Your heart starts beating again, your breath starts to even out, your mind starts to think about all you just endured to reach the end.
If you looking for a book full of laughs and romance, don’t buy this book. You won’t like it if that’s what you are expecting. If you are looking for a book that will make you drool because your jaw is opened like a codfish the entire time, then buy this book. If you are looking for a page-turner, edge-of-seat, white-knuckle, heart pounding to bursting experience, then absolutely, without a doubt, 100% buy this book. You will not be disappointed and you will be giving it 5 star praises as I did. Fantastically down, Browne. Fantastically done.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Bookouture and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Cure for Dreaming in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
On her seventeenth birthday 1900, Olivia Meade gets invited onto a stage to be hypnotized by the young Monsieur Henri Reverie in this historical, paranormal novel. In Oregon at this period of time women were not allowed to vote in presidential elections and Olivia’s father is determined that she does not get influenced by the campaigning suffragists. On hearing about the hypnotist, Dr. Meade hires him with the job of removing the “selfish” and “unladylike dreams” from his daughter’s head. However this causes Olivia more problems than expected. She begins to see horrible images but are these as a result of Henri telling her “you will see the world the way it truly is”, or is she hallucinating as a result of reading Dracula more times than necessary?
<i>The Cure For Dreaming</i> contains a mix of historical references and paranormal ideas as both Henri and Olivia struggle to find a successful way of reversing the effects of the hypnosis as well as involving themselves in the women’s suffrage movement.
Cat Winters, despite the added fantasy elements, has kept the book historically accurate. A typical novel about women’s equality would result in life changing successes, however as Oregon did not did not gain full suffrage until 1912 this of course was not impossible to include in <i>The Cure For Dreaming</i>. Ultimately it is a novel about growing up to be who you want to be and knowing your own mind rather than succumbing to the “natural” views of society.
The writing is contemporary and easy to understand which makes it suitable for ages twelve and older. The downside to this is that it detracts from the historical setting, making Olivia appear a lot more modern than she actually is. Apart from mimicking a classic novel type style, which would make it less suitable for its target audience, there is not a lot that can be done about that.
Between chapters of the book are relevant photographs or images from the appropriate time period, which help to illustrate the events in the plot. There are also quotes from authors such as Kate Chopin and Mark Twain as well as more political lines from various speeches. These also help to provide an understanding of the historical setting.
Overall <i>The Cure For Dreaming</i> is a great book for teenagers. There may be paranormal themes but it is not a horror novel, in fact there is just as much romance as anything else.
On her seventeenth birthday 1900, Olivia Meade gets invited onto a stage to be hypnotized by the young Monsieur Henri Reverie in this historical, paranormal novel. In Oregon at this period of time women were not allowed to vote in presidential elections and Olivia’s father is determined that she does not get influenced by the campaigning suffragists. On hearing about the hypnotist, Dr. Meade hires him with the job of removing the “selfish” and “unladylike dreams” from his daughter’s head. However this causes Olivia more problems than expected. She begins to see horrible images but are these as a result of Henri telling her “you will see the world the way it truly is”, or is she hallucinating as a result of reading Dracula more times than necessary?
<i>The Cure For Dreaming</i> contains a mix of historical references and paranormal ideas as both Henri and Olivia struggle to find a successful way of reversing the effects of the hypnosis as well as involving themselves in the women’s suffrage movement.
Cat Winters, despite the added fantasy elements, has kept the book historically accurate. A typical novel about women’s equality would result in life changing successes, however as Oregon did not did not gain full suffrage until 1912 this of course was not impossible to include in <i>The Cure For Dreaming</i>. Ultimately it is a novel about growing up to be who you want to be and knowing your own mind rather than succumbing to the “natural” views of society.
The writing is contemporary and easy to understand which makes it suitable for ages twelve and older. The downside to this is that it detracts from the historical setting, making Olivia appear a lot more modern than she actually is. Apart from mimicking a classic novel type style, which would make it less suitable for its target audience, there is not a lot that can be done about that.
Between chapters of the book are relevant photographs or images from the appropriate time period, which help to illustrate the events in the plot. There are also quotes from authors such as Kate Chopin and Mark Twain as well as more political lines from various speeches. These also help to provide an understanding of the historical setting.
Overall <i>The Cure For Dreaming</i> is a great book for teenagers. There may be paranormal themes but it is not a horror novel, in fact there is just as much romance as anything else.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Hunger Games (2012) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020 (Updated Nov 26, 2020)
One of the most clueless things I've ever seen, as painstakingly unintelligent as it is one-dimensional and blunt. My problem isn't so much that every YA movie from then until at least 2018 cribbed from it (and for the most part, did it better lol) mercilessly until they left nothing left to this one but its picked-clean carcass - but moreso with the fact that it does only a couple steps above the bare minimum. How awesome would this have been as a Battle Royale-style, anti-fascist bloodbath where a bunch of kids are picked at random and exposed to both the elements and a shit-ton of weapons in a 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘸-esque battlefield commentated by a flamboyant Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones? But no, fuck that right? Instead we get a garbage-looking, shakycam exercise in going through the motions with bad characters and toothless action (wasps? most of the characters dying offscreen? are you kidding me?). Plus we're treated to another awful forced romance, dull-arrowed swipes at classism which amount to nothing more than overtly-obvious visual signifiers with nothing to actually chew on (I assume out of cowardice - which makes it worse), and one of the most infamous cases of vaguely misogynistic attempts at a 'strong female lead' by making her mean and stripped of any actual personality. Somehow it doesn't really drag, but it's pretty viciously unexciting. There's some real bite to the scenes where Katniss's every expression let alone word is picked apart by a capricious crowd and disingenuous MC, and Haymitch painfully watching the rich children play with the toy sword - though not only does it refuse to dive into the treasure trove of possible commentary it sets up, but I actually have to apologize to the (worlds better) 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 for goofing on its idiotic politics because this is somehow even dumber. "We want to make sure there's never another uprising again, show we're a gracious + caring government, and entertain the public all at once. How do we do that? Well we'll just start abducting and killing children at random on national television of course!" Lmfao. Doesn't lean into anything that could have made this enjoyable, and there's a lot - so they had to have *tried* to make it this flat. Also one of those movies that only knows how to express its limited emotion through unbearable "everything sucks" world-building. Great... that would be another thing entirely if it even earned the right to do that, which naturally this doesn't. Cheesy and unintentionally funny.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated Indivisible Line in Books
Nov 5, 2018
Two people, thrown together by coincidence develop a bond that goes much deeper than blood. Sarah and Greg experience loss, injury and much more as they come to realise that, when all is said and done, love is really all they needed from the start.
I thoroughly enjoyed this new offering from Font and found it to be a delightful little romance that was easy to read, yet full of twists and turns as Greg and Sarah tried to work out their feelings for each other. The plot itself does, at first glance, seem somewhat familiar - girl meets boy, two different worlds, and all that usual jazz - but this is Font we're talking about, and you can feel from the first few chapters that there is going to be something more in this story. In true style, Font throws in adversity and drama from the off, never overdoing the 'woe is me' that Sarah could play on, but keeping a perfect balance between angst and romance.
Characterisation is something that I am always on the look out for, and Font, as usual, delivers a super cast who you engage with and find quite easy to relate to. Sarah is as stubborn as a mule, but it works more as an endearing feature than a character flaw. You root for her, you want her life to come good, you want her to find that happiness you know she deserves. Greg is an enigma at first, and he never really sheds that persona until much later in the story, but again, it is an endearing part of his character, rather than a flaw. The supporting ensemble of Lily, Trimble, Matilda and Simon are equally enjoyable to read, helping at key points to be a stable feature for Sarah and Greg during times of need.
If there was one thing I could quibble over it would be, and I'm being super nit-picky here, the pace. Personally, I found the pace to be a little slow in places, but note the 'in places' - at other times, it was splendid and pulled you right into the story so that you had to keep reading. Once you reach 50%, the book is near impossible to put down, but I guess I just wanted that momentum there from a little earlier on rather than taking that extra bit of time. Like I said, nit-picky, but that's me!
Something I felt was done exceedingly well in this book was the emotion, be it Sarah's sadness, confusion, love or Greg's anger, worry or determination - it was all there and it was all believable from start to finish. I got exasperated when both Sarah and Greg were being daft and not noticing the signs, I cried for most of the last 10% (no spoilers in my reviews, but seriously, get yourself some tissues at 89%!) and I gasped in shock as plot twists hit me out of nowhere (you'd think I'd be used to this after reading Font's other works, but she totally got me again). It was written with excellent skill and balance, and I have to give praise where it's due, because Font did a fantastic job of making the emotions pour out of the page and straight into your heart.
And so, the end of another review. To conclude, it was a very enjoyable read and one I'll be recommending to friends and family ahead of that poolside reading time we call summer holidays. Characters, emotion, plot - all the key elements were there and it was, as always, a very well written story from start to finish. Well done Lorenz Font, you've written another super story that will no doubt be one I shall return to read one day in the future.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
I thoroughly enjoyed this new offering from Font and found it to be a delightful little romance that was easy to read, yet full of twists and turns as Greg and Sarah tried to work out their feelings for each other. The plot itself does, at first glance, seem somewhat familiar - girl meets boy, two different worlds, and all that usual jazz - but this is Font we're talking about, and you can feel from the first few chapters that there is going to be something more in this story. In true style, Font throws in adversity and drama from the off, never overdoing the 'woe is me' that Sarah could play on, but keeping a perfect balance between angst and romance.
Characterisation is something that I am always on the look out for, and Font, as usual, delivers a super cast who you engage with and find quite easy to relate to. Sarah is as stubborn as a mule, but it works more as an endearing feature than a character flaw. You root for her, you want her life to come good, you want her to find that happiness you know she deserves. Greg is an enigma at first, and he never really sheds that persona until much later in the story, but again, it is an endearing part of his character, rather than a flaw. The supporting ensemble of Lily, Trimble, Matilda and Simon are equally enjoyable to read, helping at key points to be a stable feature for Sarah and Greg during times of need.
If there was one thing I could quibble over it would be, and I'm being super nit-picky here, the pace. Personally, I found the pace to be a little slow in places, but note the 'in places' - at other times, it was splendid and pulled you right into the story so that you had to keep reading. Once you reach 50%, the book is near impossible to put down, but I guess I just wanted that momentum there from a little earlier on rather than taking that extra bit of time. Like I said, nit-picky, but that's me!
Something I felt was done exceedingly well in this book was the emotion, be it Sarah's sadness, confusion, love or Greg's anger, worry or determination - it was all there and it was all believable from start to finish. I got exasperated when both Sarah and Greg were being daft and not noticing the signs, I cried for most of the last 10% (no spoilers in my reviews, but seriously, get yourself some tissues at 89%!) and I gasped in shock as plot twists hit me out of nowhere (you'd think I'd be used to this after reading Font's other works, but she totally got me again). It was written with excellent skill and balance, and I have to give praise where it's due, because Font did a fantastic job of making the emotions pour out of the page and straight into your heart.
And so, the end of another review. To conclude, it was a very enjoyable read and one I'll be recommending to friends and family ahead of that poolside reading time we call summer holidays. Characters, emotion, plot - all the key elements were there and it was, as always, a very well written story from start to finish. Well done Lorenz Font, you've written another super story that will no doubt be one I shall return to read one day in the future.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
Ben Howkins (7 KP) rated How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) in Movies
Feb 14, 2019 (Updated Feb 17, 2019)
Visuals (1 more)
Story
A fitting farewell to Hiccup and Toothless
The basic plot of the movie is: 1 year after the events of the 2nd film, the new chief of Berk, Hiccup and his friends have taken to rescuing captured dragons and taking them back to Berk, which Hiccup has decided make a Viking/ Dragon utopia. This, unfortunately, gets the attention of a band of a group of Warlords, who wish to use the dragons themselves for their plans. The Warlords enlist a legendary dragon hunter called “Grimmel The Grisly” to kidnap Hiccup’s Night Fury dragon Toothless as he is the alpha and all the other dragons will obey him. To do this, Grimmel uses a female, white Night Fury (dubbed a Light Fury) as bait to play with Toothless emotions. As a way of helping Toothless with his matters of the heart and to get away from Gimmel, Hiccup decides to go looking for a legendary place which his dad used to talk of, where all dragons came from, called “The Hidden World”
Because this was an animated film I find it really hard to do any sort of proper performance reviews of the characters and associated performers. In all honesty, in my opinion, it is very hard to muck up read lines off of a sheet (though it can be done). This is, in my opinion, a double-edged sword, as though it is really hard to really stand out in voice performances (though some people always do aka Mr Hayter, Mr North and Mr Baker), the fact that I believed this to be a very good film shows the quality of the script, story and animation. The people of Berk still feel like a group of empty-headed, muscular idiots just like they were in the first film, whilst at the same time all growing as characters. All the relationships show on screen have their own distinct elements which add to the story, be it the romance between Hiccup and girlfriend Astrid, the awkward and silly crush Snotlout has for Hiccup’s mum Valka or of course the eternal friendship between Hiccup and Toothless. And finally, the visual art style and animation work amazingly well and capture the scenery perfectly at times, be it the giant waterfalls of “Old” and “New” Berk, the bright and vibrant colours of inside “The Hidden World” or even just the effects of making the Light Fury look so elegant and mysterious.
Overall I feel like this is a fitting end to what I feel is Dreamwork’s best made and least loved series. It is filled with laughs, cheers and unless you have a soul of stone, DEFINITELY some tears.
Because this was an animated film I find it really hard to do any sort of proper performance reviews of the characters and associated performers. In all honesty, in my opinion, it is very hard to muck up read lines off of a sheet (though it can be done). This is, in my opinion, a double-edged sword, as though it is really hard to really stand out in voice performances (though some people always do aka Mr Hayter, Mr North and Mr Baker), the fact that I believed this to be a very good film shows the quality of the script, story and animation. The people of Berk still feel like a group of empty-headed, muscular idiots just like they were in the first film, whilst at the same time all growing as characters. All the relationships show on screen have their own distinct elements which add to the story, be it the romance between Hiccup and girlfriend Astrid, the awkward and silly crush Snotlout has for Hiccup’s mum Valka or of course the eternal friendship between Hiccup and Toothless. And finally, the visual art style and animation work amazingly well and capture the scenery perfectly at times, be it the giant waterfalls of “Old” and “New” Berk, the bright and vibrant colours of inside “The Hidden World” or even just the effects of making the Light Fury look so elegant and mysterious.
Overall I feel like this is a fitting end to what I feel is Dreamwork’s best made and least loved series. It is filled with laughs, cheers and unless you have a soul of stone, DEFINITELY some tears.