Search

Search only in certain items:

Firekeeper's Daughter
Firekeeper's Daughter
Angeline Boulley | 2021 | LGBTQ+, Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Debut author Angeline Boulley crafts a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.
  
40x40

Sarah (7798 KP) rated Wakenhyrst in Books

Oct 10, 2020  
Wakenhyrst
Wakenhyrst
Michelle Paver | 2019 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Paranormal, Thriller
8
8.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well done gothic horror
Gothic horrors can be hugely enthralling reads when done right, and I've read quite a few of these over the past few years. And Wakenhyrst is definitely one I'd add to the list.

This is a very intriguing and entertaining read. It's well written with a powerful female lead, which you wouldn't expect considering it's early 1900s setting. Maud is a very imperfect yet endearing character that you can't help but root for. The writing really helps build the the atmospheric setting and helps you visualise everything, which definitely helps with the horror and tension. I wouldn't say this is packed full of horror or scares, but rather an underlying tension and unease that builds for the entirety of the novel and rather gives you the creeps.

The problem is that this build up is spoilt a little by the ending, which isn't entirely unpredictable (considering how the book starts) and feels like a bit of a letdown. It's not a bad ending, but it just plays out exactly the way you'd expect and some of the twists or reveals that were likely intended to shock and surprise don't quite hit the mark.

Overall though this is a great example of a gothic horror and despite being quite lengthy, kept me hooked an entertained throughout.
  
40x40

LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Final Destination (2009) in Movies

Sep 18, 2019 (Updated Oct 25, 2019)  
The Final Destination (2009)
The Final Destination (2009)
2009 | Action, Horror
A big stinking low
There's not a whole lot of positive things to say about the fourth entry into the Final Destination franchise.

For starters, there's not one character here to root for. Every one is unlikable - you could argue that the writers were trying to make them this unlikable on purpose, so we as an audience can revel in their inevitably over the top death, but that tactic doesn't work, as shown throughout this pile of horse sh*t.

At this point in the franchise, much like the third film, it feels as though the kills are the main draw.
And to be honest, it's all very boring this time around. The writers try to be creative here and there, but the overuse of CGI and 3D gimmicks on show make the death scenes unintentionally goofy and cheap looking, rather than having any of the shock value carried by the first two films.
The lack of practical effects is mind boggling, as once again, stunt co-ordinator David R. Ellis directs, the same man responsible for the fantastic highway scene in FD2. The extra features show that he used practical effects whilst filming but for some unknown reason, the finished film just has CGI spaffed over everything.

You're not missing out on much if you give this one a pass.