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Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Secrets of the Forest in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Secrets of the Forest by Helena Brady is a creepy-pasta in a slightly longer book. It takes on elements of the 2016 movie “The Forest” and Slenderman who showed up sometime around 2009. It also talks of depression and suicide a lot, along with murder, death, and abuse. If these topics bother you please be advised.
Sarah-Rose has entered the hardest time of her life. Her father has recently died and her mother blames Sarah-Rose for his death. Not only is Sarah-Rose’s mother blaming her but she has turned to alcohol and beating her daughter as a way to cope. Understandably enough Sarah-Rose can not handle all this, even more so because it is her sixteenth birthday.
To escape all of this Sarah-Rose heads into The Forest that is on the edge of town, the one no one goes into for fear of death. She is hoping that the stories are true and like everyone else who has entered The Forest that she either won’t come out or will come out as a corpse floating in the river. What Sarah-Rose didn’t expect was that The Forest had its own plans for her. Upon entering The Forest, Sarah-Rose starts discovering secret after secret about her town’s past and herself. The only question that remains is if and when The Forest plans on claiming her as well.
It was well thought out as to what the requirements were for someone to become a spirit or not. The same goes for if said person’s spirit becomes bound to The Forest or if they can leave it of their own free will. I did not find this book to be very original at all. It seemed to be a combination of a few different popular stories of recent years. The name and cover even immediately made me think of other things.
This is a young adult book, but it is largely about depression and suicide. With these extremely tough subjects being at the front of the story I encourage anyone extremely sensitive about these topics to put the book down. All others, please enjoy it. I rate this book 2 out of 4. Overall the story was good. It was just too unoriginal for my taste. I do believe this book will be enjoyed by those who choose to read it. There are a few small surprises that the unsuspecting reader will find interesting.
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Sarah-Rose has entered the hardest time of her life. Her father has recently died and her mother blames Sarah-Rose for his death. Not only is Sarah-Rose’s mother blaming her but she has turned to alcohol and beating her daughter as a way to cope. Understandably enough Sarah-Rose can not handle all this, even more so because it is her sixteenth birthday.
To escape all of this Sarah-Rose heads into The Forest that is on the edge of town, the one no one goes into for fear of death. She is hoping that the stories are true and like everyone else who has entered The Forest that she either won’t come out or will come out as a corpse floating in the river. What Sarah-Rose didn’t expect was that The Forest had its own plans for her. Upon entering The Forest, Sarah-Rose starts discovering secret after secret about her town’s past and herself. The only question that remains is if and when The Forest plans on claiming her as well.
It was well thought out as to what the requirements were for someone to become a spirit or not. The same goes for if said person’s spirit becomes bound to The Forest or if they can leave it of their own free will. I did not find this book to be very original at all. It seemed to be a combination of a few different popular stories of recent years. The name and cover even immediately made me think of other things.
This is a young adult book, but it is largely about depression and suicide. With these extremely tough subjects being at the front of the story I encourage anyone extremely sensitive about these topics to put the book down. All others, please enjoy it. I rate this book 2 out of 4. Overall the story was good. It was just too unoriginal for my taste. I do believe this book will be enjoyed by those who choose to read it. There are a few small surprises that the unsuspecting reader will find interesting.
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https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Space Between in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Harper Isabelle has a pretty good life: she's beautiful, smart, and popular. Her first year in high school is going quite well, thanks in part to the protective shadow cast by her sister, Bronte, the most popular girl in school. For Sarah Jamieson, however, things aren't exactly as smooth. While Sarah's twin brother Tyler has always been in the in crowd at school, Sarah has not. Between her stutter and style of dress, she's not only on the fringes, she's mocked by other students at school. So imagine Sarah's surprise when Harper shows an interest in her-- and when Sarah herself feels drawn to Harper. Is Harper only interested in Sarah because she wants to date Tyler? Why do the two girls feel so close, as if being drawn together by a magnet?
Overall, this is a dynamo of a book, which I sped through rapidly. It actually builds its storyline rather slowly, as Harper and Sarah deal with their feelings for each other, but I found it that a nice antidote to the usual YA where the characters seem to fall in love overnight. This was similar to some of my own experiences coming out. Harper and Sarah are well-drawn characters who pop on the page -- they are complicated, sweet, and beautiful as they work through the multitude of emotions that comes with falling in love in high school. There is definitely a cheesy element to some of the writing but it really doesn't take away from the experience of watching these girls struggle to find each other. Perhaps the only thing that takes away from the story is a little of the weirdness factor in that Harper also dates Sarah's brother; it manages to work with the story, but it does occasionally give you pause.
Honestly, I was very touched by this book and found it to be a sweet coming of age/coming out story. I wish there had been more of these around when I was going through a similar experience. It does an excellent job of showing some of the difficulty teens still face in dealing with their sexuality in high school (and with their families) today. You'll find yourself quite invested in Harper and Sarah's story. Definitely a worthwhile read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thanks!); it's available everywhere.
Overall, this is a dynamo of a book, which I sped through rapidly. It actually builds its storyline rather slowly, as Harper and Sarah deal with their feelings for each other, but I found it that a nice antidote to the usual YA where the characters seem to fall in love overnight. This was similar to some of my own experiences coming out. Harper and Sarah are well-drawn characters who pop on the page -- they are complicated, sweet, and beautiful as they work through the multitude of emotions that comes with falling in love in high school. There is definitely a cheesy element to some of the writing but it really doesn't take away from the experience of watching these girls struggle to find each other. Perhaps the only thing that takes away from the story is a little of the weirdness factor in that Harper also dates Sarah's brother; it manages to work with the story, but it does occasionally give you pause.
Honestly, I was very touched by this book and found it to be a sweet coming of age/coming out story. I wish there had been more of these around when I was going through a similar experience. It does an excellent job of showing some of the difficulty teens still face in dealing with their sexuality in high school (and with their families) today. You'll find yourself quite invested in Harper and Sarah's story. Definitely a worthwhile read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thanks!); it's available everywhere.
I received a digital copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (2021) in Movies
May 31, 2022
We get a recap of what has happened so far, much like in the previous film.
Deena has woken up in 1666,only her name is now Sarah and she is not the only person to be in this century. Every character from the past 2 movies are here too but all with different names, apart from Tommy who is now Thomas. It's all very confusing.
Anyway after a night of passion with the pastors daughter, strange things start to happen such as food going mouldy, a pig eating their young and Sarah's dog throws itself in the well. This leads to Sarah believing this is all her fault, and that she's being punished by the devil for her sins, and after a rather disturbing scene both hannah and Sarah are accused of being witches, and a witch hut begins to rid them from the earth.
Meanwhile, Sarah plans to save them both by making a deal with the devil revealing the truth about Sarah Friers curse.
I was surprised to find that only the first half of the movie was in 1666, as we are thrown back to 1994 as Deena comes out of her vision and realises what needs to be done to save shady side.
As I'm not really a fan of old time movies, I went into this expecting to hate it, but I actually ended up liking it. I liked that every moment throughout the series is answered and nothing is left hanging in the air. I thought the accents in 1666 were strange though, I couldn't tell what the accent was meant to be, Irish maybe!?!
I did enjoy the second half of the movie more than the first, it has a few light hearted funny moments which wasn't present in 1666, did they not have a sense of humour back then??
I liked that at the end of the movie it made way for another possible movie which would be interesting to see.
Deena has woken up in 1666,only her name is now Sarah and she is not the only person to be in this century. Every character from the past 2 movies are here too but all with different names, apart from Tommy who is now Thomas. It's all very confusing.
Anyway after a night of passion with the pastors daughter, strange things start to happen such as food going mouldy, a pig eating their young and Sarah's dog throws itself in the well. This leads to Sarah believing this is all her fault, and that she's being punished by the devil for her sins, and after a rather disturbing scene both hannah and Sarah are accused of being witches, and a witch hut begins to rid them from the earth.
Meanwhile, Sarah plans to save them both by making a deal with the devil revealing the truth about Sarah Friers curse.
I was surprised to find that only the first half of the movie was in 1666, as we are thrown back to 1994 as Deena comes out of her vision and realises what needs to be done to save shady side.
As I'm not really a fan of old time movies, I went into this expecting to hate it, but I actually ended up liking it. I liked that every moment throughout the series is answered and nothing is left hanging in the air. I thought the accents in 1666 were strange though, I couldn't tell what the accent was meant to be, Irish maybe!?!
I did enjoy the second half of the movie more than the first, it has a few light hearted funny moments which wasn't present in 1666, did they not have a sense of humour back then??
I liked that at the end of the movie it made way for another possible movie which would be interesting to see.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated The Gun Also Rises in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Hunt for Hemingway Treasure
Sarah Winston has been hired to organize a book sale for Mrs. Belle Winthrop Granville, III, focusing on Belle's massive mystery collection. But sandwiched in between the Trixie Belden, Hardy Boys, Agatha Christie, and Ann Cleeves books, she finds what appears to be the Hemingway manuscripts that went miss from a train in Paris in the 1920's. Belle is just as shocked to see them as Sarah is. But a couple of hours later, Belle has been attacked, the manuscripts are missing, and someone is dead. What has Sarah stumbled into this time?
Once again, we are treated to a fabulous mystery that is more treasure hunt than strict cozy murder mystery. Not that I'm complaining in the slightest. The pace never slows down as we jump from one thing to another as Sarah tries to figure out what happened before her life spins even further out of control. We don't see as much of some of the series regulars, but we do get to see more of others, and I liked how relationships were growing here. Naturally, the book is filled with well-developed new characters. The mentions of various mystery books made me smile. The sub-plots involving the air force base were really well done and once again spotlighted some of the real issues those who sacrifice so much for this country go through, both those serving and their families. This is a strong entry in a series that keeps getting better.
Once again, we are treated to a fabulous mystery that is more treasure hunt than strict cozy murder mystery. Not that I'm complaining in the slightest. The pace never slows down as we jump from one thing to another as Sarah tries to figure out what happened before her life spins even further out of control. We don't see as much of some of the series regulars, but we do get to see more of others, and I liked how relationships were growing here. Naturally, the book is filled with well-developed new characters. The mentions of various mystery books made me smile. The sub-plots involving the air force base were really well done and once again spotlighted some of the real issues those who sacrifice so much for this country go through, both those serving and their families. This is a strong entry in a series that keeps getting better.
Merissa (12894 KP) rated What Happens in London (Adventures Abroad) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Bloomsbury Spark in return for a fair and honest review.
Sarah is working as an au pair in London when things don't quite go according to plan and she is fired. She meets Carson as she browses in a bookstore and can't believe that he is interested in her.
This is a very good novella as I was left feeling uncertain of my feelings for Carson, which is a good thing as it leads you into the series. On the one hand, he seems like he cares for Sarah but there is still an element of 'what's really going on' as you read it. Sarah is the one who comes across as trying very hard to break out of her shell, but she does things with someone she has only just met that I had slight trouble believing.
The ending of this novella will leave you questioning all that you know and leave you wanting the next book in this series immediately.
For a quick, light contemporary read, I can definitely recommend this book.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sarah is working as an au pair in London when things don't quite go according to plan and she is fired. She meets Carson as she browses in a bookstore and can't believe that he is interested in her.
This is a very good novella as I was left feeling uncertain of my feelings for Carson, which is a good thing as it leads you into the series. On the one hand, he seems like he cares for Sarah but there is still an element of 'what's really going on' as you read it. Sarah is the one who comes across as trying very hard to break out of her shell, but she does things with someone she has only just met that I had slight trouble believing.
The ending of this novella will leave you questioning all that you know and leave you wanting the next book in this series immediately.
For a quick, light contemporary read, I can definitely recommend this book.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
David McK (3562 KP) rated Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019 (Updated Jul 24, 2022)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Terminator: Salvation
Terminator: Genisys
Forget them all.
(as an aside: notice how they get progressively worse as they went along?)
Right from the opening pre-credit sequence, this sets itself up as a sequel to the superlative Terminator 2: Judgment Day, ignoring all the above-named moves (and TV series). It's also no secret that this stars Linda Hamilton's kick-ass Sarah Connor (who was unceremoniously killed off off-screen in Terminator 3, before having her own TV show in the Sarah Connor Chronicles), with Gabriel Luna's Rev-9 a more worthy successor to Robert Patrick's T-1000 than Kristinna Loken's T-X and with the (inevitable) return of Arnie himself as an original series Terminator.
Like the first 2 movies, this is essentially a chase movie, with Connor and co on the run from the Rev-9 (from a future that has never heard of Cyberdyne or Skynet) while trying to protect Natalia Reyes Danni from the Rev-9: I also have to say that, like a lot of James Cameron's movies, this features powerful female roles, with Arnie really only along as back-up.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Terminator: Salvation
Terminator: Genisys
Forget them all.
(as an aside: notice how they get progressively worse as they went along?)
Right from the opening pre-credit sequence, this sets itself up as a sequel to the superlative Terminator 2: Judgment Day, ignoring all the above-named moves (and TV series). It's also no secret that this stars Linda Hamilton's kick-ass Sarah Connor (who was unceremoniously killed off off-screen in Terminator 3, before having her own TV show in the Sarah Connor Chronicles), with Gabriel Luna's Rev-9 a more worthy successor to Robert Patrick's T-1000 than Kristinna Loken's T-X and with the (inevitable) return of Arnie himself as an original series Terminator.
Like the first 2 movies, this is essentially a chase movie, with Connor and co on the run from the Rev-9 (from a future that has never heard of Cyberdyne or Skynet) while trying to protect Natalia Reyes Danni from the Rev-9: I also have to say that, like a lot of James Cameron's movies, this features powerful female roles, with Arnie really only along as back-up.
Merissa (12894 KP) created a post
Apr 2, 2025
MusicCritics (472 KP) rated Wonderful Wonderful by The Killers in Music
Oct 3, 2017
An album without an obvious theme or concept it may be, but somehow, it’s still quintessentially The Killers. It may not be the all-out stadium epic we’ve come to expect from the band but it’s still wonderful
Critic- Sarah Jamieson
Original Score: 4 out of 5
Read Review: http://diymag.com/2017/09/22/the-killers-wonderful-wonderful
Original Score: 4 out of 5
Read Review: http://diymag.com/2017/09/22/the-killers-wonderful-wonderful
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Last Painting of Sara de Vos in Books
Oct 5, 2020
In a sweeping story based on the works of Dutch Golden Age painter Sarah van Baalbergen, Dominic Smith goes from 17th Century Holland, to mid-20th century New York and ends in 21st century Australia. Find out why I found this book so fascinating in my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2016/04/28/landscapes-of-deception/