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Ronyell (38 KP) rated Crashbox in TV

Aug 4, 2020

Crashbox

1999 | Game Show

10.0

(1 Ratings)

TV Show Rating

The Grand Daddy of All Mind Screws

Now, I will admit that when I first saw this TV show, I was more than a little weirded out by how bizarre the premise was (especially with the weird looking characters and everything). But after I started looking at a few more episodes and actually starting to participate in the wacky mind games, I found myself actually enjoying this show a lot, especially with the weird imagery and the creative way that they present the games. This TV series is definitely a brilliant way to teach children about various school subjects without feeling bored and I definitely found myself learning so much about history and math through this TV series alone. Some of my favorite skits from this series are "Eddie Bull," "Distraction News" and "Psycho Math" since they are all done in an extremely creative way and they really show the true meaning of being bizarre with their presentations!

The only problem with this show is that it might be too difficult and bizarre for some small children, especially with how some of the information and the math problems might be aimed at children at least seven years and older. Parents who are watching this show with their children might want to help their children understand the problems that this show is trying to teach children to solve.

Overall, "Crashbox" is definitely one show that you should check out and if you want to find an educational show that really teaches children about history, math and vocabulary while doing it in a creative and bizarre way, then this is definitely the show to watch!

Kudos

Christine A. (965 KP) rated Mayhem in Books

Aug 25, 2020

Mayhem

Estelle Laure | 2020 | Young Adult (YA)

7.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

YA feminist mash-up inspired by The Lost Boys and The Craft.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

A YA feminist mash-up inspired by The Lost Boys and The Craft. That's the first line of the description of Mayhem by Estelle Laure, which meant it was a book I just had to read. It was later changed to describe it as The Lost Boys meets Wilder Girls. I am glad I saw the earlier description because I probably would not have been so eager to read it.

When Mayhem Brayburn and her mom flee from an abusive stepfather/husband and return to Roxy's family home, Mayhem hopes to discover her mother's secrets and more about herself. What she learns is magic runs through the female lineage in her family, and the Brayburn women are responsible for keeping the town safe. Now, it is her generation, Mayhem and the kids who live with the Brayburns, to find the serial killer responsible for the missing girls.

Many reviewers rated the book low because it resembles The Lost Boys. Mayhem does pay homage to it. The Frog brothers make an appearance, and a few famous lines from the movie are included. However, Mayhem stands on its own.

Mayhem contains adult themes including rape and should be read by older YA readers.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/15/20 and updated on 8/24/20.

Kudos

Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Frame-Up (The Golden Arrow Mysteries Book 1) in Books

Apr 16, 2020

Great idea but could've been executed better

When I first saw the synopsis of this book, I thought it sounded great - superheroes, geeks and comic books is right up my street. However what is a great idea for a story isn't executed very well.

My main problem is the character of MG herself. A female geek character is a great idea, but my issue is that I found MG very unlikeable. Her attitude and actions started off fairly well, but by the end I found myself getting so irritated by her inability to listen to other people and her stubborn and rash attitude. The romance aspect of this novel doesnt help matters - it sounds like every geeks dream and so farfetched and ridiculous it's laughable. This could not be any more predictable and cliched than it already is. Matteo as a character too seems fairly undeveloped and comes across as a rather one dimensional love interest.

This is a shame as the idea behind the story is quite interesting and rather fun to read. There's also some very decent minor characters like Lawrence who are a lot more intriguing and fun that should've been featured more. I also loved the references to geek and pop culture, and overall this aspect of the book was a lot of fun. I did find the lack of resolution in some parts of the story frustrating - your typical sequel baiting. I do have the sequel to read which I probably will read as I enjoyed this book enough, but I pray for a resolution as I doubt this series will hold my attention enough longer than that.