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ClareR (6106 KP) rated The Temple House Vanishing in Books

Feb 27, 2020

The Temple House Vanishing is set in an elite Convent School (Roman Catholic, all girls, lots of masses, praying and rampant oestrogen). The nuns run a tight ship - or so they think. Mr Lavelle is a young, bohemian-type character, and a fair few of the girls are in love with him. Particularly Victoria.

Louisa joins the school late as a scholarship student, and is generally looked down on by the fee-paying girls, but she and Victoria become good friends. Everything seems to be improving for Louisa. Until, that is, she disappears along with Mr Lavelle. Everyone assumes that they have run away together, and the staff and students are of no help. They close ranks. No-one wants to be involved.

Until, that is, a journalist becomes involved with retelling the story on its 25th anniversary. She manages to speak to the Head Girl at the time, and after many persistent emails, with Victoria. And this time, Victoria talks about what happened.

I liked this very much. I liked the atmosphere of the school - even though it wasn't particularly nice it was described well, especially the way the girls ganged up together to pick on whoever they assumed was the weakest link. I especially liked the journalists chapters, particularly when it became clear that she had something of a vested interest in finding out what happened to Louisa - Louisa had been her babysitter when she was a child.

This isn't a 'hold on to your hat' story. There's no-one to save - whatever happened, happened 25 years ago. It's all about WHAT happened and WHO was involved. And in the end, it's all rather sad.

I really enjoyed this, particularly the way the story unfolded. I think the teenagers emotions were described as well as the adults, and it was easy to empathise with them when necessary, and despair at their teenaged reactions and angst.

This book is well worth a read.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book!

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious #3) in Books

Mar 19, 2020

The finale to the Truly Devious trilogy does not disappoint. Stevie Bell believes she has solved the famous Truly Devious case. But she hasn't really told anyone yet. After all, yet another person is dead, someone else (whom she has kissed) has disappeared, and then another accident strikes Ellingham Academy. All while a giant snowstorm is about to hit the school. Stevie is sure everything is tied together--the deaths in the past, the deaths in the present. But it's finally too much for Ellingham. The school is being evacuated. Stevie is being sent home. It's over. So she makes the only rational choice. Time to stay at the school in the face of an insane storm--and a potential murderer.

Oh I love this series so very much. I highly recommend it. Stevie is such a wonderful character, filled with real flaws and amazing skills. Johnson's treatment of Stevie's anxiety across the trilogy is spot-on, and she just captures Stevie so perfectly. Her love of crime, her intelligence, her wit. It's impossible not to adore this girl.

Book three starts off with a bang--the format alternates between the present and parts of the past, depicting scenes involving the Truly Devious case that Stevie has worked so hard to solve. Filling in the pieces of that famous case--the disappearance of Albert Ellingham's wife and daughter. It works perfectly and it's captivating, finally finding out exactly what happened to Iris and Alice--and all the other players in the 1930s.

I don't want to say much more and spoil anything, except to say it was all perfect. Stevie and the cast of characters is great--I've come to care for so many of them now. And Johnson excels at having a diverse group in her books, which I love. The conclusion of the mystery is excellent; I was frantically flipping pages and caught on every word. The ending is quite fitting for a beloved series. 4.5 stars.

Kudos

JT (287 KP) rated The Way Back (2020) in Movies

Mar 25, 2020

The Way Back (2020)

2020 | Drama, Sport

7.5

(6 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Fantastic central performance (0 more)

A film about more than basketball

Everyone loves an underdog story especially when it has a sporting theme – but this underdog story is a little different.

Ben Affleck plays Jack Cunningham a former high school basketball star who is battling alcoholism. In his younger days, he had the chance to go to the big time but instead turned his back on a promising career. He is still lauded in the town and is given the chance to coach at his alma mater by Father Devine (John Aylward), who runs the Catholic high school where Jack played.

He initially shows no interest but reluctantly accepts the position to coach a struggling team who haven’t been to the playoffs since he was at school. The team is not devoid of talent but lack discipline and team dynamics something which Jack can help them with.

There is more to Jack’s story and slowly we discover the reasons for his dependence on alcohol. He has separated from his wife and he opens up about the reason why he turned his back on the game. But there is another heartbreaking twist in the tale as to why Jack is bottling up his emotions and prone to bursts of anger, the majority of which spill over onto the basketball court.

Sporting films follow a tight blueprint which involves someone coming back from the brink to triumph. It’s the feel-good moment that makes us want to punch the air. But while there are a few inspirational sequences on the court I didn’t want to punch the air, not least when Affleck is on screen – I just felt sad.

His performance is brilliant as it is emotional and it might be one of his best yet. But the more we connect with Jack the less it becomes about winning basketball games and more about his road to recovery.