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Merissa (11734 KP) rated The Signs We Missed in Books
Aug 4, 2022 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)
Love is never easy, and it is sometimes dark and filled with pain.
THE SIGNS WE MISSED is a young adult, standalone story, that deals with some dark themes. It comes with trigger warnings so please take note of them.
Love is never easy, and it is sometimes dark and filled with pain, especially if you are experiencing something for the first time and are unsure of just what's happening. Cruelty can be through ignorance, not always deliberate. This is the position Sean finds himself in with Luke. He has feelings but doesn't know what to do with them.
Told mainly from the perspectives of Sean, Luke, and Shayne, the missing gaps are mostly filled in and you get a rounded story. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure how Fly's story fitted in for most of it, nor if the destructive relationship between her and Shayne was sorted, but it was still an enjoyable read - if a dark storyline can be called as such.
This is not light and fluffy, to even think that would be to do it a disservice. Instead, it is a gripping book that deals with self-harm, bisexual awakenings, and eating disorders, to name just a few. If you can cope with those, then I definitely recommend you take a chance on this novel.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 1, 2022
Love is never easy, and it is sometimes dark and filled with pain, especially if you are experiencing something for the first time and are unsure of just what's happening. Cruelty can be through ignorance, not always deliberate. This is the position Sean finds himself in with Luke. He has feelings but doesn't know what to do with them.
Told mainly from the perspectives of Sean, Luke, and Shayne, the missing gaps are mostly filled in and you get a rounded story. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure how Fly's story fitted in for most of it, nor if the destructive relationship between her and Shayne was sorted, but it was still an enjoyable read - if a dark storyline can be called as such.
This is not light and fluffy, to even think that would be to do it a disservice. Instead, it is a gripping book that deals with self-harm, bisexual awakenings, and eating disorders, to name just a few. If you can cope with those, then I definitely recommend you take a chance on this novel.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 1, 2022
David McK (3219 KP) rated Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe, #1) in Books
Aug 27, 2021
Chronologically the first Sharpe book (or, at least, it is at the moment!), this was publishes as the 16th novel in the series, after the success of the 1990 Sean Bean starring TV series, which followed the original, Napoleonic-set, stories.
As such, this is actually set prior to the Napoleonic Wars, with Sharpe - as the novel starts - a young private in the regiments of Arthur Wellesley's battalion of the 33rd regiment of foot, who are on campaign in India against the Tippoo Sultan of Mysore.
For plot reasons, Sharpe - in the company of William Lawford (who was a character mentioned in the 'original series' as having taught Sharpe how to read, thus making the jump to Sergeant easier) - have to go undercover in Seringapatam, just as that city is about to be besieged by the Allied forces.
It helps that, by doing so - or so Sharpe thinks - he'll be able to escape from the tyrannical Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill: one of those creations that you just love to hate!
As such, this is actually set prior to the Napoleonic Wars, with Sharpe - as the novel starts - a young private in the regiments of Arthur Wellesley's battalion of the 33rd regiment of foot, who are on campaign in India against the Tippoo Sultan of Mysore.
For plot reasons, Sharpe - in the company of William Lawford (who was a character mentioned in the 'original series' as having taught Sharpe how to read, thus making the jump to Sergeant easier) - have to go undercover in Seringapatam, just as that city is about to be besieged by the Allied forces.
It helps that, by doing so - or so Sharpe thinks - he'll be able to escape from the tyrannical Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill: one of those creations that you just love to hate!
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Crazy Mountain Kiss (Sean Stranahan, #4) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
Crazy Mountain Kiss takes place in the Crazy Mountains of Montana. The corpse of a young girl who went missing months earlier has been found in the chimney of a rental cabin. The sheriff and her team, along with Sean Stranahan, a private detective, investigate to discover where the girl has been since her disappearance, and the events that lead to her death.
There are almost as many people trying to impede the investigation in some way as there are individuals trying to locate Cinderella's trail. A mix of law enforcement, ranch people, and other colorful (and at times unsavory) characters keep the story interesting. The author does a good job of casting suspicion first one way and then another, keeping me guessing all the way through. I like mystery novels that manage to keep me from figuring out who the culprit is too soon in the story, but that haven't kept some important detail hidden up to the end. This novel is like that. You are privy to every detail Sean Stranahan uncovers as he questions Cinderella's family and acquaintances and searches for clues.
I did feel a little confused at the main characters relationships near the beginning, but since this is the fourth book in a series (but the first one I have read) that isn't too surprising. The author does let you in on what is going on with the main characters, but I think I might have liked the story more and the characters might have mattered a little more to me if I had started at the beginning and had more backstory for them.
Crazy Mountain Kiss takes place in the Crazy Mountains of Montana. The corpse of a young girl who went missing months earlier has been found in the chimney of a rental cabin. The sheriff and her team, along with Sean Stranahan, a private detective, investigate to discover where the girl has been since her disappearance, and the events that lead to her death.
There are almost as many people trying to impede the investigation in some way as there are individuals trying to locate Cinderella's trail. A mix of law enforcement, ranch people, and other colorful (and at times unsavory) characters keep the story interesting. The author does a good job of casting suspicion first one way and then another, keeping me guessing all the way through. I like mystery novels that manage to keep me from figuring out who the culprit is too soon in the story, but that haven't kept some important detail hidden up to the end. This novel is like that. You are privy to every detail Sean Stranahan uncovers as he questions Cinderella's family and acquaintances and searches for clues.
I did feel a little confused at the main characters relationships near the beginning, but since this is the fourth book in a series (but the first one I have read) that isn't too surprising. The author does let you in on what is going on with the main characters, but I think I might have liked the story more and the characters might have mattered a little more to me if I had started at the beginning and had more backstory for them.
Joel Schumacher recommended Blade Runner (1982) in Movies (curated)
Jane Wiedlin recommended Blade Runner (1982) in Movies (curated)
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) in Movies
Jan 28, 2021
Returning to a much more balanced tone that the overly "cooky" Temple of Doom, the third Indiana Jones adventure gives Raiders of the Lost Ark some serious competition for best entry in the franchise (Raiders just about beats it for me based on the ratio of melting nazi face content).
The Last Crusade is a hugely entertaining movie from start to finish. It has a fantastic cast from the ever reliable Harrison Ford in the title role, to the convincingly menacing antagonist played by Julian Glover. Of course, Sean Connery is here for the ride this time around, as Indy's old man. The dynamic between Connery and Ford is great, and every scene with the two of them is cinema gold. Alison Doody makes for a welcome change with this films female protagonist (sort of), her character finally bucking the trend of typical love interest and having some depth, and a hell of a mean streak. Its nice to see John Rhys-Davies return from his ToD absence, and River Phoenix makes for an extremely memorable young Indiana in the movies opening flashback scene - on the subject of that scene, the transition from young Indy to Harrison Ford Indy is epic, thanks in part to another wonderful John Williams score, and is one of my highlights of the entire franchise!
The pacing is spot on - the over-two-hour runtime never once feels like a slog. The constant action is some of Spielberg's best work, and is suitably high octane. Everything in between boasts an engaging screenplay that develops all of the characters nicely, and the comedy elements are well done and sporadically placed, making the sillier moments genuinely funny (even the ridiculous Hitler scene)
All in all, The Last Crusade is a wonderful conclusion to the original trilogy, and is a genuinely fantastic adventure movie that stands toe to toe with the first film in its quality.
The Last Crusade is a hugely entertaining movie from start to finish. It has a fantastic cast from the ever reliable Harrison Ford in the title role, to the convincingly menacing antagonist played by Julian Glover. Of course, Sean Connery is here for the ride this time around, as Indy's old man. The dynamic between Connery and Ford is great, and every scene with the two of them is cinema gold. Alison Doody makes for a welcome change with this films female protagonist (sort of), her character finally bucking the trend of typical love interest and having some depth, and a hell of a mean streak. Its nice to see John Rhys-Davies return from his ToD absence, and River Phoenix makes for an extremely memorable young Indiana in the movies opening flashback scene - on the subject of that scene, the transition from young Indy to Harrison Ford Indy is epic, thanks in part to another wonderful John Williams score, and is one of my highlights of the entire franchise!
The pacing is spot on - the over-two-hour runtime never once feels like a slog. The constant action is some of Spielberg's best work, and is suitably high octane. Everything in between boasts an engaging screenplay that develops all of the characters nicely, and the comedy elements are well done and sporadically placed, making the sillier moments genuinely funny (even the ridiculous Hitler scene)
All in all, The Last Crusade is a wonderful conclusion to the original trilogy, and is a genuinely fantastic adventure movie that stands toe to toe with the first film in its quality.
Louise (64 KP) rated Burned and Broken in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher, my opinions are honest and my own.
Mark Hardie’s debut novel is set in Essex following our main protagonists DS Frank Pearson, DC Catherine Russell and young girl called Donna. DI Sean Carragher has been found burned to death in his car and Donna’s best friend Alicia was found dead in an underpass. Could these two deaths be connected? That’s the job for Pearson Russell to find out!
Starting off the book was very slow-paced, difficult to follow and the writing was very descriptive…maybe too much. The timeline of the book felt very jumpy and the POV’s would switch without so much as a warning. The first part of the book was setting the scene and some of the characters I felt unnecessary and were there just to fill a few more pages. The second half of the book was a lot better and Hardie get’s in to the flow of things. The ending was ok, but there wasn’t enough suspense in the book. I wasn’t excited to find out ‘whodunnit’.
This isn’t a bad book, especially for a debut but there is a lot of Police/Crime books out on the market and this doesn’t really stand out.
I believe there is going to be more books that continue following Pearson and Russell on more investigations. I might read them to see how Mark Hardie’s writing develops.
If you are a fan of Crime/Mystery novels..still check this out as though it wasn’t for me.. you may love it.
Mark Hardie’s debut novel is set in Essex following our main protagonists DS Frank Pearson, DC Catherine Russell and young girl called Donna. DI Sean Carragher has been found burned to death in his car and Donna’s best friend Alicia was found dead in an underpass. Could these two deaths be connected? That’s the job for Pearson Russell to find out!
Starting off the book was very slow-paced, difficult to follow and the writing was very descriptive…maybe too much. The timeline of the book felt very jumpy and the POV’s would switch without so much as a warning. The first part of the book was setting the scene and some of the characters I felt unnecessary and were there just to fill a few more pages. The second half of the book was a lot better and Hardie get’s in to the flow of things. The ending was ok, but there wasn’t enough suspense in the book. I wasn’t excited to find out ‘whodunnit’.
This isn’t a bad book, especially for a debut but there is a lot of Police/Crime books out on the market and this doesn’t really stand out.
I believe there is going to be more books that continue following Pearson and Russell on more investigations. I might read them to see how Mark Hardie’s writing develops.
If you are a fan of Crime/Mystery novels..still check this out as though it wasn’t for me.. you may love it.
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated You Are Not Alone in Books
Jan 10, 2020 (Updated Jan 10, 2020)
This is the third psychological thriller from Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, and it's my opinion that it was just not as good as the first two. That's not to say it wasn't good; just not AS good. The big reveal didn't feel all that big, and the ending felt a bit rushed. However, it's a very enjoyable read and 100% worth your time.
Shay Miller witnesses a young woman, about her age, commit suicide by jumping in front of an oncoming subway train. From there she meets sisters Cassandra & Jane Moore, and her life pretty much immediately spirals out of control. Unfortunately there's not much more I can say re: the plot without ruining the reader's experience, so here are some fairly vague observations/opinions:
- If you've read this author duo's previous two titles, then you're familiar with their writing style, and you'll be happy to know that this style continues in You Are Not Alone. I appreciate that they have a particular style that they stick with.
- I felt like it took far too long for Shay to realize what was happening to her. It also took far too long for any motives to be revealed.
- The cast of women is intriguing. Except for Jody. Jody's a bitch.
- Sean, the lone male character, is a complete non-committal, whiny afterthought. It's possible that's how the authors wanted him to come across. Mission accomplished.
You are not alone: Is it a promise, or a threat?
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Shay Miller witnesses a young woman, about her age, commit suicide by jumping in front of an oncoming subway train. From there she meets sisters Cassandra & Jane Moore, and her life pretty much immediately spirals out of control. Unfortunately there's not much more I can say re: the plot without ruining the reader's experience, so here are some fairly vague observations/opinions:
- If you've read this author duo's previous two titles, then you're familiar with their writing style, and you'll be happy to know that this style continues in You Are Not Alone. I appreciate that they have a particular style that they stick with.
- I felt like it took far too long for Shay to realize what was happening to her. It also took far too long for any motives to be revealed.
- The cast of women is intriguing. Except for Jody. Jody's a bitch.
- Sean, the lone male character, is a complete non-committal, whiny afterthought. It's possible that's how the authors wanted him to come across. Mission accomplished.
You are not alone: Is it a promise, or a threat?
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Story: 71 starts as we see Gary Hook (O’Connell) going through his training with his regiment before they get deployed to Belfast to deal with the riot situation. In Ireland the regiment receive their instructions and onto the Catholic side of the war. When the riots get out of hand Gary finds himself on the wrong side of the barrier alone and unarmed in the Irish territory.
With tensions rising Gary finds himself in the middle of the battle not knowing which side to trust as both side are preparing to attack each other as Gary learns the harsh reality of what these riots are causing.
71 puts us into the middle of the Irish riots showing just one soldier’s experience behind enemy lines, this works well. My issue with the story is unless you know the history which I only know the basics you are left kind of wondering why the riots are happening in the first place. Another problem I found was telling what was going on with the supporting characters like who was on whose side which I do understand adds to the mystery but in this situation we should be able to identify them easily. As a film about survival in an urban setting this is great though.
Actor Review
Jack O’Connell: Gary Hook is the young soldier who is on his first mission on the streets on Belfast during the riots of 71, trying to receive a lost weapon he gets separated by his unit and stranded alone behind enemy lines never sure who to trust. Jack is great in this leading role in what was an outstanding year for the young actor.gary
Sam Reid: Lt. Armitage is one of the men that wants to start searching for Gary but constantly gets put down Captain Browning. Sam is solid in this role but doesn’t get enough screen time.
Sean Harris: Captain Sandy Browning is the man running the situation he knows that Gary is alive but really is playing both sides of the battle. Sean is also solid but only in a supporting role.
Killian Scott: Quinn is one of the leaders out trying to kill Gary, he takes his men and boys out on the streets on the hunt for him and will hurt anyone who gets in his way. Killian is good in what seems like one of the primary villains.
Support Cast: 71 has a large supporting cast but working out which side they are on gets confusing at times.
Director Review: Yann Demange – Yann gives us wonderfully shot sequences throughout but not enough back story to the events on the film.
Action: 71 has intensely shot action sequences involved.
Thriller: 71 keeps us on edge as we watch Gary trying to survive the warzone.
War: 71 puts us into a warzone as we see Gary trying to avoid conflict seemingly around every single corner.
Settings: 71 puts us in the warzone of the Belfast streets which really works to pull us into the story.
Special Effects: 71 has great effects when needed without having to just go overboard with them.
Suggestion: 71 is one for fans of the genre but otherwise people might find it slightly hard to keep up with. (War Film Fans Watch)
Best Part: Bomb shock.
Worst Part: Not enough history of the events.
Believability: The riots were real but story is fictional.
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Behind Enemy Lines
Awards: Nominated for One BAFTA.
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Trivia: Most scenes within the film were shot in Northern England, not in the film’s setting of Belfast.
Overall: Good history war thriller that is intense but never fully drags you into believing everything.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/11/08/71-2014/
With tensions rising Gary finds himself in the middle of the battle not knowing which side to trust as both side are preparing to attack each other as Gary learns the harsh reality of what these riots are causing.
71 puts us into the middle of the Irish riots showing just one soldier’s experience behind enemy lines, this works well. My issue with the story is unless you know the history which I only know the basics you are left kind of wondering why the riots are happening in the first place. Another problem I found was telling what was going on with the supporting characters like who was on whose side which I do understand adds to the mystery but in this situation we should be able to identify them easily. As a film about survival in an urban setting this is great though.
Actor Review
Jack O’Connell: Gary Hook is the young soldier who is on his first mission on the streets on Belfast during the riots of 71, trying to receive a lost weapon he gets separated by his unit and stranded alone behind enemy lines never sure who to trust. Jack is great in this leading role in what was an outstanding year for the young actor.gary
Sam Reid: Lt. Armitage is one of the men that wants to start searching for Gary but constantly gets put down Captain Browning. Sam is solid in this role but doesn’t get enough screen time.
Sean Harris: Captain Sandy Browning is the man running the situation he knows that Gary is alive but really is playing both sides of the battle. Sean is also solid but only in a supporting role.
Killian Scott: Quinn is one of the leaders out trying to kill Gary, he takes his men and boys out on the streets on the hunt for him and will hurt anyone who gets in his way. Killian is good in what seems like one of the primary villains.
Support Cast: 71 has a large supporting cast but working out which side they are on gets confusing at times.
Director Review: Yann Demange – Yann gives us wonderfully shot sequences throughout but not enough back story to the events on the film.
Action: 71 has intensely shot action sequences involved.
Thriller: 71 keeps us on edge as we watch Gary trying to survive the warzone.
War: 71 puts us into a warzone as we see Gary trying to avoid conflict seemingly around every single corner.
Settings: 71 puts us in the warzone of the Belfast streets which really works to pull us into the story.
Special Effects: 71 has great effects when needed without having to just go overboard with them.
Suggestion: 71 is one for fans of the genre but otherwise people might find it slightly hard to keep up with. (War Film Fans Watch)
Best Part: Bomb shock.
Worst Part: Not enough history of the events.
Believability: The riots were real but story is fictional.
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Behind Enemy Lines
Awards: Nominated for One BAFTA.
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Trivia: Most scenes within the film were shot in Northern England, not in the film’s setting of Belfast.
Overall: Good history war thriller that is intense but never fully drags you into believing everything.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/11/08/71-2014/
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Girl Last Seen in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Lainey was ten when she was taken. She spent three horrible years in her kidnapper's basement, enduring horrible things. Lainey is supposed to be "lucky," since she escaped, but it's hard for her to see it that way sometimes. Her entire life has been formed by that awful period in her life. And now, another girl has gone missing. Olivia Shaw, who looks exactly like Lainey did thirteen years ago. Lainey's kidnapper was never found: the police say because she could never give strong enough evidence to identify him. So Lainey has spent these years afraid, living in a haze of pills and booze, and waiting for something bad to happen. Well, something bad has happened. How exactly is Lainey involved, and is she ever going to be safe again?
I definitely have some mixed feelings about this one. <i>It certainly grabs you from the beginning and has some moments that make you go "what?!"</i> Parts of the story are very unique--I enjoyed the plot of two young women/girls aligned by a potential kidnapper--but the story was marred somewhat by the focus on Lainey's drinking and drugs. She's presented as an unreliable narrator, which I understand, and as a flawed heroine. Some of the scenes with her nearly make you cringe: you feel a mix of such sympathy and frustration, because she's such a stressful protagonist. The trend toward these frustrating, unreliable narrators lately has grown a bit old for me.
My other issue was Lainey's strange dynamic with the detective investigating Olivia's disappearance, Sean: the same detective, coincidentally, who found Lainey thirteen years ago as she stumbled helplessly along the road after escaping her horrible fate in the basement. Their dynamic, frankly, is just odd, and I found it almost distracting from the main story. Romance? Just a side story? Is he involved? It was less a bit of intrigue though and, as I mentioned, a distraction. And honestly, a little confusing. After a while, I started to get a little bored with Lainey's helplessness, her interactions with Sean, and the overall lack of things moving forward.
That changed about 3/4 in, when things picked up and became interesting again. There are definitely some fascinating moments in the book, and I did find it engaging overall, despite some stumbles along the way. This is a first novel and I see room from improvement, for sure. I'm going for a 3-star rating -- this is based on a combination of 2.5 stars for some stilted/cheesy writing combined with 3.5 stars for some exciting plot twists, including one near the end that pretty much made it all worth it. I would certainly be intrigued to read Laurin's next book. Don't let my review scare you from this one: I read a lot of thrillers, so I get bit jaded reading some similar plot devices. There's still plenty of pieces to like here.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 07/20/2017.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
I definitely have some mixed feelings about this one. <i>It certainly grabs you from the beginning and has some moments that make you go "what?!"</i> Parts of the story are very unique--I enjoyed the plot of two young women/girls aligned by a potential kidnapper--but the story was marred somewhat by the focus on Lainey's drinking and drugs. She's presented as an unreliable narrator, which I understand, and as a flawed heroine. Some of the scenes with her nearly make you cringe: you feel a mix of such sympathy and frustration, because she's such a stressful protagonist. The trend toward these frustrating, unreliable narrators lately has grown a bit old for me.
My other issue was Lainey's strange dynamic with the detective investigating Olivia's disappearance, Sean: the same detective, coincidentally, who found Lainey thirteen years ago as she stumbled helplessly along the road after escaping her horrible fate in the basement. Their dynamic, frankly, is just odd, and I found it almost distracting from the main story. Romance? Just a side story? Is he involved? It was less a bit of intrigue though and, as I mentioned, a distraction. And honestly, a little confusing. After a while, I started to get a little bored with Lainey's helplessness, her interactions with Sean, and the overall lack of things moving forward.
That changed about 3/4 in, when things picked up and became interesting again. There are definitely some fascinating moments in the book, and I did find it engaging overall, despite some stumbles along the way. This is a first novel and I see room from improvement, for sure. I'm going for a 3-star rating -- this is based on a combination of 2.5 stars for some stilted/cheesy writing combined with 3.5 stars for some exciting plot twists, including one near the end that pretty much made it all worth it. I would certainly be intrigued to read Laurin's next book. Don't let my review scare you from this one: I read a lot of thrillers, so I get bit jaded reading some similar plot devices. There's still plenty of pieces to like here.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 07/20/2017.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;