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Not to be taken at face value
This is one of those books that if you read it and then let it digest for a while, it becomes much more than it originally appears. Unfortunately, as this is quite a short story, I can’t go into much detail without giving the game away but I would suggest that if you want to get the most out of it, you don’t take it at face value.
The premise of the story is simple, two friends (Nate and AJ) spend their last night together in a “funhouse” before AJ gets shipped off to Afghanistan. The “funhouse” is not what you would find at Blackpool Pleasure Beach; there is no fun involved. From the entrance, Nate and AJ need to discard all their possessions in exchange for a pair of pyjamas and paper shoes and once inside, they are not allowed to go back - they become inmates/patients.
It doesn’t take long for the shenanigans to begin and we are “treated” to some pretty graphic descriptions of what befalls the participants. I’m quite a hardened horror reader but even some of the “treatments” made me squirm. There were a couple of “tutting” moments though as is usual with horror books (and films) whereby the characters do things that you really wouldn't do in real life but, on the whole, it’s pretty good.
I’m not sure that I can say that the main characters of Nate and AJ are particularly likeable as I didn’t feel myself warming to them at all or particularly caring about what happened to them but they are believable and well developed for such a short story.
I have read another book by Z Rider - Suckers: A Horror Novel - which was thoroughly engrossing and, like this book, has more to it than first meets the eye and I would recommend them both to anyone who enjoys this genre.
Thank you to the publisher, Dark Ride Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an honest review.
The premise of the story is simple, two friends (Nate and AJ) spend their last night together in a “funhouse” before AJ gets shipped off to Afghanistan. The “funhouse” is not what you would find at Blackpool Pleasure Beach; there is no fun involved. From the entrance, Nate and AJ need to discard all their possessions in exchange for a pair of pyjamas and paper shoes and once inside, they are not allowed to go back - they become inmates/patients.
It doesn’t take long for the shenanigans to begin and we are “treated” to some pretty graphic descriptions of what befalls the participants. I’m quite a hardened horror reader but even some of the “treatments” made me squirm. There were a couple of “tutting” moments though as is usual with horror books (and films) whereby the characters do things that you really wouldn't do in real life but, on the whole, it’s pretty good.
I’m not sure that I can say that the main characters of Nate and AJ are particularly likeable as I didn’t feel myself warming to them at all or particularly caring about what happened to them but they are believable and well developed for such a short story.
I have read another book by Z Rider - Suckers: A Horror Novel - which was thoroughly engrossing and, like this book, has more to it than first meets the eye and I would recommend them both to anyone who enjoys this genre.
Thank you to the publisher, Dark Ride Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Winter Romances in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
With 25th December fast approaching, what better book to read than one full of Christmas stories? <i>My True Love Gave To Me </i>is a selection of twelve winter romances (twelve stories, twelve days of Christmas…) by a handful of well-known authors of young adult literature. Stephanie Perkins, author of <i>Anna and the French Kiss</i>, is the editor of this festive volume and also includes her own short story along with Holly Black, Ally Carter, Gayle Forman and Rainbow Rowell, to name a few.
Aimed at teenaged girls or young adults, the stories focus on characters between the ages of 15 and 19, usually in a contemporary setting. Some are written as romances that just so happen to occur at Christmas time, whereas others use Christmas as a main focal point. Naturally there are a couple of tales that are pure fantasy with magic, Santa and elves, but they all involve romance.
What is great about incorporating twelve authors into one book is the various ideas about what Christmas means to different people. For some it is about family whereas other’s it is about the birth of Jesus. Authors also explore the difficulties some people face as well as what people who do not celebrate do. The stories are diverse including characters from all types of background – race, religion and sexuality.
My favourite story from this selection was by David Levithan. Unlike most of the others, it was not a story about falling in love. The main character already had a boyfriend who he (yes, HE) loved. The tale focused on what people do for love as well as keeping the magic of Christmas alive for others.
For those wanting to read something festive, this is the book for you. Its short stories let you dip in and out during this busy period meaning you can enjoy both reading and celebrating at the same time.
With 25th December fast approaching, what better book to read than one full of Christmas stories? <i>My True Love Gave To Me </i>is a selection of twelve winter romances (twelve stories, twelve days of Christmas…) by a handful of well-known authors of young adult literature. Stephanie Perkins, author of <i>Anna and the French Kiss</i>, is the editor of this festive volume and also includes her own short story along with Holly Black, Ally Carter, Gayle Forman and Rainbow Rowell, to name a few.
Aimed at teenaged girls or young adults, the stories focus on characters between the ages of 15 and 19, usually in a contemporary setting. Some are written as romances that just so happen to occur at Christmas time, whereas others use Christmas as a main focal point. Naturally there are a couple of tales that are pure fantasy with magic, Santa and elves, but they all involve romance.
What is great about incorporating twelve authors into one book is the various ideas about what Christmas means to different people. For some it is about family whereas other’s it is about the birth of Jesus. Authors also explore the difficulties some people face as well as what people who do not celebrate do. The stories are diverse including characters from all types of background – race, religion and sexuality.
My favourite story from this selection was by David Levithan. Unlike most of the others, it was not a story about falling in love. The main character already had a boyfriend who he (yes, HE) loved. The tale focused on what people do for love as well as keeping the magic of Christmas alive for others.
For those wanting to read something festive, this is the book for you. Its short stories let you dip in and out during this busy period meaning you can enjoy both reading and celebrating at the same time.
Louise (64 KP) rated The Sleeper and the Spindle: Winner of the Cilip Kate Greenaway Medal 2016 in Books
Jul 2, 2018
My thoughts:
What a beautiful book! How have I not come across Chris Riddell before? I do not know! What an amazing illustrator!
The sleeper in the spindle is a combination of sleeping beauty and snow-white retelling with Gaiman’s dark twist added to it.There are two lands which are separated by huge mountains which no-one can get across, not even the birds fly over, the only one’s are three dwarves and they tunnel under. The dwarves are off to find the queen some silks for her pending wedding. Dorimar is the other kingdom where they make the best silks, once the dwarves get there they come across an Inn, which they usually drop by as they made friends with the local innkeeper. Only this time the Inn was packed with Villagers, There Is a plague travelling across the kingdom which puts everyone into a slumber which was casted by an enchantress. With this news the dwarves return to the Queen to let her know what is going on the other side of the mountains and could possibly come across to Kanselaire. With her pending wedding and the thoughts of being a dutiful wife and mother, one last adventure is what she needs, she is off to save Dorimar.
I have actually read the sleeper in the spindle before but from Gaiman’s short story collection Trigger Warning.
The story is very short only 72 pages so can be easily done in one sitting. However there is not a lot of character development and the Villain is the same old power/youth hungry menace.The ending will not be to everyone’s taste,but it was well written and an easy read
The illustrations are absolutely stunning, they are black and white with gold leaf added on every page, The detail is so intricate and amazing and definitely complements the story really well.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone as it is classed as a children’s book.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
What a beautiful book! How have I not come across Chris Riddell before? I do not know! What an amazing illustrator!
The sleeper in the spindle is a combination of sleeping beauty and snow-white retelling with Gaiman’s dark twist added to it.There are two lands which are separated by huge mountains which no-one can get across, not even the birds fly over, the only one’s are three dwarves and they tunnel under. The dwarves are off to find the queen some silks for her pending wedding. Dorimar is the other kingdom where they make the best silks, once the dwarves get there they come across an Inn, which they usually drop by as they made friends with the local innkeeper. Only this time the Inn was packed with Villagers, There Is a plague travelling across the kingdom which puts everyone into a slumber which was casted by an enchantress. With this news the dwarves return to the Queen to let her know what is going on the other side of the mountains and could possibly come across to Kanselaire. With her pending wedding and the thoughts of being a dutiful wife and mother, one last adventure is what she needs, she is off to save Dorimar.
I have actually read the sleeper in the spindle before but from Gaiman’s short story collection Trigger Warning.
The story is very short only 72 pages so can be easily done in one sitting. However there is not a lot of character development and the Villain is the same old power/youth hungry menace.The ending will not be to everyone’s taste,but it was well written and an easy read
The illustrations are absolutely stunning, they are black and white with gold leaf added on every page, The detail is so intricate and amazing and definitely complements the story really well.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone as it is classed as a children’s book.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Story – The Box is a very interesting horror, it poses a question that would leave the audience much like Susan wondering what changed everything in her family’s life, it has a shock moment, while the rest is filled with the psychological side of horror. The Birthday Party plays out more like a dark comedy that a horror, it does work very well watching how hard the it is to cover up a death. Don’t Fall does seem to be the weakest of the stories here, mostly because it is way too short, it seems to take us to the location, hit night and everything happens and it is over way too quickly. Her Only Living Son does play out a lot like ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ only having a supernatural side to the outcome, it is one that could easily be a longer film too. Overall the stories are different enough, we have little sparks for each sub-genre of horror too which only means if you didn’t like one, you can skip to the next with ease.
Horror – The horror in the film gives us something different in each little story, we have psychological, dark humour, creature feature and satanic, which will give the audience something to enjoy between them.
Settings – The film does use each setting to make us feel like we are in different stories with Happy Birthday using the environment the best through the film.
Special Effects – The effects are strong when needed, we don’t turn to them very often which is nice for a horror film at times.
Scene of the Movie – Dinner with a difference.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Don’t Fall feels too short.
Final Thoughts – This is a nice little horror anthology which highlights the female film makers in the genre, each story will have something for each type of horror fan to enjoy.
Overall: Horror Anthology 101
Horror – The horror in the film gives us something different in each little story, we have psychological, dark humour, creature feature and satanic, which will give the audience something to enjoy between them.
Settings – The film does use each setting to make us feel like we are in different stories with Happy Birthday using the environment the best through the film.
Special Effects – The effects are strong when needed, we don’t turn to them very often which is nice for a horror film at times.
Scene of the Movie – Dinner with a difference.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Don’t Fall feels too short.
Final Thoughts – This is a nice little horror anthology which highlights the female film makers in the genre, each story will have something for each type of horror fan to enjoy.
Overall: Horror Anthology 101
Gareth von Kallenbach (974 KP) rated The Bye Bye Man (2017) in Movies
Jul 12, 2019
When someone tells you not to think about something or not to talk about something it is the hardest thing not to do. This is exactly what “The Bye Bye Man” is all about. If you think about him or if you talk about him he will know. After college students Elliot and his girlfriend Sasha move in together with their friend John to a creepy old house their lives are changed forever. Elliot begins to notice that their is something strange going on when he finds a name scribbled in his antique nightstand left by the original owners. He wasn’t expecting to have his world turned upside down with just saying that name. The Bye Bye Man!
If Stacy Title was going for a horror comedy she would’ve hit the nail right on the head but unfortunately this is categorized as a horror thriller. By my standards this film didn’t even come close to that. Originally “The Bye Bye Man” was based off of a short story entitled “The Bridge to Body Island”. Until I read a portion of this story myself I didn’t understand certain aspects of the film. That being said, how is anybody supposed to understand certain things about the film before reading the short story first.
I was not really familiar with the cast and their acting seemed forced and not natural. The only good part to the cast was Doug Jones and his exceptional way of always creeping me out with his characters. In person he is the sweetest guy but on screen he always brings the creepy factor of the film up a notch. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to keep this film afloat for me. Perhaps if I had gone into the screening expecting to see a comedic horror film I would be okay with it as being just that. There was more laughter from the audience than screams.
If Stacy Title was going for a horror comedy she would’ve hit the nail right on the head but unfortunately this is categorized as a horror thriller. By my standards this film didn’t even come close to that. Originally “The Bye Bye Man” was based off of a short story entitled “The Bridge to Body Island”. Until I read a portion of this story myself I didn’t understand certain aspects of the film. That being said, how is anybody supposed to understand certain things about the film before reading the short story first.
I was not really familiar with the cast and their acting seemed forced and not natural. The only good part to the cast was Doug Jones and his exceptional way of always creeping me out with his characters. In person he is the sweetest guy but on screen he always brings the creepy factor of the film up a notch. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to keep this film afloat for me. Perhaps if I had gone into the screening expecting to see a comedic horror film I would be okay with it as being just that. There was more laughter from the audience than screams.
Darren (1599 KP) rated REC (2007) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: [Rec] starts as reporter Angela Vidal (Velasco) is cover the local firefighter department for her latest report on While You’re Sleeping. The first incident the team gets called to is a domestic disturbance case inside an apartment building.
What seems like a simple and even boring story to cover quickly turns into a battle of life and death when the woman causing the disturbance attacks the police officer sent to help. The make the matters worse the people find themselves trapped inside the building which has been locked down by the authorities refusing to let anybody out. When the infection continues to spread, Angela must find a way to survive the terror inside the building and learn the truth about the source of the virus.
Thoughts on [Rec]
Characters/Performance – Angela is the reporter that is covering a simple story but finds herself fighting for her life but wanting to report every single part of the story for her audience. The rest of the characters are cops, firefighters, residents of the apartment and the cameraman.
Performance wise, Velasco is good as the main screen attraction for this film, with everyone else all doing a great job with their roles through the film.
Story – The story is simple to follow, people get trapped in a building as a virus is spreading through the people inside making them killing machines and the ones not infected need to find a way to survive. This all works and the added found footage keeps us believe this could be a breaking story unfolding.
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Horror/Mystery – The horror is very good with each corner potentially having a threat as well as each character not knowing what is happening which I think adds to any horror element.
Settings – The whole film is set within the apartment complex which adds to the tension and horror unfolding through the film.
Special Effects – The special effects all great to with most being practical effects when it comes to the gore required.
Final Thoughts – This is a great atmospheric horror that is short, sweet and hits all the marks for found footage horror needs.
Overall: One for all the horror fans out there.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/03/10/original-v-remake-rec-2007/
What seems like a simple and even boring story to cover quickly turns into a battle of life and death when the woman causing the disturbance attacks the police officer sent to help. The make the matters worse the people find themselves trapped inside the building which has been locked down by the authorities refusing to let anybody out. When the infection continues to spread, Angela must find a way to survive the terror inside the building and learn the truth about the source of the virus.
Thoughts on [Rec]
Characters/Performance – Angela is the reporter that is covering a simple story but finds herself fighting for her life but wanting to report every single part of the story for her audience. The rest of the characters are cops, firefighters, residents of the apartment and the cameraman.
Performance wise, Velasco is good as the main screen attraction for this film, with everyone else all doing a great job with their roles through the film.
Story – The story is simple to follow, people get trapped in a building as a virus is spreading through the people inside making them killing machines and the ones not infected need to find a way to survive. This all works and the added found footage keeps us believe this could be a breaking story unfolding.
REPORT THIS AD
Horror/Mystery – The horror is very good with each corner potentially having a threat as well as each character not knowing what is happening which I think adds to any horror element.
Settings – The whole film is set within the apartment complex which adds to the tension and horror unfolding through the film.
Special Effects – The special effects all great to with most being practical effects when it comes to the gore required.
Final Thoughts – This is a great atmospheric horror that is short, sweet and hits all the marks for found footage horror needs.
Overall: One for all the horror fans out there.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/03/10/original-v-remake-rec-2007/
Dominion: Hinterlands
6.5
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Tabletop Game
The world is big and your kingdom small. Small when compared to the world, that is; it’s...
Dragon Time and Other Stories
8.0
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Book
A collection of four previously published fantasy tales by Ruth Nestvold: "Dragon Time," "Wooing Ai...
Short Story Collection Fantasy Dragons
David McK (3369 KP) rated The Return of Sherlock Holmes in Books
Feb 25, 2024
Sherlock Holmes DIDN'T die at The Reichenbach Falls.
That's despite his creator (Arthur Conan Doyle) getting fed up with writing about him, and (supposedly) killing him off at that location during The Adventure of the Final Problem - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story.
You do have to wonder, however, just how dedicated to that decision he was as he left himself an 'out' ("Holmes body was never found"), finally succumbing to public demand - and a boat load of money - to resurrect the character roughly 10 years after he had been killed off (with the earlier-set The Hound of the Baskervilles being released in the interim period).
This, then, is another collection of short stories, with the collection I read including:
"The Adventure of the Empty House"
"The Adventure of the Norwood Builder"
"The Adventure of the Dancing Men"
"The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist"
"The Adventure of the Priory School"
"The Adventure of Black Peter"
"The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton"
"The Adventure of the Six Napoleons"
"The Adventure of the Three Students"
"The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez"
"The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter"
"The Adventure of the Abbey Grange"
"The Adventure of the Second Stain"
As before, thoroughly enjoyable all!
That's despite his creator (Arthur Conan Doyle) getting fed up with writing about him, and (supposedly) killing him off at that location during The Adventure of the Final Problem - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story.
You do have to wonder, however, just how dedicated to that decision he was as he left himself an 'out' ("Holmes body was never found"), finally succumbing to public demand - and a boat load of money - to resurrect the character roughly 10 years after he had been killed off (with the earlier-set The Hound of the Baskervilles being released in the interim period).
This, then, is another collection of short stories, with the collection I read including:
"The Adventure of the Empty House"
"The Adventure of the Norwood Builder"
"The Adventure of the Dancing Men"
"The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist"
"The Adventure of the Priory School"
"The Adventure of Black Peter"
"The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton"
"The Adventure of the Six Napoleons"
"The Adventure of the Three Students"
"The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez"
"The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter"
"The Adventure of the Abbey Grange"
"The Adventure of the Second Stain"
As before, thoroughly enjoyable all!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Red Dead Redemption 2 in Video Games
Jun 6, 2019
An incredible achievement in gaming
I must admit that Red Dead Redemption is one of my top games ever, the long awaited sequel was always going to have a lot to live up to. But RDR2 truly builds on the first game in every way.
The game world feels alive. I found myself taking forever to get through the massive story, just because I kept getting distracted by other things going on - so much so that I only finished the story in March (I bought it the previous October on day one).
It took a while to adjust to the controls - I found myself accidentally shooting people I didn't mean to, or punching my horse, which would mor often than not result in my death - but once I had the hang of it, I was hooked.
The story is quite incredible, all of the characters are well fleshed out, to the point that you care about most of them. RDR2 is a prequel story, so you know that the events unfolding are heading towards the first game, but getting there is a thrilling an emotional journey.
The game looks amazing as well, I found myself enjoying the copious amount of horse riding, just to admire the many views and vistas throughout.
The soundtrack is also great - used sparingly until it's needed, resulting in some breathtaking moments.
I can't recommend RDR2 enough, as long as you have the patience to go with it - it's slow burning at times, and it encourages you to fully sit back and take your time exploring this incredibly well crafted world, but the pay off is nothing short of spectacular.
The game world feels alive. I found myself taking forever to get through the massive story, just because I kept getting distracted by other things going on - so much so that I only finished the story in March (I bought it the previous October on day one).
It took a while to adjust to the controls - I found myself accidentally shooting people I didn't mean to, or punching my horse, which would mor often than not result in my death - but once I had the hang of it, I was hooked.
The story is quite incredible, all of the characters are well fleshed out, to the point that you care about most of them. RDR2 is a prequel story, so you know that the events unfolding are heading towards the first game, but getting there is a thrilling an emotional journey.
The game looks amazing as well, I found myself enjoying the copious amount of horse riding, just to admire the many views and vistas throughout.
The soundtrack is also great - used sparingly until it's needed, resulting in some breathtaking moments.
I can't recommend RDR2 enough, as long as you have the patience to go with it - it's slow burning at times, and it encourages you to fully sit back and take your time exploring this incredibly well crafted world, but the pay off is nothing short of spectacular.