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Louise (64 KP) rated The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl in Books
Jul 2, 2018
**I received a copy of this book from the publishers and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
The Incredible adventures of Cinnamon girl takes place in a small town in Australia, nothing ever happens in Eden Valley until one day a YouTube video goes viral. Ned Zebidiah has predicted an apocalypse and the only safe haven is the one and only Eden Valley.
17-year-old Alba loves her little town in Australia where nothing much happens, however she is at a stage in her life when she needs to make decisions, life changing ones. Alba wishes everything could remain the way it is, her friends and family all in one place as she likes it. Her friends on the other hand have different ideas, the majority of them cannot wait to say goodbye to Eden Valley and see more of the world. With an impending apocalypse, the return of an old friend and decisions to be made, can Alba keep it together?
I really like Alba's character, she is artistic, witty and loveable. She is at the stage of her life when she has just finished school and she has to make decisions about what to do with her life, should she go to college? work? travel? Alba also has curves and a healthy figure which is portrayed in this story really well, there is no self-consciousness with the way she looks, she is confident and it's so refreshing to see this in a YA book especially as the younger audience are so impressionable. Alba also loves to draw and Cinnamon girl is her creation, drawing frame after frame trying to get her image right or the background just so. I have recently started being interested in comics and I loved the idea of someone creating them and the illustrators thought processes. Alba was a great strong protagonist and very relatable.
Grady is Alba's best friend in the whole wide world they have grown up and done everything together. Grady has his flaws like most of the characters in this book but he is such a nice boy, knowing what he wants to do with his life and being there for Alba giving her encouragement with her drawings of Cinnamon girl.
One character I didn't like was Daniel, he just appeared to be egotistical, very self-conscious and a bit of a sleaze. With masses of people flocking to the safe have of Eden Valley, Daniel returns years after moving away and has become a bit of star in TV and is stirring a lot of emotions within Alba and Grady.
This book is so cute, it has a slow burn romance with no love triangle, the writing style is amazing and loved that it was set in Australia. I really like that the book incorporated comics and a few famous comics/names were mentioned such as Fiona Staples and Persepolis. This was my first Melissa Keil novel and have been recommended life in outer space
I recommend this book to anyone who reads YA with a slow burn romance, art/comic content.
Overall I rated this 4 out f 5 stars.
The Incredible adventures of Cinnamon girl takes place in a small town in Australia, nothing ever happens in Eden Valley until one day a YouTube video goes viral. Ned Zebidiah has predicted an apocalypse and the only safe haven is the one and only Eden Valley.
17-year-old Alba loves her little town in Australia where nothing much happens, however she is at a stage in her life when she needs to make decisions, life changing ones. Alba wishes everything could remain the way it is, her friends and family all in one place as she likes it. Her friends on the other hand have different ideas, the majority of them cannot wait to say goodbye to Eden Valley and see more of the world. With an impending apocalypse, the return of an old friend and decisions to be made, can Alba keep it together?
I really like Alba's character, she is artistic, witty and loveable. She is at the stage of her life when she has just finished school and she has to make decisions about what to do with her life, should she go to college? work? travel? Alba also has curves and a healthy figure which is portrayed in this story really well, there is no self-consciousness with the way she looks, she is confident and it's so refreshing to see this in a YA book especially as the younger audience are so impressionable. Alba also loves to draw and Cinnamon girl is her creation, drawing frame after frame trying to get her image right or the background just so. I have recently started being interested in comics and I loved the idea of someone creating them and the illustrators thought processes. Alba was a great strong protagonist and very relatable.
Grady is Alba's best friend in the whole wide world they have grown up and done everything together. Grady has his flaws like most of the characters in this book but he is such a nice boy, knowing what he wants to do with his life and being there for Alba giving her encouragement with her drawings of Cinnamon girl.
One character I didn't like was Daniel, he just appeared to be egotistical, very self-conscious and a bit of a sleaze. With masses of people flocking to the safe have of Eden Valley, Daniel returns years after moving away and has become a bit of star in TV and is stirring a lot of emotions within Alba and Grady.
This book is so cute, it has a slow burn romance with no love triangle, the writing style is amazing and loved that it was set in Australia. I really like that the book incorporated comics and a few famous comics/names were mentioned such as Fiona Staples and Persepolis. This was my first Melissa Keil novel and have been recommended life in outer space
I recommend this book to anyone who reads YA with a slow burn romance, art/comic content.
Overall I rated this 4 out f 5 stars.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Coco (2017) in Movies
Jan 17, 2018
Outstanding animation (1 more)
Attention to detail
Beautiful, Pixar on top form
Coco is one of those movies where I feel the trailer doesn't really do it justice. Even now, having actually seen it, I still feel the trailer makes it look like another average animated movie. But similar to previous Pixar offering 'Inside Out', this goes so much deeper than that. And it turns out to be just as brilliant too.
For the first half hour or so though, the movie didn't really grab my attention. The animation and the attention to detail is certainly superb as we're introduced to young boy Miguel, his large family and the vibrantly colourful Mexican town where they live. During the annual day of the dead celebrations, Miguel finds himself trapped in the land of the dead, another vibrant and beautifully detailed world. Rules are introduced as to how this land works and how the dead are able to visit their living loved ones. But it still left me fidgeting in my seat a little.
But then there's a twist, and a real race against time adventure kicks off. And I also started to get the impression that things were heading towards a pretty emotional ending too. From then on I was loving it. This turned out to be a brilliantly beautiful movie about life and death and the importance of family.
And sure enough, come the end of the movie I'd managed to get some dust in my eyes or something...
For the first half hour or so though, the movie didn't really grab my attention. The animation and the attention to detail is certainly superb as we're introduced to young boy Miguel, his large family and the vibrantly colourful Mexican town where they live. During the annual day of the dead celebrations, Miguel finds himself trapped in the land of the dead, another vibrant and beautifully detailed world. Rules are introduced as to how this land works and how the dead are able to visit their living loved ones. But it still left me fidgeting in my seat a little.
But then there's a twist, and a real race against time adventure kicks off. And I also started to get the impression that things were heading towards a pretty emotional ending too. From then on I was loving it. This turned out to be a brilliantly beautiful movie about life and death and the importance of family.
And sure enough, come the end of the movie I'd managed to get some dust in my eyes or something...
ashezbookz (32 KP) rated Keeper in Books
Jul 5, 2018
This book is what I like to call a "slow burn". It started off at a steady pace and continued at a steady pace until the end where it exploded into an awesome end.
The book starts off introducing the Lainey and her "sidekick" which is referred to often in the book, and who I personally adore - I don't know what it is with me and the side characters in books but damn she's just so awesome I can't help myself.
The book progresses into learning about the Lainey's past and her role as being the Keeper of the Grimoire - reminded me truly of Charmed and their protection of the Book of Shadows and that's one of my favourite shows of all time - and then we learn about all the twists and turns of Lainey's past (spoilers upon spoilers so no mention here) but some twists, some turns, some predictable spots but overall exciting.
The one liners in this book are epic - by one liners I mean solid laugh out loud lines that I just had to re-read multiple times for more chuckles before I moved on because they were that entertaining. I did not think this book would have that much humor in it and I absolutely adored that! SUPER AWESOME.
I definitely recommend this book - I don't read much about witches, etc. this had a plethora of supernatural beings in it which is exciting and I definitely think it's set up for another book - at least I hope so, I'd read more of this world.
The book starts off introducing the Lainey and her "sidekick" which is referred to often in the book, and who I personally adore - I don't know what it is with me and the side characters in books but damn she's just so awesome I can't help myself.
The book progresses into learning about the Lainey's past and her role as being the Keeper of the Grimoire - reminded me truly of Charmed and their protection of the Book of Shadows and that's one of my favourite shows of all time - and then we learn about all the twists and turns of Lainey's past (spoilers upon spoilers so no mention here) but some twists, some turns, some predictable spots but overall exciting.
The one liners in this book are epic - by one liners I mean solid laugh out loud lines that I just had to re-read multiple times for more chuckles before I moved on because they were that entertaining. I did not think this book would have that much humor in it and I absolutely adored that! SUPER AWESOME.
I definitely recommend this book - I don't read much about witches, etc. this had a plethora of supernatural beings in it which is exciting and I definitely think it's set up for another book - at least I hope so, I'd read more of this world.
JT (287 KP) rated The Drop (2014) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
A brooding English debut feature from Michaël R. Roskam who cooks up a simmering pot of dramatic intrigue.
Tom Hardy plays Bob Saginowski a quiet unimposing figure who helps to tend the bar of his cousin Marv (James Gandolfini‘s last film before he sadly passed away). The bar is the main dropping off point for all money collected from mob owned businesses. The location of the bar changes each night.
When the bar is held up the money stolen belongs to the Chechen mob who want it back putting Bob and Marv in a tight spot. The setting is the streets of Brooklyn where age old mafioso have been replaced by a more brutal foe. In this instance in the form of the Chechen mob.
One night Bob finds a puppy in a bin and upon rescuing it meets Nadia (Noomi Rapace) who has a hidden past of her own, one that Bob refuses to question. The puppy will certainly tug at your heart strings but it’s Hardy’s spot on Brooklyn accent and good natured personality that wins through. Even when he’s harassed by Matthias Schoenaerts’s Eric Deeds he remains calm.
Deep down however we known that something inside him is going to snap, it’s just trying to predict the moment when it will happen. This makes for an engaging thriller with a twist ending that is more than satisfying.
The Drop is a slow burn that builds from the outset. It’s great to see Gandolfini on screen one last time and such a disappointment that he is no longer with us.
Tom Hardy plays Bob Saginowski a quiet unimposing figure who helps to tend the bar of his cousin Marv (James Gandolfini‘s last film before he sadly passed away). The bar is the main dropping off point for all money collected from mob owned businesses. The location of the bar changes each night.
When the bar is held up the money stolen belongs to the Chechen mob who want it back putting Bob and Marv in a tight spot. The setting is the streets of Brooklyn where age old mafioso have been replaced by a more brutal foe. In this instance in the form of the Chechen mob.
One night Bob finds a puppy in a bin and upon rescuing it meets Nadia (Noomi Rapace) who has a hidden past of her own, one that Bob refuses to question. The puppy will certainly tug at your heart strings but it’s Hardy’s spot on Brooklyn accent and good natured personality that wins through. Even when he’s harassed by Matthias Schoenaerts’s Eric Deeds he remains calm.
Deep down however we known that something inside him is going to snap, it’s just trying to predict the moment when it will happen. This makes for an engaging thriller with a twist ending that is more than satisfying.
The Drop is a slow burn that builds from the outset. It’s great to see Gandolfini on screen one last time and such a disappointment that he is no longer with us.
Bearskin: A Novel
Book
“Bearskin is visceral, raw, and compelling—filled with sights, smells, and sounds truly...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Lie (2020) in Movies
Nov 18, 2020
To sum up The Lie in one word - frustrating.
This recent thriller from Blumhouse, based on 2015 German film Wir Monster, has a lot of good ingredients, and some decent performances but there's just so much that bogs it down.
First off, the lead cast here are great. Peter Sarsgaard and Mireille Enos in particular are heart wrenchingly believable as two parents desperately trying to protect their teen daughter (Joey King) who has confessed to impulsively murdering one of her friends. It's a slow burn of a plot, and Sarsgaard and Enos do a hell of a lot to make it watchable.
Joey King's character is stupidly unlikable however. I got the feeling that we as the audience were supposed to be on her side, hoping that she wouldn't get caught - like the filmmakers we're going for a Psycho vibe or something, but her character is so obnoxious and spoilt, that all I wanted was for her to go to prison. It's a big hiccup considering the narrative centres around her so severely.
Then there's the twist - no spoilers here, but fuck me, it's stupid. All good thrillers need a good twist to round things off, but the one we're subjected to here requires a huge suspension of disbelief on the viewers part. It asks too much, and ruins what is otherwise a fairly tense and minimalist thriller.
The snowy setting adds some beauty to the films aesthetic, but it's not enough to detract from everything that makes The Lie more unenjoyable than it should be.
This recent thriller from Blumhouse, based on 2015 German film Wir Monster, has a lot of good ingredients, and some decent performances but there's just so much that bogs it down.
First off, the lead cast here are great. Peter Sarsgaard and Mireille Enos in particular are heart wrenchingly believable as two parents desperately trying to protect their teen daughter (Joey King) who has confessed to impulsively murdering one of her friends. It's a slow burn of a plot, and Sarsgaard and Enos do a hell of a lot to make it watchable.
Joey King's character is stupidly unlikable however. I got the feeling that we as the audience were supposed to be on her side, hoping that she wouldn't get caught - like the filmmakers we're going for a Psycho vibe or something, but her character is so obnoxious and spoilt, that all I wanted was for her to go to prison. It's a big hiccup considering the narrative centres around her so severely.
Then there's the twist - no spoilers here, but fuck me, it's stupid. All good thrillers need a good twist to round things off, but the one we're subjected to here requires a huge suspension of disbelief on the viewers part. It asks too much, and ruins what is otherwise a fairly tense and minimalist thriller.
The snowy setting adds some beauty to the films aesthetic, but it's not enough to detract from everything that makes The Lie more unenjoyable than it should be.
Warrior Hearts Academy: Dragon Rule
9.0
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I am now in the hands of both a genius wizard—and a vicious madman. Sometimes it is hard to...
Dark Fantasy Romance Dragons Shifters Why Choose
Debbiereadsbook (1818 KP) rated Cinder and His Dragon (Colorado Dragons #2) in Books
Apr 1, 2026
exceptionl second book!
I was gifted my copy of this book.
THis is book 2 in the Colorado Dragons series and it can be read as a stand alone. I personally recommend you DO read book one, Phoenix and his Dragon, if only because I said so!
Something happened at work, and nurse Cinder was blamed. He lands the job of medic for the Dragons. Taranis is their goalie, fast approaching retirement age. Cinder settles something in Taranis, his dragon calms when Cinder touches him. The cold goes away. But Cinder's enemies haven't and they are closing in.
What I loved most about this, was that Cinder crept under Taranis' skin and he didn't even see him coming. He just touched him, like a medic should, and his dragon settled, the cold went away and Taranis could breathe. Cinder is struggling as well, and Taranis makes him feel safe in a way he hadn't in a long time.
It takes time for Cinder to let Taranis in, so it's a slow burn, which is a bit contrary given Taranis is an ice dragon, but you know what I mean!
There is, I'm getting, a plot line that will run through other books. Things happen here that make me think it will be a while before we get to the bottom of whoever seems to want to seperate the dragons and their mates, and more importantly, why! But it means I gotta read other books and I have absolutely no issue with that !!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
THis is book 2 in the Colorado Dragons series and it can be read as a stand alone. I personally recommend you DO read book one, Phoenix and his Dragon, if only because I said so!
Something happened at work, and nurse Cinder was blamed. He lands the job of medic for the Dragons. Taranis is their goalie, fast approaching retirement age. Cinder settles something in Taranis, his dragon calms when Cinder touches him. The cold goes away. But Cinder's enemies haven't and they are closing in.
What I loved most about this, was that Cinder crept under Taranis' skin and he didn't even see him coming. He just touched him, like a medic should, and his dragon settled, the cold went away and Taranis could breathe. Cinder is struggling as well, and Taranis makes him feel safe in a way he hadn't in a long time.
It takes time for Cinder to let Taranis in, so it's a slow burn, which is a bit contrary given Taranis is an ice dragon, but you know what I mean!
There is, I'm getting, a plot line that will run through other books. Things happen here that make me think it will be a while before we get to the bottom of whoever seems to want to seperate the dragons and their mates, and more importantly, why! But it means I gotta read other books and I have absolutely no issue with that !!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
The Hunter (Tales of Pern Coen: Bloodlines #1)
10.0
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Forced to flee her uncle's palace in the dead of night in order to save her own life, Duchess...
Epic Fantasy Fantasy Romance