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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Doll House in Books
May 15, 2018
Slowly but surely, I’m getting caught up on my NetGalley reviews. (I’m waaaay behind.) This time around, I finished reading The Doll House by Phoebe Morgan. It’s a slow simmer with a bit of predictability and a lot of unnecessary information, but in the end, Morgan manages to redeem the book through fast-paced, constant action.
The plot is a bit all over the place for the majority of the book, but, like The Roanoke Girls, this seems to be a technique used to drive the story forward. That said, the chapters end with a bit of suspense before the jump to another character. (Also, it should be mentioned that I HATE how Morgan switches between first and third person.) Unfortunately, the first 80% of the book feel like a drag. There’s little to no action, with the most exciting parts being an apparent flashback to the antagonist’s past. The last little bit of the book picks up drastically, which was a nice relief from what came before.
I said earlier that it’s a slow burn, and The Doll House really is. Morgan leaves enough clues throughout the book that a reader can pick up on something awful culminating at the end, but its done in a manner that is simply alright. For instance, the conflict between Ashley and her husband is unnecessary. The title, The Doll House, is a bit of a misnomer because aside from a few parts of the house showing up and a few references to it, the dollhouse is very rarely mentioned. (Also, let’s take a moment here to point out that the dollhouse on the cover of the book is white and it’s made extremely clear that the actual dollhouse is pink. That would have been a simple photoshop fix.)
Now, the characters in The Doll House are really something else. Personally, my favorite is Ashley, the self-conscious, overweight mom of three whom I feel is quite realistically depicted. Corinne is more skittish than my Dad’s dog, which is pretty impressive. Which… it amazes me that she keeps her job with how much she calls out in the book alone. The male characters are alright, albeit apparently quite handsome. Andy is a pig, but you’d have to read the book to see why.
Overall, I didn’t hate or love this book to death. It’s a pretty solid three out of five, which is better than some of the other stuff I’ve read lately. I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.
The plot is a bit all over the place for the majority of the book, but, like The Roanoke Girls, this seems to be a technique used to drive the story forward. That said, the chapters end with a bit of suspense before the jump to another character. (Also, it should be mentioned that I HATE how Morgan switches between first and third person.) Unfortunately, the first 80% of the book feel like a drag. There’s little to no action, with the most exciting parts being an apparent flashback to the antagonist’s past. The last little bit of the book picks up drastically, which was a nice relief from what came before.
I said earlier that it’s a slow burn, and The Doll House really is. Morgan leaves enough clues throughout the book that a reader can pick up on something awful culminating at the end, but its done in a manner that is simply alright. For instance, the conflict between Ashley and her husband is unnecessary. The title, The Doll House, is a bit of a misnomer because aside from a few parts of the house showing up and a few references to it, the dollhouse is very rarely mentioned. (Also, let’s take a moment here to point out that the dollhouse on the cover of the book is white and it’s made extremely clear that the actual dollhouse is pink. That would have been a simple photoshop fix.)
Now, the characters in The Doll House are really something else. Personally, my favorite is Ashley, the self-conscious, overweight mom of three whom I feel is quite realistically depicted. Corinne is more skittish than my Dad’s dog, which is pretty impressive. Which… it amazes me that she keeps her job with how much she calls out in the book alone. The male characters are alright, albeit apparently quite handsome. Andy is a pig, but you’d have to read the book to see why.
Overall, I didn’t hate or love this book to death. It’s a pretty solid three out of five, which is better than some of the other stuff I’ve read lately. I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Purge: Season 1 in TV
Nov 14, 2018 (Updated Nov 15, 2018)
Slow start but overall very enjoyable
I've only seen two out of the four movies in the Purge series, so I haven't quite yet reached the levels of Purge fatigue that others may be experiencing. I recently saw The First Purge and while it was enjoyable enough, overall it was pretty average and instantly forgettable. So, if I'm honest I wasn't immediately sold on seeing it in a TV show format. I don't know what made me decide to give it a watch though. I guess I always imagined that the TV version of The Purge would work really well as a kind of real time show. A bit like 24, with each episode following an hour or so of Purge night. And if they could do that then that's something that I would find very interesting. Funnily enough, that idea isn't too far away from what we actually ended up getting. And we even get our own Jack Bauer wannabee in the form of a US marine on the hunt for his younger sister!
Things kick off very shortly before commencement of Purge night. We're introduced to a number of different characters, all seemingly unrelated to each other, and we then follow their experiences throughout the night. Each story-line is very different to the next, and some are way more interesting and intense than others. What hinders the flow of each episode though is the large number of flashbacks that we get. We're taken back in time to find out why a particular character is in a certain place and what their motivation is for whatever they're doing. While this kind of thing is certainly necessary in order to provide some kind of decent character building, and works well for the majority of TV shows, I felt it had a negative impact on this one. It completely takes you out of Purge night, out of the building momentum of danger. It felt bloated, too much of a slow burn. The whole thing certainly takes a while to find its feet, and you'd be forgiven for bailing on it after just a few episodes.
I'm glad I stuck with it though. The number of flashbacks started reducing considerably and some of the less interesting stories suddenly became very interesting. Better still, during the last couple of episodes a lot of those story-lines started converging, building to a very enjoyable last few episodes. With season 2 confirmed, I'm definitely up for more of this.
Things kick off very shortly before commencement of Purge night. We're introduced to a number of different characters, all seemingly unrelated to each other, and we then follow their experiences throughout the night. Each story-line is very different to the next, and some are way more interesting and intense than others. What hinders the flow of each episode though is the large number of flashbacks that we get. We're taken back in time to find out why a particular character is in a certain place and what their motivation is for whatever they're doing. While this kind of thing is certainly necessary in order to provide some kind of decent character building, and works well for the majority of TV shows, I felt it had a negative impact on this one. It completely takes you out of Purge night, out of the building momentum of danger. It felt bloated, too much of a slow burn. The whole thing certainly takes a while to find its feet, and you'd be forgiven for bailing on it after just a few episodes.
I'm glad I stuck with it though. The number of flashbacks started reducing considerably and some of the less interesting stories suddenly became very interesting. Better still, during the last couple of episodes a lot of those story-lines started converging, building to a very enjoyable last few episodes. With season 2 confirmed, I'm definitely up for more of this.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Safe Place in Books
May 30, 2020
I'm a sucker for psychological thrillers, so when the opportunity arose to read The Safe Place by Anna Downes, I jumped at the chance! Luckily, I ended up loving this book!
Emily Proudman just can't catch a break. After losing her job as well as her acting agent, things are looking grim. After being late on the rent again, she's also facing eviction from her apartment. However, things start looking up when she runs into Scott Denny. Scott, a successful CEO of the company she's just been fired from, feels like Emily would be perfect working for his wife, Nina, and living on their very remote property in France. Things seem perfect, but they are a little too perfect. When Emily finds out the truth behind Nina's and Scott's ideal life, she puts herself in grave danger and finds out how far some people will go to protect their secrets.
While the idea behind The Safe Place has been done before, Downes does a fantastic job of making it feel like it was her idea and hers alone. To me, The Safe Place felt like it was a slow burn as the action didn't really take place until towards the end. I would say the first 85 percent of the book or so is just the backstory and build up to all the action which happens in the last few chapters. The pacing is a little slow throughout most of the book, but it isn't so slow that I became bored - quite the contrary. While the pacing is fairly slow, I did enjoy what I read thanks to Downes' brilliant way with words. There are a few plot twists although I found them fairly easy to figure out, but I think that's only because I've read so many psychological thrillers before. Some of my guesses were wrong though, I admit. Even though there's an epilogue, I would have liked to have known more about what happened with Denny family. I just need a little more closure when it came to that.
Downes did a fantastic job with all of her characters. It was easy to imagine every single character in The Safe Place as a real person. The main characters all had plenty of backstory (or just enough to keep them mysterious), and the minor characters were all described very well. I liked how Emily seemed to want to please those around her. While she didn't feel like a pushover, it was nice to see her wanting to fit in with her new employer as well as Yves, the sometimes handyman. Nina was definitely an interesting character. I didn't know what to make of her before Emily met her in the book, but once Emily met Nina, and I read more about her, I ended up liking her. (I kept trying to figure out why Scott didn't want to be around her though.) Aurelia, the Denny's daughter, was my favorite character. She seemed like such a sweet little girl who had been through so much. I found myself wishing I could meet Aurelia and give her a hug (only if she'd let me since she took a long time to warm up to people).
Trigger warnings for The Safe Place include profanity, mental illness, alcohol use, prescription pill abuse, self harm, violence, and attempted murder.
Overall, The Safe Place is a highly intriguing book that makes each and every word on the page come alive. With a great set of characters, beautiful descriptions of the scenery, and a highly intriguing plot, this is one book that's sure to become a best seller. I would definitely recommend The Safe Place by Anna Downes to those aged 20+ who enjoy psychological thrillers and/or want to be instantly transported into a fantastic book!
--
(A special thank you to Minotaur Books for sending me a paperback ARC of The Safe Place by Anna Downes. A review was not required but appreciated. This was my honest and unbiased review.)
Emily Proudman just can't catch a break. After losing her job as well as her acting agent, things are looking grim. After being late on the rent again, she's also facing eviction from her apartment. However, things start looking up when she runs into Scott Denny. Scott, a successful CEO of the company she's just been fired from, feels like Emily would be perfect working for his wife, Nina, and living on their very remote property in France. Things seem perfect, but they are a little too perfect. When Emily finds out the truth behind Nina's and Scott's ideal life, she puts herself in grave danger and finds out how far some people will go to protect their secrets.
While the idea behind The Safe Place has been done before, Downes does a fantastic job of making it feel like it was her idea and hers alone. To me, The Safe Place felt like it was a slow burn as the action didn't really take place until towards the end. I would say the first 85 percent of the book or so is just the backstory and build up to all the action which happens in the last few chapters. The pacing is a little slow throughout most of the book, but it isn't so slow that I became bored - quite the contrary. While the pacing is fairly slow, I did enjoy what I read thanks to Downes' brilliant way with words. There are a few plot twists although I found them fairly easy to figure out, but I think that's only because I've read so many psychological thrillers before. Some of my guesses were wrong though, I admit. Even though there's an epilogue, I would have liked to have known more about what happened with Denny family. I just need a little more closure when it came to that.
Downes did a fantastic job with all of her characters. It was easy to imagine every single character in The Safe Place as a real person. The main characters all had plenty of backstory (or just enough to keep them mysterious), and the minor characters were all described very well. I liked how Emily seemed to want to please those around her. While she didn't feel like a pushover, it was nice to see her wanting to fit in with her new employer as well as Yves, the sometimes handyman. Nina was definitely an interesting character. I didn't know what to make of her before Emily met her in the book, but once Emily met Nina, and I read more about her, I ended up liking her. (I kept trying to figure out why Scott didn't want to be around her though.) Aurelia, the Denny's daughter, was my favorite character. She seemed like such a sweet little girl who had been through so much. I found myself wishing I could meet Aurelia and give her a hug (only if she'd let me since she took a long time to warm up to people).
Trigger warnings for The Safe Place include profanity, mental illness, alcohol use, prescription pill abuse, self harm, violence, and attempted murder.
Overall, The Safe Place is a highly intriguing book that makes each and every word on the page come alive. With a great set of characters, beautiful descriptions of the scenery, and a highly intriguing plot, this is one book that's sure to become a best seller. I would definitely recommend The Safe Place by Anna Downes to those aged 20+ who enjoy psychological thrillers and/or want to be instantly transported into a fantastic book!
--
(A special thank you to Minotaur Books for sending me a paperback ARC of The Safe Place by Anna Downes. A review was not required but appreciated. This was my honest and unbiased review.)
Lee (2222 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
Oct 6, 2019 (Updated Oct 6, 2019)
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a down on his luck loner, currently taking seven different kinds of medication and living with his frail old mother (Frances Conroe). Arthur fantasises about living a ‘normal’ life, with hopes of becoming a stand up comedian and dating his next door neighbour, and the lines between reality and fantasy begin to become just as blurred for us during the movie as they do within Arthur’s mind.
We’re in Gotham City during the early eighties. A garbage strike means that the city is currently suffering from a build up of garbage on the streets and the subsequent arrival of ‘super rats’. The rich are getting richer, the poor and the underprivileged even more so. And, at the forefront of all the wealth and power in the city is Thomas Wayne, who is currently looking to run for mayor. There is growing divide and unrest throughout Gotham, all of which serves to add fuel to the increasingly unstable mind of Arthur Fleck.
We’ve had our fair share of Joker portrayals over the decades, the most memorable of which being in 2008, and Heath Ledger’s brilliant take on the character in The Dark Knight. But Joaquin Phoenix brings a side to the Joker we’ve not experienced before - all skin and bone, abused, downtrodden, ridiculed and with a neurological condition that sees him suddenly laughing maniacally and uncontrollably, even during times of stress or sadness. Throughout the movie, we learn that Arthur also had a pretty unpleasant childhood and, for a while, you really can sympathise with him and the suffering he experiences. “I just don’t want to feel so bad any more” he says at one point.
Joker features no CGI, no costumed antics (other than the clowned kind), or any of the traditional comic book movie themes that we’re now so used to seeing. Instead, Joker treats us to something of a slow-burn character study, one mans slow descent into madness, and the birth of one of the most iconic villains of all time. Joaquin Phoenix is incredible in the role, supported by an outstanding cast, including Robert De Niro as a late night talk show host idolised by Arthur and Zazie Beets as the neighbour Arthur becomes obsessed with.
Joker isn’t exactly enjoyable in the traditional sense, uncomfortable at times and a brutally honest depiction of extreme mental health issues. But it’s beautifully shot, subtly weaving itself into the familiar DC universe while remaining unique and original. I was gripped from start to finish and I just hope that the upcoming Robert Pattison incarnation of The Batman fits into the universe and style that has been introduced here within Joker.
We’re in Gotham City during the early eighties. A garbage strike means that the city is currently suffering from a build up of garbage on the streets and the subsequent arrival of ‘super rats’. The rich are getting richer, the poor and the underprivileged even more so. And, at the forefront of all the wealth and power in the city is Thomas Wayne, who is currently looking to run for mayor. There is growing divide and unrest throughout Gotham, all of which serves to add fuel to the increasingly unstable mind of Arthur Fleck.
We’ve had our fair share of Joker portrayals over the decades, the most memorable of which being in 2008, and Heath Ledger’s brilliant take on the character in The Dark Knight. But Joaquin Phoenix brings a side to the Joker we’ve not experienced before - all skin and bone, abused, downtrodden, ridiculed and with a neurological condition that sees him suddenly laughing maniacally and uncontrollably, even during times of stress or sadness. Throughout the movie, we learn that Arthur also had a pretty unpleasant childhood and, for a while, you really can sympathise with him and the suffering he experiences. “I just don’t want to feel so bad any more” he says at one point.
Joker features no CGI, no costumed antics (other than the clowned kind), or any of the traditional comic book movie themes that we’re now so used to seeing. Instead, Joker treats us to something of a slow-burn character study, one mans slow descent into madness, and the birth of one of the most iconic villains of all time. Joaquin Phoenix is incredible in the role, supported by an outstanding cast, including Robert De Niro as a late night talk show host idolised by Arthur and Zazie Beets as the neighbour Arthur becomes obsessed with.
Joker isn’t exactly enjoyable in the traditional sense, uncomfortable at times and a brutally honest depiction of extreme mental health issues. But it’s beautifully shot, subtly weaving itself into the familiar DC universe while remaining unique and original. I was gripped from start to finish and I just hope that the upcoming Robert Pattison incarnation of The Batman fits into the universe and style that has been introduced here within Joker.
Michael Packner (32 KP) rated Pyewacket (2017) in Movies
Jun 16, 2019
Pacing (6 more)
Dark tone
Dark and sadistic ending
Fantastic acting from every character
Well thought out story
Moral lesson: Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.
Moral lesson 2: Be careful what you do in anger. You might never be able to take it back.
Somewhat of a rushed ending (1 more)
Some minor loose ends that could've been tied up better.
Pyewacket is definitely a hidden gem. I love indie horror films because they have so much more freedom to be what the filmmaker wants, rather than something with great potential but watered down to appeal to a wider audience. Pyewacket plays to it's audience and it makes the film that much better. I typically do not like supernatural horror because it's just so ridiculous. I know, it's a movie and I should learn to be more forgiving. I'm a slasher fanatic and not too many of them are high on realism. I guess it's just a preference I've developed. Anyway, I do enjoy the occasional supernatural get down, especially if it's dark and done well, ex: Sinister. Pyewacket is both dark and done well. I'm also a sucker for a good slow burn that's not afraid to set itself up and properly build tension. Again, Pyewacket succeeds here. The film is extremely dark and gives us one hell of a dark and twisted gut punch ending. It even teases the ending, convinces you it's going there, pulls back enough to fake you out, then dives right back in and gives it to you with an extra punch. Magnificent! The only real gripe I have is that while the ending is fantastic, it also feels a bit rushed. They could've tacked on an extra 20 minutes and really went for it, but I surmise budget was to blame. I also wish we could've seen more from her friend who went nutty, but that's a smaller issue and definitely forgivable. Definitely worth the rent.
Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated Bishop Ridge (Sawyer's Ferry #2) in Books
Nov 30, 2018
a far more engaging read than book one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book two in the Sawyer's Ferry series. It's not really necessary to read book one, Alaska, first but I would personally say you should. Gage and Holden play a huge part here. And their story is really rather good too!
Jackson walks into Logan's clinic and sparks fly. I mean, even Logan was thinking about going against his doctor/patient rules. But Logan passes Jackson's case to Holden and all bets are off. But both men have a no-repeat rule. So just why are they going for round two, three and more?
Logan is Gage's partner at the hospital and best friend. We met him in Alaska. I'm glad he got his story!
It is again told from both men's point of view in the first person. Not my favourite, but Ms Ashwood seems to somehow negate that fact and I really am enjoying this series.
I loved the fact that this . . . Non-relationship kinda creeps up on both the guys. Its very much a slow burn in regards to the emotions involved for them both. Steam and passion? Immediate and powerful but the emotions creep up on them and it takes a while for them to see. Loved that they both fought it, hard.
Loved how Logan made Jackson admit to his feelings but not what got them to that point! Scary, I was worried!
We never did get to the story about how Jackson has a gunshot wound from 6 years ago, but it's only when typing this up that I realised that!
I gave Alaska 4 stars, but I found myself far more engaged with Logan and Jackson, than I was with Gage and Holden, so. . .
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book two in the Sawyer's Ferry series. It's not really necessary to read book one, Alaska, first but I would personally say you should. Gage and Holden play a huge part here. And their story is really rather good too!
Jackson walks into Logan's clinic and sparks fly. I mean, even Logan was thinking about going against his doctor/patient rules. But Logan passes Jackson's case to Holden and all bets are off. But both men have a no-repeat rule. So just why are they going for round two, three and more?
Logan is Gage's partner at the hospital and best friend. We met him in Alaska. I'm glad he got his story!
It is again told from both men's point of view in the first person. Not my favourite, but Ms Ashwood seems to somehow negate that fact and I really am enjoying this series.
I loved the fact that this . . . Non-relationship kinda creeps up on both the guys. Its very much a slow burn in regards to the emotions involved for them both. Steam and passion? Immediate and powerful but the emotions creep up on them and it takes a while for them to see. Loved that they both fought it, hard.
Loved how Logan made Jackson admit to his feelings but not what got them to that point! Scary, I was worried!
We never did get to the story about how Jackson has a gunshot wound from 6 years ago, but it's only when typing this up that I realised that!
I gave Alaska 4 stars, but I found myself far more engaged with Logan and Jackson, than I was with Gage and Holden, so. . .
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Best Thing in Books
Jan 9, 2020
This review and more can be found at my blog https://aromancereadersreviews.blogspot.com
This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited Library.
I feel like I have to start by singing Mariana Zapata's praises. She is the Queen of slow-burn romances. I do believe that I have read everything she's ever written so far and this is her latest. I'm not the biggest fan of long books but I've found that with this author, I don't care how long they are because I'm so drawn in I just keep reading until I finish.
This one is no different. We meet Elena - Lenny - who runs a gym with her grandfather that helps fighters get ready for their next fights - MMA, boxing, etc - when her ex turns up who she hasn't seen for the last 17 months wanting to see her. I'm not going to go into much detail as that would ruin in but Lenny has an amazing personality and I love her thoughts in regards to him coming back - it includes various imaginative swear words and scenarios.
I love Lenny. As mentioned above she has a great personality and a great outlook on life. Pretty much every sentence she spoke (or thought) had me grinning like an idiot. In my eyes, she's such a great character. I also really liked Jonah. He was this mix of shy and sweet and just plain amazing. There are also some other characters that I loved liked Grandpa Gus. Some of the interaction between him and Lenny was hilarious. Then there was Peter and Mo, too.
I also like how she includes previous characters in her current ones. Lenny is Luna's - the main character of her last book, Luna and the Lie - best friend and appears quite a lot in this one offering her support.
It's really hard to write a fitting review of this book without spoilers, I'll just say that I thought it was pretty awesome.
This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited Library.
I feel like I have to start by singing Mariana Zapata's praises. She is the Queen of slow-burn romances. I do believe that I have read everything she's ever written so far and this is her latest. I'm not the biggest fan of long books but I've found that with this author, I don't care how long they are because I'm so drawn in I just keep reading until I finish.
This one is no different. We meet Elena - Lenny - who runs a gym with her grandfather that helps fighters get ready for their next fights - MMA, boxing, etc - when her ex turns up who she hasn't seen for the last 17 months wanting to see her. I'm not going to go into much detail as that would ruin in but Lenny has an amazing personality and I love her thoughts in regards to him coming back - it includes various imaginative swear words and scenarios.
I love Lenny. As mentioned above she has a great personality and a great outlook on life. Pretty much every sentence she spoke (or thought) had me grinning like an idiot. In my eyes, she's such a great character. I also really liked Jonah. He was this mix of shy and sweet and just plain amazing. There are also some other characters that I loved liked Grandpa Gus. Some of the interaction between him and Lenny was hilarious. Then there was Peter and Mo, too.
I also like how she includes previous characters in her current ones. Lenny is Luna's - the main character of her last book, Luna and the Lie - best friend and appears quite a lot in this one offering her support.
It's really hard to write a fitting review of this book without spoilers, I'll just say that I thought it was pretty awesome.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Greenwich Park in Books
May 8, 2021
This seemed to be the book that everyone was reading a few weeks ago, and just as I was building myself up to preorder it, it popped up on The Pigeonhole - and I’m so glad that it did.
This has some of my favourite ingredients in a thriller:
📚Unlikeable characters
📚I’m not quite sure what’s going on
📚Characters who who don’t know what’s going on either
📚Multiple (3) viewpoints, including one that’s decidedly dodgy
📚A big secret that the reader can see coming - but what is it?!
📚A heart stopping moment of revelation!!
I felt sorry for Helen - she has a high risk pregnancy, is stuck at home on a building site, and makes friends with a woman (Rachel) who won’t leave her alone! Rachel befriends Helen at her antenatal class, when Helen’s brother Rory, and his wife Serena fail to turn up. Rachel is pregnant, yet drinks, smokes, drinks caffeine and eats all the food you’re told not to eat. Helen is very insecure, lacks in self-confidence and can’t tell Rachel that she doesn’t want to see her.
In fact as the story progresses, Helen’s fears and confusion are really well described. I could feel the dreamlike quality of Helen’s consciousness towards the middle and end of the book - she became more confused.
On the other hand, her brother Rory and his wife Serena, who are also expecting their first baby, seem very laid back. Helen reads far more into the friendship with Serena than Serena does. Serena is dismissive and quite cold.
I didn’t see the end coming, and I loved the slow burn leading up to the big reveal. It gave me enough time to properly despise a number of the characters, realise that Helen’s friend KAte was one of the best people in this circle, and that money can’t always buy you what you want.
This is a book that deserved the hype - it’s well worth a read!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to Bloomsbury/ Raven Books
This has some of my favourite ingredients in a thriller:
📚Unlikeable characters
📚I’m not quite sure what’s going on
📚Characters who who don’t know what’s going on either
📚Multiple (3) viewpoints, including one that’s decidedly dodgy
📚A big secret that the reader can see coming - but what is it?!
📚A heart stopping moment of revelation!!
I felt sorry for Helen - she has a high risk pregnancy, is stuck at home on a building site, and makes friends with a woman (Rachel) who won’t leave her alone! Rachel befriends Helen at her antenatal class, when Helen’s brother Rory, and his wife Serena fail to turn up. Rachel is pregnant, yet drinks, smokes, drinks caffeine and eats all the food you’re told not to eat. Helen is very insecure, lacks in self-confidence and can’t tell Rachel that she doesn’t want to see her.
In fact as the story progresses, Helen’s fears and confusion are really well described. I could feel the dreamlike quality of Helen’s consciousness towards the middle and end of the book - she became more confused.
On the other hand, her brother Rory and his wife Serena, who are also expecting their first baby, seem very laid back. Helen reads far more into the friendship with Serena than Serena does. Serena is dismissive and quite cold.
I didn’t see the end coming, and I loved the slow burn leading up to the big reveal. It gave me enough time to properly despise a number of the characters, realise that Helen’s friend KAte was one of the best people in this circle, and that money can’t always buy you what you want.
This is a book that deserved the hype - it’s well worth a read!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to Bloomsbury/ Raven Books
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Disorder (Maryland) (2015) in Movies
Dec 7, 2020
"𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥
𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘯?
𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺
𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵, 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺"
- "Disorder", Joy Division 1979
Sort of like if 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 existed in the same universe as 𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦. Not too much you haven't seen before but a total technical marvel - very few times before has a camera been *this* intrinsically linked to a character's psyche: constantly shifting focus, shifting in and out of reality, overanalyzing every little minutia to the point of near blinding anxiety - if it isn't a threat yet it'll be hyperfocused on until it becomes one, real or not. The sort of moviemaking that makes you second guess everything you just saw right through to its bone-chilling ending. That being said it does strain in the home stretch but not only is this sort of stylish, synthy slow burn thriller inherently fun to me - but it says something interesting when the only time this settles down is during the kind of dangerous situation this character is scrambling to find, only in moments of repose do things become truly jangled - where "the calm before the storm" *is* the storm, and vice-versa. Schoenaerts is incredible in it, the type of towering, volatile performance that makes you break a sweat. Every time this guy moves suddenly it about makes my heart stop and when he finally cracks a genuine smile an hour+ in it's a momentous occasion. At first you may think (not so unjustifiably given Hollywood's history with PTSD) that the title is a reductive swipe at his affliction, but as the movie progresses you realize it signifies his commanding search for some semblance of order in his life. Far from flawless but for the most part precisely what I was hoping for out of it.
𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘯?
𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺
𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵, 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺"
- "Disorder", Joy Division 1979
Sort of like if 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 existed in the same universe as 𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦. Not too much you haven't seen before but a total technical marvel - very few times before has a camera been *this* intrinsically linked to a character's psyche: constantly shifting focus, shifting in and out of reality, overanalyzing every little minutia to the point of near blinding anxiety - if it isn't a threat yet it'll be hyperfocused on until it becomes one, real or not. The sort of moviemaking that makes you second guess everything you just saw right through to its bone-chilling ending. That being said it does strain in the home stretch but not only is this sort of stylish, synthy slow burn thriller inherently fun to me - but it says something interesting when the only time this settles down is during the kind of dangerous situation this character is scrambling to find, only in moments of repose do things become truly jangled - where "the calm before the storm" *is* the storm, and vice-versa. Schoenaerts is incredible in it, the type of towering, volatile performance that makes you break a sweat. Every time this guy moves suddenly it about makes my heart stop and when he finally cracks a genuine smile an hour+ in it's a momentous occasion. At first you may think (not so unjustifiably given Hollywood's history with PTSD) that the title is a reductive swipe at his affliction, but as the movie progresses you realize it signifies his commanding search for some semblance of order in his life. Far from flawless but for the most part precisely what I was hoping for out of it.
Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated The Captain and the Theatrical in Books
Sep 3, 2019
very enjoyable read
I was gifted my copy of this book, that I write a review was not required.
Ambrose Pendleton is a hero and returns home from war to his father’s meddling into his love life. Or lack thereof. Pen now faces an arranged marriage his father has brokered as part of a business deal. To get out of this marriage, Pen needs a fiancée, and who better than his long-time friend and actor, Orsini, who has a leading lady who might just fit the bill. But Pen has long held feelings for Orsini, feelings a man should not have for another. Then Orsini surprises him and throws his own feelings at Pen. Now they just need to get rid of the dreadful arranged marriage and they can be together.
For the most part, I did enjoy this. It was a little bit different and different is always good in my book, but something didn’t quite work for me, and I cannot figure out what. And I hate that I can’t!
Pen and Orsini are old friends, and Pen has crushed on Orsini for a long time. He did not know that feeling was the same for Orsini, though. With Orsini pretending to be Pen’s new bride, the pair get close, far closer than they should. I loved how it really was a bit of a slow burn for these two. It’s not overly explicit, but it doesn’t need to be for these two.
Both Pen and Orsini have a say, and I didn’t think that was going to be the case for a while, so I am glad they both were given a voice.
There was a little twist, with the missing jewels, that I did not see coming, and I thought Pen’s mother might have given the game away a time or two. I think she had them sussed, I really do!
An enjoyable way to spend and lazy Sunday evening.
3.5 stars (rounded up to four the Amazon and Goodreads)
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Ambrose Pendleton is a hero and returns home from war to his father’s meddling into his love life. Or lack thereof. Pen now faces an arranged marriage his father has brokered as part of a business deal. To get out of this marriage, Pen needs a fiancée, and who better than his long-time friend and actor, Orsini, who has a leading lady who might just fit the bill. But Pen has long held feelings for Orsini, feelings a man should not have for another. Then Orsini surprises him and throws his own feelings at Pen. Now they just need to get rid of the dreadful arranged marriage and they can be together.
For the most part, I did enjoy this. It was a little bit different and different is always good in my book, but something didn’t quite work for me, and I cannot figure out what. And I hate that I can’t!
Pen and Orsini are old friends, and Pen has crushed on Orsini for a long time. He did not know that feeling was the same for Orsini, though. With Orsini pretending to be Pen’s new bride, the pair get close, far closer than they should. I loved how it really was a bit of a slow burn for these two. It’s not overly explicit, but it doesn’t need to be for these two.
Both Pen and Orsini have a say, and I didn’t think that was going to be the case for a while, so I am glad they both were given a voice.
There was a little twist, with the missing jewels, that I did not see coming, and I thought Pen’s mother might have given the game away a time or two. I think she had them sussed, I really do!
An enjoyable way to spend and lazy Sunday evening.
3.5 stars (rounded up to four the Amazon and Goodreads)
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**