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Running From Darkness (Dark River Stone Collective #3)
Running From Darkness (Dark River Stone Collective #3)
JP Sayle | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
RUNNING FROM DARKNESS is the third book in the Dark River Stone Collective series, and it starts off with a horrible subject, so read the trigger warning!

Conall and Calliope end up in Belton, asking for a favour, to save Calliope. She is in a bad way but Kyle and Nutty are there to help, even if Linc and Mason aren't. Once they turn up, Conall knows they will help him, in every way they can, which is a good thing when the police are wanting to question him.

I have to say, I have no qualms about what Conall did, or how Mason plays with the truth on his behalf. Earl deserved everything thing that came his way. I only hope to find out for sure in future books that karma paid him a visit!

The relationship between Conall and Kyle was never going to be easy and I have to admire Kyle's tenacity. Although the two of them together were hot, it was actually the easy relationship between Kyle, Conall, and Calliope that I loved. That girl is something else!

This was a great addition to the series and I loved being back with the Dark Angels. And it just goes to show - sometimes, just sometimes, running is the right thing to do, especially when you're running to the light. Definitely recommended by me.

** 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!
  
Fresh (2022)
Fresh (2022)
2022 | Horror, Thriller
7
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Mimi Cave's feature debut is a delightfully slick, quirky, and gruesomely entertaining thriller that dives head first into the perils of dating in the modern world. Its first 30 minutes are pretty light hearted, with a whole bunch of funny moments, and a relatable and likable protagonist in Daisy Edgar-Jones' Noa. The chemistry she shares with Steve (Sebastian Stan) feels natural and the two of them make for an enjoyable couple to watch onscreen, and exactly the same can be said when it goes full horror suddenly. If it wasn't for the fairly aggresive advertising campaign that heavily focused on the cannibal side of the plot, one could be forgiven for thinking that Fresh was a straight up rom-com. The sudden change in vibe is executed nicely, complete with a title card 30 minutes in, and I'm a sucker for that shit.
What follows is a sometimes fun, sometimes grim, fight for survival. Edgar-Jones is a solid Final Girl, and Sebastian Stan is picture perfect as the suave psychopath that we've seen a fair few times before at this point, but he's clearly having a blast. It helps no end that he's so well known as Bucky Barnes, ensuring that his sinister role here hits even harder.
The last 40 minutes or so suffer from being quite predictable in how the narrative unfolds, but the films cast and some nice camera work ensure that it crosses the finish line without too many hiccups.
Horror comedy is a sub genre that shows no sign of dying anytime soon, and films like Fresh make sure of that. Definitely worth your attention.
  
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Merissa (13176 KP) rated The Signs We Missed in Books

Aug 4, 2022 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)  
The Signs We Missed
The Signs We Missed
Lena S. May | 2022 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
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
  
The Language Of Thorns
The Language Of Thorns
Leigh Bardugo, Sara Kipin | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.7 (15 Ratings)
Book Rating
Folklore for Grishaverse (1 more)
Possible Darkling mention?
Not more (0 more)
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic is a welcomed piece to the Grishaverse and the best part is there is no need to TGT or SOC.

The tales are lore from across the country of stores our beloved characters had more than likely been told as children to be wise enough to know when enough is enough, to be brave enough to realize it is okay to be different, and to be careful for what you wish for as sometimes wanting is not always your needs. There are Grisha and mermaids. There are kings and wicked beasts. There are clever foxes and unexpected evils. There are moments to make you laugh and lessons to be learned.


I will be adding this to my collection.
  
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Maddie (37 KP) rated Oxenfree in Video Games

Nov 16, 2017  
Oxenfree
Oxenfree
2016 | Action/Adventure, Horror
Actions have consequences (2 more)
Great characters
Art was beautiful
Sometimes bugged, resulting in closing the game (0 more)
Short to play, but incredibly fun
Oxenfree was a beautifully styled coming-of-age story that pulled the player into the relationships between characters as much as into the drama of the ghost story. At times intense and a little scary (I'm a baby about stuff like that though), but also sweet and compelling. I really wanted everyone to be okay, although I fudged a bunch and not everyone made it out alive.

The actions have consequences aspect is great. The choices felt like realistic situations for the teenagers and each bad/good decision was believable.



Plan on playing this again in the near future to try and better improve my favorite character's chances!
  
Lady Bird (2017)
Lady Bird (2017)
2017 | Comedy, Drama
Saoirse (pronounced Sersha) Ronan (2 more)
Charming screenplay
Slice of life
Sometimes a tad random (0 more)
I took my 16-year-old daughter to this film instead of going to yet another superhero flick and we were both mesmerized with its joy, wit and poignancy. All the acting was top notch especially Saoirse Ronan. She completely delvers on her character in every way. She is also a dialect master as having a thick Irish accent in real life.
The situations Lady Bird finds herself in are real and touch you in your heart especially if you have teenage children. The way she handles things and the way the story winds itself along keep you enthralled the entire time and not wanting it to end.
Highly recommended for those seeking more than just comic book blockbusters.
  
Welcome to Night Vale
Welcome to Night Vale
Comedy
10
8.7 (36 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Mysterious and Unique characters (0 more)
I don't really enjoy to much of the weather reports (0 more)
From the faceless old lady who secretly lives in your home
A fictitious but friendly desert community. Cecil Palmer narrates the goings on of strange characters, strange locations, and sometimes even stranger happenings. With characters like the librarians and the Glow Cloud (all hail) and locations of the Dog park one is lead to believe this town is but another boring stop along Highway 800. Very quickly, you realize the Faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home might be more than she seems. With friends like the blogger Hiram McDaniels, a literal five-headed dragon, who can breathe fire from at least one of those heads, crazy and exciting things are bound to happen.
  
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Gifted (2017) in Movies

Feb 8, 2019  
Gifted (2017)
Gifted (2017)
2017 | Drama
A great surprise
I hadn't really expected very much from this film, but it was actually a brilliant and heartwarming surprise. It has a great cast and is wonderfully acted - McKenna Grace is exceptional for a child actor and I was even impressed with Chris Evans, it's been so long since I've seen him in something that isn't Marvel related and it's nice to see.

The film itself is a mixture of humour and a sometimes heartwrenching and emotional story about a gifted child. It has a fairly short runtime which is also refreshing, but I actually think it could have been a little longer. It's well shot and scripted and was just an all round delight to watch. And seeing Chris Evans with cats? Kinda hard to resist.
  
I read this book very slowly through DailyLit, and even then I did not understand most of what I read or particularly enjoy it. When I read a book, I make a point of finding something to like about it, no matter how bad it is. I like chess, which plays a part in the book, but about the only thing that made sense in that context was Alice becoming a queen by getting to the end of the board. I know the text is a classic, but sometimes I don't care for a classic, and this is one of those times, unfortunately. While the book is chock full of great quotes, and an ideal book for a child to enjoy because of the imagination put into it, overall I'm not a fan.
  
The Silence (2019)
The Silence (2019)
2019 | Horror
Ok
This movie was another "be quiet or die" horror film. It wasn't too bad for what I'd label a "made for tv" movie. The acting was just ok. If you can't read sign language, you might not understand some of their conversations but you get the gist. The cinematography was decent with some cool creatures(may little things!) and effects, without getting too gory. While it played out to an open ended "anti"-climax it did show that people can sometimes turn out to be worse than the liberal monsters with the "cult" they run into. Overall this movie was good enough to finish but, in my opinion, "A Quiet Place" did it a bit better. Still, it's worth a watch if you're bored and looking for a little "creature feature".