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KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Nerve (2016) in Movies
Jan 3, 2018
Great Film
I watched this with my friend as a one off. We wasn't sure what to expect from it but we had already sat down to eat and thought why on earth not. At first, I thought it was going to be a cheesy stereotypical film about teenagers online. Especially with all the internet searching screens at the beginning. I restrained from rolling my eyes. But as the film developed I became hooked. It was a light thriller almost. The type where it has you on the edge of your seat because of the suspense and horrors of what is happening. It had just the right amount of love interest for me. It did not entirely dominate the film, nor did it take away from the story line, but it did happen fairly quickly. Another oddity I found was one of the characters, Tommy. I liked this character. He was interesting and funny. But I did not understand his passiveness in the film. It was clear he is interested in Vee (the protagonist) but does nothing to show his interest and stop her falling for Ian. As well as that, he just randomly knows these computer hacker internet websters? There is nothing to indicate why he knows them yet they become crucial towards the end of the film. It would be nice to have a little background on them.
Other than that, I enjoyed watching the film. I believe it raised awareness about the dangers of anonymity on the internet. It also shows that sometimes risks should be taken. We should do things that scare us and push us out of our comfort zones every-now-and-then. But do not go too far. It could be a very dangerous game.
Other than that, I enjoyed watching the film. I believe it raised awareness about the dangers of anonymity on the internet. It also shows that sometimes risks should be taken. We should do things that scare us and push us out of our comfort zones every-now-and-then. But do not go too far. It could be a very dangerous game.
Rachel (48 KP) rated Demon Lights (Blackwater Lights Trilogy #3) in Books
May 27, 2017
Interesting but flawed
This is the last book of a trilogy, I haven't read the over two so cannot comment on consistency etc!
All of the formatting and spelling etc was fine, which is always nice.
The first page really drew me into the story, I thought that is was going to be a historical 'witch' novel so I got a bit of a shock when it went to the real story.
I did enjoy this book but there were a few things that niggled me.
I'll start with the positives;
It is very well written. I like the way the author is descriptive without going over the top. The writing really does draw you in.
The characters were nicely rounded and I wanted to know more about them and cared about what happened.
The actual premise of the story, and two previous books, is a very interesting one. I will now how to track down the first two!
The negative's;
Sometimes the timing of things is off. Ie There seemed to be a huge difference between how long it took for one character to travel somewhere and what happens to other characters during the same period.
Although the events and in the book, and the storyline as a whole, are fantastical and definitely not the norm I still expect people to act the way that people would. A few times in the novel this just doesn't happen and that almost jarred me from immersion in the story.
As a whole I did enjoy this novel although it would have been better had I read the first two. It is well written, just occasionally parts seem rushed or ignored in favour of other things.
All of the formatting and spelling etc was fine, which is always nice.
The first page really drew me into the story, I thought that is was going to be a historical 'witch' novel so I got a bit of a shock when it went to the real story.
I did enjoy this book but there were a few things that niggled me.
I'll start with the positives;
It is very well written. I like the way the author is descriptive without going over the top. The writing really does draw you in.
The characters were nicely rounded and I wanted to know more about them and cared about what happened.
The actual premise of the story, and two previous books, is a very interesting one. I will now how to track down the first two!
The negative's;
Sometimes the timing of things is off. Ie There seemed to be a huge difference between how long it took for one character to travel somewhere and what happens to other characters during the same period.
Although the events and in the book, and the storyline as a whole, are fantastical and definitely not the norm I still expect people to act the way that people would. A few times in the novel this just doesn't happen and that almost jarred me from immersion in the story.
As a whole I did enjoy this novel although it would have been better had I read the first two. It is well written, just occasionally parts seem rushed or ignored in favour of other things.
Merissa (12934 KP) rated Duty, Honor, Sacrifice (Toronto's Elite #2) in Books
Aug 28, 2017
Duty, Honor, Sacrifice (Toronto's Elite #2) by Angela S. Stone
Duty, Honor, Sacrifice is the second book in the Toronto's Elite series, and whilst we focus on a different pair, the characters from book one also play a big part in it. It is for this reason that I would recommend that you read this as a series, rather than standalones.
Chris and Logan have had an on-again/off-again relationship for approximately three years, and both of them want more, but neither of them are prepared to say anything. Mixed up with this is the job that they do, with Logan currently searching for someone involved with child porn/kidnapping. They get pulled onto another case though, with Jaden appearing to be targeted by a media leak within the department. This means that they work more closely with Jaden and Cam than they have previously, learning more about those two and themselves at the same time.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a brilliant carry on from book one, there were parts where I was a bit confused. This was simply because the story is told from both the main males' perspectives, and sometimes it wasn't clear just who was talking. It was "he said, he moved, he thought," whereas a name might have been a bit more helpful at times. I must point out that I received an ARC of this, so I'm sure that this will be picked up and sorted before the book is released.
On the whole, this is an exciting, action-packed book that I can highly recommend. Looking forward to book three now.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Chris and Logan have had an on-again/off-again relationship for approximately three years, and both of them want more, but neither of them are prepared to say anything. Mixed up with this is the job that they do, with Logan currently searching for someone involved with child porn/kidnapping. They get pulled onto another case though, with Jaden appearing to be targeted by a media leak within the department. This means that they work more closely with Jaden and Cam than they have previously, learning more about those two and themselves at the same time.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a brilliant carry on from book one, there were parts where I was a bit confused. This was simply because the story is told from both the main males' perspectives, and sometimes it wasn't clear just who was talking. It was "he said, he moved, he thought," whereas a name might have been a bit more helpful at times. I must point out that I received an ARC of this, so I'm sure that this will be picked up and sorted before the book is released.
On the whole, this is an exciting, action-packed book that I can highly recommend. Looking forward to book three now.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Debbiereadsbook (1454 KP) rated Machine, Metal, Magic (Mind % Machine #1) in Books
May 14, 2018
really REALLY good
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Jaime runs, after the facility he and his kind were housed in, was attacked and everyone else killed. He can talk to the computers that run everything. He thinks this is not a gift, but a curse. He finds himself taken prisoner by a starship crew, carrying a cargo that needs delivering. Rylan is his jailer. But Rylan is keeping secrets from his crew, just as much as they keep secrets from him.
Sci-fi is growing on me, it really is!
Sometimes, sci-fi can be a little overwhelming, with all the technology and what-not, but not so here. I loved how it was explained how Jaime talks to the computers, to the ship, and to Rylan's artificial arm. Love how they play with that one ?
Loved how we don't get what Rylan is up to,not all in one go, and loved how I did not see what was in the cargo coming at me, never in a million years! I had an idea, but that was way off base!
I wrote four stars at the top of the page, but honestly?? Can't find a single thing to fault it!
First in the series Mind + Machine, and I hope I get to read more. Also first I've read of Ms dare, so hope that it's not the last. I loved how she spins her tale, how you don't get it all in one go, just in dribs and drabs, a little at a time. Meant I can keep up!
so, because I can't fault it....
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Jaime runs, after the facility he and his kind were housed in, was attacked and everyone else killed. He can talk to the computers that run everything. He thinks this is not a gift, but a curse. He finds himself taken prisoner by a starship crew, carrying a cargo that needs delivering. Rylan is his jailer. But Rylan is keeping secrets from his crew, just as much as they keep secrets from him.
Sci-fi is growing on me, it really is!
Sometimes, sci-fi can be a little overwhelming, with all the technology and what-not, but not so here. I loved how it was explained how Jaime talks to the computers, to the ship, and to Rylan's artificial arm. Love how they play with that one ?
Loved how we don't get what Rylan is up to,not all in one go, and loved how I did not see what was in the cargo coming at me, never in a million years! I had an idea, but that was way off base!
I wrote four stars at the top of the page, but honestly?? Can't find a single thing to fault it!
First in the series Mind + Machine, and I hope I get to read more. Also first I've read of Ms dare, so hope that it's not the last. I loved how she spins her tale, how you don't get it all in one go, just in dribs and drabs, a little at a time. Meant I can keep up!
so, because I can't fault it....
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated The Lightning Thief in Books
May 3, 2018
Percy Jackson is a series that I've been meaning to get around to for ages. Pretty much everybody I know who have read the books absolutely adore them.
So, when I needed a few quick reads to play catch up on my reading challenge, I decided that it was a good enough time to give the series a go.
...and it's not too bad.
There was a lot about The Lightning Thief that I enjoyed. The premise was a lot of fun. I liked the humor - especially the chapter titles. I liked the translation of Olympus from ancient European culture to modern American culture. I loved that this is a kids' series that rewards children for knowing mythology - if you're familiar with Greek myths at all, you'll know almost from the start of each encounter what Percy and the group are up against.
That's also kind where I started having problems, though.
The book is essentially non-stop action. Which isn't, in itself, a bad thing. But the action plays out like a series of video game encounters. Percy and his friends will travel so far in their quest, run into someone/a monster who will (sometimes accidentally) help them get to the next step of their quest, where they'll travel a certain distance again before running into something else. Repeat throughout the entire book. There are small moments of character building, but they're squeezed in where they'll fit between action scenes.
I'm more than willing to admit that that's just me, though. I'm not exactly the book's intended audience, and I can completely see how the pacing and whatnot would appeal to kids. I did enjoy it enough to continue on in the series, though.
So, when I needed a few quick reads to play catch up on my reading challenge, I decided that it was a good enough time to give the series a go.
...and it's not too bad.
There was a lot about The Lightning Thief that I enjoyed. The premise was a lot of fun. I liked the humor - especially the chapter titles. I liked the translation of Olympus from ancient European culture to modern American culture. I loved that this is a kids' series that rewards children for knowing mythology - if you're familiar with Greek myths at all, you'll know almost from the start of each encounter what Percy and the group are up against.
That's also kind where I started having problems, though.
The book is essentially non-stop action. Which isn't, in itself, a bad thing. But the action plays out like a series of video game encounters. Percy and his friends will travel so far in their quest, run into someone/a monster who will (sometimes accidentally) help them get to the next step of their quest, where they'll travel a certain distance again before running into something else. Repeat throughout the entire book. There are small moments of character building, but they're squeezed in where they'll fit between action scenes.
I'm more than willing to admit that that's just me, though. I'm not exactly the book's intended audience, and I can completely see how the pacing and whatnot would appeal to kids. I did enjoy it enough to continue on in the series, though.
Andi Lutz (3 KP) rated Doki Doki Literature Club in Video Games
Apr 15, 2018
Atmosphere (1 more)
Art
Unsettling and Entertaining
I am not a fan of dating sims. I would not have played this one if I had not heard a podcast on horror tabletop gaming say to play this game. They gave no details whatsoever, except that the game was free. No harm in trying it when it's free!
There is very little actual gameplay, as with most dating sims. A lot of just reading and clicking on dialogue choices. The game has all the stereotypical dating sim personalities and events to work through: culture fest, clubs, making friends, getting to know people. It takes a bit, but eventually, small things start to seem out of place or odd.
Once you start to notice the weird things, though, the roller coaster ride begins.
The game takes you on an unsettling, sometimes disturbing, trip that crosses into meta-gaming and breaks the fourth wall in some unique ways.
The art is solid. The dialogue and writing are excellent. Some parts of the game remind me of some of the older meta-gaming efforts out there in the late 90s, early 2000s.
Even though there are not a lot of choices to make in the game, not a lot of gaming, it is still worth the effort to watch the show and be part of the game itself. This game sucks the player in and adds you to its dossier. Guys and girls alike will get a thrill out of it if they stick through to the end. And trust me when I say that when you think you are at the end, just keep playing. Don't turn the game off for a second. Keep playing. And when you think you are at the end again, keep playing. And when you think you are at the end again, keep playing.
There is very little actual gameplay, as with most dating sims. A lot of just reading and clicking on dialogue choices. The game has all the stereotypical dating sim personalities and events to work through: culture fest, clubs, making friends, getting to know people. It takes a bit, but eventually, small things start to seem out of place or odd.
Once you start to notice the weird things, though, the roller coaster ride begins.
The game takes you on an unsettling, sometimes disturbing, trip that crosses into meta-gaming and breaks the fourth wall in some unique ways.
The art is solid. The dialogue and writing are excellent. Some parts of the game remind me of some of the older meta-gaming efforts out there in the late 90s, early 2000s.
Even though there are not a lot of choices to make in the game, not a lot of gaming, it is still worth the effort to watch the show and be part of the game itself. This game sucks the player in and adds you to its dossier. Guys and girls alike will get a thrill out of it if they stick through to the end. And trust me when I say that when you think you are at the end, just keep playing. Don't turn the game off for a second. Keep playing. And when you think you are at the end again, keep playing. And when you think you are at the end again, keep playing.
b.Young (97 KP) rated Compete (The Atlantis Grail #2) in Books
May 18, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
After reading Qualify, the first book of The Atlantis Grail series, I was completely invested in the fate of Gwen Lark, her siblings, and her friends and could not fight the urge to continue reading!
Compete brings us one step closer to finding out what awaits the Qualified Earth refugees in Atlantis.
We begin this journey aboard a fleet of arkships where each teen from Earth must make a decision to determine their place on Atlantis. Gwen remains adamant to save the rest of her family from the asteriod and rejects the choices offered her, instead making a choice that enrages her Commanding Pilot Aeson Kassiopei and worries her siblings.
Since there is not near as much action in this installment, we get to enjoy the year-long trip through the galaxy to Atlantis right along with Gwen and her friends. We get to learn more about the Atlanteans (especially Aeson Kassiopei) and their customs as well as what is expected of the Earth refugees when their final destination is reached.
We also get to see relationships blossom and fade and new alliances forged.
Vera Nazarian did an excellent job creating a complete environment aboard the arkships with just enough drama snd action to keep me reading.
Sometimes the descriptions of the classes were a little long-winded but in the end, I understood why it was necessary and believe it would have detracted from the story if anything was omitted.
The ending was my most favorite part of the entire book! I was overcome with emotion and could not believe what I had just read! I had been rooting for it to happen since Qualify and was pleased at the way Vera worked it into the story.
Now, on to Book 3, Win! I can't wait to discover the planet of Atlantis with Gwen and her friends!!!
Compete brings us one step closer to finding out what awaits the Qualified Earth refugees in Atlantis.
We begin this journey aboard a fleet of arkships where each teen from Earth must make a decision to determine their place on Atlantis. Gwen remains adamant to save the rest of her family from the asteriod and rejects the choices offered her, instead making a choice that enrages her Commanding Pilot Aeson Kassiopei and worries her siblings.
Since there is not near as much action in this installment, we get to enjoy the year-long trip through the galaxy to Atlantis right along with Gwen and her friends. We get to learn more about the Atlanteans (especially Aeson Kassiopei) and their customs as well as what is expected of the Earth refugees when their final destination is reached.
We also get to see relationships blossom and fade and new alliances forged.
Vera Nazarian did an excellent job creating a complete environment aboard the arkships with just enough drama snd action to keep me reading.
Sometimes the descriptions of the classes were a little long-winded but in the end, I understood why it was necessary and believe it would have detracted from the story if anything was omitted.
The ending was my most favorite part of the entire book! I was overcome with emotion and could not believe what I had just read! I had been rooting for it to happen since Qualify and was pleased at the way Vera worked it into the story.
Now, on to Book 3, Win! I can't wait to discover the planet of Atlantis with Gwen and her friends!!!
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
Feb 3, 2019
Crazy Insane
When a team of American troops take on a routine mission in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, they stumble upon something abnormal and horrifying that they weren’t expecting.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
From it’s heartpounding beginning to crazy conclusion, you’re put right in front of consistent action. They are the kind of scenes that leave you wanting more. Intensity awaits at every turn with gun battles, explosions, and crazy zombie(esque) fights. The action was managed perfectly, not overdone in anyway.
Genre: 7
Memorability: 8
I remember jumping quite a few times while watching Overlord. It’s one of those movies where you, as an audience member, recognize something is wrong, but the characters don’t seem to pick up on it until it’s too late. Some of the things you see are quite unsettling and hard to get out of your memory.
Pace: 8
Overlord moves at a steady speed, although not perfect. I would prefer “breakneck” with a movie like this, but instead you get “just over the speed limit”. Fortunately there are only a handful of lulls, but they seem to come at the worst times right when you expect the train to keep rolling.
Plot: 7
Resolution: 10
I won’t give anything away, but the ending left me both satisfied and hoping for more. There is definitely room for some kind of a sequel here if they wanted to go that route. All the loose ends that needed to be tied up were taken care of.
Overall: 90
I can’t stress enough that I appreciate when certain genres get reused for the sake of being spun in a different fashion. Sometimes it’s a big miss (insert Pride and Prejudice and Zombies here). Other times, a film succeeds with a big swing. Overlord hits a home run.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
From it’s heartpounding beginning to crazy conclusion, you’re put right in front of consistent action. They are the kind of scenes that leave you wanting more. Intensity awaits at every turn with gun battles, explosions, and crazy zombie(esque) fights. The action was managed perfectly, not overdone in anyway.
Genre: 7
Memorability: 8
I remember jumping quite a few times while watching Overlord. It’s one of those movies where you, as an audience member, recognize something is wrong, but the characters don’t seem to pick up on it until it’s too late. Some of the things you see are quite unsettling and hard to get out of your memory.
Pace: 8
Overlord moves at a steady speed, although not perfect. I would prefer “breakneck” with a movie like this, but instead you get “just over the speed limit”. Fortunately there are only a handful of lulls, but they seem to come at the worst times right when you expect the train to keep rolling.
Plot: 7
Resolution: 10
I won’t give anything away, but the ending left me both satisfied and hoping for more. There is definitely room for some kind of a sequel here if they wanted to go that route. All the loose ends that needed to be tied up were taken care of.
Overall: 90
I can’t stress enough that I appreciate when certain genres get reused for the sake of being spun in a different fashion. Sometimes it’s a big miss (insert Pride and Prejudice and Zombies here). Other times, a film succeeds with a big swing. Overlord hits a home run.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated The Dead Girls' Dance (Morganville Vampires, #2) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The books from this series read like a good bowl of popcorn - I read a page and I want another, then another, and another, etc. I flew through this book in less than 3 days, which is really saying something for a mother of two girls under the age of 3. I like how unlikely of a heroine Claire is, and yet she keeps "saving the day." The majority of the characters are well-defined and distinguishable from one another, and I find myself even liking some of the "bad guys" sometimes, which indicates good character development. The plot flows easily and quickly, and I could barely tell I was reading.
I love the comraderie between the characters in the Glass house, and the way they are amassing allies with other people in Morganville brings to mind a favorite television show of mine that has been off the air for awhile, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was not a fan of Michael becoming a vampire - I think that the author could have conceived of a less-cliche way of fixing his half-existence / entrapment. On the other hand, I can see how his new status can be used in future books to further the plot, and his romance with Eve will certainly be interesting, as vampire-human romances always are.
I also enjoy the except of Eve's diary that always follows the main text, as a window into the next book. Eve's character is just as interesting and complex as Claire herself, but does not seem to have as much time devoted to her in the books, and the diary entries seem to help in that area.
So overall I loved the book, and can't wait to get my hands on the next one, Midnight Alley.
I love the comraderie between the characters in the Glass house, and the way they are amassing allies with other people in Morganville brings to mind a favorite television show of mine that has been off the air for awhile, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was not a fan of Michael becoming a vampire - I think that the author could have conceived of a less-cliche way of fixing his half-existence / entrapment. On the other hand, I can see how his new status can be used in future books to further the plot, and his romance with Eve will certainly be interesting, as vampire-human romances always are.
I also enjoy the except of Eve's diary that always follows the main text, as a window into the next book. Eve's character is just as interesting and complex as Claire herself, but does not seem to have as much time devoted to her in the books, and the diary entries seem to help in that area.
So overall I loved the book, and can't wait to get my hands on the next one, Midnight Alley.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Prime Evil (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 3, #10) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
That's what I get for choosing a book based on Amazon reviews. I should really know by now that I march to the beat of a different drummer...actually it's not a drum at all, it's a bagpipe, and I skip, not march. ;P While I didn't hate the book, it wasn't nearly as good as I was led to believe. The whole feel to the book wasn't quite right, it didn't have that Buffyverse atmosphere. Part of that had to do with the overabundance of Crystal/Shugra's point-of-view, which took away from the other characters. While I didn't mind a bit here and there, the flashbacks were unnecessary, often boring and uninteresting; they really added nothing to the book and were more filler than anything. The characterizations were decent but lacked energy and didn't quite hit the mark. I didn't sense much depth and sometimes, I hate to say it, they were rather bland. There wasn't much humor but it managed to get a few smiles out of me. The ending was the best part and definitely had more of the usual Buffyness than the rest of the book.
What I found amusing is the remark about nothing suspicious happening in Cleveland. Since there happens to be a Hellmouth stationed there, I would think there would be plenty of abnormalities. Demonic activity was actually mentioned in the episode <i>The Wish</i> that came out before this book was written, but maybe I can let that pass since the episode was mainly set in an alternate time-line. Although I still don't get why there wouldn't be a Cleveland Hellmouth in both realities. Gosh, I'm such a BuffyGeek. :D
Still, I enjoyed the book and appreciated the author adding in little things sprinkled throughout for the fans.
What I found amusing is the remark about nothing suspicious happening in Cleveland. Since there happens to be a Hellmouth stationed there, I would think there would be plenty of abnormalities. Demonic activity was actually mentioned in the episode <i>The Wish</i> that came out before this book was written, but maybe I can let that pass since the episode was mainly set in an alternate time-line. Although I still don't get why there wouldn't be a Cleveland Hellmouth in both realities. Gosh, I'm such a BuffyGeek. :D
Still, I enjoyed the book and appreciated the author adding in little things sprinkled throughout for the fans.