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Merissa (13197 KP) rated Mad World (Mystic Beach #5) in Books
Aug 4, 2023
MAD WORLD is the fifth book in the Mystic Beach series and I get to reunite with aMUSEd. It's time for the drummer, Rhys, to find his perfect match, but his path is anything but smooth.
Oh, boy! What a story!!! My heart was split in two for the whole of this book - loving Rhys and his quirks, but also understanding where Lyric was coming from. I loved the comments from Adam and Herself that helped to lighten the mood when needed.
I found this to be such an emotional read. My eyes were leaking on more than one occasion! So much so, I didn't think they'd stop. But they did as the story progressed in ways that made me so happy for them. The connection between them was so deep, it was almost tangible through my Kindle. And, yes, it's sexy too, in a way that was sheer perfection.
The whole cast of characters is simply outstanding, but the supporting ones in Mad World were simply the best. And let's not forget KITT! Yep, I'm that age, and it made me smile! I really hope I see more of Iris, Sheryl, Tommy, and Aria in future books.
And speaking of future books, it seems as though it may be Kieran's turn next. As with every Aislinn Archer book, I adore the one I've just read, but she tempts me with the next one. Oh, dear. Damn shame. It seems as though I'll have to read that one too!
The best in the series so far in my humble opinion and HIGHLY recommended by me. But if you want the best out of this series, start at the beginning! You're welcome. 😁
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 4, 2023
Oh, boy! What a story!!! My heart was split in two for the whole of this book - loving Rhys and his quirks, but also understanding where Lyric was coming from. I loved the comments from Adam and Herself that helped to lighten the mood when needed.
I found this to be such an emotional read. My eyes were leaking on more than one occasion! So much so, I didn't think they'd stop. But they did as the story progressed in ways that made me so happy for them. The connection between them was so deep, it was almost tangible through my Kindle. And, yes, it's sexy too, in a way that was sheer perfection.
The whole cast of characters is simply outstanding, but the supporting ones in Mad World were simply the best. And let's not forget KITT! Yep, I'm that age, and it made me smile! I really hope I see more of Iris, Sheryl, Tommy, and Aria in future books.
And speaking of future books, it seems as though it may be Kieran's turn next. As with every Aislinn Archer book, I adore the one I've just read, but she tempts me with the next one. Oh, dear. Damn shame. It seems as though I'll have to read that one too!
The best in the series so far in my humble opinion and HIGHLY recommended by me. But if you want the best out of this series, start at the beginning! You're welcome. 😁
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 4, 2023
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Finally, a Twilight film that doesn’t have men in the audience going green with envy as they stare at Taylor Lautner’s washboard abs and finally, a Twilight film that doesn’t actually stink.
Of course, those of you familiar with my reviews know that I’m not fond of the Twilight Saga in the slightest, but here I’m prepared to eat my words as newcomer Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) directs a surprisingly enjoyable outing. Unfortunately, it all comes a bit late as this is the penultimate film in Stephanie Meyer’s book series.
Sadly, the Twilight films have never had the critical success of their Harry Potter cousins, probably due to their wooden acting, dire scripting and disappointing special effects, but here, Breaking Dawn Part 1 manages to be at least as good as the first two films of its wizarding counterpart.
The similarities between the two series’ don’t stop there. The decision to split the final book in the Twilight series was probably done because of the success Harry Potter had by splitting the final book into two films.
Here, Bill Condon manages to inject some life into the franchise with good acting, good special effects and finally, a good storyline. Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) have finally decided to tie the knot. Naturally, Jacob (Taylor Lautner) is less than pleased with this announcement and decides to run away in a fit of rage. Will he be back for the wedding? GASP!
Alas, he makes it and just before Edward whisks Bella on their honeymoon, some pleasantries are exchanged between the bride and the wolf. So, the honeymoon comes and Bella realises she’s pregnant; oh dear. The film then follows her journey to becoming a mother and the growing beast inside her. Thankfully, the point where the film is split doesn’t jar like it did in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and seems to follow a natural ending.
The special effects have also upped their game for the latest instalment as the (still blatantly obvious) CGI werewolves look much more realistic. Also, the acting has improved leaps and bounds with Kristen Stewart being a real highlight. The realisation that motherhood could kill her is fantastically portrayed by Stewart, though the special effects making her look frail probably helped here.
Taylor Lautner is the best out of the male leads and does the role some justice, whilst Robert Pattinson is mediocre as Edward.
There’s still a problem with the films pacing however. It seems that events that would take 10 minutes worth of screen time in other films have to take 30 in the Twilight saga; it’s a major annoyance as it interrupts the flow of the film and the constant close ups of the characters’ faces grate after a while.
Also, Condon has clearly not directed many films that require action scenes. A major fight with the werewolves and the Cullen’s should have been a real highlight, but it’s a sloppily directed sequence with bodies mashing together. You’re unsure as to who is who, a problem which blights the Transformers film series.
Thankfully there are numerous highlights, the shots of Rio are breath-taking and Bella giving birth is truly horrific, you can’t take your eyes of the screen for a second. Also worth a mention is a part where the werewolves are running through the forest and end up in a logging plant. It’s a fabulous sequence that really makes you grip your seat.
The Twlight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 is a good film. It finally makes use of the promising source material it has been blessed with and it’s pleasing to see that a good sense of direction is all it takes to turn around the fortunes of a film series. It’s far from perfect, with sloppy action scenes and terrible pacing, but finally, I left the cinema with a sense of happiness – I’m actually looking forward to part two. (I can’t believe I just said that.)
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/11/27/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-1-2011/
Of course, those of you familiar with my reviews know that I’m not fond of the Twilight Saga in the slightest, but here I’m prepared to eat my words as newcomer Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) directs a surprisingly enjoyable outing. Unfortunately, it all comes a bit late as this is the penultimate film in Stephanie Meyer’s book series.
Sadly, the Twilight films have never had the critical success of their Harry Potter cousins, probably due to their wooden acting, dire scripting and disappointing special effects, but here, Breaking Dawn Part 1 manages to be at least as good as the first two films of its wizarding counterpart.
The similarities between the two series’ don’t stop there. The decision to split the final book in the Twilight series was probably done because of the success Harry Potter had by splitting the final book into two films.
Here, Bill Condon manages to inject some life into the franchise with good acting, good special effects and finally, a good storyline. Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) have finally decided to tie the knot. Naturally, Jacob (Taylor Lautner) is less than pleased with this announcement and decides to run away in a fit of rage. Will he be back for the wedding? GASP!
Alas, he makes it and just before Edward whisks Bella on their honeymoon, some pleasantries are exchanged between the bride and the wolf. So, the honeymoon comes and Bella realises she’s pregnant; oh dear. The film then follows her journey to becoming a mother and the growing beast inside her. Thankfully, the point where the film is split doesn’t jar like it did in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and seems to follow a natural ending.
The special effects have also upped their game for the latest instalment as the (still blatantly obvious) CGI werewolves look much more realistic. Also, the acting has improved leaps and bounds with Kristen Stewart being a real highlight. The realisation that motherhood could kill her is fantastically portrayed by Stewart, though the special effects making her look frail probably helped here.
Taylor Lautner is the best out of the male leads and does the role some justice, whilst Robert Pattinson is mediocre as Edward.
There’s still a problem with the films pacing however. It seems that events that would take 10 minutes worth of screen time in other films have to take 30 in the Twilight saga; it’s a major annoyance as it interrupts the flow of the film and the constant close ups of the characters’ faces grate after a while.
Also, Condon has clearly not directed many films that require action scenes. A major fight with the werewolves and the Cullen’s should have been a real highlight, but it’s a sloppily directed sequence with bodies mashing together. You’re unsure as to who is who, a problem which blights the Transformers film series.
Thankfully there are numerous highlights, the shots of Rio are breath-taking and Bella giving birth is truly horrific, you can’t take your eyes of the screen for a second. Also worth a mention is a part where the werewolves are running through the forest and end up in a logging plant. It’s a fabulous sequence that really makes you grip your seat.
The Twlight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 is a good film. It finally makes use of the promising source material it has been blessed with and it’s pleasing to see that a good sense of direction is all it takes to turn around the fortunes of a film series. It’s far from perfect, with sloppy action scenes and terrible pacing, but finally, I left the cinema with a sense of happiness – I’m actually looking forward to part two. (I can’t believe I just said that.)
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/11/27/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-1-2011/
Nikki Allegretti (6 KP) rated A Court of Wings and Ruin in Books
Oct 13, 2017
When is Paraphrasing Bad....Always.
Contains spoilers, click to show
There are a couple reasons why I rated ACOWAR 6 stars. In all honesty, it's the weakest of the three books in the trilogy. In order of strongest to weakest it's: ACOMAF, ACOTAR, ACOWAR.
The first reason: it was rushed. This story would have been 100 times better if she had taken her time and split it into two books. I absolutely adore SJM's writing and her initials are inked on my body forever, so it's not like I'm bashing her writing. I love her. It was just rushed. There were things that would have been better to have been spread out.
The second reason: unnecessary deaths and unnecessary revivals. I won't go into details on that because I don't want to spoil anything specific.
The third reason: this one hurts me the most. I've seen the movie Troy about 432451542 times. (Yes exaggerations.) There were lines from Troy that were paraphrased in this book and that bothers me. It is one thing to get inspired by a movie, it's another to paraphrase it. I will show my work.
-in the meeting with the high lords, Tamlin says something along the lines of ..leave in the middle of the night...blah blah...but Feyre says "The sun was shining when I left you."
--in the movie, Troy, Helen's husband says something along the lines of I see no prince I see someone who would take a man's wife in the middle of the night. Paris responds with "the sun was shining when your wife left you."
My other example:
-Mor and Feyre are standing on a hill watching a battle and Mor is pacing and says "get the men back into lines"
--in Troy, Achilles is on a hill watching a battle and he says "get them back into lines" while Odysseus yells "Get the men back into lines."
It's all small things that would go unnoticed if you didn't watch the movie 53751432 times. So it just bothered me, a lot. I'll still read her work. I'll still love her, but those two scenes bothered me to no end
The first reason: it was rushed. This story would have been 100 times better if she had taken her time and split it into two books. I absolutely adore SJM's writing and her initials are inked on my body forever, so it's not like I'm bashing her writing. I love her. It was just rushed. There were things that would have been better to have been spread out.
The second reason: unnecessary deaths and unnecessary revivals. I won't go into details on that because I don't want to spoil anything specific.
The third reason: this one hurts me the most. I've seen the movie Troy about 432451542 times. (Yes exaggerations.) There were lines from Troy that were paraphrased in this book and that bothers me. It is one thing to get inspired by a movie, it's another to paraphrase it. I will show my work.
-in the meeting with the high lords, Tamlin says something along the lines of ..leave in the middle of the night...blah blah...but Feyre says "The sun was shining when I left you."
--in the movie, Troy, Helen's husband says something along the lines of I see no prince I see someone who would take a man's wife in the middle of the night. Paris responds with "the sun was shining when your wife left you."
My other example:
-Mor and Feyre are standing on a hill watching a battle and Mor is pacing and says "get the men back into lines"
--in Troy, Achilles is on a hill watching a battle and he says "get them back into lines" while Odysseus yells "Get the men back into lines."
It's all small things that would go unnoticed if you didn't watch the movie 53751432 times. So it just bothered me, a lot. I'll still read her work. I'll still love her, but those two scenes bothered me to no end
Fred (860 KP) rated Love, Death & Robots in TV
Mar 24, 2019
A Heavy Metal reboot? I'm in!
This is an anthology series, airing on Netflix. Originally, it was going to be a theatrical reboot of the Heavy Metal animated movies, but became a series instead. It's split into 18 animated shorts (well, 17 & one mostly live-action) with an average length of about 10 minutes or so each. Unlike the original Heavy Metal movie, there is nothing tying the shorts together, like the Loc-nar.
I want to say, overall, the series is great. Most of the animation is great. Some of it, like in the short "The Witness" is so realistic, you'll think you're watching actual film. However, there are some shorts where the animation is done in the choppy, crappy CGI-drawn animation & this takes away from them. Just like the original Heavy Metal, some shorts work, some don't. Fortunately, most of them work, overall. Some have problems with their endings. They seem to either have no ending, or they're just not satisfying enough. I kind of wish they were 20 minutes each. But there are also some where the ending is the best part.
My favorite short is probably "Three Robots", which is about...3 robots. They're "taking a vacation" through an apocalyptic wasteland. It's funny & smart. My least favorite is probably "When the Yogurt Took Over", which is about...sentient yogurt. Fortunately, this one is also the shortest of them. Funny enough, both of these shorts were written by the same writer.
I see people complaining about the show's sexism towards women. Yes, this is a problem. But a minor one. The show does have fan service, especially in the short "The Witness" I mentioned. There's nudity just for the sake of having nudity. I feel that although in this day & age, in America, this is frowned upon, it fits with these shorts. It's not like it's non-stop nudity, it's just here & there. It also fits with the Heavy Metal series & I'm happy that it's there.
I could talk about each short separately, but I don't think they need to be. You can watch the entire series in a few hours & it's worth it. So what you waiting for?
I want to say, overall, the series is great. Most of the animation is great. Some of it, like in the short "The Witness" is so realistic, you'll think you're watching actual film. However, there are some shorts where the animation is done in the choppy, crappy CGI-drawn animation & this takes away from them. Just like the original Heavy Metal, some shorts work, some don't. Fortunately, most of them work, overall. Some have problems with their endings. They seem to either have no ending, or they're just not satisfying enough. I kind of wish they were 20 minutes each. But there are also some where the ending is the best part.
My favorite short is probably "Three Robots", which is about...3 robots. They're "taking a vacation" through an apocalyptic wasteland. It's funny & smart. My least favorite is probably "When the Yogurt Took Over", which is about...sentient yogurt. Fortunately, this one is also the shortest of them. Funny enough, both of these shorts were written by the same writer.
I see people complaining about the show's sexism towards women. Yes, this is a problem. But a minor one. The show does have fan service, especially in the short "The Witness" I mentioned. There's nudity just for the sake of having nudity. I feel that although in this day & age, in America, this is frowned upon, it fits with these shorts. It's not like it's non-stop nudity, it's just here & there. It also fits with the Heavy Metal series & I'm happy that it's there.
I could talk about each short separately, but I don't think they need to be. You can watch the entire series in a few hours & it's worth it. So what you waiting for?
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Secret of Marrowbone (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Keep a secret
#marrowbone #marrowbonemovie is enchanting, tense & bleak psychological drama with a slow pace that ensures you feel the emotion its packed full of. To start with I feel this #film has been marketed completely wrong, its not a horror movie & more of a drama with slight horror elements (these being mainly psychological). This isnt a bad thing at all but for those of you expecting the like of #thenun you may want to avoid this one. Its also a tough movie to review for me as while i loved acts 1 & 2 so incredibly much that once the twist his in act 3 I felt a tad let down & cheated. Thats not saying act 3 is bad it just felt sub par to the rest of the film, rushed, tacked on & far too hand holding for my liking. Shot really creative & with a #gorgeous eye for cinematography at first marrowbone feels almost dreamlike with a sence of mysterious #fairytale edge to it. This doesnt last long however as what follows is an anxiety riddled downward spiral of a tale about the destruction of a family as it slowly falls apart because of its abusive past. Symbolism & metaphors are cleverly inserted everywhere from broken mirrors representing the cracks in family & a stain on the ceiling representing guilt that keeps seeping in. Watching as this #family gradually falls apart is upsetting & uncomfortable with themes of mental instability, deceit, abuse, loss & jealousy really hitting home constantly. Music is awesome too as well as the use of silence yo great pin sharp tension & dread. #anyataylorjoy steals the show here as always not only with her acting but with her beauty too. Over all its a great little film that could of been fantastic if it wasnt for its messy end chapter but its still a very well made deep, smart & well acted piece of work that id encourage film #fans to see at least once. Think #Split meets #itcomesatnight. #odeon #odeonlimitless #screamunseen #drama #horror #jumpy #scary #witch #metalillness #thesecretofmarrowbone #filmbuff #filmcritic #review #haunted #love #murder #gore #blood #mondaymotivation
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) created a post
Jan 16, 2018
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated The Widow in Books
Jan 24, 2018
Good mystery/drama
***Possible spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned***
For just one split second I almost thought Bella was alive somewhere because a part of me was hoping she was. Nope. What it was, instead was Jeanie’s poor tormented mind and the result of being emotionally manipulated by Glen all this time.
You couldn’t help but feel for Jeanie throughout this book. You could already tell from the beginning that she was being mentally and emotionally abused by Glen. That takes its’ toll and added with the fact that she wanted children and Glen’s got some pretty sick and twisted tastes, well that’s not going to work out now is it. So I do sympathize with Jeanie. It wasn’t until the last third of the book where she finally starts becoming her own person away from Glen, but by that point the damage is already done to her mentally. It’s sad to see. I can see why people were hating on her since she’s could have spoken out and told the police everything. Thing is, since Glen had this emotional power over her, it’s hard to overcome. You can’t help but feel frustrated but helpless at the same time when it comes to Jeanie.
I enjoyed reading the different points of view throughout the book although Jeanie takes up the bulk of the novel. The other point of view from the Police was also well done and you can see how much it takes it’s toll on everyone emotionally and mentally.
The only character I don’t have much of a like for is Kate. I understand she’s doing her job but it just seems heartless at the same time since it feels like she’s doing it at the expense of Jeanie. So I’m glad Jeanie finally grew a backbone - albeit a bit too late.
The plot was good and well done. I can’t imagine how it would feel for those that have gone through this similar ordeal. It’s tiring on all sides and by the end of the book you’re also feeling the emotional and mental drain. It was an enjoyable read though. It definitely had me turning the pages and I do recommend this to those who like a good mystery/drama.
For just one split second I almost thought Bella was alive somewhere because a part of me was hoping she was. Nope. What it was, instead was Jeanie’s poor tormented mind and the result of being emotionally manipulated by Glen all this time.
You couldn’t help but feel for Jeanie throughout this book. You could already tell from the beginning that she was being mentally and emotionally abused by Glen. That takes its’ toll and added with the fact that she wanted children and Glen’s got some pretty sick and twisted tastes, well that’s not going to work out now is it. So I do sympathize with Jeanie. It wasn’t until the last third of the book where she finally starts becoming her own person away from Glen, but by that point the damage is already done to her mentally. It’s sad to see. I can see why people were hating on her since she’s could have spoken out and told the police everything. Thing is, since Glen had this emotional power over her, it’s hard to overcome. You can’t help but feel frustrated but helpless at the same time when it comes to Jeanie.
I enjoyed reading the different points of view throughout the book although Jeanie takes up the bulk of the novel. The other point of view from the Police was also well done and you can see how much it takes it’s toll on everyone emotionally and mentally.
The only character I don’t have much of a like for is Kate. I understand she’s doing her job but it just seems heartless at the same time since it feels like she’s doing it at the expense of Jeanie. So I’m glad Jeanie finally grew a backbone - albeit a bit too late.
The plot was good and well done. I can’t imagine how it would feel for those that have gone through this similar ordeal. It’s tiring on all sides and by the end of the book you’re also feeling the emotional and mental drain. It was an enjoyable read though. It definitely had me turning the pages and I do recommend this to those who like a good mystery/drama.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Beautiful Broken Rules in Books
Feb 13, 2018
College student Emerson Moore has a hard and fast set of rules for relationships -- mainly: avoid them like the plague. She won't sleep with any guy more than three times, to prevent attachment of any kind. So far, Emerson has had great success with this, and she's having fun. Then Emerson meets Jaxon - when he and his twin brother, Jace, move in with Emerson's best friend, Cole. Emerson quickly becomes close to Jaxon. Is he the one who will turn her set of rules on its head?
This book had promise and it was a quick read, but overall, I just found it ridiculous and the writing was terrible - stilted and juvenile. It reminded me of something a middle schooler would write (though hopefully they wouldn't stray into this sexualized subject matter). Emerson is a college student absolutely determined not to have a relationship based on the fact that her parents split -- she has certainly had trauma in her life to cause her feelings, but her insane attachment to this gets to be a little silly. She is a poor communicator and a frustrating protagonist. The character development is nil and we're basically just told things about her and the rest of the characters, rather than shown them, or allowed to see things develop on their own.
Furthermore, some of the stereotypes in this book are beyond frustrating. Emerson's willingness to embrace being the school "slut" (a word she seems to have no problem with) is awful. When Jaxon enters the scene, no one seems to have an issue with his insane over-protectiveness and anger issues. It would be one thing if this was written somewhat cheekily, a la "Twilight," but these characters genuinely seem to think their actions and motivations are okay. The end result is a portrayal of college as nothing but sexual encounters with a mix of sexual harassment and domestic abuse thrown in. It all overshadows what could be a decent story (girl with commitment issues meets handsome guy with shadowy past). There were certainly some bright spots, but overall it just left me feeling too icky.
This book had promise and it was a quick read, but overall, I just found it ridiculous and the writing was terrible - stilted and juvenile. It reminded me of something a middle schooler would write (though hopefully they wouldn't stray into this sexualized subject matter). Emerson is a college student absolutely determined not to have a relationship based on the fact that her parents split -- she has certainly had trauma in her life to cause her feelings, but her insane attachment to this gets to be a little silly. She is a poor communicator and a frustrating protagonist. The character development is nil and we're basically just told things about her and the rest of the characters, rather than shown them, or allowed to see things develop on their own.
Furthermore, some of the stereotypes in this book are beyond frustrating. Emerson's willingness to embrace being the school "slut" (a word she seems to have no problem with) is awful. When Jaxon enters the scene, no one seems to have an issue with his insane over-protectiveness and anger issues. It would be one thing if this was written somewhat cheekily, a la "Twilight," but these characters genuinely seem to think their actions and motivations are okay. The end result is a portrayal of college as nothing but sexual encounters with a mix of sexual harassment and domestic abuse thrown in. It all overshadows what could be a decent story (girl with commitment issues meets handsome guy with shadowy past). There were certainly some bright spots, but overall it just left me feeling too icky.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>I won this book through Goodreads First Reads</i>
Recently brought to the big screen starring Academy Award Winner Reese Witherspoon, <i>Wild</i> is a true account of Cheryl Strayed's epic hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. Over the course of three months Cheryl treks from Mojave, California, through Oregon before finishing at the Bridge of the Gods.
<i>Wild</i> is a compelling story that reveals a young woman's determination and bravery to complete her impulsive walk of eleven hundred miles. Ill-prepared and still struggling with the death of her mother a few years earlier, Cherly sets off unknowing of the strength she would need to complete her challenge.
As Cheryl writes the reader learns how she survey the severe changes in weather conditions, her lack of food and money as well as her damaged feet and missing toenails.
Cheryl Strayed's story is an inspiration to readers as she proves that a human being can go above and beyond expectation in extraordinary circumstances. Despite having the truth laid out on paper, it is impossible to imagine the emotions and physical exertion Cheryl must have gone through.
A good thing about this biographical tale is that Cheryl's narrative does not solely focus on the PCT but refers back to events of the past that have made Cheryl who she is today and influenced her decision to begin the trail. The reader begins to know the real Cheryl and understand what she is feeling and thinking at different points in the book.
Split into five parts, Cheryl has used famous quotes to reflect the content of the following chapters. This takes the book to a higher intellectual level than just having the narrative.
Even if reading about someone going for a long walk sounds unappealing, it is so beautifully written, full of raw emotion that it will be enjoyed by many different readers whether male or female, old or young.
Having not yet seen the film it is impossible to pass comment on it, however the book is definitely worth making the time to read.
Recently brought to the big screen starring Academy Award Winner Reese Witherspoon, <i>Wild</i> is a true account of Cheryl Strayed's epic hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. Over the course of three months Cheryl treks from Mojave, California, through Oregon before finishing at the Bridge of the Gods.
<i>Wild</i> is a compelling story that reveals a young woman's determination and bravery to complete her impulsive walk of eleven hundred miles. Ill-prepared and still struggling with the death of her mother a few years earlier, Cherly sets off unknowing of the strength she would need to complete her challenge.
As Cheryl writes the reader learns how she survey the severe changes in weather conditions, her lack of food and money as well as her damaged feet and missing toenails.
Cheryl Strayed's story is an inspiration to readers as she proves that a human being can go above and beyond expectation in extraordinary circumstances. Despite having the truth laid out on paper, it is impossible to imagine the emotions and physical exertion Cheryl must have gone through.
A good thing about this biographical tale is that Cheryl's narrative does not solely focus on the PCT but refers back to events of the past that have made Cheryl who she is today and influenced her decision to begin the trail. The reader begins to know the real Cheryl and understand what she is feeling and thinking at different points in the book.
Split into five parts, Cheryl has used famous quotes to reflect the content of the following chapters. This takes the book to a higher intellectual level than just having the narrative.
Even if reading about someone going for a long walk sounds unappealing, it is so beautifully written, full of raw emotion that it will be enjoyed by many different readers whether male or female, old or young.
Having not yet seen the film it is impossible to pass comment on it, however the book is definitely worth making the time to read.
Rikki Hammond (33 KP) rated Room 25 in Tabletop Games
Jun 19, 2019
Loads of game modes (2 more)
Variable difficulty adds to replayability
Hectic fun at higher player counts
No difference in characters (1 more)
Games can be over very quick due to bad luck
A Quick Game, With A Lot To Offer
Despite the appearance, Room 25 is one of those games that has a lot to offer, and can be played pretty much how you want it.
The game is played out over 25 room tiles, which are laid out face down apart from the starting room in the middle, and the basic goal is to make it to the elusive Room 25, somewhere out on the grid, but you have to do it quick, as there is a set number of turns to find it in.
Players will simultaneously choose to do 1 or 2 actions on their turn, and can choose to move into a room, thus revealing it's effect to everyone, push another player into a room, peek at a room, or slide a whole row of rooms in the direction of their choosing (nit including the starting room.)
Rooms are split into 3 colours: Green are safe, and can sometimes help you, yellow are normally traps or hinderances, and red rooms can kill you in one way or another (there's even a room that is instant death if you move into it.) Players have to navigate the rooms using their actions, and hope they don't meet their demise.
There are also varying game modes and difficulties to choose from. Competitive pits everyone against each other, co-operative means everyone is trying to work together, and team mode has two groups trying to outwit the other team. You can also adjust the difficulty by adding or removing more yellow and red rooms (the manual has set layouts for the tiles, but you can also customise as you see fit.)
Room 25 has a lot of replayability, but does suffer from a bit of luck. If there is bad decisions made, you can be eliminated very early on. The characters in the base game, although looking cool, have no differences to them either (which is resolved in the expansion.)
These are minor gripes though, and doesn't stop Room 25 being a fast paced, hectic, but enjoyable game.
The game is played out over 25 room tiles, which are laid out face down apart from the starting room in the middle, and the basic goal is to make it to the elusive Room 25, somewhere out on the grid, but you have to do it quick, as there is a set number of turns to find it in.
Players will simultaneously choose to do 1 or 2 actions on their turn, and can choose to move into a room, thus revealing it's effect to everyone, push another player into a room, peek at a room, or slide a whole row of rooms in the direction of their choosing (nit including the starting room.)
Rooms are split into 3 colours: Green are safe, and can sometimes help you, yellow are normally traps or hinderances, and red rooms can kill you in one way or another (there's even a room that is instant death if you move into it.) Players have to navigate the rooms using their actions, and hope they don't meet their demise.
There are also varying game modes and difficulties to choose from. Competitive pits everyone against each other, co-operative means everyone is trying to work together, and team mode has two groups trying to outwit the other team. You can also adjust the difficulty by adding or removing more yellow and red rooms (the manual has set layouts for the tiles, but you can also customise as you see fit.)
Room 25 has a lot of replayability, but does suffer from a bit of luck. If there is bad decisions made, you can be eliminated very early on. The characters in the base game, although looking cool, have no differences to them either (which is resolved in the expansion.)
These are minor gripes though, and doesn't stop Room 25 being a fast paced, hectic, but enjoyable game.