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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Castle Rock in TV
Oct 23, 2018 (Updated Oct 23, 2018)
Good cast (2 more)
Some cool ideas
Stephen King references
Ups and Downs
Castle Rock is an interesting show, it wasn't what I thought it would be at all. I went in expected a creepy, atmospheric thriller and instead I got a slow burning character study. Don't get me wrong, it is a very well told character study, with plenty of interesting characters and plot threads.
The cast is made up of a few actors that have been used in Stephen King adaptions in the past, as well as a few newcomers to the King adaption universe. Everybody is great in their role, with Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgard being the standouts.
The liberties that the show takes with it's inspiration is weirdly inconstant, with some episode whoring out King references left and right and some ignoring the writer's influence altogether. I get the feeling that this was due to the creators wanting to please King fans in the audience while still trying to craft a show that can stand on it's own independently, which is fine, but I kinda wish that they had committed one way or the other.
The show starts off strong, then drags a bit in the middle, but if you can get to episodes 8 & 9, they are possible contenders for some of the best episodes of TV broadcast in 2018. Unfortunately the last episode is very underwhelming after this awesome build up of intrigue that precedes it.
The ending was the biggest negative that the show had. Without giving too much away, it leaves the audience feeling like everything they just witnessed was pretty pointless and leaves you feeling unfulfilled and fairly disappointed. It is clearly trying to set things up for a second season, but does so to the point that it forgets to end the first season in any significant way.
Overall, if you are a King fan you will get a kick out of this. Alternatively, if you are in the mood for a well told, slow burning character study full of intrigue, with elements of psychological horror, then this show is perfect for you. Just don't go in expecting an intense, chilling atmosphere to be present throughout.
The cast is made up of a few actors that have been used in Stephen King adaptions in the past, as well as a few newcomers to the King adaption universe. Everybody is great in their role, with Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgard being the standouts.
The liberties that the show takes with it's inspiration is weirdly inconstant, with some episode whoring out King references left and right and some ignoring the writer's influence altogether. I get the feeling that this was due to the creators wanting to please King fans in the audience while still trying to craft a show that can stand on it's own independently, which is fine, but I kinda wish that they had committed one way or the other.
The show starts off strong, then drags a bit in the middle, but if you can get to episodes 8 & 9, they are possible contenders for some of the best episodes of TV broadcast in 2018. Unfortunately the last episode is very underwhelming after this awesome build up of intrigue that precedes it.
The ending was the biggest negative that the show had. Without giving too much away, it leaves the audience feeling like everything they just witnessed was pretty pointless and leaves you feeling unfulfilled and fairly disappointed. It is clearly trying to set things up for a second season, but does so to the point that it forgets to end the first season in any significant way.
Overall, if you are a King fan you will get a kick out of this. Alternatively, if you are in the mood for a well told, slow burning character study full of intrigue, with elements of psychological horror, then this show is perfect for you. Just don't go in expecting an intense, chilling atmosphere to be present throughout.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Not by Sight in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Espionage is at its height during WWI. The slightest piece of evidence, whether legitimate or not, can mean the difference between life and death.
Grace Mabry is full of patriotic ideals. She believes there is no excuse for fit and able young men to stay home and drink champagne and attend fancy parties. Grace sneaks into a masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice in her efforts to aide the war. She slips a feather into the hands of Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrook. Unbeknownst to her the events that are set into motion by that one act. Both Jack and Grace are soon forced to learn the true meaning of walking by faith, not by sight.
"She taught me to never back down and to always stand up for what I believed in."
Not by Sight has to be one of the most spellbinding books that I have read. On multiple occasions I had to remind myself to breathe. I couldn't even put the book down to walk from point A to point B. And my eyes kept sliding to the end of each page, and therefore causing me to reread the whole page again. The depth of feeling and emotion between the characters is very real. I found the personalities very developed and would love it if Grace were to ring me up and we could discuss her whole adventure. The story line changes perspectives between more characters than I had expected, but it gave valuable insight into the circumstances that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. I was constantly reminded of the BBC show Land Girls (Netflix) which is set during WWII. There is another show called Bomb Girls (Netflix), also WWII, that is similar but set in a munitions factory rather than on a farm. Both are excellent, and I highly recommend them. Pick up a copy of Not by Sight and be transported to the middle of WWI. Say goodbye to housework and sleep, because this intriguing story will completely pull you in. I am on my way to re-watch both shows now!
I received a free copy of Not by Sight from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
Grace Mabry is full of patriotic ideals. She believes there is no excuse for fit and able young men to stay home and drink champagne and attend fancy parties. Grace sneaks into a masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice in her efforts to aide the war. She slips a feather into the hands of Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrook. Unbeknownst to her the events that are set into motion by that one act. Both Jack and Grace are soon forced to learn the true meaning of walking by faith, not by sight.
"She taught me to never back down and to always stand up for what I believed in."
Not by Sight has to be one of the most spellbinding books that I have read. On multiple occasions I had to remind myself to breathe. I couldn't even put the book down to walk from point A to point B. And my eyes kept sliding to the end of each page, and therefore causing me to reread the whole page again. The depth of feeling and emotion between the characters is very real. I found the personalities very developed and would love it if Grace were to ring me up and we could discuss her whole adventure. The story line changes perspectives between more characters than I had expected, but it gave valuable insight into the circumstances that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. I was constantly reminded of the BBC show Land Girls (Netflix) which is set during WWII. There is another show called Bomb Girls (Netflix), also WWII, that is similar but set in a munitions factory rather than on a farm. Both are excellent, and I highly recommend them. Pick up a copy of Not by Sight and be transported to the middle of WWI. Say goodbye to housework and sleep, because this intriguing story will completely pull you in. I am on my way to re-watch both shows now!
I received a free copy of Not by Sight from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Kid Who Would Be King (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Alex Elliott (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), is a 12 year old boy that isn’t afraid to stand up to bullies and defend his friends. As noble as his deeds are, he ends up becoming the school bullies Lance (Tom Taylor) and Kaye’s (Rhianna Dorris) target. They chase him to an abandoned construction site where he falls off a ledge and encounters the notorious sword in the stone. As many are aware of King Arthur’s sword in the stone story, the person that pulls the sword from the stone shall become King of England. To his and his best friend Bedders’s (Dean Chaumoo) surprise, Alex draws the sword (aka Excalibur) from the stone and moments later Merlin appears (Angus Imrie) and warns Alex and Bedders of the danger that lies ahead. Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), King Arthur’s half-sister, and her army of fire burning dead soldiers are on a mission to get Excalibur and take over Earth. Merlin encourages Alex, Bedders and the two bullies, they must put their differences aside to beat Morgana and save the world.
A clever modern day continuation to the story of the Sword in the Stone with a Lord of the Rings spin to it that’s appropriate for kids. All our main characters are children/teenagers, including Merlin, who at random climactic moments in the film transforms into an elder version of himself and is played by the legendary Patrick Stewart. Bedders’s role is similar to that of loyal and dopey, but brave Samwise Gamgee. He helps Alex recruit soldiers to help fight Morgana’s army and never leaves his best friend’s side.
A unique story about loyalty and working together to do what’s best to defeat evil and save Earth. Glad to see family friendly movies dabbling into the genre of medieval fantasy again. There are moments in the film that drag on. They should have omitted several scenes and the long run time of 2 hours and 12 minutes could have been shortened. Very much geared towards kids ages 8 and up, there are some dark moments that may not be suitable for the younger ages. Prepare for lots of adventure, laughter, and good vs evil story, one the whole family can enjoy.
A clever modern day continuation to the story of the Sword in the Stone with a Lord of the Rings spin to it that’s appropriate for kids. All our main characters are children/teenagers, including Merlin, who at random climactic moments in the film transforms into an elder version of himself and is played by the legendary Patrick Stewart. Bedders’s role is similar to that of loyal and dopey, but brave Samwise Gamgee. He helps Alex recruit soldiers to help fight Morgana’s army and never leaves his best friend’s side.
A unique story about loyalty and working together to do what’s best to defeat evil and save Earth. Glad to see family friendly movies dabbling into the genre of medieval fantasy again. There are moments in the film that drag on. They should have omitted several scenes and the long run time of 2 hours and 12 minutes could have been shortened. Very much geared towards kids ages 8 and up, there are some dark moments that may not be suitable for the younger ages. Prepare for lots of adventure, laughter, and good vs evil story, one the whole family can enjoy.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Diary of a Young Girl in Books
Jan 25, 2019
The Diary of a Young Girl
We have all heard about or read this book. I remember reading it in high-school as a project. And since I never had written a proper book review, I decided to read it again.
I went to the library, and they only had the short Penguin version, with the most important diary entries of Anne Frank. It is only 65 pages. So, I decided to also grab another book – The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank by Willy Lindwer, so I can write a full overview.
This is a diary of a young girl, and she was writing these stories during two years of hiding. Anne Frank and her family are Jews and they live in The Netherlands. After the Germans invade, many people are captured and go to designated camps. A few manage to escape and go into hiding. Anne’s family hides in her father’s office.
If you are reading this diary, without knowing anything about history – this could be a happy story. These diary entries are filled with love and hope, dreams of a young girl, beliefs, opinions, descriptions of her first crush and planning a future.
But this is not a happy story. This girl doesn’t get the chance to grow up. This girl doesn’t get the chance to experience freedom, and live to get to know her grandchildren. This is a sad story of not just Anne Frank, but all these people that have gone through that painful journey.
While this book deserves to be read by every person, and this history needs to keep being told many years after us, I feel the need to make a proper book review.
This is not a well-written book, with a great plot and amazing description. So based on that, this doesn’t stand up to the standards. But this book has a meaning that makes up for all the amateur writing. After all, this was a teenager writing it, without even knowing this will someday be shared with the world.
To all of you that haven’t read it yet – I highly recommend it. If you don’t want to go with the long version, read the short Penguin one, like I did.
I went to the library, and they only had the short Penguin version, with the most important diary entries of Anne Frank. It is only 65 pages. So, I decided to also grab another book – The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank by Willy Lindwer, so I can write a full overview.
This is a diary of a young girl, and she was writing these stories during two years of hiding. Anne Frank and her family are Jews and they live in The Netherlands. After the Germans invade, many people are captured and go to designated camps. A few manage to escape and go into hiding. Anne’s family hides in her father’s office.
If you are reading this diary, without knowing anything about history – this could be a happy story. These diary entries are filled with love and hope, dreams of a young girl, beliefs, opinions, descriptions of her first crush and planning a future.
But this is not a happy story. This girl doesn’t get the chance to grow up. This girl doesn’t get the chance to experience freedom, and live to get to know her grandchildren. This is a sad story of not just Anne Frank, but all these people that have gone through that painful journey.
While this book deserves to be read by every person, and this history needs to keep being told many years after us, I feel the need to make a proper book review.
This is not a well-written book, with a great plot and amazing description. So based on that, this doesn’t stand up to the standards. But this book has a meaning that makes up for all the amateur writing. After all, this was a teenager writing it, without even knowing this will someday be shared with the world.
To all of you that haven’t read it yet – I highly recommend it. If you don’t want to go with the long version, read the short Penguin one, like I did.
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TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated A Gift to Cherish (Road to Refuge #2) in Books
Feb 23, 2021
Love the colors used in this cover! They really caught my eye. I do want to let you know that this book is the second book in a series. It can be read as a stand-alone though, as the characters from the previous book are just mentioned in passing.
I read Victoria Bylin’s first book back when it released and loved her edgy writing style. Victoria Bylin tells real-life stories and she does not shy away from the facts. The main characters in this book were easy to follow and get invested in. I loved their teasing (Flirting) back and forth, it was very sweet. Daisy shows remarkable strength in picking herself up after all that has happened to her and she keeps a very positive outlook on life. Plus, she is brave and ends up learning to trust God fully with the changes that life unexpectedly brings. Rafe is also a character of great strength, and someone I’d like to meet in person. Rafe has a good sense of humor and is honest with himself and others about his struggles. The optima of a tough cookie, Rafe may be tough on the outside but inside he is sweet.
The storyline kind of has a dual timeline in it, vague flashbacks to a different era that was quite interesting. The flashbacks I think, taught some valuable life lessons and were very enhancing to the overall story. Victoria Bylin worked in quite a few realities of life into this book, things like physical abuse, alcohol recovery, loneliness, and dealing with life when things do not go your way. Through it, all Victoria Bylin brought everything back how God is always there for us always no matter what situation we may find ourselves in. I truly appreciated how Victoria Bylin shared the gospel in this book.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the vivid portrayal of everyday life, the great characters, and the theme of God overcoming all. I recommend picking this book up!
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
I read Victoria Bylin’s first book back when it released and loved her edgy writing style. Victoria Bylin tells real-life stories and she does not shy away from the facts. The main characters in this book were easy to follow and get invested in. I loved their teasing (Flirting) back and forth, it was very sweet. Daisy shows remarkable strength in picking herself up after all that has happened to her and she keeps a very positive outlook on life. Plus, she is brave and ends up learning to trust God fully with the changes that life unexpectedly brings. Rafe is also a character of great strength, and someone I’d like to meet in person. Rafe has a good sense of humor and is honest with himself and others about his struggles. The optima of a tough cookie, Rafe may be tough on the outside but inside he is sweet.
The storyline kind of has a dual timeline in it, vague flashbacks to a different era that was quite interesting. The flashbacks I think, taught some valuable life lessons and were very enhancing to the overall story. Victoria Bylin worked in quite a few realities of life into this book, things like physical abuse, alcohol recovery, loneliness, and dealing with life when things do not go your way. Through it, all Victoria Bylin brought everything back how God is always there for us always no matter what situation we may find ourselves in. I truly appreciated how Victoria Bylin shared the gospel in this book.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the vivid portrayal of everyday life, the great characters, and the theme of God overcoming all. I recommend picking this book up!
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Ready or Not (2019) in Movies
Sep 2, 2019 (Updated Sep 2, 2019)
F*cking rich people
Ready Or Not is a delightful mash up of blood soaked horror and devilish comedy that intertwines well making this film an absolute blast. When Ready or not's certificate came up everyone was shocked it was 18 rated (I found kind of sad as to me it symbolised how there is 100% still a big market for the more violent and mature horror film yet these days they sadly seem few and far between. I proud to say this does not disappoint and delivers on gore, grossness and tons of unnecessary yet hilariously fitting cursing. Made by people with clear love for the genre this movie echoes what made 80s horror movies so fun. Its goofy, silly, humorous, cool, violent, over the top, cheesy and stylish with it all working well together as well as being extremely serious and tense when it needs to be too. A great mix of movies like your next, the purge, cabin in the woods and even evil dead this movie doesnt hesitate getting straight to the good stuff moving at a constant brisk pace. Although predictable at times it ride with the horror cliches mixing them up just enough for them to feel modern and refreshingly satisfying. Anti rich themes take front and centre and the film isnt shy of mocking wealthy people constantly questioning their morals, beliefs, way of life, ignorance, naivety, lack of empathy and ability to think they can do as they please. In fact you might say the most horrific parts of the film are just how stupid, desensitized, gullible, careless and void of empathy these people have become which adds a nice real world connection. Theres also some visually impressive/creative scenes that really stand out as they are flawlessly combine with music too. Great tension is also present here and a it has a good eending that keeps you on your toes guessing. Not perfect by any means but go into it with a mind set that you can just sit back and enjoy a well made film that's only interested in you having a good time and you will leave entertained.
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Merissa (13169 KP) rated Avenged by Fire (Between Ruin and Salvation #3) in Books
Apr 12, 2023
AVENGED BY FIRE is the third book in the Between Ruin and Salvation series and you must read these books in order, as one follows on from the other.
I won't rehash the storyline - you've got the blurb for that. Suffice it to say it is full-on action once again. Now Ava has beaten Alpha Thomas, she has set her sights on the Council. After all, they do have her parents, child, and mother-in-law! Together with Makaii, they set off around America to form alliances in a bid to take them down. While doing that, the full horror of what the council is doing comes to light - and there is no way that Protector Ava or her associates are going to stand for that!!!
Ava is just as kick-ass as in the other stories and I am finally warming up to Makaii. In fact, I actually felt for him in this book as he tries his best to go against his instincts to wrap Ava up in cotton wool to keep her safe. I may not have been that keen on him but I love their relationship. There are mistakes being made, give and take between two very strong individuals. They haven't just immediately fallen into this perfect life.
Ava also gets to meet more of her family - together with a Fae Prince who is a bit of a jerk, if I'm honest. Mind you, Ava does manage to bring him into line in spectacular fashion. That may be my favourite scene out of the whole book.
Oh, and Bailey sniffs out her mate but avoids him like the plague. I know which one I want for her but I will have to wait and see.
One helluva cliffhanger wraps up one helluva book! I really can't wait for the conclusion and to see Ava in action again. HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 12, 2023
I won't rehash the storyline - you've got the blurb for that. Suffice it to say it is full-on action once again. Now Ava has beaten Alpha Thomas, she has set her sights on the Council. After all, they do have her parents, child, and mother-in-law! Together with Makaii, they set off around America to form alliances in a bid to take them down. While doing that, the full horror of what the council is doing comes to light - and there is no way that Protector Ava or her associates are going to stand for that!!!
Ava is just as kick-ass as in the other stories and I am finally warming up to Makaii. In fact, I actually felt for him in this book as he tries his best to go against his instincts to wrap Ava up in cotton wool to keep her safe. I may not have been that keen on him but I love their relationship. There are mistakes being made, give and take between two very strong individuals. They haven't just immediately fallen into this perfect life.
Ava also gets to meet more of her family - together with a Fae Prince who is a bit of a jerk, if I'm honest. Mind you, Ava does manage to bring him into line in spectacular fashion. That may be my favourite scene out of the whole book.
Oh, and Bailey sniffs out her mate but avoids him like the plague. I know which one I want for her but I will have to wait and see.
One helluva cliffhanger wraps up one helluva book! I really can't wait for the conclusion and to see Ava in action again. HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 12, 2023