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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated IA: Invincible Assassin (IA #2.5) in Books

Nov 15, 2019

IA: Invincible Assassin (IA #2.5)

John Darryl Winston | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Following on from the events in IA: B.O.S.S. and it's shattering ending, this book sees the world of Naz and the Exclave through the eyes of Harvis Young. A friend of Naz who has his own mysteries, Harvis sees how broken Naz is and resolves to protect him - or protect the world from him.

Naz is bent on revenge and with his superhuman powers could do more harm than good. Harvis must act as Naz's conscience but is also sympathetic to his cause.

Billed as an 'IA Origin' story, this provides a lot of background on Harvis whilst also filling in the gap before IA: Union. This isn't really a stand-alone piece as very little of who Naz is and what he can do is explained and reading of at least the first two books of the IA series first is recommended.

Whereas the other books have been told from Naz's point of view, here we see him through the eyes of his friend as a conflicted and sometimes unpredictable young man, someone who needs to tame his nature.

It is hard to provide any more information without spoiling the plot. But as with the other IA books this is an outstanding and very different 'young adult' read and an essential part of the series.

Kudos

Sarah (7800 KP) rated Just Mercy (2019) in Movies

Feb 7, 2020

Just Mercy (2019)

2019 | Drama

8.3

(7 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Exactly what you'd expect

After much deliberation, I decided on watching Just Mercy today - in all honesty because out of my 3 choices, it was on the earliest.

From seeing the trailer, Just Mercy is exactly the film you'd expect it to be. Which in a way was a tad disappointing, but as it's a true story, it would have been a surprise if it had turned out differently. The performances are very good, Michael B Jordan admittedly using the same facial expressions in most scenes but still a good turn. Jamie Foxx excels as you'd expect him to, it's just a shame he's not on screen as much as you'd like and Brie Larson is underused too. There's a lot of feels in this film too, I'd dare anyone not to be welling up by the end and it's also telling a true story that is important and meaningful, yet slightly worrying that this sort of injustice and racism was still happening in the early 90s!

The problem I think is that whilst this is a good film, it is your typical Oscar fodder. Which is odd considering it's lack of nominations. Films like this are far too common nowadays and there wasn't anything in this that made it stand out. But despite this it's still good and worth a watch for the story alone.

Kudos

Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Perfect Mother in Books

Feb 2, 2020

‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Caroline Mitchell has done it again. Her latest thriller, The Perfect Mother, is a stand-alone novel and not part of the DI Amy Winter series I enjoy.

In The Perfect Mother, Caroline Mitchell introduces us to Roz, a single, pregnant woman from Ireland who is not ready to be a mother. She is determined to do the right thing for her baby and joins an expensive, elite adoption service. She is thrilled when a secretive power couple is interested in raising her baby as their own. What starts as a dream come true quickly turns into a nightmare.

Once again, while reading a book by Caroline Mitchell, I stayed up way too late because I could not find a place to stop reading. I kept reading until the end. I was exhausted at work the next day but the book was worth it.

It started off as a slow burn but quickly picked up speed and went flying. It is a tense book that made me cheer and feel for the main character and her unborn child. Once Roz moves to NY the story does not twist and turn but is a solid line of suspense until the very end.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/2/20.