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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Vacation (2015) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Family holidays will never be the same
It was 1983 when Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo made the infamous decision to take their family across the US to “America’s Favourite Family Fun Park” in National Lampoon’s Vacation.
Being the best in the long-running series, it seemed natural for it to receive a fully-fledged sequel of some kind, but it has taken up until now to get the balance right, but does Vacation evoke memories of that brilliant road-trip comedy?
Ed Helms takes on the role of an adult Rusty Griswold as he, like his father makes the epic trip to Walley World theme park alongside his long-suffering wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and his two sons James and Kevin, played by Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins respectively.
Everybody’s favourite thunder-god, Chris Hemsworth makes a rather revealing cameo as Rusty’s brother-in-law and ladies’ man, Stone Crandall, and helps lift Vacation out of what could have been a half-way lull.
Naturally, there are many tasteful references to its predecessor but this isn’t just a lesson in comedy history. Writers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley inject some much-needed modern humour into the film – this is most definitely a movie from the 21st Century.
Ed Helms and Christina Applegate have real chemistry as the married couple but it is in their children that most of the laughs are. James and Kevin are the stereotypical, bickering siblings but like everything in Vacation they are turned up to eleven.
From raw sewage infested hot springs to a would-be maniac truck driver, the gags on the whole hit the spot every single time – by no means an easy feat when writing a comedy over 90 minutes in length. There are a couple of ill-placed laughs like a Four Corners police brawl that threaten to stop the film in its tracks, but thankfully these are few and far between.
Short but sweet cameos for Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo towards the climax anchor Vacation to what came before it and it’s nice that the writers didn’t forget to honour those roots in more ways than sickly nostalgia.
The direction is also positively inspired. Acting like a tourist brochure for the USA, Vacation makes you feel like you’re part of the vast locations. From desolate highways to bustling cities, it’s all here and beautifully shot.
Unfortunately the plot seems to run a little out of steam towards the end. After all, there’s only so much déjà vu a story can take and it seems that the writers put all their best work in the first two thirds of the movie, as is the case with many films in the genre.
Nevertheless, Vacation is a confident film that knows exactly what it’s trying to be. Acting as a standalone comedy for newcomers and a decent sequel for fans of the original, it has something for everyone.
The acting is sublime and the casting choices are spot on, only a lacklustre final third pull it back from the edge of glory.
I probably won’t be planning that road trip any time soon.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/08/23/family-holidays-will-never-be-the-same-vacation-review/
Being the best in the long-running series, it seemed natural for it to receive a fully-fledged sequel of some kind, but it has taken up until now to get the balance right, but does Vacation evoke memories of that brilliant road-trip comedy?
Ed Helms takes on the role of an adult Rusty Griswold as he, like his father makes the epic trip to Walley World theme park alongside his long-suffering wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and his two sons James and Kevin, played by Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins respectively.
Everybody’s favourite thunder-god, Chris Hemsworth makes a rather revealing cameo as Rusty’s brother-in-law and ladies’ man, Stone Crandall, and helps lift Vacation out of what could have been a half-way lull.
Naturally, there are many tasteful references to its predecessor but this isn’t just a lesson in comedy history. Writers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley inject some much-needed modern humour into the film – this is most definitely a movie from the 21st Century.
Ed Helms and Christina Applegate have real chemistry as the married couple but it is in their children that most of the laughs are. James and Kevin are the stereotypical, bickering siblings but like everything in Vacation they are turned up to eleven.
From raw sewage infested hot springs to a would-be maniac truck driver, the gags on the whole hit the spot every single time – by no means an easy feat when writing a comedy over 90 minutes in length. There are a couple of ill-placed laughs like a Four Corners police brawl that threaten to stop the film in its tracks, but thankfully these are few and far between.
Short but sweet cameos for Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo towards the climax anchor Vacation to what came before it and it’s nice that the writers didn’t forget to honour those roots in more ways than sickly nostalgia.
The direction is also positively inspired. Acting like a tourist brochure for the USA, Vacation makes you feel like you’re part of the vast locations. From desolate highways to bustling cities, it’s all here and beautifully shot.
Unfortunately the plot seems to run a little out of steam towards the end. After all, there’s only so much déjà vu a story can take and it seems that the writers put all their best work in the first two thirds of the movie, as is the case with many films in the genre.
Nevertheless, Vacation is a confident film that knows exactly what it’s trying to be. Acting as a standalone comedy for newcomers and a decent sequel for fans of the original, it has something for everyone.
The acting is sublime and the casting choices are spot on, only a lacklustre final third pull it back from the edge of glory.
I probably won’t be planning that road trip any time soon.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/08/23/family-holidays-will-never-be-the-same-vacation-review/
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated If You Dare (The Lightkeepers, #2) in Books
Feb 8, 2018
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Fabulous Stars.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/one-way-or-an-author-review_zpsphyl14uy.png.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/one-way-or-an-author-review_zpsphyl14uy.png~original"; border="0" alt=" photo one-way-or-an-author-review_zpsphyl14uy.png"/></a>
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
I didn't realise If You Dare (The Lightkeepers #2) By Erica Splinder was the second book in this series.
It probably would have been better to read book one first despite this "If You Dare" was very easy to interpret and told the back-story of this series splendidly.
Now You could technically read this as a standalone, but my recommendation would be start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start usually ha ha.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/images%203_zps3qrbdz7u.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/images%203_zps3qrbdz7u.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo images 3_zps3qrbdz7u.jpg"/></a>
Now after playing some catch up I quickly fell into the story of dark and light bearers and the age old battle of good versus evil.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/Starved-Rock_zpse4w1zaf3.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/Starved-Rock_zpse4w1zaf3.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo Starved-Rock_zpse4w1zaf3.jpg"/></a>
Erica Spindler has really managed to create a vivid world that was so easy to get absorbed into, immersing myself fully into this other domain.
The book picks up where the previous one leaves us.
we have Our two detectives, Mikki, who has recovered from her injuries but is feeling that a lot is being kept from her, she feels on the outside partially, out in the cold, but not understanding exactly why.
Then there's her partner Zach who is half/ half lighter but is much more in the picture regarding information sharing and has been ordered to keep stum. keeping his partner in the dark is something he struggles with as well as certain feelings towards Mikki he so shouldn't be entertaining.
There's also Angel eighteen and struggling with her independence and Mikki's set boundaries, A Rebellious teenager in love for the first time with the mysterious Seth who comes with a very creepy but rich uncle.
This whole story is a puzzle with the pieces just waiting to be slotted together and everybody has a part to play in the bigger picture.
There are so many interesting and diverse secondary character's in this tale as well as the three main players Mikki, Zach and Angel. I love that we get to crawl inside this trios heads seeing different interpretations of events as they unfolded.
All the characters here were fleshed out well and the story just flowed for me effortlessly, keeping my attention throughout.
I found reading If You Dare an enjoyable experience and I would be happy to recommend it to others, my only advice would be Start at book one first before proceeding to the Finish line makes things a whole lot easier overall.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/start-and-finish_zpsnsodo1jc.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/start-and-finish_zpsnsodo1jc.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo start-and-finish_zpsnsodo1jc.jpg"/></a>
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of If You Dare, this is my own honest and unbiased opinion.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/one-way-or-an-author-review_zpsphyl14uy.png.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/one-way-or-an-author-review_zpsphyl14uy.png~original"; border="0" alt=" photo one-way-or-an-author-review_zpsphyl14uy.png"/></a>
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
I didn't realise If You Dare (The Lightkeepers #2) By Erica Splinder was the second book in this series.
It probably would have been better to read book one first despite this "If You Dare" was very easy to interpret and told the back-story of this series splendidly.
Now You could technically read this as a standalone, but my recommendation would be start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start usually ha ha.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/images%203_zps3qrbdz7u.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/images%203_zps3qrbdz7u.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo images 3_zps3qrbdz7u.jpg"/></a>
Now after playing some catch up I quickly fell into the story of dark and light bearers and the age old battle of good versus evil.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/Starved-Rock_zpse4w1zaf3.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/Starved-Rock_zpse4w1zaf3.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo Starved-Rock_zpse4w1zaf3.jpg"/></a>
Erica Spindler has really managed to create a vivid world that was so easy to get absorbed into, immersing myself fully into this other domain.
The book picks up where the previous one leaves us.
we have Our two detectives, Mikki, who has recovered from her injuries but is feeling that a lot is being kept from her, she feels on the outside partially, out in the cold, but not understanding exactly why.
Then there's her partner Zach who is half/ half lighter but is much more in the picture regarding information sharing and has been ordered to keep stum. keeping his partner in the dark is something he struggles with as well as certain feelings towards Mikki he so shouldn't be entertaining.
There's also Angel eighteen and struggling with her independence and Mikki's set boundaries, A Rebellious teenager in love for the first time with the mysterious Seth who comes with a very creepy but rich uncle.
This whole story is a puzzle with the pieces just waiting to be slotted together and everybody has a part to play in the bigger picture.
There are so many interesting and diverse secondary character's in this tale as well as the three main players Mikki, Zach and Angel. I love that we get to crawl inside this trios heads seeing different interpretations of events as they unfolded.
All the characters here were fleshed out well and the story just flowed for me effortlessly, keeping my attention throughout.
I found reading If You Dare an enjoyable experience and I would be happy to recommend it to others, my only advice would be Start at book one first before proceeding to the Finish line makes things a whole lot easier overall.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/start-and-finish_zpsnsodo1jc.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/start-and-finish_zpsnsodo1jc.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo start-and-finish_zpsnsodo1jc.jpg"/></a>
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of If You Dare, this is my own honest and unbiased opinion.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Keeper (DCI Antonia Hawkins, #3) in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read it here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/the-keeper-by-alastair-gunn
NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UK!
<i>No interesting quote for this book I'm afraid...</i>
This started badly, for me. Theres nothing like starting a new detective book and being planted in the middle of a therapy session. Who would have thought a senior police officer who has enough baggage to need therapy? Well I never! Thats something Ive only seen done 1 million times before <i>sigh.</i> Thank God it picked up with the excitement afterwards because I wasnt interested in Hawkins anxiety or love life.
This was by no means unique to other detective novels out there. They all have the same sort of plot and characters and themes, but this one did keep me more interested than some of the others Ive read, purely because there was a humorous side to it as well as the serious side too.
This had some really exciting moments and it had some really drawn out, drab moments where we were repeatedly updated on how the case was going, even though we already knew cause we were reading the book so I think a lot of this novel could have been cut down to make a shorter novel. 400 pages is quite a lot for a detective series novel, especially one where theres not a lot of evidence or leads to the case. This really was up and down, up and down, the whole way through. I lost interest so much in some places that I was completely distracted while reading it but then when we got onto a big reveal or breakthrough part, I rushed through it to know what happened next! There were some really great edge of the seat, nail biting moments! It was quite the hit and miss story.
As far as characters go, there werent any that I really connected with very well, but none of them were dislikable people. It could get a bit confusing to remember who was who because theyd go from their first name to their last name, back to their first name and then their last name again etc etc. It would have been nice to have some consistency with what the author called them.
This was by far a 3 star read until the twist at the end. I mean, really, I should have seen it coming, Ive read a million crime thrillers before, but I just hadnt suspected this one! Really, there were two twists at the end of this, the first one shocked me and then the second one I was expecting because of the first. The ending of this novel was really thrilling and nerve-wracking, it was a great way to finish it off.
Also, considering this is the third novel in a series (something Netgalley hadnt made me aware of when I requested it!) this did really well as a standalone novel. I didnt feel like I was missing any part of the characters stories, even when it came to the subject of Hawkins therapy sessions.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UK!
<i>No interesting quote for this book I'm afraid...</i>
This started badly, for me. Theres nothing like starting a new detective book and being planted in the middle of a therapy session. Who would have thought a senior police officer who has enough baggage to need therapy? Well I never! Thats something Ive only seen done 1 million times before <i>sigh.</i> Thank God it picked up with the excitement afterwards because I wasnt interested in Hawkins anxiety or love life.
This was by no means unique to other detective novels out there. They all have the same sort of plot and characters and themes, but this one did keep me more interested than some of the others Ive read, purely because there was a humorous side to it as well as the serious side too.
This had some really exciting moments and it had some really drawn out, drab moments where we were repeatedly updated on how the case was going, even though we already knew cause we were reading the book so I think a lot of this novel could have been cut down to make a shorter novel. 400 pages is quite a lot for a detective series novel, especially one where theres not a lot of evidence or leads to the case. This really was up and down, up and down, the whole way through. I lost interest so much in some places that I was completely distracted while reading it but then when we got onto a big reveal or breakthrough part, I rushed through it to know what happened next! There were some really great edge of the seat, nail biting moments! It was quite the hit and miss story.
As far as characters go, there werent any that I really connected with very well, but none of them were dislikable people. It could get a bit confusing to remember who was who because theyd go from their first name to their last name, back to their first name and then their last name again etc etc. It would have been nice to have some consistency with what the author called them.
This was by far a 3 star read until the twist at the end. I mean, really, I should have seen it coming, Ive read a million crime thrillers before, but I just hadnt suspected this one! Really, there were two twists at the end of this, the first one shocked me and then the second one I was expecting because of the first. The ending of this novel was really thrilling and nerve-wracking, it was a great way to finish it off.
Also, considering this is the third novel in a series (something Netgalley hadnt made me aware of when I requested it!) this did really well as a standalone novel. I didnt feel like I was missing any part of the characters stories, even when it came to the subject of Hawkins therapy sessions.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Exposure (Twisted Lit #2) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review will be available on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a> at the end of September).
First off, I just want to say that although this is the second book in the series, this book can be read as a standalone since it involves a whole new cast of characters, plot, and setting. Saying that, this book is a retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth. To be honest, it's been about 11 or 12 years (maybe longer) since I read Macbeth, so I won't be comparing this to the original. Now that that's all said, I really enjoyed this book!
Skye's been in love with Craig forever. However, he's part of the popular crowd and Skye is not. There's also the problem of Craig's super mean girlfriend, Beth. When one of the popular boys die in what appears to be an accident, things start spiraling out of control.
I didn't really know what to expect with the title. However, after reading this book, it makes sense in more ways then just Skye being a photographer.
The cover is rather plain, but I actually like its plainness. I think anything else would've made this cover look too cluttered. I also think the cover is rather cute!
I enjoyed the world building, and I felt that it was written rather well. The only thing that bothered me was the outcome when it came to the ending. I can't really say to much, but it just didn't feel like it followed procedure. That's your only hint. I did enjoy the setting of Alaska though especially since I don't really read any books set in Alaska.
I loved the pacing! The prologue definitely caught my attention and kept it until the very end. If I would've had more time, I would've finished this book in one setting. It was paced that good!
I enjoyed the plot! I don't remember Macbeth all that well as I said before, so I can't comment on how much the plot of this book was like that of Macbeth. There's not really any mystery I enjoyed the whole playing on conscience thing and what was done about it. I even enjoyed Skye's endless pursuit of Craig!
I enjoyed the characters more than anything! I loved how mature Skye was especially when it came to how mean Beth was to her at some points during the story. I loved how friendly she was and how vulnerable she could be. Even though Craig was a bit of a tool when it came to Beth, I still enjoyed how much of a friend he could be to Skye when he really wanted to be. However, at times he could be a little bit insensitive and selfish, but perhaps that's just a teenage thing (and even some adults)! My most favorite characters were Kaya, Cat, and Tess. I loved their sarcasm, wit, and humor they brought to the story. In fact, I wanted to be friends with those girls.
I enjoyed the dialogue very much, and I felt like it was set in high school, which it was. It was also very easy to understand, but it wasn't dumbed down or anything. My favorite dialogue was when it involved Kaya, Cat, and Tess. There are only a few swear words in this book.
Overall, Exposure is a book that is fun to read as well as having fantastic characters and great dialogue!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who would like some fun literature to read!
First off, I just want to say that although this is the second book in the series, this book can be read as a standalone since it involves a whole new cast of characters, plot, and setting. Saying that, this book is a retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth. To be honest, it's been about 11 or 12 years (maybe longer) since I read Macbeth, so I won't be comparing this to the original. Now that that's all said, I really enjoyed this book!
Skye's been in love with Craig forever. However, he's part of the popular crowd and Skye is not. There's also the problem of Craig's super mean girlfriend, Beth. When one of the popular boys die in what appears to be an accident, things start spiraling out of control.
I didn't really know what to expect with the title. However, after reading this book, it makes sense in more ways then just Skye being a photographer.
The cover is rather plain, but I actually like its plainness. I think anything else would've made this cover look too cluttered. I also think the cover is rather cute!
I enjoyed the world building, and I felt that it was written rather well. The only thing that bothered me was the outcome when it came to the ending. I can't really say to much, but it just didn't feel like it followed procedure. That's your only hint. I did enjoy the setting of Alaska though especially since I don't really read any books set in Alaska.
I loved the pacing! The prologue definitely caught my attention and kept it until the very end. If I would've had more time, I would've finished this book in one setting. It was paced that good!
I enjoyed the plot! I don't remember Macbeth all that well as I said before, so I can't comment on how much the plot of this book was like that of Macbeth. There's not really any mystery I enjoyed the whole playing on conscience thing and what was done about it. I even enjoyed Skye's endless pursuit of Craig!
I enjoyed the characters more than anything! I loved how mature Skye was especially when it came to how mean Beth was to her at some points during the story. I loved how friendly she was and how vulnerable she could be. Even though Craig was a bit of a tool when it came to Beth, I still enjoyed how much of a friend he could be to Skye when he really wanted to be. However, at times he could be a little bit insensitive and selfish, but perhaps that's just a teenage thing (and even some adults)! My most favorite characters were Kaya, Cat, and Tess. I loved their sarcasm, wit, and humor they brought to the story. In fact, I wanted to be friends with those girls.
I enjoyed the dialogue very much, and I felt like it was set in high school, which it was. It was also very easy to understand, but it wasn't dumbed down or anything. My favorite dialogue was when it involved Kaya, Cat, and Tess. There are only a few swear words in this book.
Overall, Exposure is a book that is fun to read as well as having fantastic characters and great dialogue!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who would like some fun literature to read!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Program (The Program, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I'd been wanting to read this book for a long time now. The blurb really caught my attention (especially as I've suffered with major depression in the past), so when I got the chance to buy a book, this one was my choice. Luckily, it was a super fantastic read!
I like the title of this book. I like how it's really plain and simple, yet, it works. The title very much suits the book as it's pretty straight-forward about what the book's going to be about.
I like the cover for The Program. All teenagers who enter the program are made to wear yellow lemon colored scrubs. I like how it shows the uniforms.
The world building is superb! Everything is explained fantastically throughout the book. Young makes it easy to believe that one day there will be a "cure" for depression and teen suicide. There's only one bit in the world building towards the end of the book that kind of made me question its reliability. I don't want to give away spoilers though, and this could just be me over thinking things.
The pacing is spot on. From the very first sentence, this book had me hooked. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. To say I devoured this book would be an understatement.
The plot was super interesting. Teens are being taken to The Program once they become depressed. Apparently, teen suicide is contagious and an epidemic, so the only cure is The Program where memories are erased. When Sloane's boyfriend, James, gets taken into The Program, it's not long before Sloane becomes depressed and is taken in as well. Will James and Sloane remember each other or will their memories be totally erased? I thought the plot was very original, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Some of the scenes in The Program reminded me of The Matrix. I believe this book could be read as a standalone since there wasn't a major cliff hanger, but I think it'd be better read as a series.
I loved the characters! I loved how Sloane came across as just a normal teenage girl who had been through a traumatic experience. I felt that her vulnerability made her even more lovable. I also really liked James. I loved how he wanted to protect Sloane from everything. It was very evident how much James and Sloane loved each other. The only character I didn't really care for was Realm. It's not that he wasn't well written because he was. It was just that I never really felt like I could trust Realm. There's just something about him.
The dialogue was fantastic and fit in well with a young adult novel. I loved reading the dialogue between Sloane and James the best. There are innocent mentions of sex although not many. There's also some swearing and some violence, but nothing over the top.
Overall, The Program by Suzanne Young is an original story that has fantastic world building, great characters, and hits close to home. I've already bought the next book in the series.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who are after a book with an original story line and want a thrilling read.
(I purchased this book in paperback format through Amazon with my own money. I was not required to review this book).
I'd been wanting to read this book for a long time now. The blurb really caught my attention (especially as I've suffered with major depression in the past), so when I got the chance to buy a book, this one was my choice. Luckily, it was a super fantastic read!
I like the title of this book. I like how it's really plain and simple, yet, it works. The title very much suits the book as it's pretty straight-forward about what the book's going to be about.
I like the cover for The Program. All teenagers who enter the program are made to wear yellow lemon colored scrubs. I like how it shows the uniforms.
The world building is superb! Everything is explained fantastically throughout the book. Young makes it easy to believe that one day there will be a "cure" for depression and teen suicide. There's only one bit in the world building towards the end of the book that kind of made me question its reliability. I don't want to give away spoilers though, and this could just be me over thinking things.
The pacing is spot on. From the very first sentence, this book had me hooked. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. To say I devoured this book would be an understatement.
The plot was super interesting. Teens are being taken to The Program once they become depressed. Apparently, teen suicide is contagious and an epidemic, so the only cure is The Program where memories are erased. When Sloane's boyfriend, James, gets taken into The Program, it's not long before Sloane becomes depressed and is taken in as well. Will James and Sloane remember each other or will their memories be totally erased? I thought the plot was very original, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Some of the scenes in The Program reminded me of The Matrix. I believe this book could be read as a standalone since there wasn't a major cliff hanger, but I think it'd be better read as a series.
I loved the characters! I loved how Sloane came across as just a normal teenage girl who had been through a traumatic experience. I felt that her vulnerability made her even more lovable. I also really liked James. I loved how he wanted to protect Sloane from everything. It was very evident how much James and Sloane loved each other. The only character I didn't really care for was Realm. It's not that he wasn't well written because he was. It was just that I never really felt like I could trust Realm. There's just something about him.
The dialogue was fantastic and fit in well with a young adult novel. I loved reading the dialogue between Sloane and James the best. There are innocent mentions of sex although not many. There's also some swearing and some violence, but nothing over the top.
Overall, The Program by Suzanne Young is an original story that has fantastic world building, great characters, and hits close to home. I've already bought the next book in the series.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who are after a book with an original story line and want a thrilling read.
(I purchased this book in paperback format through Amazon with my own money. I was not required to review this book).
Alice (12 KP) rated Skullsworn (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne #0.5) in Books
Jul 3, 2018
<i>Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review</i>
<i>Skullsworn</i> was the first book by Brian Staveley that I’ve read and it has made me want to read his others for definite - I’ve got the <i>Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne</i> already lined up but this review is about Skullsworn. From what I’ve gathered over the internet this is a standalone prequel to the Chronicles as the main character Pyrre is featured in the original trilogy.
Skullsworn follows Pyrre, a priestess-in-training to the god Ananshael, a god of death. The whole concept of the story is Pyrre’s Trial to become a fully-fledged priestess of Ananshael – she has to kill 7 people in 14 days, all of whom are tied to a song including “the one you love/who will not come again.” Failure to complete all seven deaths will result in her own death at the hands of her two witnesses Ela and Kossal.
I’m going to on about Ela and Kossal for a little bit here – Ela is an incredibly motivated, true-believer in life, love and death, skilled fighter and devout priestess of her faith to her God; she’s comfortbale with all levels of intimacy and she has got a laidback view of everything which is in stark contrast to her counterpart Kossal – an aging priest with stooped shoulders and a gruff demeanour who says what he means and means what he says; he plays his flute to stop himself from killing patrons but gets irritated at their applause – it’s a catch 22 like no other. The two of these together shouldn’t work in any way, shape or form but Brian Staveley has made it work to greatness.
Pyrre’s story is one of conflict all throughout and her biggest road block is going to be that she’s never been in love. She travels back to Dombang in order to try to fall in love with Ruc Lan Lac who becomes her target – a pit fighter from her past who has been given command of the Greenshirts by the Annurian leaders. He’s a staunch disbeliever in all things myth and legend and has no patience for spiritual leanings and prefers to focus on the reality of any situation.
Pyrre doesn’t feel that she is worthy of being a priestess of Ananshael but her journey to Dombang from Rassumbur and through the Trial shows that really, she is. We get a big blast from the past in that Pyrre recounts her first meeting with Ruc Lan Lac to Ela who finds great joy in teasing Pyrre mercilessly about the situation and about her supposed inability to love.
The writing style is perfectly bleak but brilliantly enjoyable with great humour in the banter between Ela and Kossal but they’ve also got a great dryness to their humour which gives a stark contrast. The descriptions of the delta and the Csestriim and Nevariim were full of otherworldly fear and ancient horrors, a dark fantasy of epic proportions!
The ending had twists and turns that I didn’t expect in the slightest, gave Skullsworn a perfect ending and it has made me want to get into the world of The Annurian Empire even more; the epilogue was fantastic!
Expertly written and highly recommended.
<i>Skullsworn</i> was the first book by Brian Staveley that I’ve read and it has made me want to read his others for definite - I’ve got the <i>Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne</i> already lined up but this review is about Skullsworn. From what I’ve gathered over the internet this is a standalone prequel to the Chronicles as the main character Pyrre is featured in the original trilogy.
Skullsworn follows Pyrre, a priestess-in-training to the god Ananshael, a god of death. The whole concept of the story is Pyrre’s Trial to become a fully-fledged priestess of Ananshael – she has to kill 7 people in 14 days, all of whom are tied to a song including “the one you love/who will not come again.” Failure to complete all seven deaths will result in her own death at the hands of her two witnesses Ela and Kossal.
I’m going to on about Ela and Kossal for a little bit here – Ela is an incredibly motivated, true-believer in life, love and death, skilled fighter and devout priestess of her faith to her God; she’s comfortbale with all levels of intimacy and she has got a laidback view of everything which is in stark contrast to her counterpart Kossal – an aging priest with stooped shoulders and a gruff demeanour who says what he means and means what he says; he plays his flute to stop himself from killing patrons but gets irritated at their applause – it’s a catch 22 like no other. The two of these together shouldn’t work in any way, shape or form but Brian Staveley has made it work to greatness.
Pyrre’s story is one of conflict all throughout and her biggest road block is going to be that she’s never been in love. She travels back to Dombang in order to try to fall in love with Ruc Lan Lac who becomes her target – a pit fighter from her past who has been given command of the Greenshirts by the Annurian leaders. He’s a staunch disbeliever in all things myth and legend and has no patience for spiritual leanings and prefers to focus on the reality of any situation.
Pyrre doesn’t feel that she is worthy of being a priestess of Ananshael but her journey to Dombang from Rassumbur and through the Trial shows that really, she is. We get a big blast from the past in that Pyrre recounts her first meeting with Ruc Lan Lac to Ela who finds great joy in teasing Pyrre mercilessly about the situation and about her supposed inability to love.
The writing style is perfectly bleak but brilliantly enjoyable with great humour in the banter between Ela and Kossal but they’ve also got a great dryness to their humour which gives a stark contrast. The descriptions of the delta and the Csestriim and Nevariim were full of otherworldly fear and ancient horrors, a dark fantasy of epic proportions!
The ending had twists and turns that I didn’t expect in the slightest, gave Skullsworn a perfect ending and it has made me want to get into the world of The Annurian Empire even more; the epilogue was fantastic!
Expertly written and highly recommended.
Justin Taylor (59 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies
Oct 29, 2018
The action pieces were kinda on point (4 more)
Of course the Rock kills it as usual and brings his a game or at least tries his best
The trio of Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black are the best things about this movie
It does something original with the source material
A good movie to sit down and eat popcorn to
Although this is a sequel to Jumanji yeah in case y'all didn't know it's a sequel and outside of a couple of references including a name-drop of Robin Williams character from the original it has nothing to do with the first (2 more)
Also basic plot getting sucked into a video game which is a plot that we have seen in Many other things (Spy Kids, Tron and fairly odd parents to name a few) and while it does it in a fresh way at the end of the day it's the exact same plot from the first
The villain is pretty much meh but if u like Jumanji I think you probably have no problem with him
Jumanji was passable
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ok this movie ain't perfect but it did do it's purpose and I personally thought it wasn't bad,
Too be honest I wasn't crazy about a Jumanji sequel especially after the late great Robin Williams passed away. But they did some things good and some things not so good so I'll start with the good first
1. It does something fresh with the original so in case you haven't seen it spoiler warning the board game we all know and love turned into a video game which is something I was kinda expecting but I wasn't surprised and it was nice seeing it getting updated for a new generation
2. The characters in the Jumanji world are hilariously entertaining with props particularly to Karen Gillan and Jack Black..they bring it in this movie and they had me laughing my butt off. Not totally saying that the Rock and Kevin Hart weren't funny either but they all are great
3 the action sequences are awesomely executed and exciting as it should be. Nothing more to say.
Now for the bad
1. Elephant in the room, the plot, ok so getting stuck in a video game is something that's been done to death but they do something creative with it but at the end of the day it's the exact same plot of the first movie.
2. The villains pretty much meh, he's your standard I'm gonna take what I want and no one can stop me type villain and yes in case your wondering his last name is van pelt.
3. Speaking of homages to the first movie don't expect too much outside of a couple of references including a name drop of Williams character from the original movie it has nothing to do with the first movie so it's like a standalone sequel and a soft reboot which means the events of the original still exist but they're pretty much making some retcons.
Overall I didn't hate this movie, I laughed at anything but I think if u take ur nostalgia glasses off and watch it with a new point of view youll enjoy it also this movie did something right because its getting a sequel next year
Too be honest I wasn't crazy about a Jumanji sequel especially after the late great Robin Williams passed away. But they did some things good and some things not so good so I'll start with the good first
1. It does something fresh with the original so in case you haven't seen it spoiler warning the board game we all know and love turned into a video game which is something I was kinda expecting but I wasn't surprised and it was nice seeing it getting updated for a new generation
2. The characters in the Jumanji world are hilariously entertaining with props particularly to Karen Gillan and Jack Black..they bring it in this movie and they had me laughing my butt off. Not totally saying that the Rock and Kevin Hart weren't funny either but they all are great
3 the action sequences are awesomely executed and exciting as it should be. Nothing more to say.
Now for the bad
1. Elephant in the room, the plot, ok so getting stuck in a video game is something that's been done to death but they do something creative with it but at the end of the day it's the exact same plot of the first movie.
2. The villains pretty much meh, he's your standard I'm gonna take what I want and no one can stop me type villain and yes in case your wondering his last name is van pelt.
3. Speaking of homages to the first movie don't expect too much outside of a couple of references including a name drop of Williams character from the original movie it has nothing to do with the first movie so it's like a standalone sequel and a soft reboot which means the events of the original still exist but they're pretty much making some retcons.
Overall I didn't hate this movie, I laughed at anything but I think if u take ur nostalgia glasses off and watch it with a new point of view youll enjoy it also this movie did something right because its getting a sequel next year
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Violence always gets results.” But at what cost? Victoria Sadler’s dystopian novel <i>Darkness</i> explores and all too realistic scenario set in a not so distant future. The western world has fallen due to war and economic collapse. London has become a ghost city due to the death of thousands of people. Those not killed by bombs or deadly virus succumb to suicide or death by natural causes – if the cold and starvation can be labeled natural.
Laura Lewis is the sole survivor in her block of flats and now needs to make her way through the dangerous streets to St Paul’s Cathedral where what remains of the State will provide her with safety. However before she reaches her final destination she is ambushed by an army of women, a threat to the nation, known as RAZR – Resistance Against State Reformation. Jane, the leader of the resistance, believes she has saved Laura from a fate worse than death. But, as Laura discovers, RAZR may result in an even crueler future.
RAZR was born from a hatred of men, a guerilla feminist movement seizing the opportunity to obliterate the patriarchal society. Since the beginning of time men have oppressed women, regarding them as possessions with which they can do as they please. Despite the apparent equality achieved through past protests, the government, i.e. men, still control the lives of women. RAZR particularly focus on women’s rights to their own body, and are angry at the State’s current use for women: to procreate.
<i>Darkness</i> is full of radical violence, often ending in the mass death of male soldiers. With barely a break to take a breath, the narrative goes from one action scene to the next, heightening the excitement as the novel reaches its climax. As the reader learns more about RAZR and the State, opinions are constantly changed. Who is good, who is bad? Who can Laura trust? Then, to confuse things even more, Laura is not who she initially appears to be at all.
The amount of violence in this novel is disturbing, particularly as the majority of deaths are caused without guilty conscience. <i>Darkness</i> highlights the horrors of war and the wild nature of humanity. Without men and women being able to live in harmony there is no peace, on the other hand, complete equality is not possible. Furthermore, are RAZR feminists or terrorists? It is an obvious fact that the human race cannot survive with merely one gender of the species, so is RAZR doing more harm than good by fatally punishing all men?
Overall, <i>Darkness</i> poses more questions than it answers, yet it is such a griping novel. Women, particularly feminists will enjoy the powerful messages expressed by RAZR, but equally, readers will understand Laura’s hesitation. With so many plot twists to get your head around, you will never get bored of this story. With such an ambiguous ending, it is unclear whether <i>Darkness</i> will remain a standalone novel, or be continued with a sequel. Whatever the case, it will be interesting to read what the feminist, Victoria Sadler, comes up with next.
“Violence always gets results.” But at what cost? Victoria Sadler’s dystopian novel <i>Darkness</i> explores and all too realistic scenario set in a not so distant future. The western world has fallen due to war and economic collapse. London has become a ghost city due to the death of thousands of people. Those not killed by bombs or deadly virus succumb to suicide or death by natural causes – if the cold and starvation can be labeled natural.
Laura Lewis is the sole survivor in her block of flats and now needs to make her way through the dangerous streets to St Paul’s Cathedral where what remains of the State will provide her with safety. However before she reaches her final destination she is ambushed by an army of women, a threat to the nation, known as RAZR – Resistance Against State Reformation. Jane, the leader of the resistance, believes she has saved Laura from a fate worse than death. But, as Laura discovers, RAZR may result in an even crueler future.
RAZR was born from a hatred of men, a guerilla feminist movement seizing the opportunity to obliterate the patriarchal society. Since the beginning of time men have oppressed women, regarding them as possessions with which they can do as they please. Despite the apparent equality achieved through past protests, the government, i.e. men, still control the lives of women. RAZR particularly focus on women’s rights to their own body, and are angry at the State’s current use for women: to procreate.
<i>Darkness</i> is full of radical violence, often ending in the mass death of male soldiers. With barely a break to take a breath, the narrative goes from one action scene to the next, heightening the excitement as the novel reaches its climax. As the reader learns more about RAZR and the State, opinions are constantly changed. Who is good, who is bad? Who can Laura trust? Then, to confuse things even more, Laura is not who she initially appears to be at all.
The amount of violence in this novel is disturbing, particularly as the majority of deaths are caused without guilty conscience. <i>Darkness</i> highlights the horrors of war and the wild nature of humanity. Without men and women being able to live in harmony there is no peace, on the other hand, complete equality is not possible. Furthermore, are RAZR feminists or terrorists? It is an obvious fact that the human race cannot survive with merely one gender of the species, so is RAZR doing more harm than good by fatally punishing all men?
Overall, <i>Darkness</i> poses more questions than it answers, yet it is such a griping novel. Women, particularly feminists will enjoy the powerful messages expressed by RAZR, but equally, readers will understand Laura’s hesitation. With so many plot twists to get your head around, you will never get bored of this story. With such an ambiguous ending, it is unclear whether <i>Darkness</i> will remain a standalone novel, or be continued with a sequel. Whatever the case, it will be interesting to read what the feminist, Victoria Sadler, comes up with next.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Bad Boys for Life (2020) in Movies
Jan 20, 2020
The first Bad Boys movie came out in 1995, with the second arriving in 2003. So, 17 years on and these Miami bad boys are sure to be showing signs of age, following a career of fast cars and extreme action. Thankfully, Bad Boys for Life acknowledges that fact, even if we do get to hear the phrase "we're getting too old for this shit", or variations of, on many occasions throughout. Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is becoming a grandfather, keen to move on from being a bad boy in order to try and become a "good man" instead. Meanwhile, Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) isn't quite there just yet, continuing to try and live his shallow bad boy life at full throttle, dying his greying goatee beard in denial. When Mike becomes the target for a badass Mexican drug-lord (Kate del Castillo) and her ruthless son, his past comes back to haunt him and both boys have no choice but to get back together in order to take down the bad guys one last time.
OK, full disclaimer - I haven't seen Bad Boys and I haven't seen Bad Boys II. I probably wouldn't have been concerned about seeing this third installment either if I'm honest, but I found myself with a couple of hours to kill in London over the weekend, with Bad Boys for Life being literally the only movie that I hadn't seen which was showing at a convenient time. General opinion online so far seems to be that this is a fairly decent entry into the franchise though, and not necessarily something where you needed to have seen the previous movies in order to enjoy, so I decided to give it a shot. Consequently, there may be things about this movie that fans of the series will be happy to see or that they will be disappointed to see, but which I can't really comment on. I was heading into this like it was a standalone movie.
So, with Burnett trying to adjust to a life of relaxation at home, getting under his wife's feet in the process, it's up to Lowrey to tackle the assassin threat. However, due to him being one of their targets, he's forced to join the AMMO squad as a consultant. AMMO are Miami PD's elite team, utilising technology to track and monitor high-profile criminals, and the majority of the team are all considerably younger than Lowrey too. To them, Lowrey is just the old man that would rather shoot first and ask questions later, and it's not long before a frustrated Lowrey is disobeying orders, taking charge and introducing the team to some of his Bad Boy ways.
As far as buddy cop action movies go, Bad Boys for Life was an absolute blast. I've seen reviewers negatively describe the impact that Michael Bay had on the last Bad Boys movie with his over the top action mayhem style of film making. However, this time around, new co-directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi are in charge (although Bay does have a small cameo in the movie!) and while the action is still frenetic at times, it's also a lot more coherent too. The pacing in Bad Boys for Life felt spot on and with a good mix of humour, some decent villains and some fast paced inventive action that you can actually follow, it all makes for an enjoyable ride.
OK, full disclaimer - I haven't seen Bad Boys and I haven't seen Bad Boys II. I probably wouldn't have been concerned about seeing this third installment either if I'm honest, but I found myself with a couple of hours to kill in London over the weekend, with Bad Boys for Life being literally the only movie that I hadn't seen which was showing at a convenient time. General opinion online so far seems to be that this is a fairly decent entry into the franchise though, and not necessarily something where you needed to have seen the previous movies in order to enjoy, so I decided to give it a shot. Consequently, there may be things about this movie that fans of the series will be happy to see or that they will be disappointed to see, but which I can't really comment on. I was heading into this like it was a standalone movie.
So, with Burnett trying to adjust to a life of relaxation at home, getting under his wife's feet in the process, it's up to Lowrey to tackle the assassin threat. However, due to him being one of their targets, he's forced to join the AMMO squad as a consultant. AMMO are Miami PD's elite team, utilising technology to track and monitor high-profile criminals, and the majority of the team are all considerably younger than Lowrey too. To them, Lowrey is just the old man that would rather shoot first and ask questions later, and it's not long before a frustrated Lowrey is disobeying orders, taking charge and introducing the team to some of his Bad Boy ways.
As far as buddy cop action movies go, Bad Boys for Life was an absolute blast. I've seen reviewers negatively describe the impact that Michael Bay had on the last Bad Boys movie with his over the top action mayhem style of film making. However, this time around, new co-directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi are in charge (although Bay does have a small cameo in the movie!) and while the action is still frenetic at times, it's also a lot more coherent too. The pacing in Bad Boys for Life felt spot on and with a good mix of humour, some decent villains and some fast paced inventive action that you can actually follow, it all makes for an enjoyable ride.
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