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Mr Mercedes
Mr Mercedes
Stephen King | 2015 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
10
8.5 (28 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've been a Stephen King fan since sixth grade, when my father let me borrow his copy of Salem's Lot. The most recent book of his I read was the final book in The Dark Tower, and I was less than impressed with it: The Dark Tower felt largely forced to me, and was such a dragging bore that it took me several months to finally get through it -- which I found to be extremely disappointing. That said, Mr. Mercedes was a nice reminder as to why I love King as a writer: his passion for his craft bleeds through the pages of this book.

Mr. Mercedes is the first book in Stephen King's Bill Hodges Trilogy, and it is by far among the best books that I've read as of late. Set in the Midwest, which was a nice change for King's books, Mr. Mercedes begins with a crime against the poor. A group of unemployed jobseekers lined up outside in hopes of landing employment are mowed down by a deranged man behind the wheel of a Mercedes. In the aftermath, he escapes, leaving behind eight dead and several more wounded. Among the dead are a mother and her infant child. Detective Bill Hodges later retires, with no success at discovering who was responsible for the murder. The killer, dubbed Mr. Mercedes, isn't done though; and so, King takes readers on a wild race against time in a desperate attempt to keep the killer from completing his next act of domestic terrorism.

King has a penchant for creating characters that range from the truly good to the entirely depraved, and he has a knack for writing them in a manner so thorough as to leave the reader disgusted. In Mr. Mercedes, I was thrilled to find myself once again encountering a character whose point of view was utterly revolting. Brady Hartsfield is a character I loved to hate, and King does an excellent job of writing from his point-of-view. In complete contrast, Bill Hodges and his team of unqualified partners are good, upstanding (for the most part) citizens that sate the need for a "hero" with little to be left for wanting.

One of the things King does well in his books is foreshadowing, and Mr. Mercedes is no exception. When something bad is going to happen, King says so: only things don't happen the way you expect them to. In Mr. Mercedes, this creates a constant feeling of dread, a constant expectation that certain things will, undoubtedly, happen, and that it is only a matter of when and how. Every page is filled with anticipation of the next big event, some of which bring utter horror while others brought with them tears.

Needless to say, I don't really have any complaints about this read; it was worth the wait. Now, I just have to wait for my turn with Finders Keepers. I'm excited to see how this trilogy continues!
  
Doctor Strange (2016)
Doctor Strange (2016)
2016 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Benedict cumberbatch as Doctor strange Tilda swinton as the ancient one Rest of the cast are good The trippy visuals The action sequences are cool (0 more)
Villains are underwhelming Plot can be a bit formulaic (0 more)
"Try me Beyoncé"
The 14th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe marks the arrival of yet another avenger into the already crowded Marvel family while also bringing mystic arts & alternate dimensions into its ever-expanding universe. But even though it offers a kaleidoscopic journey through astral realms, infinite realities & spacetime contortions, it isn't entirely different from the norm.

Doctor Strange tells the story of Stephen Strange, a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon who loses the use of his hands after a car accident, spends all his money on experimental surgeries to regain his abilities, and travels east for a last resort treatment where he meets a powerful sorcerer who teaches him ways to harness energy & shape realities through the mystic arts.

Co-written & directed by Scott Derrickson (best known for The Exorcism of Emily Rose & Sinister), Doctor Strange marks his first stint with comic book movies and while he succeeds in delivering a sufficiently entertaining blockbuster, his latest suffers from the same issues that marred his earlier works as Derrickson begins this story on a promising note but once again loses his grip in the middle.

The screenplay features a universe that's full of imaginations & possibilities yet beneath its parallel universes, time manipulation & astral projections lies the same generic storyline following the same predictable route that we all have seen many times before. What's interesting, however, is how the arc of the eponymous character is handled, for Stephen Strange remains an intriguing character at all times.

Production Design team chips in with set pieces that brim with mystical qualities while props such as ancient artefacts & antiquated relics provide added details to the desired spiritual environment. Camerawork is fine, Editing gets carried away by letting numerous CGI-infested moments overstay their welcome due to which it feels longer than it should. And Michael Giacchino contributes with a score that's fitting yet not enthralling.

Coming to the acting department, the film features a talented ensemble in Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen & Tilda Swinton. Cumberbatch as Strange is pitch-perfect casting and does total justice to his role by depicting his stubbornness, arrogance & ambition with precision while Swinton steals nearly every scene she's in. But the main highlight of this film is its shape-shifting & eye-popping visual effects.

On an overall scale, Doctor Strange does serve its purpose by delivering an entertaining, amusing & serviceable origin story but it isn't impressive enough to garner a spot amongst Marvel's finest features. Travelling a safe, risk-free route & sugarcoated with trippy, hallucinatory visuals, it is a typical fun-filled extravaganza that we've come to expect from Marvel Studios and is another enjoyable addition to their ever-inflating repertoire. Definitely worth a shot.
  
Gwendy's Button Box
Gwendy's Button Box
Stephen King, Richard Chizmar | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.8 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Interesting Plot (2 more)
Great Characters
An Easy Read
A Nice Short Read
I was on the hunt for my next great read from my local library. While browsing the books, I came across Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. The synopsis definitely caught my attention. I'm glad I found this book because I loved it! I also loved the illustrations peppered throughout the book.

The pacing for Gwendy's Button Box was spot on. It flowed at such a nice even pace. Not once did I find myself becoming too bored or wondering what had just happened.

The world building and plot are written superbly. This is a short read, and all of the chapters are short as well. However, the plot is still strong and told in a way that answered all my questions. The world building is believable, and I found myself wanting a button box but also wondering if I'd want all that responsibility. The plot is as follows. Gwendy, an overweight 12 year old is tired of being made fun of because of her size. One day while exercising, she encounters a man in a black hat. He gives her a box with button on top. It is not a normal box though. It seems to have powers. Before long, Gwendy is popular, thin, beautiful, and everything is going swimmingly for her. In time, events start to happen that make her think the box isn't all it's cracked up to be. Gwendy is left wondering what life would have been like without the box, and she comes to resent it. Will Gwendy be able to live life without the box after it's done so much for her?

Gwendy's Button Box focuses mainly on the titular character. We get to see her starting out as a 12 year old, and we read about her growing up throughout the years. I loved Gwendy, and I loved her thought process and how curious she was about the box. It was interesting seeing the change in her through the years and how she matured. I found her to be fleshed out well enough to be enjoyable to read about. The minor characters mentioned throughout the book are also well written, and each adds something to the story however minor. I enjoyed Mr. Farris. I still can't figure out his motives for giving Gwendy the button box or where he came from, but I believe that's the beauty of Gwendy's Button Box. It does leave it up for speculation on purpose.

Trigger warnings for Gwendy's Button Box include swearing (although not much), violence, attempted rape (though not graphic), mentions of nudity, and murder.

Overall, Gwendy's Button Box is a short yet interesting read. It held my attention throughout and was very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar to everyone aged 16+.
  
The Black Phone (2022)
The Black Phone (2022)
2022 | Horror, Thriller
8
7.8 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Tense and Suspenseful
Part STRANGER THINGS and Part IT, the new Blumhouse film, THE BLACK PHONE, is a surprisingly effective horror/thriller that is reminiscent of the better Stephen King stories - and that just might be because the short story for which this film is based on is written by Joe Hill - Stephen King’s son.

Wisely set in a time before cell phones (like both Stranger Things and It), THE BLACK PHONE tells the tale of a small town in Colorado that suddenly falls victim to “THE GRABBER” - an individual who grabs young teenage boys and kills them.

Smartly Directed by Scott Derrickson (the first DOCTOR STRANGE film), THE BLACK PHONE is effective for it focuses on the isolation of being in captivity, the anxiety of not knowing when someone is going to come through the door of the cell and the relationships of the young teens caught in “The Grabber’s” web. Credit for this, of course, goes to Derrickson who dropped out of Directing DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (over “creative differences”) and chose this passion project as his salve - and the passion shows. It must also be pointed out that Derrickson, wisely, opts to up the tension of this film, rather than the gore, so this movie becomes a suspense flick and not torture-porn.

Derrickson also draws very good performances from the young actors playing the main roles of this film - Mason Thames (Finney), Madeleine McGraw (Gwen), Tristan Pravong (Bruce), Jacob Moran (Billy) and Miguel Cazarez Mora (Robin). All are believable in their well written roles bringing more than just one-dimension to their characters.

These kids are more than ably joined by adult actors like James Ransone (IT: CHAPTER TWO), Jeremy Davies (TV’s LOST) and E. Roger Mitchell (OUTER BANKS). All of these folks bring gravitas and reality to a story that does drift into the un-reality at times.

And then there is the performance of the always good Ethan Hawke as the villain of this piece - THE GRABBER. It is a masterful performance by Hawke who brings humanity to this monster. Almost every actor that plays a villain say that they try to see the film from the villain’s point of view and Hawke brings that to this character in spades and (almost) makes one want to root for him. It is one of the better villains realized on film in the last few years.

One quibble with The Black Phone, is that it does have a tendency to sag a bit (especially in the middle). It is in the middle of the film that one can tell that this movie was based on a SHORT story and so, by necessity, there is some padding.

But that is picking a nit in what is a smart and tense film, one that will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Final Girls
Final Girls
Riley Sager | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.0 (26 Ratings)
Book Rating
Final Girls by Riley Sager is yet another title with far too much hype, much to my chagrin. I expect thrillers to have a bit more of an edge to them, but this book is more of a slow simmer. Much of the guessing is conveniently cut out by the blurb which I feel to be more of a spoiler than most reviews.

The story focuses on Quincy’s day to day life, then her struggles with Sam when she shows up to disrupt Quincy’s lifestyle in the wake of Lisa’s death. During this time period, flashbacks riddle Final Girls. This element is one I hoped to find exciting, but it only serves the purpose of helping the story drag dreadfully.

In some ways, I think Final Girls tries too hard to be something it isn’t. I’m aware many readers devoured this book and even my idol, Stephen King, sings its praises, but it simply doesn’t sate my own hunger. There’s too much left wanting and far too many things that seem to be more for the sake of convenience. I also felt there are loose ends that were never truly wrapped up – such as the manipulation of Quincy’s mind. I definitely would not categorize this as horror.

I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. My review is unbiased and written freely of my own will.
  
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Leila (5 KP) rated Elevation in Books

Feb 3, 2019 (Updated Feb 3, 2019)  
Elevation
Elevation
Stephen King | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
7.2 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
Storyline (1 more)
Characters
Short! (0 more)
Short but Worth the Read!
Being an avid King fan, I could not wait to read his latest novel, Elevation, and was a bit dismayed by the brevity. Upon starting the first chapter, however, I quickly realized that King had once again duped me into thinking he was only capable of writing long, winding novels (I've been duped before by his short story books and by Joyland) and I was pleasantly entertained from the first word to the last.
  Elevation is set in a small town, like most of King's stories, one which gives off the air of being both a town to love and one to avoid on a family trip; it has the small town charm we all look for but comes with the small town bigotry as well. Our main character is a long-time resident with an already established problem of which there seems to be no cure and a rocky relationship with his neighbors, one that has a profound effect on his future. King manages to pull his reader in from first page and attach you to his characters, and not just the protagonist but the supporting cast as well, in a way that will leave you desperately wishing there were just a few more pages.
  All in all, Elevation is another Stephen King that should not be passed up, filled with a strong central message about how we view the world and the people in it.
  
Audible – audio books, original series & podcasts
Book, Entertainment
9
8.3 (48 Ratings)
App Rating
Choice of books (2 more)
Frequent 2 for 1 offers
Stephen Fry Narration
Some narrators (1 more)
Some books in a series are missing
Too many books, not enough time...
What can I say about Audible that hasn't been mentioned in other reviews? Probably nothing ?

I live near London and unfortunately the commute is hell, reading makes the commute go faster but with train carriages packed like cattle you can't really turn the pages of a book. This is where Audible comes in, you can unobtrusively listen to books that you may be embarrassed to show others that you are reading (eg The Very Hungry Caterpillar)

This isn't the only thing, you also get the options to listen to Audible specific Audio Shows like Frys English Delights and How Not to F**k up your kids, these are free for subscribers and pro ide a nice 30 minute piece of escapism.

Some Kindle Books come whispersync enabled which gives you an Audible copy of the book, sometimes cheaper than buying the audio book individually.

I also have the Audible app on my Fire Stick and with the sleep timer you can easily fall asleep listening to a well narrated piece of work.


Now the cons...
Not all narrators are actually good to listen to, Unfortunately it would take too much time to get more recorded and taking into account their schedules.
Some series are incomplete and it does not look they will be recorded sometime soon (Julian May, Many Coloured Land)
  
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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated It (2017) in Movies

Jan 16, 2018 (Updated Jan 16, 2018)  
It (2017)
It (2017)
2017 | Drama, Horror
7
7.9 (355 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise (1 more)
Child actors
Not scary (0 more)
Unlike the original, scares a little overhyped
I had a lot of expectations going in to watch this remake of a classic. But I'm a little disappointed to be honest.

Unlike the original, this film solely concentrates on the cast as they were children, and there are no scenes of them as adults replaying their pasts. However, it is apparent that there will be a second part, as the kids mention their pact to reunite if the clown ever makes another appearance. In this way, they have changed Stephen King's book, but I'm not sure if it's for the better. One of the gifts of King horrors are the actual plots and storylines that run through them. Here, it actually felt like a slightly scarier version of @Stranger Things with even an actor from the series landing one of the main roles in this film.

On the upside, there were plenty of nods to the original movie, with Tim Curry's clown making a cameo in one of the scenes. Bill Skarsgard's version was just as good as Curry's but the downside was that there was too many scenes with him making an appearance losing the scare factor. Sometimes less is more. The child actors were fantastic, and the back stories were far darker, exposing abuse in its many forms. Overall, it was an interesting watch, but it may have been overhyped.
  
DO
Dawn of Destiny (Epic, #1)
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Dawn of Destiny by Lee Stephen + Giveaway This tell a story about Scott Remington. He seem determine to help all his comrades. Though most of his bosses think he can not be jumping ranks. He win an award after only one mission. He seem to let his buddies do what they do. He makes some really good friends in Richmond.
 
He battles with his fiancee over the phone when she calls. Though he tries to calm her, he hangs up and says he will call later. When she find out he was in the mission, She freaks out. Scott befriends a sniper, several comrades.
 
This book has action though out the book. Scott and three comrades get transferred to Russia. They seem to find new friends. Though he is though first fight. They all think Scott is their for Glory. Do they learn that he does not like being there. They go on mission, They find out about one thing that is not fair. They are attacked.
 
There one surprise that I can not want to tell you about. It would spoil the end. If you enjoy Action and Adventures then this is a book for you. Dawn of Destiny is really well written and a filled with Action on every turn. Who will win this battle?  His bosses want him to show he deserve this new rank. What to happen next, I can not wait to read the next book.