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Charlotte (184 KP) rated Have You Seen Me? in Books
Oct 5, 2021 (Updated Oct 5, 2021)
A suspense filled hit!
A quality, young adult, read that will have you on the edge of your seat.
I had my suspicions on who commited the crimes, I second guessed myself......then third guessed and then decided my first choice was right. The clues are well placed and you can't help but try to solve the mystery before the end.
Speaking of the ending, I'm spying the possibility of, at the very least, a cheeky novella for a sequel. Why? Because there's a kind of cliff hanger/question left unanswered and I NEED to get the answer!! So pretty please Alexandra Weis.......
As far as characters go I really like Aubrey LaRoux, she's our main female and is a pleasure to get to know. She's been where her students are and has that first hand experience to help guide them.
Her students are an unlikely group of misfits, each with their own quirks and oddities. Generally they are fairly likeable, mainly as you get to know them more.
Sheriff Mason Dubois is a hot, strong and capable man. He has southern charm and a stubborn streak that pairs well with the headmistress' blunt, uncooperative and rude personality.
As far as I'm concerned, Have You Seen Me? is a gripping horror/thriller that will have you hooked from the start. It is a young adult plus read, ideal for keeping your imagination going.
@Merissa
A quality, young adult, read that will have you on the edge of your seat.
I had my suspicions on who commited the crimes, I second guessed myself......then third guessed and then decided my first choice was right. The clues are well placed and you can't help but try to solve the mystery before the end.
Speaking of the ending, I'm spying the possibility of, at the very least, a cheeky novella for a sequel. Why? Because there's a kind of cliff hanger/question left unanswered and I NEED to get the answer!! So pretty please Alexandra Weis.......
As far as characters go I really like Aubrey LaRoux, she's our main female and is a pleasure to get to know. She's been where her students are and has that first hand experience to help guide them.
Her students are an unlikely group of misfits, each with their own quirks and oddities. Generally they are fairly likeable, mainly as you get to know them more.
Sheriff Mason Dubois is a hot, strong and capable man. He has southern charm and a stubborn streak that pairs well with the headmistress' blunt, uncooperative and rude personality.
As far as I'm concerned, Have You Seen Me? is a gripping horror/thriller that will have you hooked from the start. It is a young adult plus read, ideal for keeping your imagination going.
@Merissa
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Lost Ones (Detective Jackie Cooke #1) in Books
Jun 21, 2022
Contains spoilers, click to show
Oh my goodness ... what a cracker of an opener to a new series!
There is so much to like about this book - the characters, the plot, the pace, the twists, the back-stories, the inventiveness of the murders, the writing style - pretty much all of it to be honest which made this a particularly hard book to put down. Luckily, I was on holiday so didn't have the usual work and life distractions so was able to devour the pages at my leisure.
Jackie is a strong, female character; she might be heavily pregnant, the mother of twin boys, with a musician for a husband, her mother living in her basement and a boss that clearly doesn't like her but she doesn't let these hold her back or prevent her and her team from investigating what is a horrific set of murders.
The book is packed full of tension, secrets, lies and the twists and turns and the scenes of peril just keep coming. A warning here though, the descriptions of the murders are quite graphic so if you don't like to read that sort of thing, you might want to skip over those bits.
My verdict - an excellent new series to get my teeth into and I can't wait to see what happens next with Jackie and her team and I must give my thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Lost Ones and to share my thoughts.
There is so much to like about this book - the characters, the plot, the pace, the twists, the back-stories, the inventiveness of the murders, the writing style - pretty much all of it to be honest which made this a particularly hard book to put down. Luckily, I was on holiday so didn't have the usual work and life distractions so was able to devour the pages at my leisure.
Jackie is a strong, female character; she might be heavily pregnant, the mother of twin boys, with a musician for a husband, her mother living in her basement and a boss that clearly doesn't like her but she doesn't let these hold her back or prevent her and her team from investigating what is a horrific set of murders.
The book is packed full of tension, secrets, lies and the twists and turns and the scenes of peril just keep coming. A warning here though, the descriptions of the murders are quite graphic so if you don't like to read that sort of thing, you might want to skip over those bits.
My verdict - an excellent new series to get my teeth into and I can't wait to see what happens next with Jackie and her team and I must give my thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Lost Ones and to share my thoughts.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Graceling in Books
Sep 28, 2022
175 of 230
Book
Graceling ( Graceling Realm book 1)
Kristin Cashore
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight--she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.
I really enjoyed this book. It was one of those that when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about. If I had one thing that put me off a bit is that some bots are really long drawn out. Even still I really liked it. Katsa is a strong female character and I’m glad she sticks to her guns. Looking forward to book 2!
Book
Graceling ( Graceling Realm book 1)
Kristin Cashore
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight--she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.
I really enjoyed this book. It was one of those that when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about. If I had one thing that put me off a bit is that some bots are really long drawn out. Even still I really liked it. Katsa is a strong female character and I’m glad she sticks to her guns. Looking forward to book 2!
LucyB (47 KP) rated Red Sister in Books
Jul 23, 2017
Novel idea, plus a fabulous main character
Killer nuns, hidden powers and secrets aplenty - a fascinating read.
If ever there was a book which I'm not quite sure what to make of, it's this one. I saw all the rave reviews on Goodreads for it, and whilst I think they are well-deserved (the guy can write!), I'm not sure I actually loved this book as much as everyone else. Enjoyed? Yes. Respected? Hugely. But something didn't quite resonate with me on a personal level.
However, as far as storylines go, this book's got it going on. Nona, a tiny, angry-looking girl, finds herself rescued from a hanging and taken to a nunnery, where she learns the fine arts of how to be a bad-ass. So far, so perfect. Indeed, Nona is very much the strength of this story. Fierce, reserved, downright ruthless at times - she's a compelling protagonist, and one you cannot help wanting to know more about. The supporting cast are likewise strong - the untrustworthy Clera, the faithful Hessa, rich-girl Ara - they were all beautifully realised.
There were moments in the book were I was hooked. I needed to know what was going to happen (love that feeling!) and raced through the pages, hungry to find out more. But then, there were sections where I felt my interest wane, though wasn't quite sure why. It ebbed and flowed for me, and that was why I personally found it a little difficult to totally commit to. It's also why it took me a little longer to read.
But, make no mistake - I'm glad I persevered. I like the prevalence of strong female characters (hurrah - note to other authors - more of this, please!), and the world-building was superb. I'll be looking forward to the next one.
If ever there was a book which I'm not quite sure what to make of, it's this one. I saw all the rave reviews on Goodreads for it, and whilst I think they are well-deserved (the guy can write!), I'm not sure I actually loved this book as much as everyone else. Enjoyed? Yes. Respected? Hugely. But something didn't quite resonate with me on a personal level.
However, as far as storylines go, this book's got it going on. Nona, a tiny, angry-looking girl, finds herself rescued from a hanging and taken to a nunnery, where she learns the fine arts of how to be a bad-ass. So far, so perfect. Indeed, Nona is very much the strength of this story. Fierce, reserved, downright ruthless at times - she's a compelling protagonist, and one you cannot help wanting to know more about. The supporting cast are likewise strong - the untrustworthy Clera, the faithful Hessa, rich-girl Ara - they were all beautifully realised.
There were moments in the book were I was hooked. I needed to know what was going to happen (love that feeling!) and raced through the pages, hungry to find out more. But then, there were sections where I felt my interest wane, though wasn't quite sure why. It ebbed and flowed for me, and that was why I personally found it a little difficult to totally commit to. It's also why it took me a little longer to read.
But, make no mistake - I'm glad I persevered. I like the prevalence of strong female characters (hurrah - note to other authors - more of this, please!), and the world-building was superb. I'll be looking forward to the next one.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated The Nines (2007) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019 (Updated Jun 22, 2019)
The Nines tells the story of Gary, Gavin, and Gabriel with each character given a specific segment in the film. The first segment tells the story of Gary, an actor who has more than a few issues. The second introduces us to Gavin as we're given a reality TV show look behind the scenes as he tries to get his show onto the air. The final segment is about Gabriel, a married man who designs video games. All of the segments are related and focus around the number 9. Discovering the truth about these characters and what they really are is what really makes the film worth watching.
I had been wanting to see this for awhile and I finally got around to seeing it today. It was actually better than I was expecting it to be. I haven't seen a film tie together multiple segments like this in a long time. Everything comes together quite well and it's pretty satisfying once all the cards are put on the table. Ryan Reynolds proves once again that his acting is quite strong and has more to him than being the casual funny man. Melissa McCarthy is also worth mentioning. She starts off being kind of irritating, but turns out being incredibly charming once the credits roll. Hope Davis was the last piece of the puzzle and is crucial to the overall story. At first, she just seems like the typical jealous and conniving female character who didn't get what she wanted. As the film progresses, however, her role becomes more interesting and it's revealed how important she is in Gary/Gavin/Gabriel's path to discovering what's really going on.
The Nines deserves a watch from anyone looking for something a little different. It'll definitely satisfy Ryan Reynolds fans and it'll probably meet or exceed what you expect from the film once it's all said and done. It surprised me quite a bit with a strong story, a great cast, and an incredibly solid script.
I had been wanting to see this for awhile and I finally got around to seeing it today. It was actually better than I was expecting it to be. I haven't seen a film tie together multiple segments like this in a long time. Everything comes together quite well and it's pretty satisfying once all the cards are put on the table. Ryan Reynolds proves once again that his acting is quite strong and has more to him than being the casual funny man. Melissa McCarthy is also worth mentioning. She starts off being kind of irritating, but turns out being incredibly charming once the credits roll. Hope Davis was the last piece of the puzzle and is crucial to the overall story. At first, she just seems like the typical jealous and conniving female character who didn't get what she wanted. As the film progresses, however, her role becomes more interesting and it's revealed how important she is in Gary/Gavin/Gabriel's path to discovering what's really going on.
The Nines deserves a watch from anyone looking for something a little different. It'll definitely satisfy Ryan Reynolds fans and it'll probably meet or exceed what you expect from the film once it's all said and done. It surprised me quite a bit with a strong story, a great cast, and an incredibly solid script.
Fred (860 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
Apr 29, 2019
Not worth your time
Let's face it, Marvel doesn't really have any female characters that can lead a movie by themselves. We are told this is the first, but yet our main character is surrounded by men & well established characters like Nick Fury & Agent Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D.
This movie was surrounded by controversy because it's star, Brie Larson, said something about the movie being for the empowerment of women & doesn't care what white men think about it. This set off white men who boycotted the movie, which didn't amount to much, since the movie was still a hit. But did it deserve it?
Okay, so when I see a movie, I quite frankly watch the movie & base my review on it. Yes, I'm a white male who should be bothered by Larson's words, but being a movie fan & a superhero movie fan, I am able to block that out & watch the movie.
So, here we go. I am a Fantastic Four fan. They have been & always will be my favorite comic book. And so, I was looking forward to finally seeing the Skrulls on film. I won't give anything away, but I'll say the Skrulls were done very well, as were the Kree. Now we've seen the Kree before in the Marvel films, but not the Skrulls. So, the movie has that going for it.
The effects to give us a young Samuel Jackson & a young Clark Gregg have been perfected. Yes, we've seen it before, but now it's not even noticeable.
Now, let's get to the movie itself. It's typical Marvel fare, starts off good, gets boring, ends with a bang. The story is quite mediocre, with no real surprises. It's set in the 90s, to try to get that nostalgia people love in today's film. But quite frankly, the 90s were not that great. The music sucked (evidenced by the horrible songs in this movie) & had nothing worth while to be nostalgic over. Yeah, you 90s kids will disagree, but don't worry, the music's only got worse since then, so at least you music is better than the last 20 years'. Now, get off my lawn, punks!
The main problem with this movie is Captain Marvel herself. Like I said, she's not a great enough character to pull off having her own movie to begin with. The character is not a strong character. Yes, she's powerful, but that's not what I mean. I mean she's not a huge comic book character. Is she as well know as let's say, Wonder Woman? Not even close. I can guarantee that most of the people who saw this movie knew little about the character. It's not Marvel's fault. See, although the new thing in movies is to have strong women in the leads, to use older comic book characters doesn't work too well. Women in the comics were hardly represented the way they are in the films of today. They were always weaker, always the damsels in distress. So when today we get the movie people saying "This female character is the strongest in the universe." or "This female character is the smartest in the universe.", it takes years of pushing aside comic book discrimination to accept that.
But okay, I can push that aside. An even bigger problem is Brie Larson herself. She is bland to say the least. We needed a strong actor to push this character in our faces & say "Yeah! She's the best! A real hero!" But, no. She's not. She doesn't even make the character interesting at all. She's a shell of a character. At the end when she's flighting & flying around & smashing things, she feels like she's a CGI puppet being pushed through the scene. There's no sense of power. I don't care about her. I'm not cheering her on, nor am I wanting her to fail. There's just nothing. When she appears in Endgame, it's the same feeling. If the main character is uninteresting, how can the movie be any good?
In the end, I'm giving this one of the lowest scores of all the Marvel films. If not for the supporting cast, which were good, I probably would have given this a 2 out of 10. This movie is unnecessary to the overall plot of the MCU. There are some good lines, good parts, but not enough to want to watch it again.
This movie was surrounded by controversy because it's star, Brie Larson, said something about the movie being for the empowerment of women & doesn't care what white men think about it. This set off white men who boycotted the movie, which didn't amount to much, since the movie was still a hit. But did it deserve it?
Okay, so when I see a movie, I quite frankly watch the movie & base my review on it. Yes, I'm a white male who should be bothered by Larson's words, but being a movie fan & a superhero movie fan, I am able to block that out & watch the movie.
So, here we go. I am a Fantastic Four fan. They have been & always will be my favorite comic book. And so, I was looking forward to finally seeing the Skrulls on film. I won't give anything away, but I'll say the Skrulls were done very well, as were the Kree. Now we've seen the Kree before in the Marvel films, but not the Skrulls. So, the movie has that going for it.
The effects to give us a young Samuel Jackson & a young Clark Gregg have been perfected. Yes, we've seen it before, but now it's not even noticeable.
Now, let's get to the movie itself. It's typical Marvel fare, starts off good, gets boring, ends with a bang. The story is quite mediocre, with no real surprises. It's set in the 90s, to try to get that nostalgia people love in today's film. But quite frankly, the 90s were not that great. The music sucked (evidenced by the horrible songs in this movie) & had nothing worth while to be nostalgic over. Yeah, you 90s kids will disagree, but don't worry, the music's only got worse since then, so at least you music is better than the last 20 years'. Now, get off my lawn, punks!
The main problem with this movie is Captain Marvel herself. Like I said, she's not a great enough character to pull off having her own movie to begin with. The character is not a strong character. Yes, she's powerful, but that's not what I mean. I mean she's not a huge comic book character. Is she as well know as let's say, Wonder Woman? Not even close. I can guarantee that most of the people who saw this movie knew little about the character. It's not Marvel's fault. See, although the new thing in movies is to have strong women in the leads, to use older comic book characters doesn't work too well. Women in the comics were hardly represented the way they are in the films of today. They were always weaker, always the damsels in distress. So when today we get the movie people saying "This female character is the strongest in the universe." or "This female character is the smartest in the universe.", it takes years of pushing aside comic book discrimination to accept that.
But okay, I can push that aside. An even bigger problem is Brie Larson herself. She is bland to say the least. We needed a strong actor to push this character in our faces & say "Yeah! She's the best! A real hero!" But, no. She's not. She doesn't even make the character interesting at all. She's a shell of a character. At the end when she's flighting & flying around & smashing things, she feels like she's a CGI puppet being pushed through the scene. There's no sense of power. I don't care about her. I'm not cheering her on, nor am I wanting her to fail. There's just nothing. When she appears in Endgame, it's the same feeling. If the main character is uninteresting, how can the movie be any good?
In the end, I'm giving this one of the lowest scores of all the Marvel films. If not for the supporting cast, which were good, I probably would have given this a 2 out of 10. This movie is unnecessary to the overall plot of the MCU. There are some good lines, good parts, but not enough to want to watch it again.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated LOW in Books
Jan 31, 2019
I received a copy of LOW by Mike Duke in the mail a few months back and I’ve finally finished reading it–my health has gotten in the way not just once, but twice. For the most part, I enjoyed reading the book, but I do have a single bone to pick with it. You’ll see that towards the end of my review.
The two main characters are Mark Adams and Chad Bigleby. While Adams is a bit flat, Chad Bigleby is dynamic. Officer Adams is a good guy, through and through and does what’s right. Chad, on the other hand, is a man with no moral conscience. He’s a cheater, an abuser, and all around, a piece of shit. Mr. Phailees and Phobos are real pieces of work, showing that Duke’s definitely got the ability to create some pretty crazy characters.
Plotwise, the book is steady. There’s always something going on, even in the lulls between major events. That said, you might wonder why it took me so long to read the book if I found it interesting, and in that regard, I admit that I’ve been in a bit of a slump when it comes to reading. On top of that, I’ve had some severe concentration issues as of late.
I loved the way Duke writes his monsters. Some of them have a Lovecraftian feel to them, which I really like. Others are horrifying in other ways, such as Charon and Mortis which are demon-like and massive in their appearance.
Earlier I said I have a bone to pick, and here it is: the women in this book are unbelievably unrealistic. It’s because of this that I cannot give LOW a five-star rating. None of them are strong or independent, and for the most part, they seem like puppets controlled by their men. I would have liked to see Samantha stand up to Chad, or Amy grow a backbone despite her mistakes. It’s actually quite appalling how meek and sexualized the female characters are in this book. Granted, one of the points of view is from a misogynistic asshole of a man.
LOW is a good book and definitely falls into the horror category. In its pages, Mike Duke’s command of language is strong and his words come together beautifully to create a horrifying scene. It makes the reader question their own morality and wonder whether or not their sins would be so grievous as to be judged by Mr. Phailees. I know one thing for sure: I wouldn’t want to be at the wrong end of his bite.
I’d like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
The two main characters are Mark Adams and Chad Bigleby. While Adams is a bit flat, Chad Bigleby is dynamic. Officer Adams is a good guy, through and through and does what’s right. Chad, on the other hand, is a man with no moral conscience. He’s a cheater, an abuser, and all around, a piece of shit. Mr. Phailees and Phobos are real pieces of work, showing that Duke’s definitely got the ability to create some pretty crazy characters.
Plotwise, the book is steady. There’s always something going on, even in the lulls between major events. That said, you might wonder why it took me so long to read the book if I found it interesting, and in that regard, I admit that I’ve been in a bit of a slump when it comes to reading. On top of that, I’ve had some severe concentration issues as of late.
I loved the way Duke writes his monsters. Some of them have a Lovecraftian feel to them, which I really like. Others are horrifying in other ways, such as Charon and Mortis which are demon-like and massive in their appearance.
Earlier I said I have a bone to pick, and here it is: the women in this book are unbelievably unrealistic. It’s because of this that I cannot give LOW a five-star rating. None of them are strong or independent, and for the most part, they seem like puppets controlled by their men. I would have liked to see Samantha stand up to Chad, or Amy grow a backbone despite her mistakes. It’s actually quite appalling how meek and sexualized the female characters are in this book. Granted, one of the points of view is from a misogynistic asshole of a man.
LOW is a good book and definitely falls into the horror category. In its pages, Mike Duke’s command of language is strong and his words come together beautifully to create a horrifying scene. It makes the reader question their own morality and wonder whether or not their sins would be so grievous as to be judged by Mr. Phailees. I know one thing for sure: I wouldn’t want to be at the wrong end of his bite.
I’d like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Broken Wings in Books
May 22, 2019
Evening, I made my one hundred and seventy-eighth scratch on the cave wall.
Despite her humble rural beginnings, Butterfly regards herself as a sophisticated young woman. So, when offered a lucrative job in the city, she jumps at the chance.
But instead of being given work, she is trafficked and sold to Bright Black, a desperate man from a poor mountain village.
Trapped in Bright's cave home with her new "husband", she plans her escape not so easily done in this isolated and remote village where she is watched day and night.
Will her tenacity and free spirit survive, or will she be broken?
Chinas one child policy has resulted in a gender imbalance as more male children than female children were born; now young men are having difficulty finding wives. Apparently bride kidnapping has recently resurfaced in some parts of China. In many cases, women are kidnapped and sold to men in poorer regions of the country. This is what happens to Butterfly. In an afterword, the author mentions that her story is based on what happened to the daughter of a neighbour in his home village.
This was very interesting to read for me but did take some patience for me to get into though.
There's a great bunch of characters and a very strong young lady.
It is also heartbreaking to know that this story was inspired by a true account.
Recommend reading.
My thanks to ACA Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley. This is my own honest voluntary review.
Despite her humble rural beginnings, Butterfly regards herself as a sophisticated young woman. So, when offered a lucrative job in the city, she jumps at the chance.
But instead of being given work, she is trafficked and sold to Bright Black, a desperate man from a poor mountain village.
Trapped in Bright's cave home with her new "husband", she plans her escape not so easily done in this isolated and remote village where she is watched day and night.
Will her tenacity and free spirit survive, or will she be broken?
Chinas one child policy has resulted in a gender imbalance as more male children than female children were born; now young men are having difficulty finding wives. Apparently bride kidnapping has recently resurfaced in some parts of China. In many cases, women are kidnapped and sold to men in poorer regions of the country. This is what happens to Butterfly. In an afterword, the author mentions that her story is based on what happened to the daughter of a neighbour in his home village.
This was very interesting to read for me but did take some patience for me to get into though.
There's a great bunch of characters and a very strong young lady.
It is also heartbreaking to know that this story was inspired by a true account.
Recommend reading.
My thanks to ACA Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley. This is my own honest voluntary review.
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Awakened (Semiramis #1) in Books
Jan 11, 2019
Awakened (Semiramis Book 1) by Maya Daniels
Awakened is the first book in the Semiramis series, and we start of with Al, who is our main female. She is a strong character, who also seems a bit absent-minded at times. She is working in a place where she is unhappy, but has Daisy there to keep her company. Things change when she has a car accident, and her life changes forever.
This book is told in two (uneven) halves as you could call it before and after the accident. Obviously, there is not that much from before, and you spend most of the book with Al as she meets Warlocks, Gods, Goddesses, and Angels. She has a dry sense of humour which was delightful to read, and really came across well on the page.
Awakened is well written, with characters that jump off the page. Be warned though, there are a lot of them so you will need to keep track of who they are. With a few editing issues in words being misspelt, this was nevertheless an intriguing read. I was slightly disappointed we didn't meet Daisy again after Al's accident, especially when Philip is there so much.
Ending with a cliffhanger, this is a book to be enjoyed, and will definitely leave you wanting more. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This book is told in two (uneven) halves as you could call it before and after the accident. Obviously, there is not that much from before, and you spend most of the book with Al as she meets Warlocks, Gods, Goddesses, and Angels. She has a dry sense of humour which was delightful to read, and really came across well on the page.
Awakened is well written, with characters that jump off the page. Be warned though, there are a lot of them so you will need to keep track of who they are. With a few editing issues in words being misspelt, this was nevertheless an intriguing read. I was slightly disappointed we didn't meet Daisy again after Al's accident, especially when Philip is there so much.
Ending with a cliffhanger, this is a book to be enjoyed, and will definitely leave you wanting more. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Lee (2222 KP) rated Mary Queen of Scots (2018) in Movies
Jan 20, 2019
Mary (Saoirse Ronan), having lived in France where she was recently widowed, returns home to Scotland to claim her rightful place as queen. But she is not exactly welcomed with open arms in the world of men and when she also decides to set her sights on becoming successor to the crown of England, a power struggle ensues. Both at home, and with her cousin Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie).
There's not very much that I enjoyed about this movie to be honest. An important and intriguing period in history, involving two extremely interesting and strong women, this should have been so much better. It tries to cover so much ground in its two hour runtime, barely focusing on any particular element for very long. Vast numbers of characters are introduced, none of which are given enough time for you to feel any kind of interest or emotional investment in and at times it drastically shifts between varying tones with confusing editing.
What the movie does manage to portray is that all the men are complete bastards. Scheming, plotting and murdering, all for their own gains. It's sad that, aside from the murdering (I hope), not much has changed in modern politics.
Both female leads, especially Saoirse, are actually very good in this, despite everything, and probably the best scene in the movie is when they meet alone towards the end (something which didn't actually happen in real life!). Sadly though, I was fidgeting in my seat up until that point just waiting for it to end.
There's not very much that I enjoyed about this movie to be honest. An important and intriguing period in history, involving two extremely interesting and strong women, this should have been so much better. It tries to cover so much ground in its two hour runtime, barely focusing on any particular element for very long. Vast numbers of characters are introduced, none of which are given enough time for you to feel any kind of interest or emotional investment in and at times it drastically shifts between varying tones with confusing editing.
What the movie does manage to portray is that all the men are complete bastards. Scheming, plotting and murdering, all for their own gains. It's sad that, aside from the murdering (I hope), not much has changed in modern politics.
Both female leads, especially Saoirse, are actually very good in this, despite everything, and probably the best scene in the movie is when they meet alone towards the end (something which didn't actually happen in real life!). Sadly though, I was fidgeting in my seat up until that point just waiting for it to end.