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Merissa (14146 KP) rated Relentless (Relentless, #1) in Books
Jun 8, 2023
Have you ever picked up a book and thought that you knew exactly where it was heading before you even started it? Well, that's what I thought about this book. I thought it would be a light, easy read where the story follows the 'set' pattern and it would while away a couple of hours. Boy, was I wrong!!!
This story is simply fantastic. It is fresh and incredibly well-written. There aren't many books out there that can blend fantasy with paranormal but Karen Lynch can and does with aplomb. The synopsis states that vampires are involved so fair enough but I certainly wasn't expecting trolls, imps, sylphs, undines and demons - to name but a few! There are enough characters in here so that everyone can have their favourite although I suspect I'm in the majority for thinking that Nikolas is just "Oh Yeah!". The relationships between Sara and her two best friends, Roland and Peter, are not only believable but also in the minority in books. Yes, people, you can be friends with a guy without any benefits apart from a solid friendship. It was so nice to read this part even with the explanation given by Aine as to the why.
Sara has special gifts, some of which can be explained by Nikolas and some that remain a mystery. Sara states that she is not a warrior. Warriors come in different shapes and sizes but Sara definitely is. She has much to learn and I'm really hoping that Nikolas will be there to help her.
Relentless is full of secrets which I loved reading about, it is also full of humour. Sara is a strong female lead and she is not afraid of speaking her mind, especially to Nikolas. One of my favourite parts is when she speaks to Nikolas on the phone and calls Chris "Dimples". It may not be funny here but read the story and you'll see what I mean.
This is book 1 of a trilogy with book 2 (hopefully) due out late this year. I am now stalking, I mean, following š Karen Lynch on Facebook and GoodReads so that I can see it as soon as it's available. Good things come to those that wait and if this book is any indication, book 2 is going to be even better. So many things that I want to see happen. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes YA, Fantasy or Paranormal. Excellent!
* 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!
Mar 9, 2014
This story is simply fantastic. It is fresh and incredibly well-written. There aren't many books out there that can blend fantasy with paranormal but Karen Lynch can and does with aplomb. The synopsis states that vampires are involved so fair enough but I certainly wasn't expecting trolls, imps, sylphs, undines and demons - to name but a few! There are enough characters in here so that everyone can have their favourite although I suspect I'm in the majority for thinking that Nikolas is just "Oh Yeah!". The relationships between Sara and her two best friends, Roland and Peter, are not only believable but also in the minority in books. Yes, people, you can be friends with a guy without any benefits apart from a solid friendship. It was so nice to read this part even with the explanation given by Aine as to the why.
Sara has special gifts, some of which can be explained by Nikolas and some that remain a mystery. Sara states that she is not a warrior. Warriors come in different shapes and sizes but Sara definitely is. She has much to learn and I'm really hoping that Nikolas will be there to help her.
Relentless is full of secrets which I loved reading about, it is also full of humour. Sara is a strong female lead and she is not afraid of speaking her mind, especially to Nikolas. One of my favourite parts is when she speaks to Nikolas on the phone and calls Chris "Dimples". It may not be funny here but read the story and you'll see what I mean.
This is book 1 of a trilogy with book 2 (hopefully) due out late this year. I am now stalking, I mean, following š Karen Lynch on Facebook and GoodReads so that I can see it as soon as it's available. Good things come to those that wait and if this book is any indication, book 2 is going to be even better. So many things that I want to see happen. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes YA, Fantasy or Paranormal. Excellent!
* 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!
Mar 9, 2014
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Widows (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
Death Becomes Her.
The Plot
If you are considering āinheritence planningā there are probably a number of things you might be toying with: what happens to your house; how to best transfer your investments; who gets the dog; etc. But probably āa grudgeā is not on the list. But thatās the problem faced by teacherās union rep Veronica (Viola Davis). As you might presume from the filmās title Veronica, together with fellow widows Linda (Michelle Rodriquez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), Amanda (Carrie Coon), are left in a tight spot when a gangās robbery of a local black hoodlumās stack of cash goes badly wrong. The leader of the gang, and Veronicaās husband, is Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), and his certain set of skills are not enough to save him.
The victim of the robbery, Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), is running for local office in the upcoming elections against Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), trying to take over the role as part of a long dynasty from his grouchy father Tom (Robert Duvall). Where Jamal might be better with words, Jamalās brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya, āGet Outā) has a more physical approach to resolving issues.
What Harry has left behind for Veronica is a notebook containing the details of their next job, and Veronica gathers the female group together to carry out the raid to help save them from a ābullet in the headā.
The Review
I really enjoyed this film. Itās the ying to the yang of the disappointing āOceanās 8ā from earlier in the year. Yes, itās YET another film that focuses on female empowerment and with a strong black presence within the cast. But what for me made it stand out above the crowd was the quality of the writing and the assuredness of the directing.
Although based on the ancient UK TV series by Lynda La Plante, the script is written by āGone Girlā screenwriter Gillian Flynn, and is excellent. It really doesnāt EXPLAIN what is going on, but shows you a series of interconnected scenes and lets you mentally fill in the blanks. While you donāt need to be a rocket scientist to understand the overall story arc, I must admit that even now Iām not 100% sure of some of the nuances of the story. Harry, for example, seems to be a hardened career criminal, and yet he seems to be revered by the political leaders on both sides, even though he seemed to have loyalty to noone. The script cleverly uses flashbacks and has enough twists and turns to keep you on your mental toes.
The characters also worked well for me, with each having a back story and motivations that were distinctly different from each other. Alice (helped by Debeckiās standout performance) is particularly intriguing coming out of an āinterestingā relationship. Is she just following the path of her unpleasant mother (Jacki Weaver)? Some of the actions might suggest so.
As for the direction, Steve McQueen (he of ā12 Years a Slaveā), delivers some scenes that could justly be described as āboldā. A highpoint for me was a short drive by Jack Mulligan and his PA Siobhan (an excellently underplayed Molly Kunz) from a housing project, in a neighbourhood you might worry about walking through at night, to the Mulligan mansion in a leafy and pleasant street. McQueen mounts the camera on the bonnet (hood) of the car, but you canāt see the interior other than occasional glimpses of the chauffeur. All you can hear is Mulliganās rant to his Siobhan. I thought this worked just brilliantly well. The heist itself well done and suitably tense with an outcome that continues to surprise.
If thereās a criticism then the ending rather fizzles out, leaving a few loose ends flapping in the breeze.
Words of comfort from wannabe politician Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell) to Veronica (Viola Davis).
The Turns
Itās only been a couple of weeks since my review of the excellent āBad Times at the El Royaleā and I named as my second film of the year for my (private) āEnsemble Castā award. And here hot on its tail is the third. There are such strong performances across the cast that itās difficult to pull out specifics: as you start looking at the list you pull out more and more and more namesā¦
As referenced above, I loved Elizabeth Debeckiās performance. Both vulnerable and strong all in one package.
Colin Farrell, for me, gives his best performance in years as the son caught within the shadow of his overpowering father. A confrontational scene between Farrell and Robert Duvall is particularly powerful.
Daniel Kaluuya is truly threatening (possibly slightly OTT) as the psycho fixer.
For the second time in a month Cynthia Erivo stands out as a major acting force, as the hairstylist cum gang member Belle.
Jon Michael Hill, excellent as a fire-breathing reverend with flexible political views.
It would not surprise me to see Best Supporting Actor nods for any combinations of Debecki, Farrell, Kaluuya and Erivo for this.
I must admit that Iām not the greatest fan of Viola Davis: I find her performances quite mannered. But thereās no doubting here the depth of her passion and with this lead performance she carries this film.
Final Thoughts
I loved this as an intelligent action movie thatās a cut above the rest. Which is a surprise, since from the trailer I thought it looked good but not THAT good! It comes with my recommendation for an exciting and gripping two hours at the cinema. Iām rather caught between two ratings on this one, and if I still had half stars to use I would use it. But as I found this one of the most engrossing films of the year Iāll give it full marks.
If you are considering āinheritence planningā there are probably a number of things you might be toying with: what happens to your house; how to best transfer your investments; who gets the dog; etc. But probably āa grudgeā is not on the list. But thatās the problem faced by teacherās union rep Veronica (Viola Davis). As you might presume from the filmās title Veronica, together with fellow widows Linda (Michelle Rodriquez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), Amanda (Carrie Coon), are left in a tight spot when a gangās robbery of a local black hoodlumās stack of cash goes badly wrong. The leader of the gang, and Veronicaās husband, is Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), and his certain set of skills are not enough to save him.
The victim of the robbery, Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), is running for local office in the upcoming elections against Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), trying to take over the role as part of a long dynasty from his grouchy father Tom (Robert Duvall). Where Jamal might be better with words, Jamalās brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya, āGet Outā) has a more physical approach to resolving issues.
What Harry has left behind for Veronica is a notebook containing the details of their next job, and Veronica gathers the female group together to carry out the raid to help save them from a ābullet in the headā.
The Review
I really enjoyed this film. Itās the ying to the yang of the disappointing āOceanās 8ā from earlier in the year. Yes, itās YET another film that focuses on female empowerment and with a strong black presence within the cast. But what for me made it stand out above the crowd was the quality of the writing and the assuredness of the directing.
Although based on the ancient UK TV series by Lynda La Plante, the script is written by āGone Girlā screenwriter Gillian Flynn, and is excellent. It really doesnāt EXPLAIN what is going on, but shows you a series of interconnected scenes and lets you mentally fill in the blanks. While you donāt need to be a rocket scientist to understand the overall story arc, I must admit that even now Iām not 100% sure of some of the nuances of the story. Harry, for example, seems to be a hardened career criminal, and yet he seems to be revered by the political leaders on both sides, even though he seemed to have loyalty to noone. The script cleverly uses flashbacks and has enough twists and turns to keep you on your mental toes.
The characters also worked well for me, with each having a back story and motivations that were distinctly different from each other. Alice (helped by Debeckiās standout performance) is particularly intriguing coming out of an āinterestingā relationship. Is she just following the path of her unpleasant mother (Jacki Weaver)? Some of the actions might suggest so.
As for the direction, Steve McQueen (he of ā12 Years a Slaveā), delivers some scenes that could justly be described as āboldā. A highpoint for me was a short drive by Jack Mulligan and his PA Siobhan (an excellently underplayed Molly Kunz) from a housing project, in a neighbourhood you might worry about walking through at night, to the Mulligan mansion in a leafy and pleasant street. McQueen mounts the camera on the bonnet (hood) of the car, but you canāt see the interior other than occasional glimpses of the chauffeur. All you can hear is Mulliganās rant to his Siobhan. I thought this worked just brilliantly well. The heist itself well done and suitably tense with an outcome that continues to surprise.
If thereās a criticism then the ending rather fizzles out, leaving a few loose ends flapping in the breeze.
Words of comfort from wannabe politician Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell) to Veronica (Viola Davis).
The Turns
Itās only been a couple of weeks since my review of the excellent āBad Times at the El Royaleā and I named as my second film of the year for my (private) āEnsemble Castā award. And here hot on its tail is the third. There are such strong performances across the cast that itās difficult to pull out specifics: as you start looking at the list you pull out more and more and more namesā¦
As referenced above, I loved Elizabeth Debeckiās performance. Both vulnerable and strong all in one package.
Colin Farrell, for me, gives his best performance in years as the son caught within the shadow of his overpowering father. A confrontational scene between Farrell and Robert Duvall is particularly powerful.
Daniel Kaluuya is truly threatening (possibly slightly OTT) as the psycho fixer.
For the second time in a month Cynthia Erivo stands out as a major acting force, as the hairstylist cum gang member Belle.
Jon Michael Hill, excellent as a fire-breathing reverend with flexible political views.
It would not surprise me to see Best Supporting Actor nods for any combinations of Debecki, Farrell, Kaluuya and Erivo for this.
I must admit that Iām not the greatest fan of Viola Davis: I find her performances quite mannered. But thereās no doubting here the depth of her passion and with this lead performance she carries this film.
Final Thoughts
I loved this as an intelligent action movie thatās a cut above the rest. Which is a surprise, since from the trailer I thought it looked good but not THAT good! It comes with my recommendation for an exciting and gripping two hours at the cinema. Iām rather caught between two ratings on this one, and if I still had half stars to use I would use it. But as I found this one of the most engrossing films of the year Iāll give it full marks.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Cinderella is Dead in Books
Jun 6, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Thank you to Netgalley and Kalynn Bayron for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of Cinderella is Dead in exchange for an honest review.
With such a strong title to a novel, itās easy to predict that an author would struggle to maintain the sense of danger and mystery that is immediately evoked. However, as Kalynn Bayron opens on the revelation that Cinderella has been dead for 200 years and introduces us to two young women hiding from those who are sure to kill them, I think it is safe to say that she has the drama side of things covered!
The kingdom of Mersaille was once ruled by none other than Prince Charming and Cinderella. After her untimely death, Cinderellaās tale is held in almost biblical stature for generations, with young girls reciting it each night in preparation for their own chance to attend an annual ball once they turn 16 and wishing for their own fairy godmother to grant their happily ever after.
However, as the reader enters the town of Lille 200 years later, we witness that life within the kingdom is far from that of a fairytale. The balls that act as a tribute to Cinderella are mandatory meat markets with lecherous āsuitorsā, domestic violence and the suppression of women is commonplace and the ruler, Prince Manford, thrives on the power, fear and violence.
The reader witnesses this abysmal society through Bayronās use of a first-person perspective: that of our protagonist Sophia. Sophia is everything a modern protagonist should be: she questions the unjust world around her and, having just turned 16 is preparing to attend her first ball, not with excitement, but with trepidation.
Sophia reveals to the reader that a girl only has three chances to be chosen by a suitor at the ball, after that she is considered forfeit, taken away from her family in disgrace and placed either into a workhouse or service. Men, however, are under no such conditions: they can attend balls when they wish and can choose a number of girls if they want to. Many girlsā singular hope is to be chosen by a good man at the ball, one who will not beat her, perhaps even one who will take them away from Lille. This is not enough for Sophia, she wants more for her life and, as she says herself:
āI donāt want to be saved by some knight in shining armor. Iād like to be the one in the armor, and Iād like to be the one doing the saving.ā
At the beginning of the book, Sophiaās main gripe with the society she lives in is that it will not allow her to be with Erin, the girl she loves. As the book continues, the underlying theme of the rights and treatment of women strengthens, along with Sophia, but the first few pages at least are centered on the teenage relationship between Sophia and Erin.
What I absolutely adored about Bayronās writing style here is the complete lack of shock or awe in this relationship: it is mentioned right from the start and at no point in this novel does Sophia ācome outā, there is simply no need. All those around Sophia, who know her and care for her, are aware of her feelings for Erin and, although Sophia is occasionally referred to as ādifferentā, the author chooses to abolish any unnecessary labels within her novel.
Unfortunately, Bayron does not have an easy ride in store for Sophia: reeling from a firm separation from Erin, Sophia is cast a lifeline, an āeasy way outā in the form of a local boy who is also ādifferentā. Sadly, this option is quickly and dramatically ripped away from her: forcing her to find her strength pretty damn quickly as she begins a life as an outlaw.
Along her path, Sophia meets two strong female characters: Constance and Amina. Although, wildly different, both these women play a significant role in Sophiaās self-discovery.
Amina is as far from the traditional fairy godmother image as you can get and, although she feels guilt for her previous actions, it takes meeting Sophia for her to recognise her previous denial and to help change the way of the world. Amina is a protector to Sophia right to the end, in her own unique way.
Constance, what can we say about Constance? I defy anyone to read this book and not fall in love with this girl! Constance possesses the strength that Sophia does not yet recognise within herself; she is fiery and, as a descendant of an āevil stepsisterā, leads a resistance movement to uncover and publicise the truth about the real tale of Cinderella. Despite, technically saving Sophia towards the beginning of the story, Constance is not Sophiaās saviour: nor is Sophia the saviour; however, the power that they find together is monumental.
Constance is a complete juxtaposition to Erin: whereas Erin accepts the rules of society out of fear for herself and her family, Constance actively rebels against them. It is almost as if they represent the paths Sophia has to choose from. Nevertheless, along their adventure, Sophia and Constanceās relationship strengthens into love. This is no fairytale, love at first sight deal though! If anything, the slow-burning romance between the two made it more believable and I really appreciated that Sophia didnāt just rebound due to Erinās choices: she had been burnt and she was still unsure of her own feelings never mind anyone elseās.
At the hands of Bayron, Sophia experiences heartbreak, friendship, murder, love and conspiracy: she is on the brink of danger too many times to count and is constantly second guessing who she can trust. Yet, it is clear that the author adores her main character: Sophiaās journey to realise that she is enough is incredible and the strength that she finds within herself is inspirational. Sophia is also surrounded by a cast of strong female characters: there are no Prince Charmingās in this novel thatās for sure!
I wasnāt that far into this book when I decided I need to read more of Kalynn Bayronās work. I love how there are no chapters in this novel, we are taken on this relentless journey with Sophia: the reader is not given a chance to stop and take stock, reflect or rest until it is all over and this creates the tensest experience. Even we donāt know who to trust towards the end!
āCinderella is Deadā is powerful, thought-provoking and is constantly leaving the reader guessing. On a basic level the novel deals with violence, love, politics and a little bit of necromancy thrown in there for good measure. However, the intelligent writing as well as the massive plot twist and the subjects of LGBTQ love, womenās rights and domestic violence lifts this novel from that basic level into, what I predict could be a bestseller.
With such a strong title to a novel, itās easy to predict that an author would struggle to maintain the sense of danger and mystery that is immediately evoked. However, as Kalynn Bayron opens on the revelation that Cinderella has been dead for 200 years and introduces us to two young women hiding from those who are sure to kill them, I think it is safe to say that she has the drama side of things covered!
The kingdom of Mersaille was once ruled by none other than Prince Charming and Cinderella. After her untimely death, Cinderellaās tale is held in almost biblical stature for generations, with young girls reciting it each night in preparation for their own chance to attend an annual ball once they turn 16 and wishing for their own fairy godmother to grant their happily ever after.
However, as the reader enters the town of Lille 200 years later, we witness that life within the kingdom is far from that of a fairytale. The balls that act as a tribute to Cinderella are mandatory meat markets with lecherous āsuitorsā, domestic violence and the suppression of women is commonplace and the ruler, Prince Manford, thrives on the power, fear and violence.
The reader witnesses this abysmal society through Bayronās use of a first-person perspective: that of our protagonist Sophia. Sophia is everything a modern protagonist should be: she questions the unjust world around her and, having just turned 16 is preparing to attend her first ball, not with excitement, but with trepidation.
Sophia reveals to the reader that a girl only has three chances to be chosen by a suitor at the ball, after that she is considered forfeit, taken away from her family in disgrace and placed either into a workhouse or service. Men, however, are under no such conditions: they can attend balls when they wish and can choose a number of girls if they want to. Many girlsā singular hope is to be chosen by a good man at the ball, one who will not beat her, perhaps even one who will take them away from Lille. This is not enough for Sophia, she wants more for her life and, as she says herself:
āI donāt want to be saved by some knight in shining armor. Iād like to be the one in the armor, and Iād like to be the one doing the saving.ā
At the beginning of the book, Sophiaās main gripe with the society she lives in is that it will not allow her to be with Erin, the girl she loves. As the book continues, the underlying theme of the rights and treatment of women strengthens, along with Sophia, but the first few pages at least are centered on the teenage relationship between Sophia and Erin.
What I absolutely adored about Bayronās writing style here is the complete lack of shock or awe in this relationship: it is mentioned right from the start and at no point in this novel does Sophia ācome outā, there is simply no need. All those around Sophia, who know her and care for her, are aware of her feelings for Erin and, although Sophia is occasionally referred to as ādifferentā, the author chooses to abolish any unnecessary labels within her novel.
Unfortunately, Bayron does not have an easy ride in store for Sophia: reeling from a firm separation from Erin, Sophia is cast a lifeline, an āeasy way outā in the form of a local boy who is also ādifferentā. Sadly, this option is quickly and dramatically ripped away from her: forcing her to find her strength pretty damn quickly as she begins a life as an outlaw.
Along her path, Sophia meets two strong female characters: Constance and Amina. Although, wildly different, both these women play a significant role in Sophiaās self-discovery.
Amina is as far from the traditional fairy godmother image as you can get and, although she feels guilt for her previous actions, it takes meeting Sophia for her to recognise her previous denial and to help change the way of the world. Amina is a protector to Sophia right to the end, in her own unique way.
Constance, what can we say about Constance? I defy anyone to read this book and not fall in love with this girl! Constance possesses the strength that Sophia does not yet recognise within herself; she is fiery and, as a descendant of an āevil stepsisterā, leads a resistance movement to uncover and publicise the truth about the real tale of Cinderella. Despite, technically saving Sophia towards the beginning of the story, Constance is not Sophiaās saviour: nor is Sophia the saviour; however, the power that they find together is monumental.
Constance is a complete juxtaposition to Erin: whereas Erin accepts the rules of society out of fear for herself and her family, Constance actively rebels against them. It is almost as if they represent the paths Sophia has to choose from. Nevertheless, along their adventure, Sophia and Constanceās relationship strengthens into love. This is no fairytale, love at first sight deal though! If anything, the slow-burning romance between the two made it more believable and I really appreciated that Sophia didnāt just rebound due to Erinās choices: she had been burnt and she was still unsure of her own feelings never mind anyone elseās.
At the hands of Bayron, Sophia experiences heartbreak, friendship, murder, love and conspiracy: she is on the brink of danger too many times to count and is constantly second guessing who she can trust. Yet, it is clear that the author adores her main character: Sophiaās journey to realise that she is enough is incredible and the strength that she finds within herself is inspirational. Sophia is also surrounded by a cast of strong female characters: there are no Prince Charmingās in this novel thatās for sure!
I wasnāt that far into this book when I decided I need to read more of Kalynn Bayronās work. I love how there are no chapters in this novel, we are taken on this relentless journey with Sophia: the reader is not given a chance to stop and take stock, reflect or rest until it is all over and this creates the tensest experience. Even we donāt know who to trust towards the end!
āCinderella is Deadā is powerful, thought-provoking and is constantly leaving the reader guessing. On a basic level the novel deals with violence, love, politics and a little bit of necromancy thrown in there for good measure. However, the intelligent writing as well as the massive plot twist and the subjects of LGBTQ love, womenās rights and domestic violence lifts this novel from that basic level into, what I predict could be a bestseller.
Jamie (131 KP) rated The Shining Girls in Books
Jun 4, 2017
Ambitious & unique story line (1 more)
Handles the web of time paradoxes well
Mash-up of genres is disjointing (2 more)
Romance is distracting at best
Repeated murder scenes gets wearisome
A cool time travel thriller
The Shining Girls follows Harper, a crude serial killer from the 1930ās that can hop through time; and Kirby, the spunky young woman that got away. This book was incredibly ambitious in its premise and I spent a great deal of my time reading the book wondering if it could deliver and I can happily say that I wasnāt disappointed.
The story is a heavily character driven dive through recent American history, from the Great Depression in the 1930ās all the way up to the early 1990ās. I was impressed by the amount of research that was put into this book, each decade having enough detail to get a good feel for the era. Many of the characters were pretty well fleshed out for such short chapters, and I found myself liking many of them.
My favorite part of the story, though, was the tragedy that was Harper because of how very flawed and human he is. He views himself as commanding, charming, persuasive, but to many of his victims heās just downright creepy. He thinks himself calculating yet he makes mistakes left and right. He has a drive to rise up from the trenches of poverty and starvation from his own era, to be powerful. His choice of victims are all women in a great act of femicide, because he has this dire need to feel masculine. He chooses women that he views as invincible, that shine with ambition in order to assert his dominance by snuffing them out. He thinks he has this divine purpose, a destiny to fulfill because he wants it so desperately, even though the reality is that itās simply senseless violence with no real meaning. He obsesses over the murders, returning to the scene of the crimes over and over to get off. Harper is pathetic. It was a refreshing change from the stereotypical smooth, genius archetype that glorifies killers. I didnāt know right away that this book was meant to be a feminist novel, but thatās what I took away from not only Harperās struggle with masculinity, but with the strong and fiercely independent female characters all throughout the book.
There were a couple of problems with the book, however, that I feel need to be addressed. The mash up of genres is both a good and bad aspect of the story. The middle chapters where romance comes into play to me was really distracting and feels out of place. The tagline describing the novel also states that āthe girl who wouldnāt die hunts the killer who shouldnāt existā but honestly, it didnāt feel much like Kirby was really hunting the killer. Looking for connections with other murder cases and investigating some wild hunches, yes, but really she spends most of the book developing her bond with Dan. I would have really liked for this to be more of a cat and mouse type of hunt between Kirby and Harper.
The chapters with Harper were much more interesting, but even those became a little repetitive. We as the reader follow Harper as he stalks his victims in childhood, waiting for the right time to strike when they reach adulthood. While it was necessary for the plot to detail the characters to both connect them to the greater chain of paradoxes and to show Harperās descent, the violence is excessive and extremely detailed, and after a while it started to feel more like torture porn. It just got tiring after a while.
Despite its flaws, I thought this book was good, and I mean really good. I loved the way that the time paradoxes were handled, time travel stories tend to be tricky and usually end up with a couple of glaring loop holes. The loops are handled in a way that I found satisfying and this book is easily my favorite time travel novel Iāve ever read. It is truly unique and a story I wonāt soon forget.
The story is a heavily character driven dive through recent American history, from the Great Depression in the 1930ās all the way up to the early 1990ās. I was impressed by the amount of research that was put into this book, each decade having enough detail to get a good feel for the era. Many of the characters were pretty well fleshed out for such short chapters, and I found myself liking many of them.
My favorite part of the story, though, was the tragedy that was Harper because of how very flawed and human he is. He views himself as commanding, charming, persuasive, but to many of his victims heās just downright creepy. He thinks himself calculating yet he makes mistakes left and right. He has a drive to rise up from the trenches of poverty and starvation from his own era, to be powerful. His choice of victims are all women in a great act of femicide, because he has this dire need to feel masculine. He chooses women that he views as invincible, that shine with ambition in order to assert his dominance by snuffing them out. He thinks he has this divine purpose, a destiny to fulfill because he wants it so desperately, even though the reality is that itās simply senseless violence with no real meaning. He obsesses over the murders, returning to the scene of the crimes over and over to get off. Harper is pathetic. It was a refreshing change from the stereotypical smooth, genius archetype that glorifies killers. I didnāt know right away that this book was meant to be a feminist novel, but thatās what I took away from not only Harperās struggle with masculinity, but with the strong and fiercely independent female characters all throughout the book.
There were a couple of problems with the book, however, that I feel need to be addressed. The mash up of genres is both a good and bad aspect of the story. The middle chapters where romance comes into play to me was really distracting and feels out of place. The tagline describing the novel also states that āthe girl who wouldnāt die hunts the killer who shouldnāt existā but honestly, it didnāt feel much like Kirby was really hunting the killer. Looking for connections with other murder cases and investigating some wild hunches, yes, but really she spends most of the book developing her bond with Dan. I would have really liked for this to be more of a cat and mouse type of hunt between Kirby and Harper.
The chapters with Harper were much more interesting, but even those became a little repetitive. We as the reader follow Harper as he stalks his victims in childhood, waiting for the right time to strike when they reach adulthood. While it was necessary for the plot to detail the characters to both connect them to the greater chain of paradoxes and to show Harperās descent, the violence is excessive and extremely detailed, and after a while it started to feel more like torture porn. It just got tiring after a while.
Despite its flaws, I thought this book was good, and I mean really good. I loved the way that the time paradoxes were handled, time travel stories tend to be tricky and usually end up with a couple of glaring loop holes. The loops are handled in a way that I found satisfying and this book is easily my favorite time travel novel Iāve ever read. It is truly unique and a story I wonāt soon forget.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Wings (1927) in Movies
Dec 8, 2019
Verdict: Beautiful Portray of Love & War
Story: Wings starts as two young men Jack Powell (Rogers) and David Armstrong (Arlen) both sign up to become fighter pilots in the First World War, they are from different backgrounds, with Jack working with his hands, which has seen him get the attention of Mary Preston (Bow) and David being rich, with the pair both seeking the attention of Sylvia Lewis (Ralston).
What starts out in rivalry soon becomes friendship between the two men as through their training, they learn they need to be on the same side and want the same thing from their time in the service. They are followed by Mary who has taken up a job where she delivers medical supplies to troops, all while her love for Jack continues to grow.
Thoughts on Wings
Characters ā Mary Preston has worked with Jack Powell for years, they work on cars and her love for Jack is clear, she doesnāt get the attention she desires of him though, with the men at war, she uses her driving skills to deliver medical supplies, hoping to find Jack too, which sees her needing to find a way to act more lady like for the era. Jack Powell is from the working class bracket of people, he has always been great with cars and mechanics, which sees him sign up for the air force during world war 1, he will do what he can get impress the rich Sylvia to whom he loves and after years of rivalry with David, they will become friends. David Armstrong has come from a rich family, he is set to be marrying Sylvia one day if the families have their say, he sees Jack as a rival, until they fight side by side in the skies. Sylvia is the woman that both men are fighting for the attention of, they both see her as the perfect woman and will go to lengths to impress her.
Performances ā This being a silent movie, all the work from the actors in the film comes from face expressions and movements, which they are all fantastic with, Clara Bow shows the pain of being in love with somebody who doesnāt want you, while Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen show the rivalry men can have when it comes to women.
Story ā The story here follows two men from different backgrounds, one rich one working class, that are both fighting for the same woman, who join the air force to impress, where they become friends and learn the horrors of war. This is a story that is one that shows that love can be something people will always do crazy things for, it shows how the war bought enemies together and for a movie made in 1927, showed us a strong female character willing to go into war, unlike many films for years to come. Being a silent movie, we do get the expression and action doing a lot of the storytelling around the dialogue which is interesting because it keeps away a lot of unnecessary dialogue certain war films turn too.
Romance/War ā The romance in this film shows how people will do strange things for love, you might not always see it right under your nose either, with the war being the main location that our characters all go to impress, the dog fight scenes are brilliant to watch, with the use of music making a big impact on the quality too.
Settings ā The film uses the settings you would expect to see the war fought at, while we see the ground shots, it is when we are in the sky watching the dog fights that we get to feel the peril the characters are going through.
Scene of the Movie ā Any of the dog fights.
That Moment That Annoyed Me ā It does play into stereotypes of other nationalities.
Final Thoughts ā This is a genius war movie that rightly deserved to win the first Oscar, it brings us a story that shows how much people would have risked for war and just how far they would go for love.
Overall: Brilliant.
Story: Wings starts as two young men Jack Powell (Rogers) and David Armstrong (Arlen) both sign up to become fighter pilots in the First World War, they are from different backgrounds, with Jack working with his hands, which has seen him get the attention of Mary Preston (Bow) and David being rich, with the pair both seeking the attention of Sylvia Lewis (Ralston).
What starts out in rivalry soon becomes friendship between the two men as through their training, they learn they need to be on the same side and want the same thing from their time in the service. They are followed by Mary who has taken up a job where she delivers medical supplies to troops, all while her love for Jack continues to grow.
Thoughts on Wings
Characters ā Mary Preston has worked with Jack Powell for years, they work on cars and her love for Jack is clear, she doesnāt get the attention she desires of him though, with the men at war, she uses her driving skills to deliver medical supplies, hoping to find Jack too, which sees her needing to find a way to act more lady like for the era. Jack Powell is from the working class bracket of people, he has always been great with cars and mechanics, which sees him sign up for the air force during world war 1, he will do what he can get impress the rich Sylvia to whom he loves and after years of rivalry with David, they will become friends. David Armstrong has come from a rich family, he is set to be marrying Sylvia one day if the families have their say, he sees Jack as a rival, until they fight side by side in the skies. Sylvia is the woman that both men are fighting for the attention of, they both see her as the perfect woman and will go to lengths to impress her.
Performances ā This being a silent movie, all the work from the actors in the film comes from face expressions and movements, which they are all fantastic with, Clara Bow shows the pain of being in love with somebody who doesnāt want you, while Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen show the rivalry men can have when it comes to women.
Story ā The story here follows two men from different backgrounds, one rich one working class, that are both fighting for the same woman, who join the air force to impress, where they become friends and learn the horrors of war. This is a story that is one that shows that love can be something people will always do crazy things for, it shows how the war bought enemies together and for a movie made in 1927, showed us a strong female character willing to go into war, unlike many films for years to come. Being a silent movie, we do get the expression and action doing a lot of the storytelling around the dialogue which is interesting because it keeps away a lot of unnecessary dialogue certain war films turn too.
Romance/War ā The romance in this film shows how people will do strange things for love, you might not always see it right under your nose either, with the war being the main location that our characters all go to impress, the dog fight scenes are brilliant to watch, with the use of music making a big impact on the quality too.
Settings ā The film uses the settings you would expect to see the war fought at, while we see the ground shots, it is when we are in the sky watching the dog fights that we get to feel the peril the characters are going through.
Scene of the Movie ā Any of the dog fights.
That Moment That Annoyed Me ā It does play into stereotypes of other nationalities.
Final Thoughts ā This is a genius war movie that rightly deserved to win the first Oscar, it brings us a story that shows how much people would have risked for war and just how far they would go for love.
Overall: Brilliant.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated The Winter Duke in Books
Oct 13, 2020
A duchy of ice and snow above, a duchy of water and magic below, separated only by a lake of ice. Both dependent upon one another and both as violent as they are beautiful.
Ekata is a middle child within the Avenko royal family: a family who are intent on murdering each other to get to the throne. However, Ekata has no interest in the throne at all: her interests lie in biology rather than brokering treaties and she wants nothing more than to leave Kylma Above and attend university.
However, at the age of thirteen, Ekata wakes to find herself the only member of her family who has not been cursed into a permanent sleep. Suddenly, she is the Grand Duke and is expected to prove herself worthy to rule Kylma Above: conquering the world of politics and magic in order to find a way to wake her family and avoid death herself.
The Winter Duke spans only six days in its storyline. Nonetheless, this does not diminish the journey that Bartlett takes her readers on: there are twists at every turn and almost everyone seems like a villain; neither Ekata nor the reader knows whom they can trust.
Although this is very much Ekataās story, there are so many characters surrounding her that there is a danger some of these may seem undeveloped. Thankfully, I didnāt feel this way at all. Bartlett brings something different to each character she introduces: from Sigisā immediate repulsiveness; Eirhanās deadpan nature and Inkarās flirty charms. All the characters have their part to play and, although keeping track of all the ministers could be difficult at times, this only added to the overwhelming suffocation that Ekata must be feeling.
Ekata herself is an amazing protagonist: at just thirteen she makes a number of impulsive decisions which end disastrously ā so why do we, as a reader, not get frustrated with her? Again, I feel that this is due, in part, to the dizzying number of secondary characters. The reader witnesses the sheer number of commitments that fall onto the shoulders of one who never aspired to this role: we attend unwanted proposals; hear the accusations of murdering her own family; comprehend that she is used as a pawn by her Prime Minister and constantly see Ekataās authority undermined due to her sex. It is impossible not to empathise with her desperate need to return to her normal life.
Sexism plays a large part in Ekataās story, with Sigis immediately heralded as the solution to her problems due to his position as a strong man with an army. Inkar is also underestimated due to being female: before she then shatters these perceptions with her axes, her willingness to fight and her protective nature over Ekata.
However, The Winter Duke has to be commended for the gender fluidity within its pages. The brideshow is made of men and women, at least one minister is non-binary and the only romance within this novel is between two queer females. This was such a natural romance as well, slow-burning and cautious due to the politics involved but one that, when the walls of both women came down, could achieve the impossible.
The world building by Claire Eliza Bartlett in this novel is second to none. Kylma Above is impressive with its ice palaces and winter roses invading every corner. However, Kylma Below, the duchy below the ice is magical and sinister in equal measure. With fields of magic, sharks used in tribunals, and coral gardens, it wasnāt only Ekata who wanted to explore further.
Quite a few YA novels recently have included queer women smashing the patriarchy. This is the first one I have read where they smash the autocracy.
Ekataās journey to find out what kind of ruler she will be is encapsulating and riveting. In a story where the betrayal just keeps coming, Ekata remains loyal to the end ā despite the epilogue proving that this is never appreciated. The world of Kylma was immersive and the themes of politics, murder, sexism and violence are swept up by the breezy writing style to create a book that was impossible to put down.
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful novel.
Ekata is a middle child within the Avenko royal family: a family who are intent on murdering each other to get to the throne. However, Ekata has no interest in the throne at all: her interests lie in biology rather than brokering treaties and she wants nothing more than to leave Kylma Above and attend university.
However, at the age of thirteen, Ekata wakes to find herself the only member of her family who has not been cursed into a permanent sleep. Suddenly, she is the Grand Duke and is expected to prove herself worthy to rule Kylma Above: conquering the world of politics and magic in order to find a way to wake her family and avoid death herself.
The Winter Duke spans only six days in its storyline. Nonetheless, this does not diminish the journey that Bartlett takes her readers on: there are twists at every turn and almost everyone seems like a villain; neither Ekata nor the reader knows whom they can trust.
Although this is very much Ekataās story, there are so many characters surrounding her that there is a danger some of these may seem undeveloped. Thankfully, I didnāt feel this way at all. Bartlett brings something different to each character she introduces: from Sigisā immediate repulsiveness; Eirhanās deadpan nature and Inkarās flirty charms. All the characters have their part to play and, although keeping track of all the ministers could be difficult at times, this only added to the overwhelming suffocation that Ekata must be feeling.
Ekata herself is an amazing protagonist: at just thirteen she makes a number of impulsive decisions which end disastrously ā so why do we, as a reader, not get frustrated with her? Again, I feel that this is due, in part, to the dizzying number of secondary characters. The reader witnesses the sheer number of commitments that fall onto the shoulders of one who never aspired to this role: we attend unwanted proposals; hear the accusations of murdering her own family; comprehend that she is used as a pawn by her Prime Minister and constantly see Ekataās authority undermined due to her sex. It is impossible not to empathise with her desperate need to return to her normal life.
Sexism plays a large part in Ekataās story, with Sigis immediately heralded as the solution to her problems due to his position as a strong man with an army. Inkar is also underestimated due to being female: before she then shatters these perceptions with her axes, her willingness to fight and her protective nature over Ekata.
However, The Winter Duke has to be commended for the gender fluidity within its pages. The brideshow is made of men and women, at least one minister is non-binary and the only romance within this novel is between two queer females. This was such a natural romance as well, slow-burning and cautious due to the politics involved but one that, when the walls of both women came down, could achieve the impossible.
The world building by Claire Eliza Bartlett in this novel is second to none. Kylma Above is impressive with its ice palaces and winter roses invading every corner. However, Kylma Below, the duchy below the ice is magical and sinister in equal measure. With fields of magic, sharks used in tribunals, and coral gardens, it wasnāt only Ekata who wanted to explore further.
Quite a few YA novels recently have included queer women smashing the patriarchy. This is the first one I have read where they smash the autocracy.
Ekataās journey to find out what kind of ruler she will be is encapsulating and riveting. In a story where the betrayal just keeps coming, Ekata remains loyal to the end ā despite the epilogue proving that this is never appreciated. The world of Kylma was immersive and the themes of politics, murder, sexism and violence are swept up by the breezy writing style to create a book that was impossible to put down.
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful novel.
Janeeny (200 KP) rated How to Be Famous in Books
Jul 8, 2019
Iāve been āawareā of Caitlin Moranās work for a number of years. I think she first came to my attention in 2011. I worked in a bookshop and Morans book āHow to be a Womanā was in the charts. The cover art just seemed to exude a quirky confidence and it went straight into my ātheoreticalā TBR pile.
As you can imagine, a booksellers TBR pile is a challenging Behemoth, so when āRaised by Wolvesā (a sitcom written by Caitlin Moran and her sister Caroline) came on the telly in 2013 I still hadnāt read āHow to be a Womanā.
Happily, āRaised by Wolvesā was hilarious, putting Caitlin Moran well and truly on my radar as someone who had a lot of interesting and humorous opinions that I would really need to read about some day.
(On a little side note Alexa davies who plays Aretha in this is hilarious and worth keeping an eye on.)
Cut to 2019 Caitlin Moran has released 4 more books and I havenāt read a single one of them! So when NETgalley offered me a copy of āHow to be famousā in exchange for an honest review I had to say yes, as despite the fact that I actually own a copy of āHow to be a girlā I still havenāt read it, so I figured, if I have a deadline for a review that is going to spur me on to actually read this one!
It worked, I read it, and it was everything I thought it would be.
It had some definite laugh out loud moments, Morans humorous writing style comes through triumphantly.
So, the blurb . . .
āJohanna Morrigan (AKA Dolly Wilde) has it all: at eighteen, she lives in her own flat in London and writes for the coolest music magazine in Britain. But Johanna is miserable. Her best friend and man of her dreams John Kite has just made it big in 1994ās hot new BritPop scene. Suddenly John exists on another plane of reality: that of the Famouses.
Never one to sit on the sidelines, Johanna hatches a plan: she will Saint Paul his Corinthians, she will Jimmy his Pinocchioāshe will write a monthly column, by way of a manual to the famous, analyzing fame, its power, its dangers, and its amusing aspects. In stories, girls never win the girlāthey are won. Well, Johanna will re-write the stories, and win John, through her writing.
But as Johannaās own star rises, an unpleasant one-night stand she had with a stand-up comedian, Jerry Sharp, comes back to haunt in her in a series of unfortunate consequences. How can a girl deal with public sexual shaming? Especially when her new friend, the up-and-coming feminist rock icon Suzanne Banks, is Jimmy Cricketing her?ā
First off, despite the fact that this is the second book in a series, you donāt lose anything of the story by not having read the first one. If anything it makes you want to read the first one even more, as you want to know how Dolly got to where she is and the adventures sheās had on the way.
Secondly, the characters were just brilliant not a two-dimensional one among them, the dialogue just flows beautifully, and youāll end the book wishing you were friends with them.
Thirdly, in my inexpert opinion its really well written, the story flows effortlessly and you are just grabbed by the collar and dragged along on this adventure.
I quite literally cannot find the words to say how much I admire Morans writing style, as I said before, this is so well written and the characters are so relatable. Itās full of many laugh out loud moments and some very frank and hilarious conversations about sex, and amongst the humour are actually some quite serious issues, like the clear displays of the inequality of women within the music industry (even though this was set in the 90s, Iām sure much of it is still true today)
And coming from somebody who never seems to get symbolism or messages from books, I took away a LOT from this one
One of my favourite moments was a letter that Dolly writes to her musician friend (Johnny) who is troubled by accusations of āselling outā
It basically addresses the scorn heaped on bands, with a predominantly teenage female following, by āElitistā fans and the music industry. She asks Johnny to appreciate his āscreamingā girls fans, as just because theyāre louder, more emotional, younger, and havenāt been part of the fanbase since day one, doesnāt mean they donāt appreciate the music any less or feel any less. Yes, they are the ones putting money in your bank account, putting you in the charts, but just because they are part of the mass market doesnāt make their feelings any less valid.
Seeing as Iāve been both a āscreaming girl fanā and an āElitist Fanā I understand and appreciate whatās being said here.
There is so much to love bout this book, the strong female characters, the humour, the feminist message, and underneath it all a good old fashioned love story
As you can imagine, a booksellers TBR pile is a challenging Behemoth, so when āRaised by Wolvesā (a sitcom written by Caitlin Moran and her sister Caroline) came on the telly in 2013 I still hadnāt read āHow to be a Womanā.
Happily, āRaised by Wolvesā was hilarious, putting Caitlin Moran well and truly on my radar as someone who had a lot of interesting and humorous opinions that I would really need to read about some day.
(On a little side note Alexa davies who plays Aretha in this is hilarious and worth keeping an eye on.)
Cut to 2019 Caitlin Moran has released 4 more books and I havenāt read a single one of them! So when NETgalley offered me a copy of āHow to be famousā in exchange for an honest review I had to say yes, as despite the fact that I actually own a copy of āHow to be a girlā I still havenāt read it, so I figured, if I have a deadline for a review that is going to spur me on to actually read this one!
It worked, I read it, and it was everything I thought it would be.
It had some definite laugh out loud moments, Morans humorous writing style comes through triumphantly.
So, the blurb . . .
āJohanna Morrigan (AKA Dolly Wilde) has it all: at eighteen, she lives in her own flat in London and writes for the coolest music magazine in Britain. But Johanna is miserable. Her best friend and man of her dreams John Kite has just made it big in 1994ās hot new BritPop scene. Suddenly John exists on another plane of reality: that of the Famouses.
Never one to sit on the sidelines, Johanna hatches a plan: she will Saint Paul his Corinthians, she will Jimmy his Pinocchioāshe will write a monthly column, by way of a manual to the famous, analyzing fame, its power, its dangers, and its amusing aspects. In stories, girls never win the girlāthey are won. Well, Johanna will re-write the stories, and win John, through her writing.
But as Johannaās own star rises, an unpleasant one-night stand she had with a stand-up comedian, Jerry Sharp, comes back to haunt in her in a series of unfortunate consequences. How can a girl deal with public sexual shaming? Especially when her new friend, the up-and-coming feminist rock icon Suzanne Banks, is Jimmy Cricketing her?ā
First off, despite the fact that this is the second book in a series, you donāt lose anything of the story by not having read the first one. If anything it makes you want to read the first one even more, as you want to know how Dolly got to where she is and the adventures sheās had on the way.
Secondly, the characters were just brilliant not a two-dimensional one among them, the dialogue just flows beautifully, and youāll end the book wishing you were friends with them.
Thirdly, in my inexpert opinion its really well written, the story flows effortlessly and you are just grabbed by the collar and dragged along on this adventure.
I quite literally cannot find the words to say how much I admire Morans writing style, as I said before, this is so well written and the characters are so relatable. Itās full of many laugh out loud moments and some very frank and hilarious conversations about sex, and amongst the humour are actually some quite serious issues, like the clear displays of the inequality of women within the music industry (even though this was set in the 90s, Iām sure much of it is still true today)
And coming from somebody who never seems to get symbolism or messages from books, I took away a LOT from this one
One of my favourite moments was a letter that Dolly writes to her musician friend (Johnny) who is troubled by accusations of āselling outā
It basically addresses the scorn heaped on bands, with a predominantly teenage female following, by āElitistā fans and the music industry. She asks Johnny to appreciate his āscreamingā girls fans, as just because theyāre louder, more emotional, younger, and havenāt been part of the fanbase since day one, doesnāt mean they donāt appreciate the music any less or feel any less. Yes, they are the ones putting money in your bank account, putting you in the charts, but just because they are part of the mass market doesnāt make their feelings any less valid.
Seeing as Iāve been both a āscreaming girl fanā and an āElitist Fanā I understand and appreciate whatās being said here.
There is so much to love bout this book, the strong female characters, the humour, the feminist message, and underneath it all a good old fashioned love story
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) in Movies
Nov 10, 2019
Natalie Reyes - a kick-ass non-white female hero (1 more)
Arnie's drapes
Linda Hamilton - acting didn't work for me (1 more)
Confusing storyline (as a continuation of T2)
Enjoyable Hokum
Natalia Reyes plays young Mexican Dani Ramos. Out of the blue she faces danger and tragedy when a āRev 9ā Terminator (Gabriel Luna) zaps itself back in time to Mexico City to dispose of her. But, as in āTerminator 2: Judgement Dayā, a protector is on hand. This time itās in the ripped form of āenhancedā human Grace (Mackenzie Davis). Sheās there to protect Dani and maintain whatever key to the future that she holds.
Dani is assisted by Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), a vigilante Terminator-fighter wanted in all 50 US States for wanton destruction of property. But even this dynamic duo are no match for the unstoppable force of the Rev 9. So they must turn to an old nemesis from Sarahās past for assistance.
James Cameron is heavily involved with this one. The decision was made to ārebootā the series as if all the dodgy Terminator movies of the intervening years (after #2) had never happened. (Thatās not to say that *I* necessarily found them all dodgy. I quite liked āTerminator 3: Rise of the Machinesā for example, with itās grim and downbeat ending).
Now I went into this flick understanding that premise. So a flashback scene in the first few minutes of the film left me mightily confused. How on earth did this link to the āthumbs upā scene at the end of āTerminator 2ā? #baffled.
But if you ignore this issue, the film settles into what I thought was a nice āLoganā-style modus operandi. Thereās an exciting chase sequence along a Mexican highway, but it never overwhelmed the ongoing development of character and motive.
Unfortunately, this didnāt last. Overall, the script lacked momentum, showing a general lack of narrative drive. This is the result, I suspect, of the familiar malaise of āteam-inputā. There are a total of SIX writers contributing to the story and/or screenplay. For example, an opportunity to take a poke at Trumpās Mexican wall isnāt taken; neither are scenes in the topically newsworthy detention centre. Itās as if the ābetter not: weāll upset peopleā button was pressed in either the writing room or by the studio.
Trying to make up for this wallowing second reel, the movie ā on boarding a military transport plane ā goes to extremes of unbelievable action, both in the sky and below the water. That āLogan-esqueā start seems a long way away now.
Thereās another element of the movie that confused the hell out of me. The āRev 9ā is able to jump out of itās āskeletonā which could then pursue actions on its own. Given the Terminator gets FLATTENED ā skeleton and all ā during certain scenes of the film, this makes little sense unless the skeleton is made of the same āliquid metalā as the body. In which case, why not just have liquid metal that can assume multiple different forms and attack the target from all sides? Perhaps that came in with the āRev 10ā!
But itās not as bad as Iāve made it sound. This is in no way a terrible movie. As a ābrain at the doorā piece of sci-fi hocum I really quite enjoyed it. The cast in particular is nicely of our time. Thereās a Colombian (not Mexican), feisty and successful female lead in the form of the relatively unknown Reyes. And she has two strong female characters in support. Arnie Schwarzenegger has top billing, but his is really a supporting role.
Natalia Reyes I thought was particularly impressive. The girl has real screen presence, and I look forward to seeing what she does next.
Mackenzie Davis is also terrific as the kick-ass cyborg. I particularly liked the way she executed a neat plot device. Grace has a āwar-machineā designā¦ sheās designed for incredible bursts of activity over short periods, but then becomes next to useless as her body crashes and needs ārebootingā.
I donāt want to be mean, but thereās probably a reason Linda Hamilton hasnāt been in more mainstream movies since T2. Her acting here is adequate at best and didnāt really cut it for me. The script has delivered her a number of humorous lines ā including the iconic āIāll be backā ā but none of them really land in the delivery.
Instead , itās Arnie who has the best lines in the movie, delivered with dead-pan wit. His ācoverā identity ā and particularly his chosen profession ā deliver some laugh out loud dialogue.
All in all, I found this a big step up on other Terminator films in the series. The director is Tim Miller, he of āDeadpoolā. Itās not bloody Shakespeare, but I found it ā warts and all ā an enjoyable night out at the movies.
For the full graphical review, check out https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2019/11/10/one-manns-movies-film-review-terminator-dark-fate-2019/
Dani is assisted by Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), a vigilante Terminator-fighter wanted in all 50 US States for wanton destruction of property. But even this dynamic duo are no match for the unstoppable force of the Rev 9. So they must turn to an old nemesis from Sarahās past for assistance.
James Cameron is heavily involved with this one. The decision was made to ārebootā the series as if all the dodgy Terminator movies of the intervening years (after #2) had never happened. (Thatās not to say that *I* necessarily found them all dodgy. I quite liked āTerminator 3: Rise of the Machinesā for example, with itās grim and downbeat ending).
Now I went into this flick understanding that premise. So a flashback scene in the first few minutes of the film left me mightily confused. How on earth did this link to the āthumbs upā scene at the end of āTerminator 2ā? #baffled.
But if you ignore this issue, the film settles into what I thought was a nice āLoganā-style modus operandi. Thereās an exciting chase sequence along a Mexican highway, but it never overwhelmed the ongoing development of character and motive.
Unfortunately, this didnāt last. Overall, the script lacked momentum, showing a general lack of narrative drive. This is the result, I suspect, of the familiar malaise of āteam-inputā. There are a total of SIX writers contributing to the story and/or screenplay. For example, an opportunity to take a poke at Trumpās Mexican wall isnāt taken; neither are scenes in the topically newsworthy detention centre. Itās as if the ābetter not: weāll upset peopleā button was pressed in either the writing room or by the studio.
Trying to make up for this wallowing second reel, the movie ā on boarding a military transport plane ā goes to extremes of unbelievable action, both in the sky and below the water. That āLogan-esqueā start seems a long way away now.
Thereās another element of the movie that confused the hell out of me. The āRev 9ā is able to jump out of itās āskeletonā which could then pursue actions on its own. Given the Terminator gets FLATTENED ā skeleton and all ā during certain scenes of the film, this makes little sense unless the skeleton is made of the same āliquid metalā as the body. In which case, why not just have liquid metal that can assume multiple different forms and attack the target from all sides? Perhaps that came in with the āRev 10ā!
But itās not as bad as Iāve made it sound. This is in no way a terrible movie. As a ābrain at the doorā piece of sci-fi hocum I really quite enjoyed it. The cast in particular is nicely of our time. Thereās a Colombian (not Mexican), feisty and successful female lead in the form of the relatively unknown Reyes. And she has two strong female characters in support. Arnie Schwarzenegger has top billing, but his is really a supporting role.
Natalia Reyes I thought was particularly impressive. The girl has real screen presence, and I look forward to seeing what she does next.
Mackenzie Davis is also terrific as the kick-ass cyborg. I particularly liked the way she executed a neat plot device. Grace has a āwar-machineā designā¦ sheās designed for incredible bursts of activity over short periods, but then becomes next to useless as her body crashes and needs ārebootingā.
I donāt want to be mean, but thereās probably a reason Linda Hamilton hasnāt been in more mainstream movies since T2. Her acting here is adequate at best and didnāt really cut it for me. The script has delivered her a number of humorous lines ā including the iconic āIāll be backā ā but none of them really land in the delivery.
Instead , itās Arnie who has the best lines in the movie, delivered with dead-pan wit. His ācoverā identity ā and particularly his chosen profession ā deliver some laugh out loud dialogue.
All in all, I found this a big step up on other Terminator films in the series. The director is Tim Miller, he of āDeadpoolā. Itās not bloody Shakespeare, but I found it ā warts and all ā an enjoyable night out at the movies.
For the full graphical review, check out https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2019/11/10/one-manns-movies-film-review-terminator-dark-fate-2019/
Dana (24 KP) rated The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This review, like all others before it, will have spoilers in it. Read at your own risk.
This book was pretty cool! It is not like a lot of the other fantasy novels I read because it is set in Russia in 1825 and has some actual historical people and ideas in it. By the way, that is one of my favorite parts of this book. The fact that it is able to mix fact and fiction together so well is a feat not many can do, so I applaud Ms. Skye for doing just that.
The world felt so real and very well developed. I got the feeling that a lot of research went into creating this book and I am glad she did because it feels authentic and inhabited which is often a problem in fantasy novels such as this. Though she draws on history and fact, she understands she is able to pull in here own creative licenses because she has to make a world that will fit her story. I enjoyed those facts a lot and I am excited to see what else we will get to see in the next book (which I still need to buy).
Now onto characters, then plot.
The main character Vika is a very strong female lead, which I love in any story, not just in fantasy. She is powerful and she knows it. While this can lead to arrogance and a little too much self-esteem, but she is brought to be humbled quite a bit throughout the book, which is actually nice. It grounds her. While she is a strong character, this fact gets her into trouble sometimes because she thinks too much of herself. This arrogance is inevitably what kills her father. She is blinded by the strength she now has and, instead of questioning why she all of the sudden got so much stronger, she just rolls on without a care in the world.
I love Nikolai. In my humble opinion, he is so much better than Pasha because he opens himself up to being hurt but doesn't get angry or act like a spoiled brat when people do something wrong. Nikolai is a dreamer, something I appreciate a lot. He has his heads in the clouds sometimes and needs someone to bring him back down. While he is competitive, just like Vika, he is also very thoughtful. He could have done many things with his magic, but each time, he did something for the people, whether to bring them joy or to restore the magic of what they once knew, he does it for people other than himself. MAJOR SPOILER IS COMING UP NEXT: In his final act of the book, he gives his life to save Vika and if that isn't selfless, I don't know what is. He is caring and kind and I just wished he could have been completely happy. He loved Vika and he deserved so much more than he got. Also, that plot twist that he is the tsar's son, holy crap, I did not see that coming at all.
Now onto Pasha. I am not really a fan of Pasha, to be completely honest. He thinks he is so worthless in comparison to Nikolai even though he is going to be the tsar of Russia. Why is he making everything into a pissing match with his best friend after he finds out Nikolai also loves Vika? Seriously, he could have anyone he wanted, but no. He just has to have an enchantress. He is very selfish and does not think about how his actions will always have consequences and that is a little too reckless for me. Even though he knows he is going to become the tsar, he doesn't take his responsibility seriously at all. I am just not a fan of him. I hope he does not end up with Vika because she deserves so much more than him.
What I love most about these characters is that they have faults and issues that they have to overcome and deal with before they can move on to the next stages of their lives (well, some of them at least).
Onto the plot!
I thought this story was very well structured. I enjoyed the pacing and the flow of everything as well. It felt like it was an actual competition to see who could get my attention the most. (It was Vika and Nikolai as my top two, the others were kinda annoying at times).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to pick up the next one! If you have not already, give this book a read and tell me what you think!
This book was pretty cool! It is not like a lot of the other fantasy novels I read because it is set in Russia in 1825 and has some actual historical people and ideas in it. By the way, that is one of my favorite parts of this book. The fact that it is able to mix fact and fiction together so well is a feat not many can do, so I applaud Ms. Skye for doing just that.
The world felt so real and very well developed. I got the feeling that a lot of research went into creating this book and I am glad she did because it feels authentic and inhabited which is often a problem in fantasy novels such as this. Though she draws on history and fact, she understands she is able to pull in here own creative licenses because she has to make a world that will fit her story. I enjoyed those facts a lot and I am excited to see what else we will get to see in the next book (which I still need to buy).
Now onto characters, then plot.
The main character Vika is a very strong female lead, which I love in any story, not just in fantasy. She is powerful and she knows it. While this can lead to arrogance and a little too much self-esteem, but she is brought to be humbled quite a bit throughout the book, which is actually nice. It grounds her. While she is a strong character, this fact gets her into trouble sometimes because she thinks too much of herself. This arrogance is inevitably what kills her father. She is blinded by the strength she now has and, instead of questioning why she all of the sudden got so much stronger, she just rolls on without a care in the world.
I love Nikolai. In my humble opinion, he is so much better than Pasha because he opens himself up to being hurt but doesn't get angry or act like a spoiled brat when people do something wrong. Nikolai is a dreamer, something I appreciate a lot. He has his heads in the clouds sometimes and needs someone to bring him back down. While he is competitive, just like Vika, he is also very thoughtful. He could have done many things with his magic, but each time, he did something for the people, whether to bring them joy or to restore the magic of what they once knew, he does it for people other than himself. MAJOR SPOILER IS COMING UP NEXT: In his final act of the book, he gives his life to save Vika and if that isn't selfless, I don't know what is. He is caring and kind and I just wished he could have been completely happy. He loved Vika and he deserved so much more than he got. Also, that plot twist that he is the tsar's son, holy crap, I did not see that coming at all.
Now onto Pasha. I am not really a fan of Pasha, to be completely honest. He thinks he is so worthless in comparison to Nikolai even though he is going to be the tsar of Russia. Why is he making everything into a pissing match with his best friend after he finds out Nikolai also loves Vika? Seriously, he could have anyone he wanted, but no. He just has to have an enchantress. He is very selfish and does not think about how his actions will always have consequences and that is a little too reckless for me. Even though he knows he is going to become the tsar, he doesn't take his responsibility seriously at all. I am just not a fan of him. I hope he does not end up with Vika because she deserves so much more than him.
What I love most about these characters is that they have faults and issues that they have to overcome and deal with before they can move on to the next stages of their lives (well, some of them at least).
Onto the plot!
I thought this story was very well structured. I enjoyed the pacing and the flow of everything as well. It felt like it was an actual competition to see who could get my attention the most. (It was Vika and Nikolai as my top two, the others were kinda annoying at times).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to pick up the next one! If you have not already, give this book a read and tell me what you think!
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated 99 Percent Mine in Books
Dec 2, 2018
Different to The Hating Game but equally as good
99 PERCENT MINE grabbed me in with Darcy love from the off, she's an absolute feisty female with a weakness that makes her strong. I admired her attitude, her unfiltered mouth, her inner 'oh s$$t' and her outer 'don't mess with me'. That said, it really did take 20% in for me to really get fully enmeshed into the story. The 5 star rating comes from everything that overwhelmed me and took over my life from there.
Darcy Barratt is a twin, the weaker runt and her twin Jamie, well let me say, I hated that guy and his influence on the characters in this story (even though I suspect there's a story that could come from him). Darcy and Jamie had another half to them, Tom Valeska, unofficial adoptee into the Barratt clan. Darcy has loved him forever but their life has been missed opportunities and it has always been easier for her to up and leave.
<i>"I inhale his birthday-candle pheromones. I want to know what his goddamn bones smell like. Let me start down in his DNA structure and work my way back up." </i>
Tom Valeska (I can't help saying his names together, forgive me) is solid in the friendship stakes, a support, a protector, a wannabe saviour. He comes to renovate Darcy's grandmother's house and therein starts the literal magnetism between these two. Holy chemistry, I cannot explain the draw between them and I felt right in the middle of it, like iron filings. This was a burn of slow proportions but the absolute furnace it created, blew me away.
<i>"My body is taking over. Everything is boiling up out of me-years of stolen looks and tight T-shirts and that bone-deep certainty that the animal in him wants me too."</i>
I literally shelved my Saturday, locked in my fellow arc-buddy and we read together, across the ocean, exchanging highlights, swooning alongside one another, fearing together and having a mind-blown explosion over the chemistry and banter. I could not put this book down, nor would I want to. It is very unlike me to feel drawn back to a book immediately but I just know I will have to read again on release (when I have my pretty, yellow paperback in my hand) and immerse myself once again.
Sally Thorne has followed up The Hating Game with something totally different and entirely as good. No one writes dialogue like Ms Thorne and she has amply shown her diversity and also her consistency. Sorry for the glow-y-ness but I am still riding high on feelings here and I hope you will be too.
<i>"My stomach falls down an elevator shaft. Those words, spoken aloud in his voice, crackle through my synapses, and right now, I've never been more alive. I am heartbeat and full lungs."</i>
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
Darcy Barratt is a twin, the weaker runt and her twin Jamie, well let me say, I hated that guy and his influence on the characters in this story (even though I suspect there's a story that could come from him). Darcy and Jamie had another half to them, Tom Valeska, unofficial adoptee into the Barratt clan. Darcy has loved him forever but their life has been missed opportunities and it has always been easier for her to up and leave.
<i>"I inhale his birthday-candle pheromones. I want to know what his goddamn bones smell like. Let me start down in his DNA structure and work my way back up." </i>
Tom Valeska (I can't help saying his names together, forgive me) is solid in the friendship stakes, a support, a protector, a wannabe saviour. He comes to renovate Darcy's grandmother's house and therein starts the literal magnetism between these two. Holy chemistry, I cannot explain the draw between them and I felt right in the middle of it, like iron filings. This was a burn of slow proportions but the absolute furnace it created, blew me away.
<i>"My body is taking over. Everything is boiling up out of me-years of stolen looks and tight T-shirts and that bone-deep certainty that the animal in him wants me too."</i>
I literally shelved my Saturday, locked in my fellow arc-buddy and we read together, across the ocean, exchanging highlights, swooning alongside one another, fearing together and having a mind-blown explosion over the chemistry and banter. I could not put this book down, nor would I want to. It is very unlike me to feel drawn back to a book immediately but I just know I will have to read again on release (when I have my pretty, yellow paperback in my hand) and immerse myself once again.
Sally Thorne has followed up The Hating Game with something totally different and entirely as good. No one writes dialogue like Ms Thorne and she has amply shown her diversity and also her consistency. Sorry for the glow-y-ness but I am still riding high on feelings here and I hope you will be too.
<i>"My stomach falls down an elevator shaft. Those words, spoken aloud in his voice, crackle through my synapses, and right now, I've never been more alive. I am heartbeat and full lungs."</i>
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.