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Last One at the Party
Last One at the Party
Bethany Clift | 2021 | Contemporary, Dystopia, Horror, Humor & Comedy
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’m not usually one for end of the world, apocalypse type books but this may have changed my mind. Bethany Clint’s writing was perfect and kept drawing me in for more and more to the point that I didn’t want to put it down until I’d finished the whole book.
The book is a series of diary entries and a couple of transcripts from a woman who tells us about a new pandemic, only a few years after the covid-19 pandemic, there is a new one called 6DM, and it has a 0% survival rate. Everyone is terrified and can do nothing to stop it ripping through the population of each country. Pharmacies end up giving out pills that will help people to end it before the symptoms of 6DM get too bad for people to cope with.
The person writing the diary entries never introduces us to her so we never find out her name, but we know all about her life and her family. She goes between writing what is currently happening and how she is coping in a world where she seems to be the only survivor and going back in time to the years leading up to the 6DM pandemic.
Although she doesn’t exactly do what most people would do when thinking they’re the only person alive (trying to survive by finding somewhere safe to stay with food, water and any other essentials) she instead goes on a little bit of a drink and drug bender until she is shocked back into reality. She becomes mostly desensitised to everything around her including the many dead bodies that she stumbles across. But in the end she does realise that she needs to make some attempt to survive and make a life for herself, even if it is going to be a lonely life.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, and I really do hope that this means that Bethany Clift will write a sequel as I’m dying to know what happened to our unnamed diarist after the last transcript! Thank you to Bethany Clift and the Pigeonhole for the chance to read this incredible story.
  
Kynhaven (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #3)
Kynhaven (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #3)
Sarah Westill | 2022 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
KYNHAVEN is the third full-length novel in the Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria series, and we start off with a tragedy. Cora, Mason's twin sister, who we have met in previous books is viciously murdered. Mason is shattered by this news and, with the help of his team, quickly find the killer. As they deal with him, they find out that he had more than one victim, but only one survivor. This sends Mason off to find them, to learn all he can. This leads him to Jessi. She is broken but living, finding peace in tending to her bees. Mason awakens something in her, and her future looks promising. Things change though, and she can't stay where she is forever. She's survived a sadistic killer but will she survive Sziveria Society?

This story moves along at a steady pace, giving the reader time to take in all the emotions and plots that keep it interesting and intriguing. There are 'guest appearances' from previous couples, which is always nice to see and you get an idea of how their lives are moving along.

Mason is the perfect gentleman in this story. He gives Jessi all the power and moves along at her pace, accepting her rejections with grace and dignity, which is just what she needed. Jessi is stronger than she realises and faces challenge after challenge, some of which come from close to home. Trust me, motherly love isn't really a thing in this book!

The overall story arc is also moving along nicely, giving snippets as necessary, whilst still allowing for the romantic storyline to take shape.

There are some steamy moments that show the growth and level of trust between Mason and Jessi.

This was a brilliant addition to the series and highly recommended by me, so long as you start from the beginning so it all makes sense!

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* 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!
  
28 Days Later (2002)
28 Days Later (2002)
2002 | Horror, Sci-Fi
Verdict: Modern Zombie Gem

 

Story: 28 Days Later starts by showing a group of activists breaking into a laboratory where chimps are forced to watch some of the most gruesome sites in human history. This was designed to create pure rage and when the chimps are released an epidemic starts. 28 Days Later (title drop) we meet Jim (Murphy) who wakes up in a hospital, alone he searches looking for help but the hospital, streets and everywhere is empty. Wonder around the empty London Jim finds a church filled with infected that chase him before getting save by Mark (Huntley) and Selena (Harris) who also fill in the blanks of what happened.

Jim finds out the harsh reality of the world now but meeting Frank (Gleeson) and his daughter Hannah (Burns) gives them a chance to go to a radio signal left by the military. The group soon find the military holding up in a mansion lead by Major Henry West (Eccleston) but not everything is as it seems.

28 Days Later brings the modern infected zombie film to life in one of the best story ideas we have seen. It is good to see a story that the infection can only be spread rather than you turn when you die which is big change to all we have seen. The journey itself is been there seen that but what we get is a revenge film with infected around once we meet the military. This shows us that the enemy could come from all direction and our characters are never going to be safe in the world now. This is easily one of the best zombie based films in recent years. (9/10)


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Actor Review

 

Cillian Murphy: Jim waking up alone in a hospital he wonders the empty city before being found by other survivors, with a group he heads to the military safe zone where he ends up having to fight to save the rest of his group from not only infected but the soldiers. Cillian gives a great performance and this put him on the map for bigger roles. (9/10)

 jim

Naomie Harris: Selena the nonsense survivor who takes no prisoners which we see from the moment her fellow survivor gets infected. Naomie gives a good performance showing that she was always going to be in bigger films. (8/10)

 

Brendan Gleeson: Frank caring father who has waited for support before taking his daughter to a radio signal he has been hearing. This character may only be a supporting character but his final moments are one of the most memorable turns in this genre history. Brendan does a good job in what is just a supporting performance. (8/10)

 

Christopher Eccleston: Major Henry West who is running the military unit that has been calling for the survivors but his motives are not what they seem. Christopher gives a good performance in the role. (7/10)

 

Support Cast: 28 Days Later doesn’t have the biggest supporting cast we have a couple of other survivors as well as the soldiers in the military unit. They all help as they show us what the characters are capable off.

 

Director Review: Danny Boyle – Danny does a great job directing this zombie classic that is easily one of the best in the genre. (9/10)

 

Horror: 28 Days Later uses plenty of horror elements with survival horror shinning through. (10/10)

Music: 28 Days Later uses brilliant scores to build the tension up through the scenes. (9/10)

Settings: 28 Days Later uses the settings really well to show how empty busy places could be when the world comes to an end. (9/10)
Special Effects: 28 Days Later uses great special effects with the infected creation. (9/10)

Suggestion: 28 Days Later is one to watch for every horror fan out there. (Horror Fans Watch)

 

Best Part: Suspense building.

Worst Part: Nothing

Action Scene Of The Film: Jim breaks into the mansion


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Kill Of The Film: Frank

Scariest Scene: Jim’s returns home

 

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: Has one sequel with talks of another always around.

Post Credits Scene: There is the alternative ending

 

Oscar Chances: No

Box Office: $82 Million

Budget: $8 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 53 Minutes

Tagline: His fear began when he woke up alone. His terror began when he realised he wasn’t.

Trivia: The scene where Jim and Selena celebrate with Frank and Hannah was shot on September 11, 2001. Danny Boyle said it felt extremely strange to shoot a celebratory scene on that particular day.

 

Overall: Brilliant Infected Film

https://moviesreview101.com/2015/03/14/28-days-later-2002/
  
Dear Edward
Dear Edward
Ann Napolitano | 2020 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
10
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
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<b><i>Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano is one of the few books that instantly captures your heart, then shatters it into hundred pieces and teaches you many life lessons at the same time.</i></b>

"A reporter holds up a copy of The New York Times to a camera, to show a huge block headline, the kind normally reserved for presidential elections and moonwalks. It reads: 

191 DIE IN PLANE CRASH; 1 SURVIVOR

The relatives have only one question when the press briefing comes to close; they all lean toward it like a window in a dark room:

"How is the boy?"</i>

Dear Edward features a boy called Edward, who is flying with his family to move across states. This is their chance of a new life, a brand new start. When the plane crashes, he is the only survivor.

The author tells the story through two different timelines; during the flight and after the plane crash. We follow Edward's life and how he is coping with the loss of everything he knew. We also see how he is struggling to cope with the unwanted celebrity title he has now.

I have always been intrigued by planes and plane crashes. I used to watch every single episode of the documentary on Discovery Channel back in the days. And today, I like to listen to the Plane Crash Podcast by Michael Bauer. I have had some bad experiences while flying, and have always wanted to understand what exactly happens when a plane crashes, and what aviation does to prevent this from happening in the future. This book contains amazing details about the crash, and my hidden mystery person inside me was deeply satisfied by all those pilot dialogues and explanations.

Edward's grief and growing up journey is so painful. He survived, but everyone he loved and cared about in his life died. He is lucky to have survived, but why does he then feel guilty? Why did he swap places with his brother on the flight? If they didn't - his brother would still be alive now. The brother relationship was written so perfectly. The love and the bond they shared for each other was so strong.

Despite the fact that Edward is the main character in this story, we also get to meet so many other characters, the people who lost their lives in the crash. Through flashbacks and "during flight" scenes, as well as encounters from their families, we get to see all the wishes that will never come through, all the hopes and dreams buried under the plane ash.

And that is why Edward's journey is so difficult. He doesn't have to only carry to guilt for his own family, but all those other lives as well. Edward receives letters from the families asking him to do all these things that these people would do. He is asked to become a musician, a doctor, a teacher, to travel around the world, learn knitting, etc, and Edward feels obligated to do all of these things, to give peace to the families.

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<b><i>I knew this book would stay with me forever from the moment I started reading the first few pages. It is so harshly real and painful, but what it does it remind us how every day is special and we should be thankful for it! We may not get a tomorrow, but that's why we have today. Let's make the best of it!</i></b>

Thank you to the team at Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Also thank you to the team at LoveReading UK, for allowing me to be their Super Ambassador of this book for the month of November.

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Mayhawke (97 KP) rated Her Every Fear in Books

Feb 13, 2018  
Her Every Fear
Her Every Fear
Peter Swanson | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Workaday Thriller
For the record I should say that I listened to the book rather than reading a hard copy, and the reading of the book I was listening to was not the most inspiring. The reader (Juliette Burton) was what I think of as a 'flat' reader - aside from the odd accent adopted to distinguish characters there was little variation in tone and pace through the reading. This is not a style that works for me as I find it detracts from those moments where a writer has obviously written for atmosphere or tension. This is particularly the case where the book in question is a thriller - after all, it's supposed to thrill, not pass by with all the excitement, intrigue and suspense of a banking ad.

In the book's favour I found the main character believable and sympathetic. Her actions and choices, as a trauma survivor, I found more realistic than the standard we are usually given, where a character is given all the most extreme behaviours and responses ,and few if any of the more moderate ones - or if they are they never act upon them. She is likable and logical, even when she knows that her own actions are illogical and driven by fear. Sometimes she submits to the fear, others she doesn't. She is not one-dimensional. The premise for the character that 'she has always been overly-nervous' seems a little superfluous - she has a history that gives her cause enough to be nervous, and I don't think there is anything in her personality that needs justification beyond that.

That said this is not the most inspired of thrillers. There are no real surprises, no great twists or turns . It's a good, readable story( a holiday read, maybe) but it's never going to have you hanging on the edge of your seat, and the end could have been at least one chapter shorter, possibly more. The fact that this so and yet I still wanted to hear more is a testament to writing skill of Swanson and the general readability of the book.

To summarise: I will probably have forgotten I've read this in a month or so, but I wouldn't say it wasn't worth the read, and though demanding or deeply engrossing I enjoyed it while it lasted.
  
40x40

Andy K (10823 KP) rated Glass (2019) in Movies

Aug 10, 2019  
Glass (2019)
Glass (2019)
2019 | Drama, Thriller
The Anti-Avengers!
Funny how director M. Night Shyamalan's career has gone. His first major hit blows everyone's minds with one of the most mind-bending plot twists ever captured on film (do you remember being mad at yourself you didn't figure it out).

Then he makes Unbreakable, a thinking man's superhero film which is just as good as The Sixth Sense, but does only modest box office. Then Sign and The Village (both decent, but a step down for sure) and then over 10 years of crap including Lady in the Water and The Happening.

In a strange move, he decides to write and direct a "sequel"? or another film in the same universe with Split which dos well with critics and audiences enough to warrant the 3rd film in the trilogy, Glass.



Train wreck survivor David Dunn is still the one man vigilante "Dark Knight" who lends a hand to the unfortunate when he comes across "The Horde". The two men end up being captured and incarcerated in a mental institution with Elijah Price, another man and David's former nemesis who is currently catatonic. The doctor in change says she has been given only 3 days to diagnose and treat the men before they are sentenced to life in an institution.

One of the men has an agenda which involves all three of them he wants to see played out and will go to any length to ensure its success. The lives of the men are intertwined in certain ways they themselves may not even be aware of.

I was worried when I started watching since I thought the first hour was VERY SLOW to develop with mostly just talking and plotting. Once thing finally get going and the men start interacting with each other it becomes way more interesting.

Good to see Bruce Willis back in a film which actually ran theatrically. He is showing signs of age, but still gives a great performance along with Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy.

The ending may not sit well with everyone since it may be considered atypical, but I thought it was fitting and didn't see it coming.

Here's to hoping a revitalized career for the film's interesting and entertaining filmmaker.

  
In the Time of the Butterflies
In the Time of the Butterflies
Julia Alvarez | 1994 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh my goodness, this book. I am simultaneously at a loss for words and still have so much to say. My first inclination after reading this book is disappointment. Not in the writing or the story itself, but in me, actually. I am Dominican. Though I was born in the United States, I speak Spanglish - definitely more English than Spanish - and I've never been to the DR, I still felt this deep disappointment in myself. For not knowing my own history. I'm a first-generation American. My father was born in Santo Domingo and as a product of my circumstances, I don't know enough about my family's native country. And in a large way, that's on me. It's not like I'm incapable of learning, I'm 20 years old and I live in the digital age, for goodness sake. I don't know if I have any sort of excuse, and even if I did, I'm not sure it's a good one. But regardless, the disappointment is there.

This book gave me a connection. A connection to the history, to the language, to the land - one I didn't have before. As I moved through the novel and became familiar with Dedé, Minerva, Patria, and María Teresa, I found bits of myself in each of them. I found myself talking to them as if I knew them or they were my friends, wanting to provide them comfort, advice, a swift kick in the butt when I thought they needed more of a push. I wish I could truly put into words all the things this novel did for me and made me feel. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to find them.

What I loved most about this story is the truth in it all. Trujillo was a dictator and under his regime, the DR fell apart. I loved that the Mirabal sisters were real and that while their story was one worth telling, the one in this book was fictionalized but still rang true in some aspects. I loved that their story was told from all four of their perspectives, not just Dedé, as the survivor.

I think this novel is one that should be read by many, and I think this story - one of the Mirabal sisters - is one that should be shouted from as many rooftops as possible.

"The function of freedom is to free someone else." - Toni Morrison
  
    Air Force Jet Fighter 3D

    Air Force Jet Fighter 3D

    Games and Navigation

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    Air Force Fighter is an ultimate sky war against the enemy airplanes and sky fighters. Take control...