Search
Search results
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Dying Light in Video Games
Jul 19, 2017
Awkward parkour (2 more)
Terrible story
Disappointing loot
Mutton dressed as lamb
This game came out in January last year, so it’s now more than a year old, but honestly it feels much older than that. I can remember when this came out to glowing reviews and I was pleased, because I was a big fan of Techland’s first open world, first person zombie game, Dead Island. Plus this looked really cool as it added free running and a transformation of zombies. I bought the game in about September last year, but I have only recently gotten around to actually playing it, so I figured I’d give my thoughts on the game so far. To be honest I am very disappointed, after the glowing reviews and audience praise I was expecting a game that was a lot better than this. I honestly think I may prefer the original Dead Island to Dying Light and although I may be looking at Dead Island through rose tinted glasses, it was only a couple of years ago that I played it, so I’m not so sure.
The big gimmick in this game is the free running. I went into the game expecting Dead Island meets Mirror’s Edge, but instead I got something more akin to Shadow Fall or Far Cry’s janky free running. The player character honestly feels so heavy and clunky and there is no coherent flow to the free running at all. The other gimmick is the idea of ‘drops,’ which are basically supply drops that are dropped in various locations throughout the map. The controller will vibrate, the blue icon will appear on the map and you haul ass across the environment towards it, in the awkward parkour motion that you are forced to endure throughout the game. The first couple of drops are difficult when you don’t yet really know what you are doing, but after a while you know what to expect and as soon as you feel the controller rumble and the icon appear on the mini map you know to just run as fast as possible towards the icon and everything will be straightforward. Also, while I am aware that players don’t tend to love this game for it’s immersive story, what story they attempt is garbage delivered by poor voice acting, in addition it makes absolutely no sense that you are just some random guy that the people from The Tower find out on the street and within spending a day or two with them they declare you to be the best free runner in the whole tower, it is all just far too convenient. The game also attempts to force you to change your play style at night, some of the zombies transform into hulking, hard to kill beasts with super speed, but their field of vision also appears on the map, so as long as you can avoid that, everything will be hunky dory and even if you do get seen you can just run away for a bit and climb onto a ledge and they will soon forget about you. I actually think that the virals that attack you during the day are more dangerous as they don’t have a specific field of view and are faster than the night time virals. Now while all these minor gripes do add up to my dislike of the game, the biggest let down in this game is it’s loot system. The loot in Dead Island was so good and when you had a great weapon, you knew it was great because it was so effective and felt so good to use in combat, there was just a charm to the weapons you could find in that game. The loot in Dying Light is much more generic and the effectiveness of the weapons has been neutered. The game starts you off with flimsy blunt weapons, which is expected, then you either find or save up your money and buy a sweet new axe or machete, you think that this is going to help you take out everything so much easier, but there isn’t much more of an effect, like maybe instead of dying after 18 hits a guy will die after 15, but that still doesn’t exactly feel effective to me. Also, the weapons degrade quickly, but that doesn’t matter because there is a good amount of weapons to buy and find, but since they have all been nerfed anyway it renders the whole process totally pointless, the loot system is really redundant and has no impact at all on the game. Also the guns are overpowered as all hell. The big guys with the heavy weapons will take you around fifty smacks with a hammer to bring down, but if you have a pistol and jump over a three foot wall, they can’t follow you and so they just stand still, so you just pop two or three caps into their skull and they go down in a couple of seconds. I also dislike how the damage you inflict on an enemy is the same no matter where on the body that you hit them. You can whack a guy repeatedly in the head or the legs and he will fall down in the same amount of time either way.
Overall, this game tries to be the next gen version of Dead Island, but what it delivers is a game that looks and feels like it came out at the same time as its predecessor and in a lot of ways it is even less intuitive than the first game. I know that I keep comparing this game to Dead Island, but I honestly believe that if you are looking for a first person zombie survival game, you should save yourself the cash and go pick up Dead Island as it plays better than this one and is graphically on par. However even though I have torn this game apart for the duration of this review, it is still a good game and I can see why people like it, I just don’t understand the massive amounts of praise it gets when Dead Island was a better game.
The big gimmick in this game is the free running. I went into the game expecting Dead Island meets Mirror’s Edge, but instead I got something more akin to Shadow Fall or Far Cry’s janky free running. The player character honestly feels so heavy and clunky and there is no coherent flow to the free running at all. The other gimmick is the idea of ‘drops,’ which are basically supply drops that are dropped in various locations throughout the map. The controller will vibrate, the blue icon will appear on the map and you haul ass across the environment towards it, in the awkward parkour motion that you are forced to endure throughout the game. The first couple of drops are difficult when you don’t yet really know what you are doing, but after a while you know what to expect and as soon as you feel the controller rumble and the icon appear on the mini map you know to just run as fast as possible towards the icon and everything will be straightforward. Also, while I am aware that players don’t tend to love this game for it’s immersive story, what story they attempt is garbage delivered by poor voice acting, in addition it makes absolutely no sense that you are just some random guy that the people from The Tower find out on the street and within spending a day or two with them they declare you to be the best free runner in the whole tower, it is all just far too convenient. The game also attempts to force you to change your play style at night, some of the zombies transform into hulking, hard to kill beasts with super speed, but their field of vision also appears on the map, so as long as you can avoid that, everything will be hunky dory and even if you do get seen you can just run away for a bit and climb onto a ledge and they will soon forget about you. I actually think that the virals that attack you during the day are more dangerous as they don’t have a specific field of view and are faster than the night time virals. Now while all these minor gripes do add up to my dislike of the game, the biggest let down in this game is it’s loot system. The loot in Dead Island was so good and when you had a great weapon, you knew it was great because it was so effective and felt so good to use in combat, there was just a charm to the weapons you could find in that game. The loot in Dying Light is much more generic and the effectiveness of the weapons has been neutered. The game starts you off with flimsy blunt weapons, which is expected, then you either find or save up your money and buy a sweet new axe or machete, you think that this is going to help you take out everything so much easier, but there isn’t much more of an effect, like maybe instead of dying after 18 hits a guy will die after 15, but that still doesn’t exactly feel effective to me. Also, the weapons degrade quickly, but that doesn’t matter because there is a good amount of weapons to buy and find, but since they have all been nerfed anyway it renders the whole process totally pointless, the loot system is really redundant and has no impact at all on the game. Also the guns are overpowered as all hell. The big guys with the heavy weapons will take you around fifty smacks with a hammer to bring down, but if you have a pistol and jump over a three foot wall, they can’t follow you and so they just stand still, so you just pop two or three caps into their skull and they go down in a couple of seconds. I also dislike how the damage you inflict on an enemy is the same no matter where on the body that you hit them. You can whack a guy repeatedly in the head or the legs and he will fall down in the same amount of time either way.
Overall, this game tries to be the next gen version of Dead Island, but what it delivers is a game that looks and feels like it came out at the same time as its predecessor and in a lot of ways it is even less intuitive than the first game. I know that I keep comparing this game to Dead Island, but I honestly believe that if you are looking for a first person zombie survival game, you should save yourself the cash and go pick up Dead Island as it plays better than this one and is graphically on par. However even though I have torn this game apart for the duration of this review, it is still a good game and I can see why people like it, I just don’t understand the massive amounts of praise it gets when Dead Island was a better game.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Lonely Undead in Tabletop Games
May 24, 2021
“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.” Now, this is an acceptable saying that one might utter flippantly to anyone around them. However, “I’m so lonely I could bite the town Mayor” is generally something that would raise some eyebrows or nervous smiles from eavesdroppers. But why, I ask. Why are we okay with eating horses but not simply biting another human? Probably because of laws. I get that. But sometimes you just need a friend. Someone… like you.
Lonely Undead is a hand management, grid movement, zombie adventure game for one to four players with a super crazy theme. In it, players are Zs looking to make some friends in the neighborhood, but most unturnt neighbors are keeping their distance. So what’s a Z to do? Go bite and infect people so they can be friends forever, of course!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. This preview will be highlighting the co-op mode with two players. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, lay out the board somewhere on the table (thankfully the rules do not specify where, so go ahead and be a bit off-center this time). Zs (the players) all start in “Dead Center” of the board. The rulebook indicated how to construct the Living deck, and each deck of different types of cards should be shuffled and put in their place either on the board or just off it. For sake of ease, use the rulebook’s suggested placement of Living (so, NOT the Zs) tokens. Each player receives or chooses a Z to embody, receives two Aid cards, four Limbs, and the game is setup and ready to begin!
Lonely Undead is played over a series of rounds, with each round consisting of two phases: Z Phase and Town Phase. During the Z Phase, the active player will have four actions they may take from the following choices: Movement, Draw an Aid Card, Equip a Card, Sound Check, Attack, and Bite. Each Z has their own unique card with their special actions and other stats. A Z may move up to their Movement amount,including diagonally, for one action.
Aid Cards are very helpful to Zs, and for an action a Z may Draw an Aid Card to their hand. Aid Cards could be stat modifiers, or other special actions available to be used. Some Aid Cards are free to use, but if that text is not on the card, a Z will need to spend an action to Equip a Card to their Z.
When the Z is adjacent to a Living token, they must Sound Check it in order to identify the kind of Living they are stalking. To do this a Z rolls the Chance Die and applies any modifier rolled to their base stat on their card for hearing. This is compared against the Living card that is drawn to see if the Living notices the hunting Z. If the Z is successful in this Sound Check (winning all ties), then the Z may continue with their turn. If the Z fails the check, however, the Z will suffer the consequence detailed on the Living’s card. Once the Living has been identified through a Sound Check (successfully or not), the Z may next Attack the Living by rolling the Chance Die again and applying the modifier to the base attack stat. If successful, the Z flips the Living token over to reveal the injured side, notating that the Living does not need to be Sound Checked again, and is ripe for the bitening. If the Z fails an Attack, though, they will suffer any consequences detailed on the Living’s card. When a Living is injured, they are vulnerable to a Z’s Bite. The Z will roll the special Bite die in an attempt to meet their Bite range on the Z’s character card. A successful Bite means the Z collects a friend and moves that much closer to victory! A failed Bite means the Z must place a color-matched Bite token on the Living standee to signify they cannot be Bitten by that same Z again.
Once a Z has taken their turn, they will draw a Reaction card from its pile. Reactions could be either beneficial to the Z, or could be very very bad news. Some Reaction cards bring Dogs into the game, and these Dogs chase and bite the Zs that drew them. Every Dog bite causes damage to the Z and after all their Limbs are gone, they are perma-dead and out of the game. Other Reactions could cause a Car to zoom down the street, mowing over anything in their path (Zs, Dogs, Living, etc).
In the cooperative mode, players work together to gain 15 friends before 10 Living perish and are placed on the Death Toll tracker. Every two Living tokens on the Death Toll tracker forces the players to draw and enact a Death Toll card. Once the win condition is met the players win!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so components will probably be a bit different in the final version. That said, I do have some opinions here. Firstly, there are a LOT of components included in this game. I am sure that they will all receive some kind of improvement in the final copy, so I will not comment on quality. I was able to play the prototype several times and had no problems with the components doing their job. I do have a comment on the art style. It’s just not my favorite. Now, this is obviously personal opinion, and it certainly does does not turn me off from the game at all. I just need to get it out to the aether that a different art style or genre may fit the game a bit better.
That all said, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed all my plays of Lonely Undead. Once the turns start cookin, you just don’t want to stop playing. Yes, there are random events or spawns that cause some chaos for our heroes, chief of which are the Dogs. Those little buggers will chase you all over town to get that juicy bite off and take one of your Limbs. I hate to say this, but there were many times I hoped to draw a Car card so that it could run over the Dogs (now, in real life I love dogs, but they are perfectly annoying in Lonely Undead). The variety of Z special powers lead to interesting combinations when playing co-op or competitively. However, I honestly prefer the co-op mode here.
In co-op, players are (obviously) working together to Bite and infect as many Living as they possibly can. This makes for some strategic placement between players, as well as combat tactics when Livings are clustered together in a building. Perhaps one Z is better at handling Officers, while another can more easily prey upon Livings from outside areas. Being able to set strategies and tactics by working together has made for some very excellent gaming experiences.
I’m going to be honest, as I always try to do. When I opened up Lonely Undead and saw the art style, I was a bit turned off. But, as I learned the game and played through it several times, I grew to really enjoy the game. I think it’s a great example of taking a tired theme and breathing a bit of new life into it. Yes, zombies are trying to eat people, but typically in zombie games the players are working AGAINST the zombies, not AS the zombies. I think this is a very clever spin. I have certainly and purposefully left out a few rules as surprises for gamers who decide to back this one, and I would recommend that you at least check out the Kickstarter campaign. This may not be for everyone, and even if the art doesn’t change, it is definitely for me. Kudos to Shelby Matussak and Dead Lemon Games for a fine first entry into the gaming world.
CHOMP!
Lonely Undead is a hand management, grid movement, zombie adventure game for one to four players with a super crazy theme. In it, players are Zs looking to make some friends in the neighborhood, but most unturnt neighbors are keeping their distance. So what’s a Z to do? Go bite and infect people so they can be friends forever, of course!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. This preview will be highlighting the co-op mode with two players. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, lay out the board somewhere on the table (thankfully the rules do not specify where, so go ahead and be a bit off-center this time). Zs (the players) all start in “Dead Center” of the board. The rulebook indicated how to construct the Living deck, and each deck of different types of cards should be shuffled and put in their place either on the board or just off it. For sake of ease, use the rulebook’s suggested placement of Living (so, NOT the Zs) tokens. Each player receives or chooses a Z to embody, receives two Aid cards, four Limbs, and the game is setup and ready to begin!
Lonely Undead is played over a series of rounds, with each round consisting of two phases: Z Phase and Town Phase. During the Z Phase, the active player will have four actions they may take from the following choices: Movement, Draw an Aid Card, Equip a Card, Sound Check, Attack, and Bite. Each Z has their own unique card with their special actions and other stats. A Z may move up to their Movement amount,including diagonally, for one action.
Aid Cards are very helpful to Zs, and for an action a Z may Draw an Aid Card to their hand. Aid Cards could be stat modifiers, or other special actions available to be used. Some Aid Cards are free to use, but if that text is not on the card, a Z will need to spend an action to Equip a Card to their Z.
When the Z is adjacent to a Living token, they must Sound Check it in order to identify the kind of Living they are stalking. To do this a Z rolls the Chance Die and applies any modifier rolled to their base stat on their card for hearing. This is compared against the Living card that is drawn to see if the Living notices the hunting Z. If the Z is successful in this Sound Check (winning all ties), then the Z may continue with their turn. If the Z fails the check, however, the Z will suffer the consequence detailed on the Living’s card. Once the Living has been identified through a Sound Check (successfully or not), the Z may next Attack the Living by rolling the Chance Die again and applying the modifier to the base attack stat. If successful, the Z flips the Living token over to reveal the injured side, notating that the Living does not need to be Sound Checked again, and is ripe for the bitening. If the Z fails an Attack, though, they will suffer any consequences detailed on the Living’s card. When a Living is injured, they are vulnerable to a Z’s Bite. The Z will roll the special Bite die in an attempt to meet their Bite range on the Z’s character card. A successful Bite means the Z collects a friend and moves that much closer to victory! A failed Bite means the Z must place a color-matched Bite token on the Living standee to signify they cannot be Bitten by that same Z again.
Once a Z has taken their turn, they will draw a Reaction card from its pile. Reactions could be either beneficial to the Z, or could be very very bad news. Some Reaction cards bring Dogs into the game, and these Dogs chase and bite the Zs that drew them. Every Dog bite causes damage to the Z and after all their Limbs are gone, they are perma-dead and out of the game. Other Reactions could cause a Car to zoom down the street, mowing over anything in their path (Zs, Dogs, Living, etc).
In the cooperative mode, players work together to gain 15 friends before 10 Living perish and are placed on the Death Toll tracker. Every two Living tokens on the Death Toll tracker forces the players to draw and enact a Death Toll card. Once the win condition is met the players win!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so components will probably be a bit different in the final version. That said, I do have some opinions here. Firstly, there are a LOT of components included in this game. I am sure that they will all receive some kind of improvement in the final copy, so I will not comment on quality. I was able to play the prototype several times and had no problems with the components doing their job. I do have a comment on the art style. It’s just not my favorite. Now, this is obviously personal opinion, and it certainly does does not turn me off from the game at all. I just need to get it out to the aether that a different art style or genre may fit the game a bit better.
That all said, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed all my plays of Lonely Undead. Once the turns start cookin, you just don’t want to stop playing. Yes, there are random events or spawns that cause some chaos for our heroes, chief of which are the Dogs. Those little buggers will chase you all over town to get that juicy bite off and take one of your Limbs. I hate to say this, but there were many times I hoped to draw a Car card so that it could run over the Dogs (now, in real life I love dogs, but they are perfectly annoying in Lonely Undead). The variety of Z special powers lead to interesting combinations when playing co-op or competitively. However, I honestly prefer the co-op mode here.
In co-op, players are (obviously) working together to Bite and infect as many Living as they possibly can. This makes for some strategic placement between players, as well as combat tactics when Livings are clustered together in a building. Perhaps one Z is better at handling Officers, while another can more easily prey upon Livings from outside areas. Being able to set strategies and tactics by working together has made for some very excellent gaming experiences.
I’m going to be honest, as I always try to do. When I opened up Lonely Undead and saw the art style, I was a bit turned off. But, as I learned the game and played through it several times, I grew to really enjoy the game. I think it’s a great example of taking a tired theme and breathing a bit of new life into it. Yes, zombies are trying to eat people, but typically in zombie games the players are working AGAINST the zombies, not AS the zombies. I think this is a very clever spin. I have certainly and purposefully left out a few rules as surprises for gamers who decide to back this one, and I would recommend that you at least check out the Kickstarter campaign. This may not be for everyone, and even if the art doesn’t change, it is definitely for me. Kudos to Shelby Matussak and Dead Lemon Games for a fine first entry into the gaming world.
CHOMP!
postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated The Last Namsara in Books
Jan 9, 2018
Where the Namsara brings life the Iskari brings death. Asha is the Iskari, death bringer and dragon hunter. Cursed with a lifetime of knowing it was her fault that dragons had come to ransack her town when she was a child, she is feared and reviled. It was her mother telling her the Old Stories of dragons that brought them, a balm to her nightmares with horrendous consequences. Asha has dedicated her young life to slaying the dragons, although now with them dwindling in numbers she must take drastic action to ensure a successful hunt. Asha must tell the outlawed Old Stories again.
The last Namsara is very much a book of revelations for Asha. The dragon attack when she was a child left her without a mother and also horrible scarred from the burns she suffered. Having to not only live with the fact that she is hated she also has to deal with the stares associated with her disfigurement, the armour she wears is both necessary for her hunt and for her emotional wellbeing. When her secret is out following an accident during a hunt, she is tended to by Torwin, her betrothed’s slave, who seemingly is willing to keep her secret, but at what cost to both of them?
Through a series of cruel acts she finds herself visited by the first Namsara who starts her on a path that will not only unravel the truth about what happened the day of the dragon attack, but also a much deeper and long running deception. Asha must therefore right the wrongs.
I very much liked Asha as a character, I found that she was written with both strength and vulnerability, she has always been the Iskari and that has given her an opportunity to hide behind a persona. She is however still a teenager and she has the same hopes and fears as everyone, but her hardened act is thankfully easy to scratch beyond the surface of. The book was an easy flowing read and I particularly liked how the Old Stories were interwoven into the pages, completing parts of the story and acting almost like a running prologue. It was a great way of explaining a complicated back story without being an info dump on the reader. I also found that there was a great deal of realism about the aftermaths of events, the fact that laws can’t be changed to suit the sovereign and that one persons change for the better will always be anothers change for the worse. It didn’t shy away from the ugly side of things and that always gets good marks from me.
That being said, I found the Last Namsara lacked a certain spark. I enjoyed reading it very much don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t have my pulse racing and I found it easy to put down of an evening. I would still recommend this to anyone who is a fan of dragons and kick ass female protagonists as it really does have a lot to like.
The last Namsara is very much a book of revelations for Asha. The dragon attack when she was a child left her without a mother and also horrible scarred from the burns she suffered. Having to not only live with the fact that she is hated she also has to deal with the stares associated with her disfigurement, the armour she wears is both necessary for her hunt and for her emotional wellbeing. When her secret is out following an accident during a hunt, she is tended to by Torwin, her betrothed’s slave, who seemingly is willing to keep her secret, but at what cost to both of them?
Through a series of cruel acts she finds herself visited by the first Namsara who starts her on a path that will not only unravel the truth about what happened the day of the dragon attack, but also a much deeper and long running deception. Asha must therefore right the wrongs.
I very much liked Asha as a character, I found that she was written with both strength and vulnerability, she has always been the Iskari and that has given her an opportunity to hide behind a persona. She is however still a teenager and she has the same hopes and fears as everyone, but her hardened act is thankfully easy to scratch beyond the surface of. The book was an easy flowing read and I particularly liked how the Old Stories were interwoven into the pages, completing parts of the story and acting almost like a running prologue. It was a great way of explaining a complicated back story without being an info dump on the reader. I also found that there was a great deal of realism about the aftermaths of events, the fact that laws can’t be changed to suit the sovereign and that one persons change for the better will always be anothers change for the worse. It didn’t shy away from the ugly side of things and that always gets good marks from me.
That being said, I found the Last Namsara lacked a certain spark. I enjoyed reading it very much don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t have my pulse racing and I found it easy to put down of an evening. I would still recommend this to anyone who is a fan of dragons and kick ass female protagonists as it really does have a lot to like.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Bird Box in Books
May 16, 2018
If you're looking for something that is fast-paced and just might give you an anxiety attack, Josh Malerman's debut novel Bird Box may be exactly what you need. Set in the very near future, Bird Box is a book that simultaneously takes place during and after the apocalypse. Human beings find their minds under assault by an unseen force, one that drives them toward homicidal and suicidal tendencies. The only way to remain safe is to never, ever open your eyes.
Imagine with me what living in a world, robbed suddenly of sight, might be like. We rely heavily on our senses and, as an avid reader, I highly value my ability to be able to see the written word. I can't even begin to fathom what it would be like to find myself forced into an eternally dark void, and never have I thought of a scenario in which I would choose to be blind.
In Bird Box, Malorie and her children aren't given that option. Stranded in a home that is not her own, and faced with dwindling supplies and a lack of social interaction with anyone but her two children, Malorie must embark on a dangerous mission to find a new, safer haven for her small family: only their destination isn't very close to them, and they are not alone. There's a fourth party traveling with them and they are helpless to identify the newcomer.
The entire story does not follow that journey alone, though. In fact, it simultaneously takes place prior to Malorie's endeavor, introducing us to an entire cast of characters ranging from lovable to untrustworthy; from the purely innocent to those whose madness goes beyond all help. Though I'm not a huge fan of the constant back and forth chronology (in fact, I find it to be extremely distracting), the manner in which Malerman reveals bits and pieces of his story is crucial to progression: it gives readers the opportunity to develop their own feelings for Malorie and how she handles her problems. I also found that the odd way in which he split the story kept me reading, if only because more often that not, I found myself wondering how or why something was the way it was presently if, at the beginning of the end, everything seemed to be headed in a totally different direction.
Like most stories that take place after the world as we know it has met its doom, whether by nuclear fallout, bio-warfare, or the collapse of government, Bird Box brings out the best, and more readily, the worst in people. They become desperate or panicked, sometimes to the point that their actions defy all logic: such as the voluntary or involuntary blinding of oneself to avoid madness. Perhaps I so easily love post-apocalyptic books for that reason alone. They have a habit of reminding us exactly how pathetic and disgusting our own race can be; how often we are willing to put ourselves first, despite the suffering of others, should the situation call for it.
Imagine with me what living in a world, robbed suddenly of sight, might be like. We rely heavily on our senses and, as an avid reader, I highly value my ability to be able to see the written word. I can't even begin to fathom what it would be like to find myself forced into an eternally dark void, and never have I thought of a scenario in which I would choose to be blind.
In Bird Box, Malorie and her children aren't given that option. Stranded in a home that is not her own, and faced with dwindling supplies and a lack of social interaction with anyone but her two children, Malorie must embark on a dangerous mission to find a new, safer haven for her small family: only their destination isn't very close to them, and they are not alone. There's a fourth party traveling with them and they are helpless to identify the newcomer.
The entire story does not follow that journey alone, though. In fact, it simultaneously takes place prior to Malorie's endeavor, introducing us to an entire cast of characters ranging from lovable to untrustworthy; from the purely innocent to those whose madness goes beyond all help. Though I'm not a huge fan of the constant back and forth chronology (in fact, I find it to be extremely distracting), the manner in which Malerman reveals bits and pieces of his story is crucial to progression: it gives readers the opportunity to develop their own feelings for Malorie and how she handles her problems. I also found that the odd way in which he split the story kept me reading, if only because more often that not, I found myself wondering how or why something was the way it was presently if, at the beginning of the end, everything seemed to be headed in a totally different direction.
Like most stories that take place after the world as we know it has met its doom, whether by nuclear fallout, bio-warfare, or the collapse of government, Bird Box brings out the best, and more readily, the worst in people. They become desperate or panicked, sometimes to the point that their actions defy all logic: such as the voluntary or involuntary blinding of oneself to avoid madness. Perhaps I so easily love post-apocalyptic books for that reason alone. They have a habit of reminding us exactly how pathetic and disgusting our own race can be; how often we are willing to put ourselves first, despite the suffering of others, should the situation call for it.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Where the Crawdads Sing in Books
Feb 3, 2019
The beautiful prose (2 more)
The interesting plot
The well written characters
A Beautifully Written Novel
I have to admit that when I first heard about Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, it didn't sound like a book I'd want to read. However, as I kept seeing rave reviews for it, I decided to take a chance on it, and I am so glad I did because this book was amazing!
The plot for Where the Crawdads Sing was an interesting one. I found myself immersed in it throughout, even the parts about nature and poetry which I'm not into. Delia Owens wrote this book beautifully where ever piece fit together perfectly. Where the Crawdads Sing felt so realistic and like I was there every step on the way. The prose was amazing, and I can honestly say that I have not read a more beautifully written book. There are a few plot twists, and I didn't see them coming! I didn't even get the death of Chase right! There are no cliff hangers in this book, and all of my questions where answered.
I thought each and every character in Where the Crawdads Sing were written superbly. I loved the main character of Kya. It was so interesting watching her grow up without a family and turn into a beautiful, intelligent, and kind young lady. Her innocence was reassuring even if did get her in trouble. The character of Kya was such a breath of fresh air. It was amazing how she was able to look after herself when she had no one else even at a young age. Jumpin' was another one of my favorite characters. He was such a larger than life character, and he always seemed so optimistic was was fantastic! I loved how caring Tate was and how patient he was with Kya. I was always hoping those two would end up together. I didn't trust Chase from the get go, but even he was written really well. I loved how the author, Delia Owens, even included what happened to most of the characters years in the future. The only minor thing that bothered me was that when the characters spoke, they spoke in their own dialect which could be annoying at times, but it did not ruin this book for me at all.
The pacing in Where the Crawdads Sing was done so well. I was hooked from the very first page. Never once did the pacing slow down where I found myself bored. I was constantly enthralled by every page in this book. I could not get enough! The words flowed beautifully.
Trigger warnings for Where the Crawdads Sing include profanity, child neglect and abandonment, child abuse, attempted rape, violence, possible murder, sexual situations, alcoholism, racial slurs, and overly judgmental people.
All in all, Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautifully written book through and through. The writing was brilliant, and the characters were written beautifully. The plot is just as fantastic and very interesting. I would definitely recommend Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens to everyone aged 16+. This is one of those books that needs to be read!
The plot for Where the Crawdads Sing was an interesting one. I found myself immersed in it throughout, even the parts about nature and poetry which I'm not into. Delia Owens wrote this book beautifully where ever piece fit together perfectly. Where the Crawdads Sing felt so realistic and like I was there every step on the way. The prose was amazing, and I can honestly say that I have not read a more beautifully written book. There are a few plot twists, and I didn't see them coming! I didn't even get the death of Chase right! There are no cliff hangers in this book, and all of my questions where answered.
I thought each and every character in Where the Crawdads Sing were written superbly. I loved the main character of Kya. It was so interesting watching her grow up without a family and turn into a beautiful, intelligent, and kind young lady. Her innocence was reassuring even if did get her in trouble. The character of Kya was such a breath of fresh air. It was amazing how she was able to look after herself when she had no one else even at a young age. Jumpin' was another one of my favorite characters. He was such a larger than life character, and he always seemed so optimistic was was fantastic! I loved how caring Tate was and how patient he was with Kya. I was always hoping those two would end up together. I didn't trust Chase from the get go, but even he was written really well. I loved how the author, Delia Owens, even included what happened to most of the characters years in the future. The only minor thing that bothered me was that when the characters spoke, they spoke in their own dialect which could be annoying at times, but it did not ruin this book for me at all.
The pacing in Where the Crawdads Sing was done so well. I was hooked from the very first page. Never once did the pacing slow down where I found myself bored. I was constantly enthralled by every page in this book. I could not get enough! The words flowed beautifully.
Trigger warnings for Where the Crawdads Sing include profanity, child neglect and abandonment, child abuse, attempted rape, violence, possible murder, sexual situations, alcoholism, racial slurs, and overly judgmental people.
All in all, Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautifully written book through and through. The writing was brilliant, and the characters were written beautifully. The plot is just as fantastic and very interesting. I would definitely recommend Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens to everyone aged 16+. This is one of those books that needs to be read!
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Beautiful Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga #1) in Books
Aug 21, 2018
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/book-review1.png?w=544"/>;
I used to read a lot of Young Adult, Fiction and Fantasy books before. My little sister mentioned to me a few weeks ago that she started reading this genre. I decided that it would be a good thing to join her in this adventure, and to read some of the books she's reading.
I have also asked for recommendations on the bookshelf that I made especially for this, and received so many responses. Thank you to all of you who contributed, and this is the list that we have now - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/28198445-ivana-a?shelf=tea-s-wishlist">Tea's Wishlist</a>
<b><i>Beautiful Demons is the first book of the Shadow Demons series.</i></b>
It is a story about Harper Madison, an orphan, that went from one family to another, causing troubles all her life and on one occasion, unintentionally made fire and burned people to death. With no family willing to take her now, she has to go to Shadowford, a place for troubled orphan girls.
<b><i>But what if everything happens for a reason? And why is this whole town so mysterious? Why, for the first time, she actually belongs somewhere?
Everyone in this town seems to be hiding something? And that is just the beginning…</i></b>
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/book-cover-1.png?w=544"/>;
Even though this book is quite short, I was actually amused as to how much it was able to cover. I was pulled in from the first chapter, and this kept me going until the last.
We have all seen the new girl, new town, new school, being bullied type of scenario, and the cheerleaders owning the school and dating the jocks. This is the same, except it isn’t. It is spiced up with mystery and magic, and cheerleaders are just a metaphor of all that lies behind it. I will only reveal this much - the moment you get accepted to become a cheerleader, your life changes. But that is also the moment you realise it's only the beginning.
I liked Harper's character, and how she was presented. Sometimes she was too naïve and vulnerable for her own good, sometimes a bit too reckless when she didn't have enough information and clues. She was though, a nice young girl example of making brave decisions, but also a bad example of making stupid decisions…
The plot twist in the end was amazing, and I could never see that coming.
I think the purpose of this book was to make a nice scene building for the next books in the series, and to raise our curiosity. A lot of questions were raised, and not many were answered, which proves my point.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this series, and will definitely be reading the next books.
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/book-review1.png?w=544"/>;
I used to read a lot of Young Adult, Fiction and Fantasy books before. My little sister mentioned to me a few weeks ago that she started reading this genre. I decided that it would be a good thing to join her in this adventure, and to read some of the books she's reading.
I have also asked for recommendations on the bookshelf that I made especially for this, and received so many responses. Thank you to all of you who contributed, and this is the list that we have now - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/28198445-ivana-a?shelf=tea-s-wishlist">Tea's Wishlist</a>
<b><i>Beautiful Demons is the first book of the Shadow Demons series.</i></b>
It is a story about Harper Madison, an orphan, that went from one family to another, causing troubles all her life and on one occasion, unintentionally made fire and burned people to death. With no family willing to take her now, she has to go to Shadowford, a place for troubled orphan girls.
<b><i>But what if everything happens for a reason? And why is this whole town so mysterious? Why, for the first time, she actually belongs somewhere?
Everyone in this town seems to be hiding something? And that is just the beginning…</i></b>
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/book-cover-1.png?w=544"/>;
Even though this book is quite short, I was actually amused as to how much it was able to cover. I was pulled in from the first chapter, and this kept me going until the last.
We have all seen the new girl, new town, new school, being bullied type of scenario, and the cheerleaders owning the school and dating the jocks. This is the same, except it isn’t. It is spiced up with mystery and magic, and cheerleaders are just a metaphor of all that lies behind it. I will only reveal this much - the moment you get accepted to become a cheerleader, your life changes. But that is also the moment you realise it's only the beginning.
I liked Harper's character, and how she was presented. Sometimes she was too naïve and vulnerable for her own good, sometimes a bit too reckless when she didn't have enough information and clues. She was though, a nice young girl example of making brave decisions, but also a bad example of making stupid decisions…
The plot twist in the end was amazing, and I could never see that coming.
I think the purpose of this book was to make a nice scene building for the next books in the series, and to raise our curiosity. A lot of questions were raised, and not many were answered, which proves my point.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this series, and will definitely be reading the next books.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated On the Basis of Sex (2018) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
What a great way to start this film. Ginsburg walking through the crowd of men all set to the Harvard fight song "Ten Thousand Men Of Harvard", it sums up the message of the film so well and makes you realise just how much of a challenge she was up against.
With such a wide career to work with I was pleased to see that for the most part the film concentrated on that main case. The preamble up to that point was interesting and seemed to be well chosen, I did initially find it slightly confusing initially as I think I blinked slightly too long and missed the point where it showed the year change.
I liked the changing dynamic of Ruth and Martin, it showed an amazingly supportive relationship, when he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel she was there for him and when she thought she was failing he was her rock. The emotion between the two showed throughout and was a welcome addition to the film and there's one moment that's just so amazing where Ruth looks up at Martin and I wondered for one second if Jones and Hammer were actually in love.
Hearing her listing the reasons she'd been rejected from jobs was mind-boggling and had it been me I'd definitely have ended up in jail after bitchslapping at least one of the interviewers. I think the film handles the sexism quite well, although I'm sure it wasn't quite as "easy" as it appeared. The "unintentional" sexism in the characters was interesting to see and added an extra layer into the story.
I could probably wade around in this film for ages nit-picking about things, it's a perfectly adequate production with nothing massively wrong with it... apart from Martin wearing a short sleeve shirt with his suit, that's still annoying me along with the question: why is she referred to as Ruth Ginsburg all the way through apart from once? I feel like we were being kept out of the loop on some in-joke/secret. I came out feeling let down though, partly because I don't think it was quite what I was expecting and partly because of the ending.
You know you're going to get a showstopper of a speech from Ginsburg but it actually was the showstopper from which we switch to a worded cut screen and voiceovers. This was completely at odds with the rest of the film and it robs us of the gratification of seeing the characters get their win. It almost felt like it was aware that it needed to do something to link it to the modern side of the story but didn't know how.
What you should do
It's not a bad watch, but I wouldn't worry about seeing it at the cinema. I'm going to seek out the RBG documentary next and it might be something to watch that covers a wider history.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Some of those RBG logic and reasoning skills would be absolutely amazing.
With such a wide career to work with I was pleased to see that for the most part the film concentrated on that main case. The preamble up to that point was interesting and seemed to be well chosen, I did initially find it slightly confusing initially as I think I blinked slightly too long and missed the point where it showed the year change.
I liked the changing dynamic of Ruth and Martin, it showed an amazingly supportive relationship, when he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel she was there for him and when she thought she was failing he was her rock. The emotion between the two showed throughout and was a welcome addition to the film and there's one moment that's just so amazing where Ruth looks up at Martin and I wondered for one second if Jones and Hammer were actually in love.
Hearing her listing the reasons she'd been rejected from jobs was mind-boggling and had it been me I'd definitely have ended up in jail after bitchslapping at least one of the interviewers. I think the film handles the sexism quite well, although I'm sure it wasn't quite as "easy" as it appeared. The "unintentional" sexism in the characters was interesting to see and added an extra layer into the story.
I could probably wade around in this film for ages nit-picking about things, it's a perfectly adequate production with nothing massively wrong with it... apart from Martin wearing a short sleeve shirt with his suit, that's still annoying me along with the question: why is she referred to as Ruth Ginsburg all the way through apart from once? I feel like we were being kept out of the loop on some in-joke/secret. I came out feeling let down though, partly because I don't think it was quite what I was expecting and partly because of the ending.
You know you're going to get a showstopper of a speech from Ginsburg but it actually was the showstopper from which we switch to a worded cut screen and voiceovers. This was completely at odds with the rest of the film and it robs us of the gratification of seeing the characters get their win. It almost felt like it was aware that it needed to do something to link it to the modern side of the story but didn't know how.
What you should do
It's not a bad watch, but I wouldn't worry about seeing it at the cinema. I'm going to seek out the RBG documentary next and it might be something to watch that covers a wider history.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Some of those RBG logic and reasoning skills would be absolutely amazing.
Gareth von Kallenbach (974 KP) rated Peppermint (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Tragedy strikes Riley North (Jennifer Garner) when her husband and young daughter are gunned down in a drive-by shooting. The shooters were all part of a local gang ran by Diego Garcia (Juan Pablo Raba). Garcia thought Riley’s husband, Chris (Jeff Hephner), was part of a plot to steal money from him. Chris had actually turned down the job but it was too late and Garcia ordered his henchmen to make a statement out of killing Chris. Riley despite being shot in the heard and unconscious she was still able to identify the murders of her husband and her daughter Carly (Cailey Fleming). Thinking she would get justice she testified at a preliminary hearing. But to her surprise the defense lawyer said due to being her injuries that she didn’t really know what she saw. Shockingly the prosecutor did nothing to help her and the judge declared there was not enough evidence to proceed. Feeling cheated and everyone was working against her Riley disappears. On the five year anniversary of the murder of her family the three men responsible are found hanging from a Ferris wheel. When Detective Beltran (John Ortiz) and Detective Carmichael (John Gallagher Jr.) show up to the crime scene the immediately wonder could Riley North be back and exacting vengeance.
This vigilante action film is pretty much what you think it will be. There is blood and a lot of action. The acting is okay but not really the focal point of the film. But one thing that is not in doubt is the ending, don’t worry I won’t spoil it I don’t need to. With the somewhat recent success of films like Taken, John Wick and The Equalizer, and their sequels, this genre is not lacking in content. For me this dilutes the quality and original story telling of this type of film. The director, Pierre Morel (Taken, The Gunman), seems at home in this film type and does a decent job here. Jennifer Garner comes off as a bad ass and I enjoyed her in this film. The rest of the cast is good but pretty stereotypical of the genre also. This is not a bad movie just one I feel I have seen before. I will say I enjoyed all three of the movies I mentioned above and that should speak well to this movie. I just wanted a little more. It is also worth mentioning that in many of the scenes where Garner was exacting her revenge the audience was prone to laugh as a bad guy was getting a bullet to the head or a file cabinet dropped on their head. That makes it hard to take the movie too seriously.
If you are a vigilante movie fan this is definitely one to check out. The action is good and there is definitely a good amount of it. A little over the top with the blood for me but not too bad. It is nice to see Garner back in the action world and I hope this leads to more from her. I would say save your theater money for another movie and stream this one when it hits your favorite service.
This vigilante action film is pretty much what you think it will be. There is blood and a lot of action. The acting is okay but not really the focal point of the film. But one thing that is not in doubt is the ending, don’t worry I won’t spoil it I don’t need to. With the somewhat recent success of films like Taken, John Wick and The Equalizer, and their sequels, this genre is not lacking in content. For me this dilutes the quality and original story telling of this type of film. The director, Pierre Morel (Taken, The Gunman), seems at home in this film type and does a decent job here. Jennifer Garner comes off as a bad ass and I enjoyed her in this film. The rest of the cast is good but pretty stereotypical of the genre also. This is not a bad movie just one I feel I have seen before. I will say I enjoyed all three of the movies I mentioned above and that should speak well to this movie. I just wanted a little more. It is also worth mentioning that in many of the scenes where Garner was exacting her revenge the audience was prone to laugh as a bad guy was getting a bullet to the head or a file cabinet dropped on their head. That makes it hard to take the movie too seriously.
If you are a vigilante movie fan this is definitely one to check out. The action is good and there is definitely a good amount of it. A little over the top with the blood for me but not too bad. It is nice to see Garner back in the action world and I hope this leads to more from her. I would say save your theater money for another movie and stream this one when it hits your favorite service.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Telling Christina Goodbye in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/02/review-telling-christina-goodbye-by-lurlene-mcdaniel.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Original Rating: 3.5
*Formatting and image(s) have been lost due to copy and pasting.
I hate commenting about how much the synopsis gives away. I don't find much joy in reading the book when the synopsis gives spoilers away. And I hate giving it a lower rating because of that synopsis. But as much as I want to like this book, I'm gonna have to give it a facepalm. The synopsis practically gave away EVERYTHING. From the synopsis, cover AND title, the book already gives these things away (I don't think this counts as spoilers since the synopsis already says it):
~Trisha, Christina, Cody, and Tucker are Seniors.
~Best friends, Trisha and Christina are having a great year.
~Trisha is dating Cody. Christina is dating Tucker.
~Trisha doesn't get along with Tucker.
~Christina receives a scholarship from University of Vermont.
~Tucker is controlling of Christina and wants her to stay.
~They get into a car crash after a basketball game. Trisha is injured, Cody's in a coma and Christina's dead. Yet Tucker is all injure-less.
Not to mean it in a bad way, but that gives practically the entire plot and some other stuff. Maybe even the entire book. Besides some things, such as (those who read it would know the answers already, but I'm speaking from the reader's perspective of just examining the book at the bookstore and reading the synopsis and such):
~Does Cody wake up from the coma?
~Do those effected by Christina's death find the courage to move on and heal?
~Do Trisha and Tucker get along later?
~Etc, etc. One can only know the answers to their many questions when fully reading a book.
But despite the synopsis giving so much away, Ms. McDaniel still leaves the reader, regardless of whether just staring at it at the bookstore or anyplace or have to read it due to required reading, with many questions. Props for not giving the full story away, especially the ending. And while some of us may love spoilers to the point of actually spilling beans, some of us just like to keep things detailed yet vague on what's happening because we just love the suspense building up. It would've been a triple facepalm if the synopsis gave any more away (kinda explains the meme).
If you're still thinking I'm being a bit negative, the only part I found pretty bad was how the synopsis gave it all away (I'm that person who hates too much spoilers and end up predicting and being right majority of the time. I kinda like my dose of keeping me guessing...).
In many good parts (of the pie or something good), Ms McDaniel manages to narrow in with an emotional story while weaving in the meaning of losing a cared one and to not take life fully for granted, because you never know when it will all end and it may be someone or something very close to you. (Kinda reminds me of a sad song...)
Original Rating: 3.5
*Formatting and image(s) have been lost due to copy and pasting.
I hate commenting about how much the synopsis gives away. I don't find much joy in reading the book when the synopsis gives spoilers away. And I hate giving it a lower rating because of that synopsis. But as much as I want to like this book, I'm gonna have to give it a facepalm. The synopsis practically gave away EVERYTHING. From the synopsis, cover AND title, the book already gives these things away (I don't think this counts as spoilers since the synopsis already says it):
~Trisha, Christina, Cody, and Tucker are Seniors.
~Best friends, Trisha and Christina are having a great year.
~Trisha is dating Cody. Christina is dating Tucker.
~Trisha doesn't get along with Tucker.
~Christina receives a scholarship from University of Vermont.
~Tucker is controlling of Christina and wants her to stay.
~They get into a car crash after a basketball game. Trisha is injured, Cody's in a coma and Christina's dead. Yet Tucker is all injure-less.
Not to mean it in a bad way, but that gives practically the entire plot and some other stuff. Maybe even the entire book. Besides some things, such as (those who read it would know the answers already, but I'm speaking from the reader's perspective of just examining the book at the bookstore and reading the synopsis and such):
~Does Cody wake up from the coma?
~Do those effected by Christina's death find the courage to move on and heal?
~Do Trisha and Tucker get along later?
~Etc, etc. One can only know the answers to their many questions when fully reading a book.
But despite the synopsis giving so much away, Ms. McDaniel still leaves the reader, regardless of whether just staring at it at the bookstore or anyplace or have to read it due to required reading, with many questions. Props for not giving the full story away, especially the ending. And while some of us may love spoilers to the point of actually spilling beans, some of us just like to keep things detailed yet vague on what's happening because we just love the suspense building up. It would've been a triple facepalm if the synopsis gave any more away (kinda explains the meme).
If you're still thinking I'm being a bit negative, the only part I found pretty bad was how the synopsis gave it all away (I'm that person who hates too much spoilers and end up predicting and being right majority of the time. I kinda like my dose of keeping me guessing...).
In many good parts (of the pie or something good), Ms McDaniel manages to narrow in with an emotional story while weaving in the meaning of losing a cared one and to not take life fully for granted, because you never know when it will all end and it may be someone or something very close to you. (Kinda reminds me of a sad song...)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Shantallow in Books
Aug 31, 2019
Supernatural horror is one of my favorite genres. Through the blogging universe, I came across Shantallow by Cara Martin. After reading the synopsis, I was hooked. When the opportunity arose to review Shantallow, I couldn't turn it down. Luckily, I enjoyed it!
I felt like the plot of Shantallow was a little confused to begin with. It started out as a teen love story between to high school kids gone wrong thanks to jealousy. However, after about thirty percent through the book, it quickly became a supernatural horror story about an evil haunted house. I thought this would focus on the nightmare that the main character, Misha, has about Tanvi. The nightmare, to me, only seems brushed upon. This didn't take away my enjoyment from the story though. I will admit that the whole love story in the beginning was a bit slow, and I did find myself wondering if I should continue. I'm really glad I persevered because after the love story, this book really takes off. It was as if Shantallow sank it's teeth into my attention span and didn't let go. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next in the evil house known as Shantallow. The creepy factor was definitely there throughout!
The ending of Shantallow felt a little as if the author didn't know how to end the book. It seemed rushed and too quick to end without being explained. Although Shantallow didn't end in any cliffhangers, I was still left with unanswered questions. Perhaps Shantallow will end up being a series, and my questions about the house will be answered.
The diversity of characters in Shantallow was done fantastically. I also enjoyed each of the characters once this book got going. Tanvi was an interesting character throughout the book. Although I could picture all the characters in my mind, Tanvi was the easiest one to bring alive in my head. She felt so realistic and like she could be someone I know. Misha comes across as really selfish, jealous, and controlling to being with. However, he redeems himself during his time in the Shantallow house with how protective he is over everyone. Lauren was my favorite character. I loved scenes that she was in. She seemed like such a sweet innocent kid.
Trigger warnings for Shantallow include violence, jealousy, murder, death, attempted murder, profanity, sex between teens (although not graphic), evil spirits, and underage drinking.
Despite the hurried ending, Shantallow really is a good read. It's got a very spooky plot and great characters once you get past the love story. I would recommend Shantallow by Cara Martin to older teens and adults aged 17+. If you love scary stories that will keep you up late at night reading with the lights on, Shantallow is the book for you! It definitely made my nights scarier (but I enjoy being scared)!
--
(A special thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of Shantallow by Cara Martin in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
I felt like the plot of Shantallow was a little confused to begin with. It started out as a teen love story between to high school kids gone wrong thanks to jealousy. However, after about thirty percent through the book, it quickly became a supernatural horror story about an evil haunted house. I thought this would focus on the nightmare that the main character, Misha, has about Tanvi. The nightmare, to me, only seems brushed upon. This didn't take away my enjoyment from the story though. I will admit that the whole love story in the beginning was a bit slow, and I did find myself wondering if I should continue. I'm really glad I persevered because after the love story, this book really takes off. It was as if Shantallow sank it's teeth into my attention span and didn't let go. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next in the evil house known as Shantallow. The creepy factor was definitely there throughout!
The ending of Shantallow felt a little as if the author didn't know how to end the book. It seemed rushed and too quick to end without being explained. Although Shantallow didn't end in any cliffhangers, I was still left with unanswered questions. Perhaps Shantallow will end up being a series, and my questions about the house will be answered.
The diversity of characters in Shantallow was done fantastically. I also enjoyed each of the characters once this book got going. Tanvi was an interesting character throughout the book. Although I could picture all the characters in my mind, Tanvi was the easiest one to bring alive in my head. She felt so realistic and like she could be someone I know. Misha comes across as really selfish, jealous, and controlling to being with. However, he redeems himself during his time in the Shantallow house with how protective he is over everyone. Lauren was my favorite character. I loved scenes that she was in. She seemed like such a sweet innocent kid.
Trigger warnings for Shantallow include violence, jealousy, murder, death, attempted murder, profanity, sex between teens (although not graphic), evil spirits, and underage drinking.
Despite the hurried ending, Shantallow really is a good read. It's got a very spooky plot and great characters once you get past the love story. I would recommend Shantallow by Cara Martin to older teens and adults aged 17+. If you love scary stories that will keep you up late at night reading with the lights on, Shantallow is the book for you! It definitely made my nights scarier (but I enjoy being scared)!
--
(A special thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of Shantallow by Cara Martin in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)