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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Lying Game in Books
Feb 9, 2019 (Updated Feb 9, 2019)
Awesome plot twist (2 more)
Interesting story line
Fast paced
Overuse of profanity (1 more)
Immature characters
A Good Read
There was something about the synopsis for The Lying Game by Ruth Ware that caught my attention. I guess I wanted to see how this lying game the girls played would turn out. While The Lying Game was a good read, it didn't really focus on the actual lying game too much.
The plot for The Lying Game was interesting enough. Thea, Isa, Fatima, and Kate all met at Salten, a boarding school for girls, when they were all 15 years old. Thea and Kate tell Fatima and Isa about they lying game as well as the rules. However, that's about as much as the plot focuses on the the actual game which was disappointing. When a body is found near Salten many years after the girls were expelled from their boarding school, they must all come together to get their story straight. Isa isn't taking what happened at face value and begins to become suspicious of Kate's tell of events. She will do whatever it takes to discover the truth about what happened that fateful night that changed all four of the girls' lives. I will admit that there were some great plot twists in The Lying Game that I never figured out.
The world building in The Lying Game was mostly believable. I do feel like the townspeople of Salten would have been a bit more suspicious of the women coming back to Salten when a body is found. The women say it's because of Salten school's reunion dinner (which happens during the middle of the week, strangely), but this is the first time they've ever been to one of the dinners. I also had a hard time with Isa's baby, Freya. Freya seemed to be the most well behaved six month old baby! Isa brought Freya with her to Kate's house, but during much of the story, Freya never cries. Yes, there are a few times where it's mentioned she cries, but for the most part, Freya is happy wherever she is. Isa seems to be more obsessed with Freya more than any mother I've ever known, yet she puts that baby in a lot of danger during the course of the story.
The characters in The Lying Game were just okay. I did like Fatima the most. She seemed to be the most mature and reasonable out of the lot of them. Thea was alright. I did like how blunt she could be. Kate came across as being a bit whiny and manipulative. Isa was just very selfish. She seemed to only think of herself instead of her baby and husband. She blamed her husband for so much when it was clearly her fault their relationship was falling apart. I felt so sorry for Owen, her husband. Luc was an interesting character. I did feel sorry for him for how he was treated during his childhood. The major thing that annoyed me was all the profanity. The four main characters, Thea, Fatima, Kate, and Isa, swore so much. I'm okay with swearing, but a lot of the swearing seemed misplaced and like it was written in just to be there. It served no purpose. I would understand it more if they swore a lot in their teens, but these were women in their thirties sounding like they were swearing to sound cool or because they normally weren't allowed to. I just think the swearing was a bit over the top.
The pacing is very good in The Lying Game. Events flowed well, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down. I had to know what would happen next. Not one part of this story became too boring.
Trigger warnings in The Lying Game include lots of profanity, drinking (both underage and of age), cigarette smoking (underage and of age), animal violence (the death of a sheep), no sex but things leading up to it although not graphic, some drug references, overdosing, the drawings of naked underage girls, and murder.
All in all, The Lying Game is a good read. Yes, it doesn't have some problems like the characters being immature and selfish and the overuse of profanity, but it's still a fast paced thriller with a fantastic plot twist. I would recommend The Lying Game by Ruth Ware to those aged 18+ who are fans of thrillers.
The plot for The Lying Game was interesting enough. Thea, Isa, Fatima, and Kate all met at Salten, a boarding school for girls, when they were all 15 years old. Thea and Kate tell Fatima and Isa about they lying game as well as the rules. However, that's about as much as the plot focuses on the the actual game which was disappointing. When a body is found near Salten many years after the girls were expelled from their boarding school, they must all come together to get their story straight. Isa isn't taking what happened at face value and begins to become suspicious of Kate's tell of events. She will do whatever it takes to discover the truth about what happened that fateful night that changed all four of the girls' lives. I will admit that there were some great plot twists in The Lying Game that I never figured out.
The world building in The Lying Game was mostly believable. I do feel like the townspeople of Salten would have been a bit more suspicious of the women coming back to Salten when a body is found. The women say it's because of Salten school's reunion dinner (which happens during the middle of the week, strangely), but this is the first time they've ever been to one of the dinners. I also had a hard time with Isa's baby, Freya. Freya seemed to be the most well behaved six month old baby! Isa brought Freya with her to Kate's house, but during much of the story, Freya never cries. Yes, there are a few times where it's mentioned she cries, but for the most part, Freya is happy wherever she is. Isa seems to be more obsessed with Freya more than any mother I've ever known, yet she puts that baby in a lot of danger during the course of the story.
The characters in The Lying Game were just okay. I did like Fatima the most. She seemed to be the most mature and reasonable out of the lot of them. Thea was alright. I did like how blunt she could be. Kate came across as being a bit whiny and manipulative. Isa was just very selfish. She seemed to only think of herself instead of her baby and husband. She blamed her husband for so much when it was clearly her fault their relationship was falling apart. I felt so sorry for Owen, her husband. Luc was an interesting character. I did feel sorry for him for how he was treated during his childhood. The major thing that annoyed me was all the profanity. The four main characters, Thea, Fatima, Kate, and Isa, swore so much. I'm okay with swearing, but a lot of the swearing seemed misplaced and like it was written in just to be there. It served no purpose. I would understand it more if they swore a lot in their teens, but these were women in their thirties sounding like they were swearing to sound cool or because they normally weren't allowed to. I just think the swearing was a bit over the top.
The pacing is very good in The Lying Game. Events flowed well, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down. I had to know what would happen next. Not one part of this story became too boring.
Trigger warnings in The Lying Game include lots of profanity, drinking (both underage and of age), cigarette smoking (underage and of age), animal violence (the death of a sheep), no sex but things leading up to it although not graphic, some drug references, overdosing, the drawings of naked underage girls, and murder.
All in all, The Lying Game is a good read. Yes, it doesn't have some problems like the characters being immature and selfish and the overuse of profanity, but it's still a fast paced thriller with a fantastic plot twist. I would recommend The Lying Game by Ruth Ware to those aged 18+ who are fans of thrillers.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The White Song in Books
Nov 17, 2017
The final book in the Chronicles of the Black Gate sees all the previous forces unite to try and defeat the horde of demons that has taken over much of the Empire.
The book gets straight into the action from the off with battles against the demons taking place as the forces of good are gradually driven back and forced to flee to regroup.
Meanwhile Audsley is doing what he does best: snooping around, working out people's motives and discovering things. In so doing, he may just have sided with someone with even worse intentions than the current enemy.
Other than one or two regrouping chapters the action is pretty much non-stop and thoroughly exciting.
I think this is the shortest book in the series, but it doesn't feel like it was rushed through, I think there was just so much story left to tell in the conclusion that there was less time for characters' pondering and soul-searching.
The conclusion is satisfying with some people of the world's underclasses sacrificing themselves to save the day, with hopefully lasting consequences for their races in the aftermath.
In summary, a thoroughly exciting conclusion to an excellent series written with Tucker's excellent style of flowing prose.
The book gets straight into the action from the off with battles against the demons taking place as the forces of good are gradually driven back and forced to flee to regroup.
Meanwhile Audsley is doing what he does best: snooping around, working out people's motives and discovering things. In so doing, he may just have sided with someone with even worse intentions than the current enemy.
Other than one or two regrouping chapters the action is pretty much non-stop and thoroughly exciting.
I think this is the shortest book in the series, but it doesn't feel like it was rushed through, I think there was just so much story left to tell in the conclusion that there was less time for characters' pondering and soul-searching.
The conclusion is satisfying with some people of the world's underclasses sacrificing themselves to save the day, with hopefully lasting consequences for their races in the aftermath.
In summary, a thoroughly exciting conclusion to an excellent series written with Tucker's excellent style of flowing prose.
Book Divas (227 KP) rated Everealm (Everealm, #1) in Books
Dec 12, 2017
I received a free copy of this book when I signed up to host the review tour via YA Bound Book Tours. I made no guarantee of a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are my own.
Before I begin let me say that I found the cover of this book to be pleasing to the eye.
Now, if you love reading books about royalty and their drama filled lives then you will definitely want to read this and if you also enjoy romance, then know that you have hit the jackpot. The story line kept me glued to every turn of the page and the author's world building creativity made me feel like I was there experiencing it all. Instead of telling you who my favorite characters are I will tell you which characters I hated with every fiber of my being; Vacilla and Silas as they truly made life a living hell for the people around them.
I found the characters to be well written and I loved reading this book. This book contains just the right amount of romance, drama and adventure. I will definitely be reading the second book. Kudos to J.D. Wright for a fantastically written fantasy.
Before I begin let me say that I found the cover of this book to be pleasing to the eye.
Now, if you love reading books about royalty and their drama filled lives then you will definitely want to read this and if you also enjoy romance, then know that you have hit the jackpot. The story line kept me glued to every turn of the page and the author's world building creativity made me feel like I was there experiencing it all. Instead of telling you who my favorite characters are I will tell you which characters I hated with every fiber of my being; Vacilla and Silas as they truly made life a living hell for the people around them.
I found the characters to be well written and I loved reading this book. This book contains just the right amount of romance, drama and adventure. I will definitely be reading the second book. Kudos to J.D. Wright for a fantastically written fantasy.
Nick Friesen (96 KP) rated John Wick (2014) in Movies
Jul 13, 2017
Keanu Reeves (4 more)
The established hitman universe
Incredible gunplay
Solid fight choreography
Decipherable cinematography during action
Best Action Movie Post-Matrix
The problem with many modern action movies lies in the bullshit concept known as "shaky-cam." Perhaps well meant at first, in order to make audiences "feel" the impact of punches and gunshots, it is now so overused that you can't even tell what's going on or who is hitting who in many action movies. Enter John Wick: not a single use of "shaky-cam." Not one. All camera shots during action sequences are stable and staged at angles that allow the audience to see exactly what is going on. I used to think Jason Bourne was the best action series post-Matrix, but John Wick and its sequel changed that as fast the titular character can shoot another goon in the head. The fight choreography is sublime, the script is simple but tight, and Keanu Reeves is slicker than ever. John Wick is the best action movie since The Matrix, and it just so happens to star the same bad-ass guy we've been dreaming of being since 1999. Now I have to go review John Wick: Chapter 2!
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Welcome to Sap City!
This book is like Romeo and Juliet with a cute twist. in reality, if i really look at it from an author's perspective, it was pretty cute. the characters were developed instantly, and the sentinces drew me in. the prose was actually pretty good. aside from the sex, it was a good book.
yeah, it's got some sex in it. i mean, c'mon. it's about <i> chemistry </i> between the two most unlikely people. but whatever. it actually wasn't too bad.
though i could tell a lot about the author's morals. or lack therof.
the first paragraph in the book is: "Everyone knows I'm perfect. my life is perfect. my cloths are perfect. even my family is perfect. and although it's a complete lie, I've worked my butt off to keep up the appearance that I have it all." I mean, that pretty much develops a character instantly, doesn't it?
I'd have to go with these ratings:
storyline: 3/5
prose/sentences/grammar etc: 3.5-4ish/5
characters: 5/5
but again, sap city, people.
the weak points of this book:
the sex
the language
the sappy sappy sappy.
I realize this isn't my best review, but i'm trying to keep it honest here.
until next time,
~Haley
haleymathiot.blogspot.com
This book is like Romeo and Juliet with a cute twist. in reality, if i really look at it from an author's perspective, it was pretty cute. the characters were developed instantly, and the sentinces drew me in. the prose was actually pretty good. aside from the sex, it was a good book.
yeah, it's got some sex in it. i mean, c'mon. it's about <i> chemistry </i> between the two most unlikely people. but whatever. it actually wasn't too bad.
though i could tell a lot about the author's morals. or lack therof.
the first paragraph in the book is: "Everyone knows I'm perfect. my life is perfect. my cloths are perfect. even my family is perfect. and although it's a complete lie, I've worked my butt off to keep up the appearance that I have it all." I mean, that pretty much develops a character instantly, doesn't it?
I'd have to go with these ratings:
storyline: 3/5
prose/sentences/grammar etc: 3.5-4ish/5
characters: 5/5
but again, sap city, people.
the weak points of this book:
the sex
the language
the sappy sappy sappy.
I realize this isn't my best review, but i'm trying to keep it honest here.
until next time,
~Haley
haleymathiot.blogspot.com
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Single Girl's Guide to Meeting European Men in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from The Single Girl's Guide. At first I thought it was a memoir, then a novel, then a collection of stories. Turns out it is actually a guide book for meeting European men! Yes ladies, there is hope for all of you American women who are tired of American men and want someone foreign.
Because I wasn't quite sure what to expect from TSGG, I can't really say it met or fell below my expectations. It was interesting (some of the stories were pretty funny!), There was definitely some good advice… but keep in mind that I'm certainly not the dating professional to ask (It's me remember?… the one who is having her father arrange her marriage? yes, I'm serious.) so I can't really tell you how well the advice will work. I will say that most of the "attention grabbers" are somewhat familiar to what has happened to me in the past, and I will say that through reading the stories, Cahoon seems like she knows what she's talking about.
This book is also a great travel guide. There are places to go, hours and phone numbers, and specific people's names mentioned to enhance your European adventure.
Because I wasn't quite sure what to expect from TSGG, I can't really say it met or fell below my expectations. It was interesting (some of the stories were pretty funny!), There was definitely some good advice… but keep in mind that I'm certainly not the dating professional to ask (It's me remember?… the one who is having her father arrange her marriage? yes, I'm serious.) so I can't really tell you how well the advice will work. I will say that most of the "attention grabbers" are somewhat familiar to what has happened to me in the past, and I will say that through reading the stories, Cahoon seems like she knows what she's talking about.
This book is also a great travel guide. There are places to go, hours and phone numbers, and specific people's names mentioned to enhance your European adventure.
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated The Time Of Our Lives in Books
Feb 7, 2019
I really enjoyed The Wish List by Jane Costello, so when I picked up this book I was quite keen to get stuck in.
The back of the book states 'even in the most glamorous of locations, things can go wrong.' Well let me just say there are things going wrong and then there are things going WRONG.
It is all well and good having a few unfortunate events happening to the main character but I didn't believe that it was then essential to make her awkward, accident prone and a complete sap.
I don't know if I was meant to love or hate Imogen. I grew to really dislike her. I wanted to shake her and tell her to be stronger. There is no need for women to be portrayed in such a pathetic way.
It wasn't a wholly predictable tale though. There were a couple swings that I hadn't expected that gave a bit more substance to the novel.
I read to escape life, find inspiration and motivation. In my opinion, this book reaffirmed the idea that women are weak. Please create a strong, intelligent, independent woman as a main character! It will give girls a better role model for life!
The back of the book states 'even in the most glamorous of locations, things can go wrong.' Well let me just say there are things going wrong and then there are things going WRONG.
It is all well and good having a few unfortunate events happening to the main character but I didn't believe that it was then essential to make her awkward, accident prone and a complete sap.
I don't know if I was meant to love or hate Imogen. I grew to really dislike her. I wanted to shake her and tell her to be stronger. There is no need for women to be portrayed in such a pathetic way.
It wasn't a wholly predictable tale though. There were a couple swings that I hadn't expected that gave a bit more substance to the novel.
I read to escape life, find inspiration and motivation. In my opinion, this book reaffirmed the idea that women are weak. Please create a strong, intelligent, independent woman as a main character! It will give girls a better role model for life!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
Feb 8, 2019
Another case of 'visionary film-makers' getting together to produce something visually lavish but also very derivative and hobbled by a goosey-goosey-gander plot. Cyber-surgeon and part-time bounty hunter (you can tell it's a comic book movie) finds a brain in a can and installs it in his dead daughter's robotic body; she turns out to be Alita, who looks like Gollum's better groomed little sister but fights like a CGI'd version of Bruce Lee. Alita tries bounty hunting, also has a go at roller-boogie, falls in love (somewhat unconvincingly). Some good actors are saddled with unrewarding parts.
Looks good (as you would expect) and the action sequences are impressive (ditto) but it's not especially involving and the shapeless story in particular is a problem. It all feels a bit cool and mechanical, without much of a sense of humour - the one really funny moment is unintentional. Not an outright bad movie but spending $200 million on an adaptation of a relatively obscure comic book with someone equally little-known in the title role is a mistake, unless you end up with a film that people are really going to get excited about. Alita is not that movie: it's just another good-looking but vacuous comic-book film.
Looks good (as you would expect) and the action sequences are impressive (ditto) but it's not especially involving and the shapeless story in particular is a problem. It all feels a bit cool and mechanical, without much of a sense of humour - the one really funny moment is unintentional. Not an outright bad movie but spending $200 million on an adaptation of a relatively obscure comic book with someone equally little-known in the title role is a mistake, unless you end up with a film that people are really going to get excited about. Alita is not that movie: it's just another good-looking but vacuous comic-book film.
BTPBookclub (18 KP) rated The Lido in Books
May 11, 2019
Uplifting. Beautiful story
There are not enough words to describe this story, but here’s a few; uplifting, comforting, friendship, community, beautiful, joyful, kind, tender, charming and a feel good novel. That should be enough right?
I had my head in this book and didn’t want to leave it or put it down. I was a part of that community with them the whole time, I was their friend and welcomed. I truelly devoured this story and sad that I finished it. It is a stunning debut. A must read if you haven’t already. One you won’t forget.
I loved the whole community within the book. The friendships, the bonds, the stories they tell and lastly how they always stuck together and fought together till the end. My heart was with them the whole time. A beautiful lot of characters, especially Kate and Rosemary they had such a cute and amazing unexpected relationship. I think they both needed each other to be honest. I loved them all.
Beautifully written. I cannot recommend this story enough. A must buy. A well deserved five stars from me and it’s got to have a place in my top twenty of the year. Beautiful. Amazing. Outstanding. Absolutely loved every minute of it.
I had my head in this book and didn’t want to leave it or put it down. I was a part of that community with them the whole time, I was their friend and welcomed. I truelly devoured this story and sad that I finished it. It is a stunning debut. A must read if you haven’t already. One you won’t forget.
I loved the whole community within the book. The friendships, the bonds, the stories they tell and lastly how they always stuck together and fought together till the end. My heart was with them the whole time. A beautiful lot of characters, especially Kate and Rosemary they had such a cute and amazing unexpected relationship. I think they both needed each other to be honest. I loved them all.
Beautifully written. I cannot recommend this story enough. A must buy. A well deserved five stars from me and it’s got to have a place in my top twenty of the year. Beautiful. Amazing. Outstanding. Absolutely loved every minute of it.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Tolkien (2019) in Movies
May 15, 2019
Rather dull
I decided to sleep on it rather than review this film straight away in the hope I'd be more positive about it, but sadly not. And I think I'm being rather generous giving it a 5.
My main problem with this film is that whilst it is new in the sense it's the first film about Tolkien, the general storyline itself has been done to death. How many films have come out about authors/famous people that fall in love, go to war etc? I can name a few that I've seen just in the past year and it's all getting a bit old. This is probably the worst as it doesn't really tell us much, it barely even alludes to Tolkien's most famous work and instead drags out his early years with barely any heart. Even his fellowship with his friends could have been better handled. Admittedly the acting was quite good and I liked the war scenes that were interspersed with dark figures and dragons, but I'm not entirely convinced at how true any of this actually is.
Less than an hour in, I was itching to check the time on my watch which is never a good sign.
My main problem with this film is that whilst it is new in the sense it's the first film about Tolkien, the general storyline itself has been done to death. How many films have come out about authors/famous people that fall in love, go to war etc? I can name a few that I've seen just in the past year and it's all getting a bit old. This is probably the worst as it doesn't really tell us much, it barely even alludes to Tolkien's most famous work and instead drags out his early years with barely any heart. Even his fellowship with his friends could have been better handled. Admittedly the acting was quite good and I liked the war scenes that were interspersed with dark figures and dragons, but I'm not entirely convinced at how true any of this actually is.
Less than an hour in, I was itching to check the time on my watch which is never a good sign.