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Ronyell (38 KP) rated Monkeybone (2001) in Movies
Aug 4, 2020
Get Boned With Monkeybone!
I had watched almost all the movies directed by Henry Selick at this point and I had enjoyed almost all of them! However, "Monkeybone" was that one case that I could have enjoyed it much better if the plot and the characters were handled a bit better, but I'll get into that later. What I did like about this movie was the fact that the world of Downtown was so creative to look at as all the characters look like they came out of various mythologies and fantasy works and seeing them interact with each other was brilliant to see! I also loved how all the actors and actresses in this film gave their all by acting so hammy yet convincing towards the audience in detailing the characters' plight throughout this movie. Probably the actors and actresses in this film that I really enjoyed their performances were Whoopi Goldberg and Brendan Fraser as they really made their characters truly stand out in this film! I loved the way that Brendan Fraser was able to balance between being hammy and being emotional as Stu Miley and it really made me get into Stu's predicament of trying to confess his love towards Julie and try to find his way out of Downtown so he could tell Julie he loves her. Whoopi Goldberg was also fantastic as Death as she made Death into a truly hilarious and sympathetic character and I really liked the relationship she develops with Stu. I also loved the fact that Stu truly does care about Julie and is willing to do anything to get back to her and confess his love to her.
Some problems that I had with this film was that I felt that the story could have been much better if the characters and the story were developed better. Now, I did look at the deleted scenes for this movie and I realized that the creative team were forced to cut out a lot of parts to help this film retain a PG-13 rating, but in doing that, they cut out a lot of parts that were essential to the plot of the story, even if they probably wouldn't make the movie any better than it is. I would have liked this movie better if we actually got to know more about the characters themselves, especially about the pact between Stu and his sister Kimmy where Kimmy will pull the plug on Stu if Stu goes into a coma, which the movie failed to go into more detail about. Also, there were times where the movie was forcing in crude humor where they didn't need to be and it made viewing this movie a bit awkward since one moment I would be enjoying the story of the film and then the next moment, they introduce a crude moment that involves toilet humor that kind of ruins the scenes for me.
Overall, while "Monkeybone" does have a lot of creative moments, especially during the Downtown sequences, the movie suffers from lack of character development that makes viewing this movie a bit hard at times.
Some problems that I had with this film was that I felt that the story could have been much better if the characters and the story were developed better. Now, I did look at the deleted scenes for this movie and I realized that the creative team were forced to cut out a lot of parts to help this film retain a PG-13 rating, but in doing that, they cut out a lot of parts that were essential to the plot of the story, even if they probably wouldn't make the movie any better than it is. I would have liked this movie better if we actually got to know more about the characters themselves, especially about the pact between Stu and his sister Kimmy where Kimmy will pull the plug on Stu if Stu goes into a coma, which the movie failed to go into more detail about. Also, there were times where the movie was forcing in crude humor where they didn't need to be and it made viewing this movie a bit awkward since one moment I would be enjoying the story of the film and then the next moment, they introduce a crude moment that involves toilet humor that kind of ruins the scenes for me.
Overall, while "Monkeybone" does have a lot of creative moments, especially during the Downtown sequences, the movie suffers from lack of character development that makes viewing this movie a bit hard at times.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Wings (Wings, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
This book had some good, some bad, some supremacy, some mediocrity. here's my warning now, that this has spoilers in it.
good: a wild twist. the idea that fairy's are plants never once crossed my mind, the idea that Laurel had flowers growing out of her back instead of actual wings was... kinda weird but also really cool. and in my opinion, the good over-weighed the bad.
bad: i remember very vividly that the boy she falls in love with is introduced in the first paragraph (or second, or something like that.) and that totally gave away that part of the plot. i knew right away she'd become involved with him. i would have liked the author to develop his character a little more, or develop Laurel's character a little more, before introducing him.
supremacy: it had me hooked from about the fifth chapter to the twenty-second. i literally read for five hours. that's a long time for me. i mean, i read A LOT and ALL THE TIME, but five hours at once? seriously. the only other times that's ever happened was for twilight and harry potter. very nice, Aprilynne.
mediocrity: the writing itself, the prose, the sentence structure, was not all that fabulous. it was just basic sentence structure most of the time, and ok vocabulary. the words themselves were not poetic and artful, something that you find in Edger Allen Poe or J K Rowling.
the last thing was the end. it left you hanging, a little. which, as a writer, is a smart and mean thing to do at the same time. i'm a writer, and in every single one of my books i leave my audience hanging. but as a reader, it's annoying. i the one thing i want to know is what happens about her and the boy thing? who does she end up with? i'll bet that the boy she met at school ends up with the girl who's had a crush on him forever, and she goes back to her fairy-boy. (can you tell i've forgotten some names and don't have the book with me?) whatever. but i hope there's a second one, because that one little thing will bug me from now until whenever the new one comes out (if there is one.)
of course, again, the book was addictive, and had a great twist. i will say that if i ever had a chance to read it again, i would probably not do it. but i will (if there is one) read the sequel. all in all, i did like this book. quite a lot. and i do recommend it to anyone who likes romance, fantasy, or adventure.
good: a wild twist. the idea that fairy's are plants never once crossed my mind, the idea that Laurel had flowers growing out of her back instead of actual wings was... kinda weird but also really cool. and in my opinion, the good over-weighed the bad.
bad: i remember very vividly that the boy she falls in love with is introduced in the first paragraph (or second, or something like that.) and that totally gave away that part of the plot. i knew right away she'd become involved with him. i would have liked the author to develop his character a little more, or develop Laurel's character a little more, before introducing him.
supremacy: it had me hooked from about the fifth chapter to the twenty-second. i literally read for five hours. that's a long time for me. i mean, i read A LOT and ALL THE TIME, but five hours at once? seriously. the only other times that's ever happened was for twilight and harry potter. very nice, Aprilynne.
mediocrity: the writing itself, the prose, the sentence structure, was not all that fabulous. it was just basic sentence structure most of the time, and ok vocabulary. the words themselves were not poetic and artful, something that you find in Edger Allen Poe or J K Rowling.
the last thing was the end. it left you hanging, a little. which, as a writer, is a smart and mean thing to do at the same time. i'm a writer, and in every single one of my books i leave my audience hanging. but as a reader, it's annoying. i the one thing i want to know is what happens about her and the boy thing? who does she end up with? i'll bet that the boy she met at school ends up with the girl who's had a crush on him forever, and she goes back to her fairy-boy. (can you tell i've forgotten some names and don't have the book with me?) whatever. but i hope there's a second one, because that one little thing will bug me from now until whenever the new one comes out (if there is one.)
of course, again, the book was addictive, and had a great twist. i will say that if i ever had a chance to read it again, i would probably not do it. but i will (if there is one) read the sequel. all in all, i did like this book. quite a lot. and i do recommend it to anyone who likes romance, fantasy, or adventure.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Beauvallet in Books
Apr 27, 2018
When Dona Dominica sets sail on the Santa Maria, she wonders if she will ever meet the infamous El Beauvallet, the English pirate with a reputation of being able to do anything because of witchcraft. But she does not expect her ship to be taken by him, Nor does she expect to be kidnapped by him and taken abord his ship the Venture.
Sir Nicholas Beauvallet captures Dominica and her father and proclaims that he will take them home to Spain, as Dominica has demanded. But falling head over heels in love with her was never part of his plan. In order to please her, he agrees to returning her to her country, but also announces that he will wed her before the year is up. How is Sir Nicholas supposed to come back to Spain to claim fair lady as his bride if all of Spain wants his head? The answer is easily—because Beauvallet can do anything, of course.
This was such a sweet story! I cannot think of words enough to describe how much I adored Beauvallet. The romance was fast-paced, the adventure was exciting, and the language was eloquent. I absolutely loved it. It was a pretty fast read and I read it in a few days. Georgette has many little surprises spread all through the story and tells amazing creative adventures of Beauvallet’s wits, fights, and escapes. It was a perfect blend of a sweeping romance and a gripping adventure.
The story is told in third-person omniscient, so you don’t always have all the details. It was a little hard to get inside the character’s heads at first, but once I learned who they were It was very easy to relate to them.
A wonderful thing about Beauvallet is that when El Beauvallet falls in love with Dominica, he does not claim her as his “love” or as his “mistress” or, in our culture, his “girlfriend,” he claims her as his bride. Which is really the most romantic aspect of it all.
The end was so sweet I won’t tell what happened but rest assured it was wonderful.
I loved this story so much! I have already run out to pick up more books by Georgette Heyer, I am officially a new fan! I cannot wait to read other books by her.
Content: Gloriously clean: no language, no sex.
Recommendation: Boys and girls (it’s such an adventure that boys would like it too!) Ages 13-Adult. It’s not aimed specifically to teens or young people, and would be perfect for an adult as well.
(Beauvallet was first published first in 1929. Reprint copyright to Sourcebooks: 2010)
~Haleyknitz
Sir Nicholas Beauvallet captures Dominica and her father and proclaims that he will take them home to Spain, as Dominica has demanded. But falling head over heels in love with her was never part of his plan. In order to please her, he agrees to returning her to her country, but also announces that he will wed her before the year is up. How is Sir Nicholas supposed to come back to Spain to claim fair lady as his bride if all of Spain wants his head? The answer is easily—because Beauvallet can do anything, of course.
This was such a sweet story! I cannot think of words enough to describe how much I adored Beauvallet. The romance was fast-paced, the adventure was exciting, and the language was eloquent. I absolutely loved it. It was a pretty fast read and I read it in a few days. Georgette has many little surprises spread all through the story and tells amazing creative adventures of Beauvallet’s wits, fights, and escapes. It was a perfect blend of a sweeping romance and a gripping adventure.
The story is told in third-person omniscient, so you don’t always have all the details. It was a little hard to get inside the character’s heads at first, but once I learned who they were It was very easy to relate to them.
A wonderful thing about Beauvallet is that when El Beauvallet falls in love with Dominica, he does not claim her as his “love” or as his “mistress” or, in our culture, his “girlfriend,” he claims her as his bride. Which is really the most romantic aspect of it all.
The end was so sweet I won’t tell what happened but rest assured it was wonderful.
I loved this story so much! I have already run out to pick up more books by Georgette Heyer, I am officially a new fan! I cannot wait to read other books by her.
Content: Gloriously clean: no language, no sex.
Recommendation: Boys and girls (it’s such an adventure that boys would like it too!) Ages 13-Adult. It’s not aimed specifically to teens or young people, and would be perfect for an adult as well.
(Beauvallet was first published first in 1929. Reprint copyright to Sourcebooks: 2010)
~Haleyknitz
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Geekerella (Once Upon a Con #1) in Books
Nov 1, 2018
My review can also be found on my blog: www.diaryofdifference.com
When the typical Cinderella story meets a geeky girl, a comic con and an actor instead of a prince, you get Geekerella. A story unlike any other Cinderella like stories, full with wittiness, geekiness and style.
We have Elle, who is our Cinderella. Her father passed away and left her with her stepmom and her two stepsisters. Elle is also a vivid lover of Starfield, sci-fi series similar to Star Trek and Star Wars. She is also a blogger, where she writes all things Starfield.
On the other side, we have Darien, who is an actor and just got the main character role for the new remake of Starfield. While he deeply loves Starfield, he is not allowed to show those emotions and let everyone knows he is a fan, because it will ruin his reputation. And that is the sole reason why fans don’t like him – he is just another guy that goes for the money and ruins their favourite fan fiction (we have all been there though, haven’t we?).
When fate somehow connects Elle and Darien together, under unknown circumstances they start texting to each other, without revealing who they really are. And that is when everything changes.
A story about love and friendship, but most importantly – a story that teaches you to “Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.” A story that reminds you to keep believing in who you are and why you are doing what you love. This is an amazing reminder to all of you – to be the people you want to be, because once you are comfortable with who you are and what you love to do – nothing can stop you in being great! And most importantly – HAPPY!
While there were bits and pieces that I couldn’t resist but to cringe on, such as the falling in love through texting, or not being able to say no to your step sisters, or being afraid to tell your fans that you are a fan, while they keep accusing you that you don’t care. (How could this ruin a reputation? It could only make it better)…
While there were things that bothered me, this story was still a great revolution to the Cinderella retelling. No other story has shown a girl to fight for what she loves as strongly as this, without the help of magic or a pumpkin – even though her best friend Sage was really the fairy in this situation.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books, for providing me with an ARC copy of the book.
If you haven’t read it already, please do! It is worth reading it, as it has a powerful message inside of it. I recommend it to all of you out there!
When the typical Cinderella story meets a geeky girl, a comic con and an actor instead of a prince, you get Geekerella. A story unlike any other Cinderella like stories, full with wittiness, geekiness and style.
We have Elle, who is our Cinderella. Her father passed away and left her with her stepmom and her two stepsisters. Elle is also a vivid lover of Starfield, sci-fi series similar to Star Trek and Star Wars. She is also a blogger, where she writes all things Starfield.
On the other side, we have Darien, who is an actor and just got the main character role for the new remake of Starfield. While he deeply loves Starfield, he is not allowed to show those emotions and let everyone knows he is a fan, because it will ruin his reputation. And that is the sole reason why fans don’t like him – he is just another guy that goes for the money and ruins their favourite fan fiction (we have all been there though, haven’t we?).
When fate somehow connects Elle and Darien together, under unknown circumstances they start texting to each other, without revealing who they really are. And that is when everything changes.
A story about love and friendship, but most importantly – a story that teaches you to “Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.” A story that reminds you to keep believing in who you are and why you are doing what you love. This is an amazing reminder to all of you – to be the people you want to be, because once you are comfortable with who you are and what you love to do – nothing can stop you in being great! And most importantly – HAPPY!
While there were bits and pieces that I couldn’t resist but to cringe on, such as the falling in love through texting, or not being able to say no to your step sisters, or being afraid to tell your fans that you are a fan, while they keep accusing you that you don’t care. (How could this ruin a reputation? It could only make it better)…
While there were things that bothered me, this story was still a great revolution to the Cinderella retelling. No other story has shown a girl to fight for what she loves as strongly as this, without the help of magic or a pumpkin – even though her best friend Sage was really the fairy in this situation.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books, for providing me with an ARC copy of the book.
If you haven’t read it already, please do! It is worth reading it, as it has a powerful message inside of it. I recommend it to all of you out there!
Debbiereadsbook (1576 KP) rated Meik & Sebastian (Obsessed #4) in Books
Dec 27, 2018
a very fitting end!!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 4 in the Obsessed series, and you MUST read book one through three before you read this one. You need to know how Meik ended up in this position. And they are all 5 star reads from me! I would STRONGLY recommend you don't read these unless you have all 4 parts in your possession. They are addictive, and cliffhangers and you will NEED that next part so badly, it will hurt. So, yeah, all FOUR parts, ya hear me??
But this one?? Not so much. Still really great, just not quite hitting the spot that the others did.
Why?? Because I was CONFUSED!
At the beginning of this book, Meik is drowning his sorrows in booze and sex. Or at least he's TRYING to. The sex thing seems not to be working so alcohol is his drug of choice. What I was confused about was WHY! At the end of book 3, Sebastian tells Meik he loves him, and Meik responds. . .not badly, but with the wrong words. Here, Sebastian is just GONE!!! It took me far too long to figure out Sebastian must have left Meik, and that was why he is drowning in galleons of whiskey. FAR too long, and it spoilt it slightly for me.
BUT!!! We get another side of Meik, while he's drowning his sorrows: the loving, sweet teenager about to have his whole world broken by the loss of Gabe. We get all that, in the memories that flash up between the now bits. Gabe's illness and diagnosis. His failing health as time goes on. Meik and Gabe's growing physical relationship, despite Gabe's illness. The total and utter LOVE that Gabe and Meik have for each other screams at you in every snippet of those memories. And you get to understand a little bit more why Meik fights so bloody hard against the love that he has for Sebastian. So bloody hard! He doesn't want to feel that kind of pain again.
And he does LOVE Sebastian. He just needs to find him to tell him. Pulling himself out of a week long bender took some doing, but I'm so glad that boy did it! Just when he thinks he's lost Sebastian for good, he finds him. And with the RIGHT words, tells Sebastian he loves him.
It would be nice to catch up with these two later down the road, it really would. But for now, a very fitting end to the story of Meik's Obsession with Sebastian.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 4 in the Obsessed series, and you MUST read book one through three before you read this one. You need to know how Meik ended up in this position. And they are all 5 star reads from me! I would STRONGLY recommend you don't read these unless you have all 4 parts in your possession. They are addictive, and cliffhangers and you will NEED that next part so badly, it will hurt. So, yeah, all FOUR parts, ya hear me??
But this one?? Not so much. Still really great, just not quite hitting the spot that the others did.
Why?? Because I was CONFUSED!
At the beginning of this book, Meik is drowning his sorrows in booze and sex. Or at least he's TRYING to. The sex thing seems not to be working so alcohol is his drug of choice. What I was confused about was WHY! At the end of book 3, Sebastian tells Meik he loves him, and Meik responds. . .not badly, but with the wrong words. Here, Sebastian is just GONE!!! It took me far too long to figure out Sebastian must have left Meik, and that was why he is drowning in galleons of whiskey. FAR too long, and it spoilt it slightly for me.
BUT!!! We get another side of Meik, while he's drowning his sorrows: the loving, sweet teenager about to have his whole world broken by the loss of Gabe. We get all that, in the memories that flash up between the now bits. Gabe's illness and diagnosis. His failing health as time goes on. Meik and Gabe's growing physical relationship, despite Gabe's illness. The total and utter LOVE that Gabe and Meik have for each other screams at you in every snippet of those memories. And you get to understand a little bit more why Meik fights so bloody hard against the love that he has for Sebastian. So bloody hard! He doesn't want to feel that kind of pain again.
And he does LOVE Sebastian. He just needs to find him to tell him. Pulling himself out of a week long bender took some doing, but I'm so glad that boy did it! Just when he thinks he's lost Sebastian for good, he finds him. And with the RIGHT words, tells Sebastian he loves him.
It would be nice to catch up with these two later down the road, it really would. But for now, a very fitting end to the story of Meik's Obsession with Sebastian.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales (The Snuggle Series #1) in Books
Jul 28, 2021
I usually try to stay away from books featuring short stories because usually they aren't that great. However, there was something about Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales by Liane Carter that jumped out at me. I felt compelled to read it, and I'm glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the short stories.
I didn't really know what to expect with Snuggle with the Strange except that the stories would be a bit out there. The first two stories gave me Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz vibes but for adults. These stories were more paranormal/supernatural in nature, and I really enjoyed them. The next six stories were more realistic in the fact that they could actually happen to anyone (which is a scary thought!). The last story returned to being supernatural again. I loved each and every story, and I thought the pacing and world building for each was done very well. Each story has an original feel and isn't like any of the other stories in the book. Even though this is a fairly short book, all the suspense makes it seem as if time has stood still. My favorite stories in Snuggle with the Strange were "Life in the Shed" and "He Looked Like My First Mistake." Although all the stories are written very well, I just loved those a little extra. Oh, and something else I loved was that the cover of the book links each of the nine stories. I thought that was very cool!
All of the characters are well fleshed out in each story. There's just enough information on each character so you can love them or love to hate them. At times, I felt like I was the main character in the story!
As this is an adult horror book, there are quite a few trigger warnings for Snuggle with the Strange which include demons, underage drug use (a few mentions of marijuana), implied rape, implied child rape, attempted rape, death, murder, violence, attempted murder, domestic abuse, child abuse, and profanity.
Overall, Snuggle with the Strange is a breath of fresh air for those who love the genre horror. With it's interesting cast of characters and original short stories, this is one book that every horror lover should read. I would definitely recommend Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales by Liane Carter for those aged 16+ who like their horror with a flair of originality instead of rehashed fiction. If that sounds like you, this is your kind of book!
--
(A special thank you to Liane Carter and Lola's Blog Tours for providing me with a paperback of Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
I didn't really know what to expect with Snuggle with the Strange except that the stories would be a bit out there. The first two stories gave me Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz vibes but for adults. These stories were more paranormal/supernatural in nature, and I really enjoyed them. The next six stories were more realistic in the fact that they could actually happen to anyone (which is a scary thought!). The last story returned to being supernatural again. I loved each and every story, and I thought the pacing and world building for each was done very well. Each story has an original feel and isn't like any of the other stories in the book. Even though this is a fairly short book, all the suspense makes it seem as if time has stood still. My favorite stories in Snuggle with the Strange were "Life in the Shed" and "He Looked Like My First Mistake." Although all the stories are written very well, I just loved those a little extra. Oh, and something else I loved was that the cover of the book links each of the nine stories. I thought that was very cool!
All of the characters are well fleshed out in each story. There's just enough information on each character so you can love them or love to hate them. At times, I felt like I was the main character in the story!
As this is an adult horror book, there are quite a few trigger warnings for Snuggle with the Strange which include demons, underage drug use (a few mentions of marijuana), implied rape, implied child rape, attempted rape, death, murder, violence, attempted murder, domestic abuse, child abuse, and profanity.
Overall, Snuggle with the Strange is a breath of fresh air for those who love the genre horror. With it's interesting cast of characters and original short stories, this is one book that every horror lover should read. I would definitely recommend Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales by Liane Carter for those aged 16+ who like their horror with a flair of originality instead of rehashed fiction. If that sounds like you, this is your kind of book!
--
(A special thank you to Liane Carter and Lola's Blog Tours for providing me with a paperback of Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Craftsman (The Craftsman, #1) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
My Queen of crime and thrillers is back, with another marvelous story to tell. I read all her books, and every time she surprises me with something different and original.
The story is set in a small town with a hill, where witches were meeting since the 16th century. As you can see in the description above, this story is told in two different times – 1969 and 1999. In 1969 Florence was a WPC in the local police station, which she recently joined. Moreover, she was the first woman in that station, surrounded by men, who are not very friendly. She is assigned a disappearance of three teenagers, but what she discovers is way more complex and sinister than she could imagine.
Florence is the protagonist of this novel, and this story is told from her perspective. I love strong, smart and rebellious female leads in the books, and I absolutely loved Florence. Even though she is facing cruel workplace bullying and constant demeaning behavior, she is still fighting for what she believes to be right, and she wipes noses to those stuck up men. BRAVO! 😀 I really liked the wide variety of characters, which Bolton offered in this novel. All of them were very well rounded and unique personalities, who brought more richness to the book.
The narrative of this book was very well planned out and delivered. I was sucked in from the first pages of this book, I just wanted to find out what in a world was going on there! I really enjoyed all the twists, turns and diversions which Bolton creatively incorporated in this book. Sharon Bolton always follows an intriguing topic in her novels, and I am very glad that she was discussing workplace bullying and sexism, alongside witches and witchcraft. Even though I am not a believer in witchcraft, It was amusing to read about the people who believe in it and practice it.
Sharon Bolton is a very talented storyteller, she has a very absorbing and suspense building writing style, which I thoroughly enjoy every time. I loved the setting of this book, it compliments the atmosphere of this book with all those mills, hills, cemeteries and complex houses. The pages just fly while reading those short chapters. The climax was absolutely unexpected and left me very surprised. So, to conclude, for now, this book was the best read of 2018 for me. I enjoyed it from first to the last page, I think it has very intriguing and absorbing characters and very well crafted narrative, which is fast paced and very amusing. I do strongly recommend this book, I think you are in for a treat. Enjoy! 🙂
The story is set in a small town with a hill, where witches were meeting since the 16th century. As you can see in the description above, this story is told in two different times – 1969 and 1999. In 1969 Florence was a WPC in the local police station, which she recently joined. Moreover, she was the first woman in that station, surrounded by men, who are not very friendly. She is assigned a disappearance of three teenagers, but what she discovers is way more complex and sinister than she could imagine.
Florence is the protagonist of this novel, and this story is told from her perspective. I love strong, smart and rebellious female leads in the books, and I absolutely loved Florence. Even though she is facing cruel workplace bullying and constant demeaning behavior, she is still fighting for what she believes to be right, and she wipes noses to those stuck up men. BRAVO! 😀 I really liked the wide variety of characters, which Bolton offered in this novel. All of them were very well rounded and unique personalities, who brought more richness to the book.
The narrative of this book was very well planned out and delivered. I was sucked in from the first pages of this book, I just wanted to find out what in a world was going on there! I really enjoyed all the twists, turns and diversions which Bolton creatively incorporated in this book. Sharon Bolton always follows an intriguing topic in her novels, and I am very glad that she was discussing workplace bullying and sexism, alongside witches and witchcraft. Even though I am not a believer in witchcraft, It was amusing to read about the people who believe in it and practice it.
Sharon Bolton is a very talented storyteller, she has a very absorbing and suspense building writing style, which I thoroughly enjoy every time. I loved the setting of this book, it compliments the atmosphere of this book with all those mills, hills, cemeteries and complex houses. The pages just fly while reading those short chapters. The climax was absolutely unexpected and left me very surprised. So, to conclude, for now, this book was the best read of 2018 for me. I enjoyed it from first to the last page, I think it has very intriguing and absorbing characters and very well crafted narrative, which is fast paced and very amusing. I do strongly recommend this book, I think you are in for a treat. Enjoy! 🙂
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Emoji Movie (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I decided to ease into August with The Emoji Film. Now, I went on to Rotten Tomatoes after seeing some talk online about it getting a zero rating. Currently it stands at 6% with the critics... what a bunch of party poopers.
Gene lives in Alex's phone in Textopolis, a digital city where all the emojis live and work. When you've honed your emoji skill you can go and work in the cube, and be there for Alex every time he wants to send a message. Gene longs for that day, but there's one slight problem... Gene is a meh, and he's anything but meh. His parents are both experts at meh, and at his first day at work they're rather nervous... not that you could tell from their expressions.
On his first go in his cube he manages to pull the wrong face and sets off a chain of events that lead Smiler to conclude that he's a malfunction who needs to be dealt with. Gene and High Five embark on a journey to the Piracy App to meet someone who can reprogram him to be a better meh. But as they make their way there they cause a few issues on Alex's phone that makes him take the bold decision to take it back to the shop for a factory reset.
Can they reprogram Gene and have everything back to normal before that happens?...
So the critics panned it with a resounding thumbs down emoji, the general public were a little more generous, and left it at around the 50% mark.
Was the film entertaining? Yes. Will it win awards? No. But it does what you expect it to do, it makes you laugh and smile, and it got my toe tapping. I love the idea that my apps are all having a good time when I'm not using them, especially that poor little Stocks app... I mean does anyone ever use that?
There are a lot of recognisable voices in the mix. Patrick Stewart as the Poop emoji, possibly the most amusing of all.
Probably my only criticism of this is that it's not really a kid's film, and it's not really an adult's film. Which makes it a bit difficult to ever recommend to anyone. It's not worth a full price ticket at the cinema, especially as in all likelihood it'll be an adult and a child going together at the very least. I wouldn't even recommend buying it as a DVD when it comes out straight away. At some point though it will be £1 in Poundland, and then it will be worth buying. Or you can of course stream it from somewhere like Netflix or Sky before that point.
Gene lives in Alex's phone in Textopolis, a digital city where all the emojis live and work. When you've honed your emoji skill you can go and work in the cube, and be there for Alex every time he wants to send a message. Gene longs for that day, but there's one slight problem... Gene is a meh, and he's anything but meh. His parents are both experts at meh, and at his first day at work they're rather nervous... not that you could tell from their expressions.
On his first go in his cube he manages to pull the wrong face and sets off a chain of events that lead Smiler to conclude that he's a malfunction who needs to be dealt with. Gene and High Five embark on a journey to the Piracy App to meet someone who can reprogram him to be a better meh. But as they make their way there they cause a few issues on Alex's phone that makes him take the bold decision to take it back to the shop for a factory reset.
Can they reprogram Gene and have everything back to normal before that happens?...
So the critics panned it with a resounding thumbs down emoji, the general public were a little more generous, and left it at around the 50% mark.
Was the film entertaining? Yes. Will it win awards? No. But it does what you expect it to do, it makes you laugh and smile, and it got my toe tapping. I love the idea that my apps are all having a good time when I'm not using them, especially that poor little Stocks app... I mean does anyone ever use that?
There are a lot of recognisable voices in the mix. Patrick Stewart as the Poop emoji, possibly the most amusing of all.
Probably my only criticism of this is that it's not really a kid's film, and it's not really an adult's film. Which makes it a bit difficult to ever recommend to anyone. It's not worth a full price ticket at the cinema, especially as in all likelihood it'll be an adult and a child going together at the very least. I wouldn't even recommend buying it as a DVD when it comes out straight away. At some point though it will be £1 in Poundland, and then it will be worth buying. Or you can of course stream it from somewhere like Netflix or Sky before that point.