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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Jayden's Cybermountain (The Sanctum Series #1) in Books
Nov 15, 2019
I read this book on my recent holiday and it kept me enthralled, my eReader didn't leave my side and I was always itching to read a bit more to see what happened next.
At the start of the story Jayden is 11 and due to family problems is sleeping rough. One night he is given an opportunity to turn his life around from an unexpected source. Dubious at first, Jayden accepts and is soon settling into a new life, studying at a secret school where all the pupils are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Clearly there is a purpose behind the school, but what exactly is it?
This is a hard book to review simply because it's tough to give any idea of the story without spoiling it. And really this is a story I don't want to spoil for anyone.
Although aimed at young adults (particularly around 11, the same age as Jayden) as with all the best young adult fiction it's an excellent read for anyone.
The plot is really well handled; The journey of Jayden and his friends is one aspect, the purpose of the school another and the reader is kept on their toes by regular twists and turns. Some of these are totally unexpected, others are nicely flagged for the observant reader who will feel very pleased with themselves for having spotted the clue.
The characters are all clearly drawn and the descriptions are detailed enough to sketch them out out not laboured and allow enough space for the reader's imagination to add the finishing touches. All the main characters are very positive role models for young people and many will identify with them and hopefully appreciate how they develop. The writing moves at a really good pace and it is never slow and always grabs attention.
There are moments of humour - mostly around the student's antics either trying to break the rules or playing tricks on each other. Much darker threads are wound in with skill by Cope covering topics such as drug abuse, bullying and terrorism but these are never laboured and always dealt with sympathetically and optimistically. As a parent it is great to see these topics mentioned.
My 9-going-on-10 year old read this book and said it was 'great' and could he have 'more like that'. I don't think you could get a better recommendation.
Overall this is definitely a must read, not just for its target audience but anyone who wants to read a thoughtfully constructed, engaging and thrilling story. I will definitely be reading the sequel.
At the start of the story Jayden is 11 and due to family problems is sleeping rough. One night he is given an opportunity to turn his life around from an unexpected source. Dubious at first, Jayden accepts and is soon settling into a new life, studying at a secret school where all the pupils are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Clearly there is a purpose behind the school, but what exactly is it?
This is a hard book to review simply because it's tough to give any idea of the story without spoiling it. And really this is a story I don't want to spoil for anyone.
Although aimed at young adults (particularly around 11, the same age as Jayden) as with all the best young adult fiction it's an excellent read for anyone.
The plot is really well handled; The journey of Jayden and his friends is one aspect, the purpose of the school another and the reader is kept on their toes by regular twists and turns. Some of these are totally unexpected, others are nicely flagged for the observant reader who will feel very pleased with themselves for having spotted the clue.
The characters are all clearly drawn and the descriptions are detailed enough to sketch them out out not laboured and allow enough space for the reader's imagination to add the finishing touches. All the main characters are very positive role models for young people and many will identify with them and hopefully appreciate how they develop. The writing moves at a really good pace and it is never slow and always grabs attention.
There are moments of humour - mostly around the student's antics either trying to break the rules or playing tricks on each other. Much darker threads are wound in with skill by Cope covering topics such as drug abuse, bullying and terrorism but these are never laboured and always dealt with sympathetically and optimistically. As a parent it is great to see these topics mentioned.
My 9-going-on-10 year old read this book and said it was 'great' and could he have 'more like that'. I don't think you could get a better recommendation.
Overall this is definitely a must read, not just for its target audience but anyone who wants to read a thoughtfully constructed, engaging and thrilling story. I will definitely be reading the sequel.
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated 22 July (2018) in Movies
Oct 22, 2018 (Updated Oct 22, 2018)
Good Direction (1 more)
Well Acted
An Important, If Terrifying Recent Tragedy
22 July is a Netflix film directed by Paul Greengrass about a brutal 2011 terrorist attack in Oslo.
This film is hard to watch.
I'm a guy that loves gory action flicks and intense horror movies, but something like this is far more disturbing to me. The film is so well made on a technical level, that at some points it actually feels like you are watching the real life massacre play out, which to me felt a little bit too real. Thankfully, I have never been affected by an act of terrorism, nor has anyone that I know, but if I had, I'm not sure how I would feel about someone making a movie like this retelling the trauma that those people went through.
I appreciate that this is an important event in recent history and shouldn't be something that is easily forgotten, but the brutal realism of this film is hard to stomach at times. It really puts you in the shoes of the victims and let's you imagine the terror and crippling fear that they must have felt.
The actor that plays the perpetrator of the attack, Anders Behring Breivik, (played by Anders Danielsen Lie,) has to be commended. He was so believable in the role that I ended up getting really angry every time that he appeared in a scene. I don't even want to know what an actor has to do to get into that headspace, but he put in an absolutely sublime performance as a deplorable scumbag.
The other standout role was Jonas Strand Gravli as Viljar Hanssen, one of the victims of the attack. He is the audience's main conduit into this horrific event and he is brilliant throughout the film.
The main criticism that I have is that we are shown this horrific attack in brutal detail and the aftermath of the event, with no real purpose. I am not sure what the point of this movie was other than to retell a gut wrenching, terrifying story of a real life terrorist attack. I guess, if you were to do some reaching, you could say that the fact that the film has no point echoes the fact that this brutal act of mass violence also had no point and sometimes these horrific things just happen with no real reason.
Overall, this is a very well made movie. It is full of heavy emotions and will make you think about the nature of the human mind. This is if you can get through it though, the movie is very hard to watch and I can see a good amount of folks turning off because they can't handle it, which I can totally understand.
This film is hard to watch.
I'm a guy that loves gory action flicks and intense horror movies, but something like this is far more disturbing to me. The film is so well made on a technical level, that at some points it actually feels like you are watching the real life massacre play out, which to me felt a little bit too real. Thankfully, I have never been affected by an act of terrorism, nor has anyone that I know, but if I had, I'm not sure how I would feel about someone making a movie like this retelling the trauma that those people went through.
I appreciate that this is an important event in recent history and shouldn't be something that is easily forgotten, but the brutal realism of this film is hard to stomach at times. It really puts you in the shoes of the victims and let's you imagine the terror and crippling fear that they must have felt.
The actor that plays the perpetrator of the attack, Anders Behring Breivik, (played by Anders Danielsen Lie,) has to be commended. He was so believable in the role that I ended up getting really angry every time that he appeared in a scene. I don't even want to know what an actor has to do to get into that headspace, but he put in an absolutely sublime performance as a deplorable scumbag.
The other standout role was Jonas Strand Gravli as Viljar Hanssen, one of the victims of the attack. He is the audience's main conduit into this horrific event and he is brilliant throughout the film.
The main criticism that I have is that we are shown this horrific attack in brutal detail and the aftermath of the event, with no real purpose. I am not sure what the point of this movie was other than to retell a gut wrenching, terrifying story of a real life terrorist attack. I guess, if you were to do some reaching, you could say that the fact that the film has no point echoes the fact that this brutal act of mass violence also had no point and sometimes these horrific things just happen with no real reason.
Overall, this is a very well made movie. It is full of heavy emotions and will make you think about the nature of the human mind. This is if you can get through it though, the movie is very hard to watch and I can see a good amount of folks turning off because they can't handle it, which I can totally understand.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated 12 Strong (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
In the direct aftermath of terrorist attacks of 09/11 the US military was tasked with assisting the people of Afghanistan in taking back control from the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The one of the first objectives was to help The Northern Alliance, a group of warlords who opposed the Taliban rule, take the strategically critical city of Mazar-i-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan. A team of twelve Green Berets, code name Task Force Dagger, led by Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth) will have to help one of the warlords, General Dostum (Navid Negahban), overtake several Afghan villages before reaching Mazar-i-Sharif. Dostum leads about 200 soldiers and a varying number of militia. They have small arms are the only mode of transportation through the narrow mountain passes is by horse. The Taliban, led by Mullah Razzan (Numan Acar), have over 50,000 soldiers. They also have tanks, missiles, heavy machine guns and a supply line of more men and machinery coming in every day. Nelson and his team will have to go against these overwhelming odds in unknown terrain all on horseback. But these “Horse Soldiers” don’t hesitate and know that they have a job to and if they don’t terrorist will take control of the country and further terrorism will only escalate.
This true story is a well told and evenly paced film. It showed a moment in history and the immediate response by the military. It also told one of the more original stories of war. The Nicolai Fuglsig (Exfil) has some well-done action scenes and overall interesting cinematography. I enjoyed the story and for the most part the cast, which also includes Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Boardwalk Empire), Michael Pena (End of Watch, Crash) and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Negahban as Dostum is good as the tough, untrusting warlord. I also enjoyed the mix of action and dialog on strategy. Where this film tends to fail is that for a true story it is made more like a typical action film. It is full of semi-cheesy one liners and poorly timed cliché a motivational moments. I really did enjoy the film but at times I found myself trying not to laugh out loud during what should have been serious plot points.
As far as an action film this was a fun story and brought the gun fights and explosions that you would definitely look for. It also shows some the strategic side of the war. At the end of the night I enjoyed the film even though I thought that it could have been a little more serious and a little less campy.
This true story is a well told and evenly paced film. It showed a moment in history and the immediate response by the military. It also told one of the more original stories of war. The Nicolai Fuglsig (Exfil) has some well-done action scenes and overall interesting cinematography. I enjoyed the story and for the most part the cast, which also includes Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Boardwalk Empire), Michael Pena (End of Watch, Crash) and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Negahban as Dostum is good as the tough, untrusting warlord. I also enjoyed the mix of action and dialog on strategy. Where this film tends to fail is that for a true story it is made more like a typical action film. It is full of semi-cheesy one liners and poorly timed cliché a motivational moments. I really did enjoy the film but at times I found myself trying not to laugh out loud during what should have been serious plot points.
As far as an action film this was a fun story and brought the gun fights and explosions that you would definitely look for. It also shows some the strategic side of the war. At the end of the night I enjoyed the film even though I thought that it could have been a little more serious and a little less campy.
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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Mr Mercedes in Books
May 16, 2018
I've been a Stephen King fan since sixth grade, when my father let me borrow his copy of Salem's Lot. The most recent book of his I read was the final book in The Dark Tower, and I was less than impressed with it: The Dark Tower felt largely forced to me, and was such a dragging bore that it took me several months to finally get through it -- which I found to be extremely disappointing. That said, Mr. Mercedes was a nice reminder as to why I love King as a writer: his passion for his craft bleeds through the pages of this book.
Mr. Mercedes is the first book in Stephen King's Bill Hodges Trilogy, and it is by far among the best books that I've read as of late. Set in the Midwest, which was a nice change for King's books, Mr. Mercedes begins with a crime against the poor. A group of unemployed jobseekers lined up outside in hopes of landing employment are mowed down by a deranged man behind the wheel of a Mercedes. In the aftermath, he escapes, leaving behind eight dead and several more wounded. Among the dead are a mother and her infant child. Detective Bill Hodges later retires, with no success at discovering who was responsible for the murder. The killer, dubbed Mr. Mercedes, isn't done though; and so, King takes readers on a wild race against time in a desperate attempt to keep the killer from completing his next act of domestic terrorism.
King has a penchant for creating characters that range from the truly good to the entirely depraved, and he has a knack for writing them in a manner so thorough as to leave the reader disgusted. In Mr. Mercedes, I was thrilled to find myself once again encountering a character whose point of view was utterly revolting. Brady Hartsfield is a character I loved to hate, and King does an excellent job of writing from his point-of-view. In complete contrast, Bill Hodges and his team of unqualified partners are good, upstanding (for the most part) citizens that sate the need for a "hero" with little to be left for wanting.
One of the things King does well in his books is foreshadowing, and Mr. Mercedes is no exception. When something bad is going to happen, King says so: only things don't happen the way you expect them to. In Mr. Mercedes, this creates a constant feeling of dread, a constant expectation that certain things will, undoubtedly, happen, and that it is only a matter of when and how. Every page is filled with anticipation of the next big event, some of which bring utter horror while others brought with them tears.
Needless to say, I don't really have any complaints about this read; it was worth the wait. Now, I just have to wait for my turn with Finders Keepers. I'm excited to see how this trilogy continues!
Mr. Mercedes is the first book in Stephen King's Bill Hodges Trilogy, and it is by far among the best books that I've read as of late. Set in the Midwest, which was a nice change for King's books, Mr. Mercedes begins with a crime against the poor. A group of unemployed jobseekers lined up outside in hopes of landing employment are mowed down by a deranged man behind the wheel of a Mercedes. In the aftermath, he escapes, leaving behind eight dead and several more wounded. Among the dead are a mother and her infant child. Detective Bill Hodges later retires, with no success at discovering who was responsible for the murder. The killer, dubbed Mr. Mercedes, isn't done though; and so, King takes readers on a wild race against time in a desperate attempt to keep the killer from completing his next act of domestic terrorism.
King has a penchant for creating characters that range from the truly good to the entirely depraved, and he has a knack for writing them in a manner so thorough as to leave the reader disgusted. In Mr. Mercedes, I was thrilled to find myself once again encountering a character whose point of view was utterly revolting. Brady Hartsfield is a character I loved to hate, and King does an excellent job of writing from his point-of-view. In complete contrast, Bill Hodges and his team of unqualified partners are good, upstanding (for the most part) citizens that sate the need for a "hero" with little to be left for wanting.
One of the things King does well in his books is foreshadowing, and Mr. Mercedes is no exception. When something bad is going to happen, King says so: only things don't happen the way you expect them to. In Mr. Mercedes, this creates a constant feeling of dread, a constant expectation that certain things will, undoubtedly, happen, and that it is only a matter of when and how. Every page is filled with anticipation of the next big event, some of which bring utter horror while others brought with them tears.
Needless to say, I don't really have any complaints about this read; it was worth the wait. Now, I just have to wait for my turn with Finders Keepers. I'm excited to see how this trilogy continues!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated In a Kingdom by the Sea in Books
Jul 31, 2019
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine how it must feel to live in a country that is nearly always depicted negatively? How does it feel to have your country's natural beauty and landscape usurped by the violence of a small percentage of people? This is what Gabriella discovers the majority of the population of Pakistan face when she accompanies her husband Mike to Karachi where he works for Pakistan Atlantic Airways.
Gabriella and her sons have been used to Mike disappearing for months at a time on various jobs abroad, however, she is beginning to feel she and her husband are drifting apart. When Mike suggests she come and stay with him in Pakistan, she jumps at the chance, however, instead of strengthing the relationship, Gabriella feels further away than ever. Constantly left behind in a hotel while Mike attends numerous conferences, Gabriella is virtually housebound; it being too dangerous to venture outside. Not only that, she suspects Mike is having an affair and to top it all off, her half-sister Dominique reveals a devastating secret about their childhood in Cornwall.
In a Kingdom by the Sea by Sara MacDonald is essentially a contemporary love story, exploring the woes of a nearly fifty-year-old coming to the end of a long relationship. With underlying elements of mystery, for instance, what happened to Dominique in the early 1970s and what exactly is Mike up to, the novel also explores the hidden truths of a country stereotyped by violence and terrorism.
Gabriella meets dozens of kind and caring people in Pakistan who have her best interests at heart. These people are not dangerous or violent as the media often leads the western world to believe. Whilst some groups of people are content to cause death and destruction, leaving the cities a minefield to navigate, there are plenty more who wish to live peaceful lives. Gabriella is captivated by the beautiful, enchanting landscapes, unlike anything back home in England.
As the story progresses, Gabriella learns more about the lives of women in Pakistan. They are unable to live as they please, having to bow to the commands of their husbands, parents and brothers instead. The more Gabriella speaks to these women, the more she realises that cooped up in the hotel most of the day, she is in a similar situation, under the thumb of her own husband. So, she stops. Thinks. Is this the life she wants?
In a Kingdom by the Sea is a slightly long-winded but eye-opening story. Not everyone will be able to relate to the lives of Pakistani women, however, their plight will resonate with those who relish freedom. Whilst it is difficult to compare Gabriella's life with the women she meets in Karachi, readers will also be rooting for Gabriella's happy-ever-after.
Imagine how it must feel to live in a country that is nearly always depicted negatively? How does it feel to have your country's natural beauty and landscape usurped by the violence of a small percentage of people? This is what Gabriella discovers the majority of the population of Pakistan face when she accompanies her husband Mike to Karachi where he works for Pakistan Atlantic Airways.
Gabriella and her sons have been used to Mike disappearing for months at a time on various jobs abroad, however, she is beginning to feel she and her husband are drifting apart. When Mike suggests she come and stay with him in Pakistan, she jumps at the chance, however, instead of strengthing the relationship, Gabriella feels further away than ever. Constantly left behind in a hotel while Mike attends numerous conferences, Gabriella is virtually housebound; it being too dangerous to venture outside. Not only that, she suspects Mike is having an affair and to top it all off, her half-sister Dominique reveals a devastating secret about their childhood in Cornwall.
In a Kingdom by the Sea by Sara MacDonald is essentially a contemporary love story, exploring the woes of a nearly fifty-year-old coming to the end of a long relationship. With underlying elements of mystery, for instance, what happened to Dominique in the early 1970s and what exactly is Mike up to, the novel also explores the hidden truths of a country stereotyped by violence and terrorism.
Gabriella meets dozens of kind and caring people in Pakistan who have her best interests at heart. These people are not dangerous or violent as the media often leads the western world to believe. Whilst some groups of people are content to cause death and destruction, leaving the cities a minefield to navigate, there are plenty more who wish to live peaceful lives. Gabriella is captivated by the beautiful, enchanting landscapes, unlike anything back home in England.
As the story progresses, Gabriella learns more about the lives of women in Pakistan. They are unable to live as they please, having to bow to the commands of their husbands, parents and brothers instead. The more Gabriella speaks to these women, the more she realises that cooped up in the hotel most of the day, she is in a similar situation, under the thumb of her own husband. So, she stops. Thinks. Is this the life she wants?
In a Kingdom by the Sea is a slightly long-winded but eye-opening story. Not everyone will be able to relate to the lives of Pakistani women, however, their plight will resonate with those who relish freedom. Whilst it is difficult to compare Gabriella's life with the women she meets in Karachi, readers will also be rooting for Gabriella's happy-ever-after.
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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Eye In The Sky (2016) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
An exceptional look at warfare
Warfare is incredibly hard to depict well on screen. The brutality of conflict as well as the accuracy of technologies used is something very rarely achieved in the cinema due to the constant need to turn a profit and please audiences.
After American Sniper rocked the early part of 2015, there were numerous films in the genre greenlit soon after. Gavin Hood’s Eye in the Sky is one. But is it as good as American Sniper? And, more importantly, does it show an accurate depiction of modern conflict?
Eye in the Sky follows the tough choices that have to be made by politicians and military personnel in the fight against modern-day terrorism. Starring an arresting Helen Mirren as Colonel Powell, who leads a group of soldiers in their efforts to thwart a terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya.
Alongside her for the journey is the late Alan Rickman, in one of his final screen roles, as General Benson – the man who has to please the more political side of the divide. The film also stars Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul as a US drone pilot, tasked with delivering a fatal strike on a terrorist cell.
Eye in the Sky, despite its ridiculous name, is one of the freshest and most involving war films in recent times. This is even more astounding considering director Gavin Hood’s recent CV includes the lambasted X-Men Origins: Wolverine and commercial failure Ender’s Game.
This is a taut and well-shot action thriller with an unusually emotional heart at its centre. Our characters continuously grapple with the inevitable “collateral damage” that comes with firing a missile from 22,000ft in the air and we, as the audience share in each of their difficult decisions.
Helen Mirren provides one of her best performances in years and the wonderful Alan Rickman gives us yet more proof of what made him such an exceptional actor – you simply cannot take your eyes of the screen when he is on it. Aaron Paul is also brilliant, with the heart-breaking decisions he is forced to make reflected in his facial expressions. His tears speak louder than any script could ever rustle up.
It’s true that the action is kept to a minimum; this is no Michael Bay picture, but the boardroom setting and confines of the drone pilot room are more than a match for needless explosions as it all feels grounded in reality – despite the fact that some of the intelligence equipment isn’t in the field yet.
Overall, Eye in the Sky is an exceptional piece of film-making with real emotional punch. This is something normally reserved for other genres but it pays of well in this highly intelligent and fantastically acted thriller. Unfortunately, as is the case with many movies in between release schedules of bigger features, it will no doubt slip under the radar slightly.
That’s a shame, as there’s something truly special here and there’s no doubt it is one of the best films released in the last twelve months.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/04/23/an-exceptional-look-at-warfare-eye-in-the-sky-review/
After American Sniper rocked the early part of 2015, there were numerous films in the genre greenlit soon after. Gavin Hood’s Eye in the Sky is one. But is it as good as American Sniper? And, more importantly, does it show an accurate depiction of modern conflict?
Eye in the Sky follows the tough choices that have to be made by politicians and military personnel in the fight against modern-day terrorism. Starring an arresting Helen Mirren as Colonel Powell, who leads a group of soldiers in their efforts to thwart a terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya.
Alongside her for the journey is the late Alan Rickman, in one of his final screen roles, as General Benson – the man who has to please the more political side of the divide. The film also stars Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul as a US drone pilot, tasked with delivering a fatal strike on a terrorist cell.
Eye in the Sky, despite its ridiculous name, is one of the freshest and most involving war films in recent times. This is even more astounding considering director Gavin Hood’s recent CV includes the lambasted X-Men Origins: Wolverine and commercial failure Ender’s Game.
This is a taut and well-shot action thriller with an unusually emotional heart at its centre. Our characters continuously grapple with the inevitable “collateral damage” that comes with firing a missile from 22,000ft in the air and we, as the audience share in each of their difficult decisions.
Helen Mirren provides one of her best performances in years and the wonderful Alan Rickman gives us yet more proof of what made him such an exceptional actor – you simply cannot take your eyes of the screen when he is on it. Aaron Paul is also brilliant, with the heart-breaking decisions he is forced to make reflected in his facial expressions. His tears speak louder than any script could ever rustle up.
It’s true that the action is kept to a minimum; this is no Michael Bay picture, but the boardroom setting and confines of the drone pilot room are more than a match for needless explosions as it all feels grounded in reality – despite the fact that some of the intelligence equipment isn’t in the field yet.
Overall, Eye in the Sky is an exceptional piece of film-making with real emotional punch. This is something normally reserved for other genres but it pays of well in this highly intelligent and fantastically acted thriller. Unfortunately, as is the case with many movies in between release schedules of bigger features, it will no doubt slip under the radar slightly.
That’s a shame, as there’s something truly special here and there’s no doubt it is one of the best films released in the last twelve months.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/04/23/an-exceptional-look-at-warfare-eye-in-the-sky-review/