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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated 1922 (2017) in Movies
Oct 24, 2017 (Updated Oct 24, 2017)
Solid Performances (1 more)
Believable Set Design
Sometimes Your Own Demons Are The Hardest To Escape
1922 is the second Stephen King story adapted for Netflix in the last two months and it is very different to the adaption of Gerald's Game we saw back in September. The movie is set up nicely, showing an older, shaken man writing out his confession in hopes of appeasing the guilt that has plagued him since he murdered his wife Arlette. We then see a younger version of the man, Wilfred and we learn that he is very protective of the three things that he feels, 'belong,' to him; his son, his wife and his land.
Arlette professes a desire to sell the farm and move to the city, an idea that he outright refuses to go along with. The land that the farm is on belonged to Arlette's father and so it is now in her name, meaning she has the final say officially on selling the land. Wlifred tries to bargain with her, saying that he will buy the land off of her in installments, but Arlette knows that she can get a better price elsewhere and won’t have to wait years to receive the payment. This leads Wilfred to start planning his wife’s murder. Wilfred knows that his son wants to stay on the farm as well and so he manipulates him into helping him carry out and cover up the murder.
From this point on we have our ghost story. I’m actually rather hesitant to call it a ghost story, even though strictly speaking, it is one. This is more a tale of how guilt haunts a man beyond carrying out the heinous deed and how no bad deed goes unpunished. I don’t want to spoil too much here for those who haven’t yet seen the film, but what follows is a relentless and depressing tale of regret and loss.
The cast in this film are great, Thomas Jane does a great job in the lead role of a man willing to go to any morbid lengths, in order to retain what he believes belongs to him. Molly Parker and Dylan Schmid also do well in their roles as Arlette and Henry, respectively. The supporting cast is also solid. The other stand out thing in the movie for me was the set design. I found the farmhouses and barns to be extremely believable and the sets really added to the overall tone that the movie was going for and sold the era effectively as well.
My main complaint of the movie is the lack of any significant scares. The movie sets up a fairly creepy atmosphere at times, but never capitalizes on it. A Stephen King ghost story released the week before Halloween should be way scarier than this. I thought I was getting a truly chilling movie to sink my teeth into and instead I got a movie showing a desperate man’s fractured psyche and the guilt he has to deal with in the aftermath of a despicable deed, which is an interesting idea, it’s just not what I wanted out of this movie.
Overall this is a well made movie and for what it is it’s great, it just didn’t meet the expectations that I had for it and maybe that’s my own fault more than the movie’s. As with any Stephen King story, it makes for an interesting adaption and takes you on a dark journey and leaves you wondering about you own moral decisions in life. The film is no doubt successful in what it sets out to do; I just wish that it had scared me a bit more.
Arlette professes a desire to sell the farm and move to the city, an idea that he outright refuses to go along with. The land that the farm is on belonged to Arlette's father and so it is now in her name, meaning she has the final say officially on selling the land. Wlifred tries to bargain with her, saying that he will buy the land off of her in installments, but Arlette knows that she can get a better price elsewhere and won’t have to wait years to receive the payment. This leads Wilfred to start planning his wife’s murder. Wilfred knows that his son wants to stay on the farm as well and so he manipulates him into helping him carry out and cover up the murder.
From this point on we have our ghost story. I’m actually rather hesitant to call it a ghost story, even though strictly speaking, it is one. This is more a tale of how guilt haunts a man beyond carrying out the heinous deed and how no bad deed goes unpunished. I don’t want to spoil too much here for those who haven’t yet seen the film, but what follows is a relentless and depressing tale of regret and loss.
The cast in this film are great, Thomas Jane does a great job in the lead role of a man willing to go to any morbid lengths, in order to retain what he believes belongs to him. Molly Parker and Dylan Schmid also do well in their roles as Arlette and Henry, respectively. The supporting cast is also solid. The other stand out thing in the movie for me was the set design. I found the farmhouses and barns to be extremely believable and the sets really added to the overall tone that the movie was going for and sold the era effectively as well.
My main complaint of the movie is the lack of any significant scares. The movie sets up a fairly creepy atmosphere at times, but never capitalizes on it. A Stephen King ghost story released the week before Halloween should be way scarier than this. I thought I was getting a truly chilling movie to sink my teeth into and instead I got a movie showing a desperate man’s fractured psyche and the guilt he has to deal with in the aftermath of a despicable deed, which is an interesting idea, it’s just not what I wanted out of this movie.
Overall this is a well made movie and for what it is it’s great, it just didn’t meet the expectations that I had for it and maybe that’s my own fault more than the movie’s. As with any Stephen King story, it makes for an interesting adaption and takes you on a dark journey and leaves you wondering about you own moral decisions in life. The film is no doubt successful in what it sets out to do; I just wish that it had scared me a bit more.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Black Magic Sanction (The Hollows, #8) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
This book was like one long game of fight-or-flight, mixed in with multiple escape plans when Rachel could not avoid getting caught. Being Rachel Morgan must be quite exhausting. Being eight books in now, I have been able to come up with many reasons why I enjoy reading this series so much. For starters, I love how Kim Harrison plays off of Clint Eastwood films for her book titles. I also love how each race of supernatural beings are so creatively developed to be both unique and intriguing, right down to the intimate biological makeup. I especially love how Rachel operates "by the seat of her pants" so to speak. Her instincts are nearly always spot on, and she's got reflexes that put a cat's to shame. Even though her deceased father inadvertedly put her in this position of power, able to change the course of history on her version of Earth, she still strives to be "normal" and refuses to be anyone's puppet.
This book was all about crossing moral lines for the right reasons and how far Rachel is willing to cross them to protect those she loves and be free herself. The plot was exciting and fast-paced almost from cover to cover, except for a sad note that had me shedding a few tears - even though the series has given the reader fair warning of what would eventually happen - as well as a hot-and-heavy interlude - because it wouldn't be a Rachel Morgan book without it. I love the mental, unvoiced quips that Rachel dreams up to convey her thoughts, which are so much more entertaining than just base cussing. Case in point: "Are frogs coming from the sun in shapeships, too?" How can a person not laugh at that? Jenks' frequent quips about Tinkerbell can be quite hilarious, too. The ending to the book holds quite a bit of promise for the next one, Pale Demon, especially in regards to Rachel's relationship with the elf, Trent. Speaking of relationships, I am rather intrigued by Al's obsession with Rachel, especially after he changed his appearance with his gargoyle Treble. While I admit my interest may be heavy on the icky, one must admit the potential for certain interludes is strong and highly possible, given what Rachel is becoming. Plus, Al makes no secret of his interest in Rachel, trying three times to convince her to move in the ever-after, though I have my suspicions that his interest is more than just physical. The close look that the reader got of the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards shows some interesting possibilities given that Pierce is a past member of it. Oh the havoc that Rachel can cause will keep me interested in this series for as long as Kim Harrison keeps writing it!
This book was all about crossing moral lines for the right reasons and how far Rachel is willing to cross them to protect those she loves and be free herself. The plot was exciting and fast-paced almost from cover to cover, except for a sad note that had me shedding a few tears - even though the series has given the reader fair warning of what would eventually happen - as well as a hot-and-heavy interlude - because it wouldn't be a Rachel Morgan book without it. I love the mental, unvoiced quips that Rachel dreams up to convey her thoughts, which are so much more entertaining than just base cussing. Case in point: "Are frogs coming from the sun in shapeships, too?" How can a person not laugh at that? Jenks' frequent quips about Tinkerbell can be quite hilarious, too. The ending to the book holds quite a bit of promise for the next one, Pale Demon, especially in regards to Rachel's relationship with the elf, Trent. Speaking of relationships, I am rather intrigued by Al's obsession with Rachel, especially after he changed his appearance with his gargoyle Treble. While I admit my interest may be heavy on the icky, one must admit the potential for certain interludes is strong and highly possible, given what Rachel is becoming. Plus, Al makes no secret of his interest in Rachel, trying three times to convince her to move in the ever-after, though I have my suspicions that his interest is more than just physical. The close look that the reader got of the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards shows some interesting possibilities given that Pierce is a past member of it. Oh the havoc that Rachel can cause will keep me interested in this series for as long as Kim Harrison keeps writing it!
Hannah May (3 KP) rated Rolling Dice in Books
Mar 8, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
It maybe because I was struggling with my work load and social life, that I found it difficult to really get into this story. The Kissing Booth and Out of Tune hooked me from the first word. I'm saddened to admit that Rolling Dice did not. There are a number of things about this novel that really let it down. The first, I think, is the lack of character development. Throughout the novel, I was waiting for Madison to grow some back-bone, maybe some common sense, especially when it came to Tiffany and Bryce. I have been in Madison's shoes. I have made friends with people who, in their own sly way, put me down and made me feel small. And I put up with it, because I was too timid to say anything, because I was afraid of losing the only people who wanted me around, or who wanted to be my friend. I guess some part of me wanted her to learn from my mistakes and do things differently. I was satisfied, however, when Madison kept refusing Bryce for sex and told him he was being a jerk. I was not surprised, when he cheated. He annoyed the hell out of me! Madison was too much a damsel in distress for me; always worrying, always looking back, reminding herself of the pain and humiliation she endured in Maine. She may have reinvented her appearance, but NOT her emotional and mental state. Those are the things that need to change first. Everything else can wait. I would have also liked to see more back story on Madison's life in Maine and the death of Dwight's father. That would have been MOST interesting!The second was the plot. I liked the idea of "new girl comes to town and struggles to find her place at school," but I would have liked to see more conflict. I would have liked to see Madison really struggling with her feelings and loyalties, both for Tiffany and Co. and Dwight. The lastly was the ending. I was disappointed. Madison retreated to New York to escape the drama. What seemed like a good move at the time, only put her back RIGHT where she started. That was the time to show everyone what kind of person she was and not be intimidated. Instead, she ran away. Not happy with the ending at all, but it was redeemed by the rekindle of Madison and Dwight's friendship/ relationship, whichever it turned in to. Overall, not her best book, but I did enjoy Reekles' writing style, language and in depth understanding of high school life and everyday teenage struggles.
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
The extent of my knowledge of Wonder Woman comes from vague memories of the TV show with Lynda Carter in the 70s and the Super Friends cartoon in the early 80s. So I knew she was an Amazon princess from Paradise Island who flew an invisible plane. I may have been Wonder Woman for Halloween back when you stuck your arms through a plastic sheet with Wonder Woman’s torso painted on it, that tied at the neck like a cheap, hospital gown, with a mask with eyes cutout and a mouth you really couldn’t breathe through. So really, I knew OF her, but I never really actually knew much about Wonder Woman.
Fast forward some 40 years later and I’m in a theater learning Diana is the fiercely spirited daughter of Queen Hippolyta who sculpted her from clay and was brought to life by Zeus. Wait. What? Tell me more! She’s raised on the secluded island of Themyscira where, thanks to her aunt Antiope’s training, Diana develops extraordinary skill in combat.
Those skills come in handy when Steve Trevor somehow crashes through the protective barrier surrounding Themyscira, while trying to escape from the Germans. Suddenly made aware of an outside world, Diana decides to leave Themyscira with Trevor for war-torn Europe believing she must help stop the great war.
Gal Gadot portrays Wonder Woman as a strong-willed, worldly but still naïve force to reckon with. Chris Pine plays a wiley American spy who isn’t immune to Diana’s beauty but remains respectful of the innocence he can see behind her conviction. Together they team up with a motley crew of unlikely heroes to bring down a horrific German, whom Diana believes is Ares, the God of War, reborn.
I wasn’t sure what kept me more riveted, the storyline, the chemistry between Gadot and Pine,or Wonder Woman’s physical beauty and prowess. I can tell you that I never heard a screener audience cheer for Batman or Superman like they did for Wonder Woman, just at the sight of the determined superhero slowly walking towards battle, prompted in part by the pounding opening wails of Wonder Woman’s theme music.
Wonder Woman is an origin story well-told, something I really can’t say for the previous Justice League movies. Where Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad have left me “meh” for future DC movies, Wonder Woman left me hopeful for Justice League and future DC Extended Universe movies. I hope the directors of DCEU movies take some lessons from Wonder Woman’s director, Patty Jenkins. Simply put, we want to root for a multi-dimensional superhero with a story we can easily follow and get behind. In other words, be like Wonder Woman.
Fast forward some 40 years later and I’m in a theater learning Diana is the fiercely spirited daughter of Queen Hippolyta who sculpted her from clay and was brought to life by Zeus. Wait. What? Tell me more! She’s raised on the secluded island of Themyscira where, thanks to her aunt Antiope’s training, Diana develops extraordinary skill in combat.
Those skills come in handy when Steve Trevor somehow crashes through the protective barrier surrounding Themyscira, while trying to escape from the Germans. Suddenly made aware of an outside world, Diana decides to leave Themyscira with Trevor for war-torn Europe believing she must help stop the great war.
Gal Gadot portrays Wonder Woman as a strong-willed, worldly but still naïve force to reckon with. Chris Pine plays a wiley American spy who isn’t immune to Diana’s beauty but remains respectful of the innocence he can see behind her conviction. Together they team up with a motley crew of unlikely heroes to bring down a horrific German, whom Diana believes is Ares, the God of War, reborn.
I wasn’t sure what kept me more riveted, the storyline, the chemistry between Gadot and Pine,or Wonder Woman’s physical beauty and prowess. I can tell you that I never heard a screener audience cheer for Batman or Superman like they did for Wonder Woman, just at the sight of the determined superhero slowly walking towards battle, prompted in part by the pounding opening wails of Wonder Woman’s theme music.
Wonder Woman is an origin story well-told, something I really can’t say for the previous Justice League movies. Where Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad have left me “meh” for future DC movies, Wonder Woman left me hopeful for Justice League and future DC Extended Universe movies. I hope the directors of DCEU movies take some lessons from Wonder Woman’s director, Patty Jenkins. Simply put, we want to root for a multi-dimensional superhero with a story we can easily follow and get behind. In other words, be like Wonder Woman.
Jamie (131 KP) rated Here and Gone in Books
Jul 26, 2017
Engrossing story line (2 more)
Well-developed characters
Good female relationships
Several plot holes (1 more)
Mildly frustrating main character
A parent's worst nightmare
This book may be one of the most compelling reads that I’ve had in a while. Here and Gone is the story of a woman trying to escape an abusive marriage that finds herself in handcuffs and her children taken away by suspicious cops. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. The opening chapters reminded me of some terrifying cases that I’ve read about innocent people being pulled over by corrupt or phony police officers.
The narrative swaps between characters throughout the story, sometimes swinging into the main two character’s pasts to flesh out their personalities. I really liked Danny, though I’ll admit that he seemed like a bit of an Asian stereotype to me, and being Asian American myself I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. His role in the story was cool but also seemed a little out of place. Audra I wish I could say that I liked her more, but her attitude in some of the flashback chapters really bothered me. My heart did break for her character, however, stuck in an abusive marriage with an enabler, with several chapters detailing her struggle with drug addiction.
I love the serious amount of woman power in this book that highlights the importance of female relationships. There are just certain things that many women know and understand about each other. This book was a heartfelt reminder about how vital it is for women to lift each other up, rather than tearing each other down. It was almost always female characters that would see what was happening to Audra and helped when she needed it the most. This was a major highlight for me in the story.
On the other hand though, I had to cut the rating down a little bit due to some pretty glaring plot holes that kept making me stop and ask my husband about law or the standard policies that are followed in any investigation. There were little things I noticed that just didn’t seem right and it would pull me out of my immersion in the novel.
Maybe it’s just me, but I would imagine that if a suspect in a missing person’s case were to implicate someone, even if it was a member of law enforcement, of abducting the kids and threatening her into taking the blame, wouldn’t the FBI be at least mildly suspicious? Question the officers involved, perhaps monitor their activity, separate them from the case, or put them on administrative leave? It would only make sense to me that the officers in question are too close to the case and should be taken off of it, but that wasn’t what happened. One cop had full access to the suspect, to police resources, and was still involved in the investigation. The other cop, well, nobody seemed to care about her one bit, or really noticed her absence. In fact, the FBI in general seemed pretty impotent in this book and that just didn’t seem normal to me.
All that aside, I really enjoyed this book. I was completely absorbed in the story from the first page and I couldn’t put it down, devouring it quickly over a period of about two days. I’ll definitely be checking out some more of the author’s work in the future.
The narrative swaps between characters throughout the story, sometimes swinging into the main two character’s pasts to flesh out their personalities. I really liked Danny, though I’ll admit that he seemed like a bit of an Asian stereotype to me, and being Asian American myself I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. His role in the story was cool but also seemed a little out of place. Audra I wish I could say that I liked her more, but her attitude in some of the flashback chapters really bothered me. My heart did break for her character, however, stuck in an abusive marriage with an enabler, with several chapters detailing her struggle with drug addiction.
I love the serious amount of woman power in this book that highlights the importance of female relationships. There are just certain things that many women know and understand about each other. This book was a heartfelt reminder about how vital it is for women to lift each other up, rather than tearing each other down. It was almost always female characters that would see what was happening to Audra and helped when she needed it the most. This was a major highlight for me in the story.
On the other hand though, I had to cut the rating down a little bit due to some pretty glaring plot holes that kept making me stop and ask my husband about law or the standard policies that are followed in any investigation. There were little things I noticed that just didn’t seem right and it would pull me out of my immersion in the novel.
Maybe it’s just me, but I would imagine that if a suspect in a missing person’s case were to implicate someone, even if it was a member of law enforcement, of abducting the kids and threatening her into taking the blame, wouldn’t the FBI be at least mildly suspicious? Question the officers involved, perhaps monitor their activity, separate them from the case, or put them on administrative leave? It would only make sense to me that the officers in question are too close to the case and should be taken off of it, but that wasn’t what happened. One cop had full access to the suspect, to police resources, and was still involved in the investigation. The other cop, well, nobody seemed to care about her one bit, or really noticed her absence. In fact, the FBI in general seemed pretty impotent in this book and that just didn’t seem normal to me.
All that aside, I really enjoyed this book. I was completely absorbed in the story from the first page and I couldn’t put it down, devouring it quickly over a period of about two days. I’ll definitely be checking out some more of the author’s work in the future.
Little Ray Of Sunshine (41 KP) rated The Hunt in Books
Jan 11, 2019 (Updated Feb 10, 2019)
Book Review | The Hunt by T. J. Lebbon
Rose is the one that got away. She was the prey in a human trophy hunt run by an elite organisation known only as The Trail. She paid the worst possible price. Every moment since she has been planning her revenge. And now her time has come ...
Chris returns from his morning run to find his wife and children missing and a stranger in his kitchen.
He's told to run.
If he's caught and killed, his family go free. If he escapes, they die.
Rose is the only one who can help him, for her, Chris is bait. And The Trail have not forgotten the woman who tried to outwit them.
The Trail want Rose. The hunters want Chris's corpse. Rose wants revenge, and Chris just wants his family back.
THE HUNT IS ON ...
I was given this book by my friend she told me it was a great book. I don't usually read thriller books but this year I am starting to go out my comfort zone of romance. I have enjoy reading these thrillers and how they make my heart beat faster.
When I first saw the front cover it intrigued me and I wanted to get straight into the book and see what it like.
The book is about Rose she was the one who got away from a game where rich people pay to hunt people down its a sick game to play. While this is happening her family was taken hostage. She was told if she escape them her family will die. Rose outwitted them and escaped them as she thought they wont kill my family. But sadly they was killed and she went back to her house to find them dead and she is framed for their murder. So she goes on the run to find out more about what The Trail is and how she can hunt them down and seek revenge for what did to her family.
While she was searching on the internet to see if The Trail as took another family hostage she found out that there was another and this time it was a man called Chris he returned from a morning run to find hes family as gone missing and a stranger in hes kitchen. He was told if he escapes and they can't find him hes family will be killed. He feels all alone as he can't get in contact with hes family and friends.
But all a sudden this women comes to the rescue called Rose shes the only one who can help him and she knows more about The Trail. So she uses Chris as bait while she hunts each of the hunters down and kills them. Chris doesn't trust Rose he feels that she is in with the The Trail but he soons realise that she aint there to kill him but safe him from The Trail and save hes family too.
Wow this book is a page turner, I was intrigued what was happening through the book and I was thinking all the way through the book "Will they survive?" "Will they find Chris's family in time?" Also I wanted it to have a happy ending and The Trail need to be stopped!
I won't say anymore as I want you to decide what you think to the book and ending.
Thanks for reading x
Chris returns from his morning run to find his wife and children missing and a stranger in his kitchen.
He's told to run.
If he's caught and killed, his family go free. If he escapes, they die.
Rose is the only one who can help him, for her, Chris is bait. And The Trail have not forgotten the woman who tried to outwit them.
The Trail want Rose. The hunters want Chris's corpse. Rose wants revenge, and Chris just wants his family back.
THE HUNT IS ON ...
I was given this book by my friend she told me it was a great book. I don't usually read thriller books but this year I am starting to go out my comfort zone of romance. I have enjoy reading these thrillers and how they make my heart beat faster.
When I first saw the front cover it intrigued me and I wanted to get straight into the book and see what it like.
The book is about Rose she was the one who got away from a game where rich people pay to hunt people down its a sick game to play. While this is happening her family was taken hostage. She was told if she escape them her family will die. Rose outwitted them and escaped them as she thought they wont kill my family. But sadly they was killed and she went back to her house to find them dead and she is framed for their murder. So she goes on the run to find out more about what The Trail is and how she can hunt them down and seek revenge for what did to her family.
While she was searching on the internet to see if The Trail as took another family hostage she found out that there was another and this time it was a man called Chris he returned from a morning run to find hes family as gone missing and a stranger in hes kitchen. He was told if he escapes and they can't find him hes family will be killed. He feels all alone as he can't get in contact with hes family and friends.
But all a sudden this women comes to the rescue called Rose shes the only one who can help him and she knows more about The Trail. So she uses Chris as bait while she hunts each of the hunters down and kills them. Chris doesn't trust Rose he feels that she is in with the The Trail but he soons realise that she aint there to kill him but safe him from The Trail and save hes family too.
Wow this book is a page turner, I was intrigued what was happening through the book and I was thinking all the way through the book "Will they survive?" "Will they find Chris's family in time?" Also I wanted it to have a happy ending and The Trail need to be stopped!
I won't say anymore as I want you to decide what you think to the book and ending.
Thanks for reading x
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I’m new to this whole world of YA Fantasy and to Victoria Schwab’s work. This Savage Song has been repeatedly brought up on different BookTube channels and consistently been listed as favorite books by many different people. Schwab has a strong presence in the world of YA. I couldn’t let these recommendations go to waste, so I promptly went to my local book retailer and purchased my copy of This Savage Song. As soon as I got it home I knew I would be reading it right away. I must tell you; this book DID NOT disappoint.
The dystopian elements along with the fantasy elements weave together to create an alternate version of our world for us to escape to. I love the way Schwab created new monsters for us and didn’t resort to the same old monsters of lore. Obviously the Sunai are my favorite of the monsters. The juxtaposition between monsters who were created out of something terrible happening but then essentially working with the humans to keep the peace is a thing of beauty. She provides a fresh perspective. Imagine a monster that only need sing to steal your soul and kill you, or with a couple of strokes of the bow on a violin, you’re done for. These ideas just blew my mind. A fresh idea to stand out among all the rest. The best part for me was the fact that Schwab didn’t feel the need to overload the book with needless killing just to prove how cool the Sunai were. You see some a couple of kills in the first half of the book, but she teases you throughout the second half of the book leaving you craving to see what happens when a Sunai goes dark.
It bears mentioning the other two monsters in this story the Malchai which are solitary predators that use blood as a form of sustenance. They are weakened by sunlight and to me are like a vampire’s second cousin. Then you have the Corsai which move in swarms like a massive shadow and feed on flesh and bone. They have a hive mentality and everything they do is driven by fear.
This book focuses on two main characters Kate and August. They are from opposing families. She is portrayed as hard and guarded. August, is a Sunai and just wants to be human. These two characters are shoved together under the worse of circumstances and they learn to trust and rely on each other. Many times, throughout this book I found myself comparing them to Romeo & Juliet; however, Schwab doesn’t play the romance card in this book. I thought I was going to be upset about that, but in the end, I think it was smart because it would have detracted from the deeper relationship formed and the story wouldn’t have meant as much, in my opinion. There are several supporting characters like Ilsa, Henry, and Emily that I hope to learn more about in the Our Dark Duet.
I can’t wait to read Our Dark Duet, and I will have it as part of my March reading list for sure. I’m a huge fan of Schwab’s writing style and the depth of her characters. I’ve also added Vicious to my TBR as well as her upcoming book City of Ghosts.
I would love to hear everyone else thoughts about this book, or Schwab’s other books.
The dystopian elements along with the fantasy elements weave together to create an alternate version of our world for us to escape to. I love the way Schwab created new monsters for us and didn’t resort to the same old monsters of lore. Obviously the Sunai are my favorite of the monsters. The juxtaposition between monsters who were created out of something terrible happening but then essentially working with the humans to keep the peace is a thing of beauty. She provides a fresh perspective. Imagine a monster that only need sing to steal your soul and kill you, or with a couple of strokes of the bow on a violin, you’re done for. These ideas just blew my mind. A fresh idea to stand out among all the rest. The best part for me was the fact that Schwab didn’t feel the need to overload the book with needless killing just to prove how cool the Sunai were. You see some a couple of kills in the first half of the book, but she teases you throughout the second half of the book leaving you craving to see what happens when a Sunai goes dark.
It bears mentioning the other two monsters in this story the Malchai which are solitary predators that use blood as a form of sustenance. They are weakened by sunlight and to me are like a vampire’s second cousin. Then you have the Corsai which move in swarms like a massive shadow and feed on flesh and bone. They have a hive mentality and everything they do is driven by fear.
This book focuses on two main characters Kate and August. They are from opposing families. She is portrayed as hard and guarded. August, is a Sunai and just wants to be human. These two characters are shoved together under the worse of circumstances and they learn to trust and rely on each other. Many times, throughout this book I found myself comparing them to Romeo & Juliet; however, Schwab doesn’t play the romance card in this book. I thought I was going to be upset about that, but in the end, I think it was smart because it would have detracted from the deeper relationship formed and the story wouldn’t have meant as much, in my opinion. There are several supporting characters like Ilsa, Henry, and Emily that I hope to learn more about in the Our Dark Duet.
I can’t wait to read Our Dark Duet, and I will have it as part of my March reading list for sure. I’m a huge fan of Schwab’s writing style and the depth of her characters. I’ve also added Vicious to my TBR as well as her upcoming book City of Ghosts.
I would love to hear everyone else thoughts about this book, or Schwab’s other books.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) in Movies
Mar 14, 2020
Verdict: Beautiful Movie
Story: The Peanut Butter Falcon starts as we meet a down syndrome young man Zak (Gottsagen) who dreams of being a wrestler, but is stuck in a care home sharing a room with Carl (Dern) under the care of Eleanor (Johnson), he has been trying to escape before and when he finally does, he meets Tyler (LaBeouf) a rebel who is fighting for his place in a fishing world.
As Tyler reluctantly agrees to help Zak, the two go on an adventure through the outdoors to make it to the wrestling school to live his dream of becoming a wrestler like his hero Salt Water Redneck (Church), even though Eleanor is trying to find him before it is too late.
Thoughts on The Peanut Butter Falcon
Characters – Zak is a down syndrome young man that is living in a nursing home with nobody else offering him a place to live, he loves wrestling and wants to make this his dream to become a wrestler, which sees him running away from the nursing home, meeting Tyler and having his first adventure. Tyler is a drifter working on the local fishing area, that has found himself getting into trouble with the locals, needing to go on the run, where he ends up meet Zak, reluctantly teaching him about life. Eleanor is the carer that has always looked after Zak, she has become concerned about his desire to move away and after he runs away, she must go in search of him, needing to learn more about opening up to his own desire in life.
Performances – Zack Gottsagen is wonderful in the leading role showing all the delight and pain his character is going through. Shia LaBeouf is going down the right path here, doing the roles which require him to show his skills rather than cash heavy roles. Dakota Johnson is great too, with the supporting cast that all work wonderfully through the film.
Story – The story here follows a young down syndrome man who decides to run away from the nursing home he is living in, with dreams of becoming a wrestler where he meets a lost drifter who teaches him more about life, while chasing his dream. This is a story that is similar to the story of Mark Twain with a fresh approach, with one of the clear messages being, not to judge somebody on a disability they have, they can achieve as much as anybody else. This is a joy to watch as a story, seeing how the two bond and just have a life adventure.
Adventure/Comedy – The adventure side of this film, sees two unlikely men at different stages of their lives spending a couple of days together learning about life, it is inspiring to see how people might react to life, while getting a couple of laughs along the way, with the friendship.
Settings – The film uses the back-water locations to show the drifter lifestyle to which Zak has fallen into and one that Tyler can navigate.
Scene of the Movie – The match.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Nothing really.
Final Thoughts – This is a delightful movie that can be enjoyed by all, one that has a clear message about treating everyone equal and one that will leave you feeling good by the end.
Overall: True Delight.
Story: The Peanut Butter Falcon starts as we meet a down syndrome young man Zak (Gottsagen) who dreams of being a wrestler, but is stuck in a care home sharing a room with Carl (Dern) under the care of Eleanor (Johnson), he has been trying to escape before and when he finally does, he meets Tyler (LaBeouf) a rebel who is fighting for his place in a fishing world.
As Tyler reluctantly agrees to help Zak, the two go on an adventure through the outdoors to make it to the wrestling school to live his dream of becoming a wrestler like his hero Salt Water Redneck (Church), even though Eleanor is trying to find him before it is too late.
Thoughts on The Peanut Butter Falcon
Characters – Zak is a down syndrome young man that is living in a nursing home with nobody else offering him a place to live, he loves wrestling and wants to make this his dream to become a wrestler, which sees him running away from the nursing home, meeting Tyler and having his first adventure. Tyler is a drifter working on the local fishing area, that has found himself getting into trouble with the locals, needing to go on the run, where he ends up meet Zak, reluctantly teaching him about life. Eleanor is the carer that has always looked after Zak, she has become concerned about his desire to move away and after he runs away, she must go in search of him, needing to learn more about opening up to his own desire in life.
Performances – Zack Gottsagen is wonderful in the leading role showing all the delight and pain his character is going through. Shia LaBeouf is going down the right path here, doing the roles which require him to show his skills rather than cash heavy roles. Dakota Johnson is great too, with the supporting cast that all work wonderfully through the film.
Story – The story here follows a young down syndrome man who decides to run away from the nursing home he is living in, with dreams of becoming a wrestler where he meets a lost drifter who teaches him more about life, while chasing his dream. This is a story that is similar to the story of Mark Twain with a fresh approach, with one of the clear messages being, not to judge somebody on a disability they have, they can achieve as much as anybody else. This is a joy to watch as a story, seeing how the two bond and just have a life adventure.
Adventure/Comedy – The adventure side of this film, sees two unlikely men at different stages of their lives spending a couple of days together learning about life, it is inspiring to see how people might react to life, while getting a couple of laughs along the way, with the friendship.
Settings – The film uses the back-water locations to show the drifter lifestyle to which Zak has fallen into and one that Tyler can navigate.
Scene of the Movie – The match.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Nothing really.
Final Thoughts – This is a delightful movie that can be enjoyed by all, one that has a clear message about treating everyone equal and one that will leave you feeling good by the end.
Overall: True Delight.