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Death Stranding
Death Stranding
2019 | Action
I just finished Death Stranding and it was quite the incredible journey for me. I have been a long time fan of Kojima's work so I was intrigued by this game. So many people have made the jokes about Sam being a glorified postman, but the game is so much more than that. Once the game started going, I got hooked into the story and was fascinated by the connections Sam made with each person during his arduous deliveries and how he connected them to each other. Seeing how people connect and witnessing how those bonds drew them together created a powerful and beautiful story.
 One game mechanic I absolutely enjoyed was the fact that there is a multiplayer, but it's not multiplayer in the way you think. You never actually see the other players and they never see you. What you do see is what is left behind to help you on your journey and you can leave behind things to help other players. You can build roads, bridges, ziplines, or leave ladders and climbing ropes on steep cliffs to help others on their journey. There is also a shared locker function which allows you and other players to donate weapons and items for use on your travels. Again, it is a way we as people connect to each other from all over the world. You can also give likes to the helpful things people leave behind.
 Exploring the open world of Death Stranding is an adventure in itself with treacherous terrain, dangerous people trying to attack you,(known as mules) and scary ghost like monsters (known as beached things or BTS) it makes you take your time planning out your routes and how you want to get out of those situations. The performances by everyone in the game is fantastic. There are raw emotional moments in parts of the story that moved me to tears. There are beautiful moments that gave me cause to smile as well and I had such a wonderful time with this game. Death Stranding is more than just a delivery game. It is a story about the strength of our connections, bonds, and a promise of hope.
  
The One and Only Ivan
The One and Only Ivan
Katherine Applegate | 2012 | Children
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Quick Read (1 more)
Good Lesson
My 3rd grader asked me to read this book after he read it. I loved it and couldn't put it down.

Ivan is a silverback gorilla that has been living and working in a show at the mall. The show owner brings in a new elephant named Ruby to bring in more visitors. Stella, the older injured elephant asks Ivan to help Ruby get a better life. Ivan's life begins to change as he tries to fulfill his promise to Stella. Ivan learns that while you may settle for what life hands you, there may always be something better for you.

This story is a great lesson for kids that you don't have to settle for what life hands you. It also serves as a good reminder for adults that we don't have to settle either, we can work towards new goals, and we can achieve them.

I would recommend this book for everyone, kids to adults. It would be great to read this as a kid, then again as a teen, and again as an adult. Rereading this on can help us remember to not settle for what life hands, but to make life ours.
  
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ClareR (5879 KP) rated Weirdo in Books

Jul 9, 2024  
Weirdo
Weirdo
Sara Pascoe | 2023 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Weirdo is about Sophie, muddling along through her unfulfilling life, in jobs she doesn’t really like, and with a man she doesn’t really like either.

There are some funny parts, and I did feel sorry for Sophie at times, but my overwhelming urge was to give her a good shake and tell her to get some self respect. But then, Sophie seems to be one of life’s loners, and she doesn’t have a friend to steer her in the right direction. She seems to latch on to people who aren’t quite right for her, and whilst that gives the reader some laughs (and I DID laugh), I actually came to realise that I was uncomfortable with that - I was laughing AT her, not WITH her.

She’s immature, getting herself into ridiculous situations, and thinks that everyone should just know how she feels, even though she doesn’t tell them.

I was frustrated for a lot of this book, and if I hadn’t been listening to it, I would have put it down and walked away. I’m glad I listened to the end though, because I promise you, she does improve. This may well be a spoiler, but I like to think that if you’re going to read it, there’s a good reason to carry on!
  
WO
Watersheds of World History
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was provided as a complimentary signed copy from the author, and I am very grateful to be finally fulfilling my promise to review the book.

Firstly, I have to be honest, world history from start to finish in 200 pages? I know, I asked myself that question so many times before I sat down to finally read this and I was highly sceptical whether it could be achieved. How very wrong I was.

Taylor has a unique take on history, succinct and incredibly to the point. I read a lot of history books and most historians get a little 'flowery' with their language in an attempt to make the reader love the history but Taylor takes a completely contrasting methodology in being almost blunt with the delivery of the historical facts. Usually, I would prefer more description but in this book it is much more apt to have this short, sharp burst approach as it keeps the reader hooked to the very end, even if they already know the history being told. That being said, I'm a self professed history enthusiast who reads history like fiction, and Taylor, in this masterpiece, managed to teach me a thing or two about periods of history I thought I knew inside out.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone interested in getting a beginners knowledge of world history, whether to help decide options for school, find a new hobby or even brush up on quiz knowledge. Taylor has written an immensely useful and informative text that I would, if I were a teacher of history, make a compulsory text for all my children. As it is, I'm in primary teaching and I can see myself recommending this to colleagues who are less confident in general historical knowledge to make sure they meet the grade! A fantastic talent has emerged in the literary world of non-fiction history, and I look forward to reading more from this incredibly talented and unique author.
  
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KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Vampyr in Video Games

Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 6, 2020)  
Vampyr
Vampyr
2018 | Action, Role-Playing
Narrative is often surprising and gripping. (1 more)
I would play a sequel.
Graphics are terrible. (2 more)
Atrocious controls.
An absolute bore most of the time.
No bite, no good.
I saw Vampyr advertised a long time ago at several game conferences, with the promise of a complete Vampire experience, never seen before in video games. Already, I was salivating. Vampyr looked fantastic in its early stages. Combat looked fluid and balanced, the protagonist looked interesting enough to keep the story flowing, and Gothic London looked bloody beautiful. Where did it all go wrong?

Vampyr is a mess, from its clunky controls to its basic, bland combat. The game in it's current state is unfixable, starting with the graphics. How did any developer think this game looked ready to play? London's gloomy, black hearted environment is so breathtaking at times it feels like a support character. Thank god as theres no other interesting ones around. Character animations are abysmal, so much so they look around ten years old. Whats even more strange is the trailer released a while back shows a different game altogether. That one looked brilliant, which makes me wonder if downgrades were made.


Vampyr is such a mixed bag of narrative vs gameplay. The game of a doctor who is turned into a vampire is often so gripping in premise, especially at the start and end, that I would honestly like to know where this story will go. Should it have a sequel?

Absolutely not.
Gameplay is frankly the worst aspect of Vampyr. Jonathan Reid feels awful to control, even robotic at times. Combat is just as cyborb-ish. Yes, there are some interesting components to keep the fighting fresh, but it all feels like a chore rather than anything fun. As a vampire, making some awful decisions to feed his hunger should bring a moral dilemma to the gamer, but you couldn't care less. And that is what completely pins everything together with Vampyr.

I just didn't care.
  
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King Series Bundle (King, #1-4)
King Series Bundle (King, #1-4)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read the first one back in December and was drawn into the story especially with how it just ended. Then I saw the four book box set for 99p and bought it straight away.

KING - 4 stars

WTF?! You can't just end it like that!

What a way to end it. Who's the kid? Where's Max?

I really need to read Tyrant now to see how it all plays out. I'm sure everything will work out in the end but something tells me it's going to be a bumpy ride.

TYRANT - 3.5 stars

I finished it a little before midnight and got all the answers I needed but I honestly didn't see a lot of it coming. I liked how the author put some serious thought into who was who and how it was going to link it all together in the end.

I still love Preppy!!

LAWLESS - 3 stars

I liked Bear so I was interested in what girl was going to turn his head and never did I think a little girl who he made a promise to ten years ago would be the one. I loved that scene! BUT what is with this series and ten year age gaps?

I have to also admit that by the end of this that I was beginning to lose interest in this series. It's being dragged out for too long. Just go and kill your arse of a dad already!

SOULLESS - DNF

I lost interest in this. I got fed up of the same stuff happening. People want him dead. People just seem to want everyone dead in this series and I didn't care anymore, hence me getting to chapter four and not wanting to carry on.

It might have been better if i'd read something in between each book to break them up somewhat.

I stand by what I keep saying about Preppy being my favourite and I might read his story when it's released but for the rest of them. Nope.