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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Hunger in Books
Jun 5, 2019
The Hunger by Alma Katsu is based on the true events of Donner Party tragedy where a party of pioneers travelling west came to a crossroads and the leader, George Donner had to make a decision to take the well documented but longer route across the desert towards California, or to take the untested path, which was rumoured to be far shorter. His decision could mean life or death to the families travelling with him.
It’s kind of funny that the first time I heard of the Donner Party was on one of my favourite horror films, The Shining, written by Stephen King and directed Stanley Kubrick. Jack Nicholson acting as the character Jack Torrance, mentions the Donner Party and it’s how the name came about for the Donner Pass on Interstate 80 in Northern California. Since hearing about this in the film I was eager to look it up, so when I read the synopsis of The Hunger, I had to read it!
This book is broken up into monthly sections starting from June 1846 to April 1847. The latter of which is actually the prologue and supplies the details of the findings of one man, Lewis Keseberg, the last known survivor of the Donna Party event. This makes for an intriguing hook for the rest of the book and I couldn’t wait to see what had happened. Why had no one else survived?
The Hunger is an atmospheric re-imagining of the Donner Party disaster, which blends true horror with the supernatural and is ideal for historical, paranormal and even dark horror fans! It’s full of drama, mystery, intrigue and is downright spooky. The tension Alma Katsu adds, it amazing! I really sympathised for the families, those that had no idea what was going on, and even those that were forced to survive the only way they knew how. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story about Westward migration that is so chilling! This is a study of human endurance tested to its very limits – and beyond. How far would YOU go in order to survive?
It’s kind of funny that the first time I heard of the Donner Party was on one of my favourite horror films, The Shining, written by Stephen King and directed Stanley Kubrick. Jack Nicholson acting as the character Jack Torrance, mentions the Donner Party and it’s how the name came about for the Donner Pass on Interstate 80 in Northern California. Since hearing about this in the film I was eager to look it up, so when I read the synopsis of The Hunger, I had to read it!
This book is broken up into monthly sections starting from June 1846 to April 1847. The latter of which is actually the prologue and supplies the details of the findings of one man, Lewis Keseberg, the last known survivor of the Donna Party event. This makes for an intriguing hook for the rest of the book and I couldn’t wait to see what had happened. Why had no one else survived?
The Hunger is an atmospheric re-imagining of the Donner Party disaster, which blends true horror with the supernatural and is ideal for historical, paranormal and even dark horror fans! It’s full of drama, mystery, intrigue and is downright spooky. The tension Alma Katsu adds, it amazing! I really sympathised for the families, those that had no idea what was going on, and even those that were forced to survive the only way they knew how. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story about Westward migration that is so chilling! This is a study of human endurance tested to its very limits – and beyond. How far would YOU go in order to survive?
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated 1922 (2017) in Movies
Nov 2, 2019
Old Movie Revisited: 1922. Another sweet Netflix made Stephen King movie, within less than a month of Gerald's Game, another awesome sauce flick. This one brings back Thomas Jane into the King fold for at least the third time, a trend I hope he continues, seems to fit in well... a roll in the Dark Tower perhaps, well, isn't he already... In this one, taking place sometime before WW2 ;) we have farmer Wilfred James and his wife, Arlette, and son Henry. Now Arlette wants out of the midwest farm crap fest and move to the big city, sell the farm, get a divorce... Wilfred, well doesnt really seem to care about the divorce part, but losing the farm and Henry, cause of course the boy will go off with mommy, isnt going to happen. So what is a dad to do, duh, convince your 14 year old son to help murder your wife, invent a tale she ran off and expect everything to go well. You may have guessed, it doesn't... Hell, even little Henry becomes a outlaw. Good flick, bringing in some old Stephen King landmarks to tie in his universe a little tighter, takes place near Hemingford Home, where a few well known King characters hail from, big one being Abagail Freemantle, of The Stand... But more recently in theatres... IT, one little fat boy named Ben Hanscom also once roved it roads! Thomas Jane was awesome, if a Shining remake was ever in the works to be more true to the book, I'd love to see Mr. Jane as Jack, i think he'd be insane :) Filmbufftim on FB
Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget
Book
A raw, vivid and ultimately uplifting memoir of addiction and recovery from the Salon.com personal...
Kristina (502 KP) rated Consequences (Consequences, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2020
My main thought when I finished Consequences: WTF?!?
At the beginning, I was a little weary of continuing to read it. I initially hoped Aleatha planned to introduce some knight-in-shining-armor to save Claire from the monster that is Anthony. When I got far enough to realize that wasn't happening, I actually debated whether or not I should keep reading or come to a stop. It was a bit depressing and I hated (still do) Anthony with a passion. I didn't understand what the storyline could do for me. Luckily, I'm stubborn and I refused to quit reading. I'm really glad I did, because Consequences was totally worth reading all the way through. Despite a kind of lengthy, boring middle, the rest kept me intrigued and, sometimes, disgusted. Throughout the whole book, I kept saying, "I should stop reading. I'm definitely not reading the rest of this series." Of course, I did keep reading, and I definitely WANT to read the rest of this series. The ending was a complete shocker and I'm more than ready to figure out what happens in the second book.
That all being said, I've rated Consequences a 3, because there's not a 1/2 star option and I feel like 4 stars might be too much. I mainly rated it a 3 1/2, instead of a 4, because the book had my feelings stretched out beyond my normal limit. Normally, this would be a good thing, but some of the content is what officially determined my final rating. Despite only giving it a 3 1/2, I am very interested in finishing this series!
At the beginning, I was a little weary of continuing to read it. I initially hoped Aleatha planned to introduce some knight-in-shining-armor to save Claire from the monster that is Anthony. When I got far enough to realize that wasn't happening, I actually debated whether or not I should keep reading or come to a stop. It was a bit depressing and I hated (still do) Anthony with a passion. I didn't understand what the storyline could do for me. Luckily, I'm stubborn and I refused to quit reading. I'm really glad I did, because Consequences was totally worth reading all the way through. Despite a kind of lengthy, boring middle, the rest kept me intrigued and, sometimes, disgusted. Throughout the whole book, I kept saying, "I should stop reading. I'm definitely not reading the rest of this series." Of course, I did keep reading, and I definitely WANT to read the rest of this series. The ending was a complete shocker and I'm more than ready to figure out what happens in the second book.
That all being said, I've rated Consequences a 3, because there's not a 1/2 star option and I feel like 4 stars might be too much. I mainly rated it a 3 1/2, instead of a 4, because the book had my feelings stretched out beyond my normal limit. Normally, this would be a good thing, but some of the content is what officially determined my final rating. Despite only giving it a 3 1/2, I am very interested in finishing this series!
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Forsaken in Books
Jan 8, 2018
Great Horror Elements, Plot needs more
The horror aspects of this book was really good. It was creepy enough to give you the heebie jeebies and anything to do with strange looking paintings and children always make things more creepier than they should be. (The Shining, anyone?)
I can’t really say I like Daniel as a character. He had it coming to him. It was an awful cruel thing he did and he deserved every last bit of it. None of the characters really stood out here since Daniel was really the center of the plot, but wow Karina. You’re just some kind of special aren’t you? She played on Daniel’s sympathy until he realized she’s completely bat crazy and well, you walked into that one didn’t you? This is what happens when you want the cake and the cherry on top. Just don’t do it. However tempting that is.
Plot wise, it’s pretty entertaining and good stuff for a horror book. It does come off as reading a horror movie in print which is pretty good and frankly, if this ever was a movie, I’d probably watch it and enjoy it better. The ending was great and is everything you would expect in a horror movie or book. There’s mystery elements into the book which does not affect the story that much and adds more intrigue.
Although the horror elements were good, the execution of the story could be better. I thought certain aspects of the plot were just there for convenience. There could have been more to the Mabel plot arc. It was just planted there with no real explanation except it was given about 2-3 pages but no real contribution. I wish there was more to it. It would have helped, and could have made the story much better.
Despite some of the shortcomings of the book, it was an enjoyable read. It was creepy enough to give you the chills and the ending was what you would expect in this genre. Recommended to horror lovers!
I can’t really say I like Daniel as a character. He had it coming to him. It was an awful cruel thing he did and he deserved every last bit of it. None of the characters really stood out here since Daniel was really the center of the plot, but wow Karina. You’re just some kind of special aren’t you? She played on Daniel’s sympathy until he realized she’s completely bat crazy and well, you walked into that one didn’t you? This is what happens when you want the cake and the cherry on top. Just don’t do it. However tempting that is.
Plot wise, it’s pretty entertaining and good stuff for a horror book. It does come off as reading a horror movie in print which is pretty good and frankly, if this ever was a movie, I’d probably watch it and enjoy it better. The ending was great and is everything you would expect in a horror movie or book. There’s mystery elements into the book which does not affect the story that much and adds more intrigue.
Although the horror elements were good, the execution of the story could be better. I thought certain aspects of the plot were just there for convenience. There could have been more to the Mabel plot arc. It was just planted there with no real explanation except it was given about 2-3 pages but no real contribution. I wish there was more to it. It would have helped, and could have made the story much better.
Despite some of the shortcomings of the book, it was an enjoyable read. It was creepy enough to give you the chills and the ending was what you would expect in this genre. Recommended to horror lovers!
Ross (3284 KP) rated A Little Hatred in Books
Oct 1, 2019
The latest instalment in the world of the First Law is the start of Abercrombie's new series - The Age of Madness. The story take place some 30 years after the events of the First Law trilogy, and we are deep into that world's industrial revolution. Across the Union, tradesmen are being rendered obsolete by technological advancement. Savine dan Glokta, the daughter of the shining, shitty star of the First Law trilogy, has made her fortune by investing in such innovations and mercilessly milking their genius inventors for every mark of profit. Half of the story follows her on a trip to oversee the running of one of her investments, a trip which soon descends into riot, hostage-taking and a general shit-storm.
The rest of the story takes place in the North, where those Northmen are, once more, kicking up a fuss and trying to reclaim their land from the Union. These chapters focus on Rikke, the dogman's daughter, and Leo dan Brock, the Young Lion, as they fight against Black Calder and his crew.
Yes, this really is "First Law: The Next Generation". With very few exceptions, the main characters here are all the descendants of characters from the previous trilogy. What I couldn't quite come to terms with was the fact that Caul Shivers and Bremer dan Gorst seemed to have aged significantly less than I might have expected (based purely on my impression of their ages in the earlier books and other characters now).
The battle with the Northmen was pretty much a boiled-down version of the Heroes, and not all that enjoyable. Rikke was a new feature which just about saved this from utter tedium.
There was one exceptional scene revolving around the riot that Savine found herself in. This scene changed from one perspective to another seamlessly, truly like a scene from a film. This long chapter was so engaging and immersive I couldn't leave it unfinished.
Abercrombie's writing and dialogue once again shine through as top of the class.
However, what held the book back for me were the pace of the opening third (so much character introduction and yet so much of it is left to the reader based on the previous books), and the bulk of the chapters in the North. The rest of the book really felt new and exciting and thrilling, those sections really just felt like old hat.
The rest of the story takes place in the North, where those Northmen are, once more, kicking up a fuss and trying to reclaim their land from the Union. These chapters focus on Rikke, the dogman's daughter, and Leo dan Brock, the Young Lion, as they fight against Black Calder and his crew.
Yes, this really is "First Law: The Next Generation". With very few exceptions, the main characters here are all the descendants of characters from the previous trilogy. What I couldn't quite come to terms with was the fact that Caul Shivers and Bremer dan Gorst seemed to have aged significantly less than I might have expected (based purely on my impression of their ages in the earlier books and other characters now).
The battle with the Northmen was pretty much a boiled-down version of the Heroes, and not all that enjoyable. Rikke was a new feature which just about saved this from utter tedium.
There was one exceptional scene revolving around the riot that Savine found herself in. This scene changed from one perspective to another seamlessly, truly like a scene from a film. This long chapter was so engaging and immersive I couldn't leave it unfinished.
Abercrombie's writing and dialogue once again shine through as top of the class.
However, what held the book back for me were the pace of the opening third (so much character introduction and yet so much of it is left to the reader based on the previous books), and the bulk of the chapters in the North. The rest of the book really felt new and exciting and thrilling, those sections really just felt like old hat.
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated Carrie in Books
Feb 7, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Stephen King has been on my 'must read' list for many years. I've always wanted to read his books but never plucked up the courage.
I finally went down to my local library and the librarian raved about him - which books were good, what collections were interesting, all about the films, TV shows, similar authors. I was sold!
I went in expecting Carrie to be this evil witch using her telekinesis to harm others. I ended up feeling so sorry for her and in some way able to relate to her. She had a difficult time through school, singled out for being different and getting bullied for it. I didn't enjoy school myself and the people who say that it is the best time of your life are highly mistaken and lying through their teeth.
Carrie was just pushed one too many times and then all hell is let loose at her Senior Prom.
I found the writing method quite different to anything I had read in the past. It is an epistolary novel - in that it uses clippings of newspapers, diary entries and such to get the story across. It is also quite unusual in that due to the clippings you find you know what has happened quite early on in the novel but not how. I guess that is what keeps you reading, to find out exactly how it panned out.
I finished with a few questions remaining but perhaps that is part of the joy of a good novel - it gets you thinking and you end up questioning what actually happened and researching possible alternative endings.
I have found my new favourite author in Stephen King and already have Salem's Lot, The Shining and The Stand on order from the library!
I finally went down to my local library and the librarian raved about him - which books were good, what collections were interesting, all about the films, TV shows, similar authors. I was sold!
I went in expecting Carrie to be this evil witch using her telekinesis to harm others. I ended up feeling so sorry for her and in some way able to relate to her. She had a difficult time through school, singled out for being different and getting bullied for it. I didn't enjoy school myself and the people who say that it is the best time of your life are highly mistaken and lying through their teeth.
Carrie was just pushed one too many times and then all hell is let loose at her Senior Prom.
I found the writing method quite different to anything I had read in the past. It is an epistolary novel - in that it uses clippings of newspapers, diary entries and such to get the story across. It is also quite unusual in that due to the clippings you find you know what has happened quite early on in the novel but not how. I guess that is what keeps you reading, to find out exactly how it panned out.
I finished with a few questions remaining but perhaps that is part of the joy of a good novel - it gets you thinking and you end up questioning what actually happened and researching possible alternative endings.
I have found my new favourite author in Stephen King and already have Salem's Lot, The Shining and The Stand on order from the library!
Dakotah Salazar (12 KP) rated Child's Play (2019) in Movies
Jul 1, 2019
Good Kills (1 more)
Good Doll Design
Slasher Cliches (1 more)
Predictable
A.I. Chucky reborn in a tech savvy world.
As Chucky embarks into a new century, the filmmakers realize that it was time to make Chucky into artificial intelligence. In previous films, there was always a sense of witchcraft going on where it made Chucky come to life. This makes more sense of making Chucky as a Amazon Alexa type of technology. A Buddi of sorts.
They cleverly weave that into the depth of where Chucky's madness is taking over him. In how it started was a little far fetched. A guy decided to break the rules at his job because of poor working conditions and a over the top douche of a boss. It was mishandled how it happened.
I think that Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, and Brian Tyree Howard are amazing in this movie. They really sell the world that was created for them, especially Bateman who is tortured by Chucky's antics.
As for the doll design, I think it looked really good. There are moments where rendering in the CGI was needed, but overall, it looked amazing in some scenes. I specifically remember the moment where Bateman is walking Chucky into his room and the way his facial expressions are used makes him weirdly human, and that increases the creepy factor within Chucky.
As for the negatives, it follows the typical ground plan of every slasher, especially Child's Play movies. Mom's boyfriend is a douche. Mom doesn't believe her son. Friends believe Andy. Nice cop who lives with mother may be the knight in shining armor. We can see where this is going, and it also takes a while for Chucky to actually kill something. It panders too much and I think they could've had more potential with the horror.
They cleverly weave that into the depth of where Chucky's madness is taking over him. In how it started was a little far fetched. A guy decided to break the rules at his job because of poor working conditions and a over the top douche of a boss. It was mishandled how it happened.
I think that Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, and Brian Tyree Howard are amazing in this movie. They really sell the world that was created for them, especially Bateman who is tortured by Chucky's antics.
As for the doll design, I think it looked really good. There are moments where rendering in the CGI was needed, but overall, it looked amazing in some scenes. I specifically remember the moment where Bateman is walking Chucky into his room and the way his facial expressions are used makes him weirdly human, and that increases the creepy factor within Chucky.
As for the negatives, it follows the typical ground plan of every slasher, especially Child's Play movies. Mom's boyfriend is a douche. Mom doesn't believe her son. Friends believe Andy. Nice cop who lives with mother may be the knight in shining armor. We can see where this is going, and it also takes a while for Chucky to actually kill something. It panders too much and I think they could've had more potential with the horror.
Miguel Covarrubias (143 KP) rated Doctor Sleep in Books
Apr 30, 2019
It was a very fitting sequel to "The Shining". As King notes, in the Author's note at the end of the book, he is a different man than the one who wrote about Jack Torrance. You can certainly tell. His story is well rounded and a complete character arch for not just the Torrance family but for the Author as well. The redemption of Jack being just a nod was more than enough for me as well. I loved the grace and love that King pours into his stories.
There was one scene that will continue to disturb me. It was Danny's secret, that he shared at the end of the book, and lived through at the beginning. That scene with the toddler just... it really upset me. It will haunt me as it haunted Danny. I think it's because I am a father of a toddler myself, and any harm done to children kills my soul a bit.
The themes of becoming better than your past are beautiful. I love King's take on this as he is also a man that has overcome his past and become better than he was. The idea of purpose is one I would argue with, but that is something that I'm struggling with myself. I do love the imagery that is borrowed from Madeleine L'Engle about collecting ages that Danny references. We are always that age at some level, and will always be. There will always be that part of us that was our past, but we can overcome it and be better than we were. The trauma in Danny's past made him a better person, rather than letting it weigh him down for his entire life. It almost did.
I almost didn't read this one, but I'm very glad that I did.
I'm also a fan of the little dig that King takes at Kubrick in his Author's note about the movie version, the mini-series was a better interpretation.
There was one scene that will continue to disturb me. It was Danny's secret, that he shared at the end of the book, and lived through at the beginning. That scene with the toddler just... it really upset me. It will haunt me as it haunted Danny. I think it's because I am a father of a toddler myself, and any harm done to children kills my soul a bit.
The themes of becoming better than your past are beautiful. I love King's take on this as he is also a man that has overcome his past and become better than he was. The idea of purpose is one I would argue with, but that is something that I'm struggling with myself. I do love the imagery that is borrowed from Madeleine L'Engle about collecting ages that Danny references. We are always that age at some level, and will always be. There will always be that part of us that was our past, but we can overcome it and be better than we were. The trauma in Danny's past made him a better person, rather than letting it weigh him down for his entire life. It almost did.
I almost didn't read this one, but I'm very glad that I did.
I'm also a fan of the little dig that King takes at Kubrick in his Author's note about the movie version, the mini-series was a better interpretation.
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