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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Last Song in Books
Apr 27, 2018
My Summary: Ronnie does not want to spend the summer with her dad. Her dad left them three years ago, and she hasn’t really forgiven him for it. She hated him for it so much, that she refused to take his calls, quit playing the piano, and never read the letters he sent her. What is she going to do all summer stuck with a dad she hates in a small town with nothing but sand on every side of her, no clubs, no friends…
When she finds Will, the cutest volley-ball players slash aquarium volunteer in her back yard helping her protect un-hatched sea turtles from being eaten by raccoons, she judged him as not-her-type. She doesn’t expect to find a friend in a jock-rich-perfect-family boy, nor does she expect that this will be the best—most exciting, most scary, most fun, most painful—summer of her lifetime.
My Review: I’m not really sure where to start here, other than I am so utterly pleased with The Last Song, I cannot begin to find words to describe it.
Ronnie, Jonah (her brother), Her dad Steve, Will… all the characters really, were such real characters. I felt everything they felt, I laughed when they laughed, and I (nearly) cried when they cried.
I hate it when books suffer from "happy-land syndrome—" where everything works out just too perfectly that it seems silly. The Last Song seemed to work perfectly, but it didn’t have that plot-manipulated feel to it. It didn’t feel like Sparks was just trying to move the story along and causing things to line up too perfectly to be realistic—it felt like the story was writing itself, and it was perfect. The pacing didn’t feel rushed or slow. It was not a thriller, but I did find myself sitting on the edge of my seat dying to find out what happens. I read it through in two or three days (which is fast for me right now, what with school the way it is!). There are twists, there are surprises—some beautiful, some painful, but all wonderful.
The writing was contemporary. It was easy reading and it wasn’t Dostoevsky, but it wasn’t bad either. The humor was light and witty and sarcastic, sometimes laugh out loud, and more times than I can count my sister would look up from her homework and say “Haley. What is so funny?” The perspective alternated between several different characters, but it wasn’t disorientating. It was all from third person perspective, but I still felt like I could get inside the character’s head.
The end was perfect. That’s all I can really say about it because any information would totally ruin the story. All the loose ends were tied, all the questions were answered, and the ending was open to the future but closed in a wonderful conclusion. Suffice to say I grinned so wide I couldn’t see, and my cheeks are still sore.
Audio Review: Let’s just say that I almost gave up reading The Last Song when I started listening to the audio. Pepper Binkley read Ronnie’s perspective and had a high pitched voice, she read a little too fast (which is rare. Most of the time readers are way too slow), there was no differentiating between voices of characters so you couldn’t tell who was talking, and she seemed up tight and nervous. Scott Sowers read the various men’s perspectives, and he read alright. He was a little slow and his voice took some getting used to but he was otherwise ok. I did get too frustrated to get far in the audio book though. I ended up quitting and reading the paperback. I recommend reading The Last Song over listening to it.
Content: blissfully clean. There was romance between Will and Ronnie, but no sex. It wasn’t needed, either. I feel like the fact that they didn’t sleep together added to the book rather than took away from it. It was also clean of foul language. There was some mention of God and the Bible, but never did it feel like Sparks was preaching.
Recommendation: Ages 14+
When she finds Will, the cutest volley-ball players slash aquarium volunteer in her back yard helping her protect un-hatched sea turtles from being eaten by raccoons, she judged him as not-her-type. She doesn’t expect to find a friend in a jock-rich-perfect-family boy, nor does she expect that this will be the best—most exciting, most scary, most fun, most painful—summer of her lifetime.
My Review: I’m not really sure where to start here, other than I am so utterly pleased with The Last Song, I cannot begin to find words to describe it.
Ronnie, Jonah (her brother), Her dad Steve, Will… all the characters really, were such real characters. I felt everything they felt, I laughed when they laughed, and I (nearly) cried when they cried.
I hate it when books suffer from "happy-land syndrome—" where everything works out just too perfectly that it seems silly. The Last Song seemed to work perfectly, but it didn’t have that plot-manipulated feel to it. It didn’t feel like Sparks was just trying to move the story along and causing things to line up too perfectly to be realistic—it felt like the story was writing itself, and it was perfect. The pacing didn’t feel rushed or slow. It was not a thriller, but I did find myself sitting on the edge of my seat dying to find out what happens. I read it through in two or three days (which is fast for me right now, what with school the way it is!). There are twists, there are surprises—some beautiful, some painful, but all wonderful.
The writing was contemporary. It was easy reading and it wasn’t Dostoevsky, but it wasn’t bad either. The humor was light and witty and sarcastic, sometimes laugh out loud, and more times than I can count my sister would look up from her homework and say “Haley. What is so funny?” The perspective alternated between several different characters, but it wasn’t disorientating. It was all from third person perspective, but I still felt like I could get inside the character’s head.
The end was perfect. That’s all I can really say about it because any information would totally ruin the story. All the loose ends were tied, all the questions were answered, and the ending was open to the future but closed in a wonderful conclusion. Suffice to say I grinned so wide I couldn’t see, and my cheeks are still sore.
Audio Review: Let’s just say that I almost gave up reading The Last Song when I started listening to the audio. Pepper Binkley read Ronnie’s perspective and had a high pitched voice, she read a little too fast (which is rare. Most of the time readers are way too slow), there was no differentiating between voices of characters so you couldn’t tell who was talking, and she seemed up tight and nervous. Scott Sowers read the various men’s perspectives, and he read alright. He was a little slow and his voice took some getting used to but he was otherwise ok. I did get too frustrated to get far in the audio book though. I ended up quitting and reading the paperback. I recommend reading The Last Song over listening to it.
Content: blissfully clean. There was romance between Will and Ronnie, but no sex. It wasn’t needed, either. I feel like the fact that they didn’t sleep together added to the book rather than took away from it. It was also clean of foul language. There was some mention of God and the Bible, but never did it feel like Sparks was preaching.
Recommendation: Ages 14+
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
Mar 9, 2019
Chemistry between Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson (1 more)
As always, END CREDITS SEQUENCE
A Marvel-ous "Buddy Cop" film
For those of you who read my reviews regularly know, I am a fan of the films produced in the MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE. There has been a bit of a hiatus in these films (the last one was ANT MAN AND THE WASP last July) so it was with some excitement that I headed to the multiplex to check out the latest installment in this film franchise.
And...after an opening that paid tribute to the late, great Stan Lee, I settled in for what, I hoped would be a fun time at the movies. I started to become a little concerned in the first half hour of this film as it jumbled things around, trying to tell an origin story of a person who has no memory of where she came from while Jude Law was "man-splaining" the new worlds and the new people that the audience needs to know about it. I was becoming concerned that this film was going to become a "hot mess".
And then came Samuel L. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson is a MOVIE STAR and his presence in this film instantly catapulted it to another level. The star power, energy and pacing of the film improved and (if I am honest with myself) the performance of Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel improved as well. The film stopped being an "alien Super Hero" film and it become a "buddy cop film" along the lines of LETHAL WEAPON, 48 HOURS and (my personal favorite) MIDNIGHT RUN.
The chemistry between Jackson and Larson is undeniable and they play off of each other very well, bantering and bouncing lines back and forth while chasing - and being chased - by the bad guys. This dynamic raised the level of this film from a "middle of the road" SuperHero film to a fun action/comedy that is in the upper third of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Aside from Jackson, Larson (eventually) is terrifically cast as the titular character. She has a difficult balancing act to fulfill in the first 1/2 hour of the film, since her character has no memories, she also was in danger of having no personality. I've heard the word "bland" thrown around to characterize her performance, but I wouldn't quite go there (especially once Jackson shows up and her character's memories start to return). This is a well rounded, fierce performance and I don't think we've really seen the "best" that this character - or Larson's portrayal - has to offer.
Jude Law, Annette Benning(!) Lashana Lynch and Clark Gregg are all "fine" in supporting roles, but they pale in comparison to Larson/Jackson. Only Ben Mendehlson was able to "up" his performance to match these two, so when Jackson/Larson/Mendehlson were on the screen together, things crackled. Oh...and I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of the best feline performances in film in quite some time - GOOSE, the cat (yes, named after the character in TOP GUN). The less I say about this character the better - but it was really fun. The only disappointment for me was the usage of Gemma Chan (CRAZY, RICH ASIANS) as Minn-Erva. She just didn't have much to do, probably because at the time of filming Chan was not much of a "name". I know here character is crucial to some Captain Marvel storylines in the comics, so I am hoping they bring her back and use her more in the future.
But...as for this film...it is a fun romp, with good action and a truly memorable pairing of Jackson/Larson - one that does not disappoint. Stay, of course, for the TWO end credits scene - the first one sets up AVENGERS: ENDGAME and the last one is...
Letter Grade A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
And...after an opening that paid tribute to the late, great Stan Lee, I settled in for what, I hoped would be a fun time at the movies. I started to become a little concerned in the first half hour of this film as it jumbled things around, trying to tell an origin story of a person who has no memory of where she came from while Jude Law was "man-splaining" the new worlds and the new people that the audience needs to know about it. I was becoming concerned that this film was going to become a "hot mess".
And then came Samuel L. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson is a MOVIE STAR and his presence in this film instantly catapulted it to another level. The star power, energy and pacing of the film improved and (if I am honest with myself) the performance of Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel improved as well. The film stopped being an "alien Super Hero" film and it become a "buddy cop film" along the lines of LETHAL WEAPON, 48 HOURS and (my personal favorite) MIDNIGHT RUN.
The chemistry between Jackson and Larson is undeniable and they play off of each other very well, bantering and bouncing lines back and forth while chasing - and being chased - by the bad guys. This dynamic raised the level of this film from a "middle of the road" SuperHero film to a fun action/comedy that is in the upper third of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Aside from Jackson, Larson (eventually) is terrifically cast as the titular character. She has a difficult balancing act to fulfill in the first 1/2 hour of the film, since her character has no memories, she also was in danger of having no personality. I've heard the word "bland" thrown around to characterize her performance, but I wouldn't quite go there (especially once Jackson shows up and her character's memories start to return). This is a well rounded, fierce performance and I don't think we've really seen the "best" that this character - or Larson's portrayal - has to offer.
Jude Law, Annette Benning(!) Lashana Lynch and Clark Gregg are all "fine" in supporting roles, but they pale in comparison to Larson/Jackson. Only Ben Mendehlson was able to "up" his performance to match these two, so when Jackson/Larson/Mendehlson were on the screen together, things crackled. Oh...and I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of the best feline performances in film in quite some time - GOOSE, the cat (yes, named after the character in TOP GUN). The less I say about this character the better - but it was really fun. The only disappointment for me was the usage of Gemma Chan (CRAZY, RICH ASIANS) as Minn-Erva. She just didn't have much to do, probably because at the time of filming Chan was not much of a "name". I know here character is crucial to some Captain Marvel storylines in the comics, so I am hoping they bring her back and use her more in the future.
But...as for this film...it is a fun romp, with good action and a truly memorable pairing of Jackson/Larson - one that does not disappoint. Stay, of course, for the TWO end credits scene - the first one sets up AVENGERS: ENDGAME and the last one is...
Letter Grade A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
Kyera (8 KP) rated Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) in Books
Jan 31, 2018
As I mentioned in the past review as this is not the first book in the series there will be major spoilers, even though I'm not spoiling anything from this book.
Whether I agree or not, many people find that Scarlet is their least favorite book in the series. As a result, I worry that they may not continue with the series at that point which would be a major mistake. Cress is an absolutely fantastic book and will hit you in the feels more times than I can count.
While they may not be my OTP, Cresswell is probably in my top five or 10 favorite ships. I've never really sat down and tried to figure it out. It's like trying to figure out which puppies in an entire room full of puppies are the cutest. Impossible. As much as I love Wolflet and Kaider, there is just that extra something that Cress and Thorne have.
For those familiar with the Disney movie, Tangled, their relationship is very similar (in my opinion). I absolutely adore the two of them together. While Thorne is a bit of a player, confident, a wanted criminal... he goes on this major character arc over the course of the series. Cress has this romanticized, hero view of him and he realizes that he wants to live up to that image.
I laughed so hard when Thorne barreled into the hallway yelling Cress and then ran right past the room. It both tugged at my heartstrings so much and made me roll my eyes. One of my favourite lines was "You came for me" because it just shows the new, unsure feelings between them while simultaneously showing that they're much deeper than either truly realizes yet. My heart melted.
It is fantastic to see how the characters grow and evolve over the course of the series. Kai starts out as a prince and completely unprepared for his responsibilities. He is thrust into his role much sooner than anticipated and he has to grow up really quickly. He has the weight of an entire people on his shoulders.
All Cinder ever wanted was to be a normal person and she finds out that her life is even more abnormal than she realized. Not only is she a cyborg, but she's Lunar. Not only is she a Lunar, but she's royalty. She has just as much if not more on her shoulders than Kai does. She is the one that people have been putting all of their hopes and dreams on for over a decade.
Cress has been stuck in a satellite by herself with no human interaction for a large portion of her life. Her whole life she had to escape into fictional stories in her own head because of her real life. She never learned to stand up for herself and she's not used to the real world. It was nice to see little elements of her bravery throughout the story despite the fact that that is not her nature.
Sadly, we don't really get to see any development from Scarlet or Wolf. Their stories in Cress are relatively non-existent. Despite the fact that they were the focus of the second book, I do think that it was a negative for me that one of the main pairs was essentially completely overlooked in this book. At the same time, I also have that feeling for Winter and Jacin in regards to the first two books and most of the third. We get little glimpses of them and spend a small amount of time with Jacin, but overall I don't feel like I know their characters whatsoever.
The author does continue the world building but the writing is predominantly focused on the characters and the plot. There are some really nice glimpses into small villages or communities in other places than we're used to. I think it is a nice blend between story and world so that these books are very accessible. It's not heavy world building that might make readers hesitant to dive into such rich, dense worlds (like high fantasy might be).
Overall, I think this is a fabulous novel and I would highly recommend the entire series to people even if science-fiction is not normally what you gravitate towards.
Whether I agree or not, many people find that Scarlet is their least favorite book in the series. As a result, I worry that they may not continue with the series at that point which would be a major mistake. Cress is an absolutely fantastic book and will hit you in the feels more times than I can count.
While they may not be my OTP, Cresswell is probably in my top five or 10 favorite ships. I've never really sat down and tried to figure it out. It's like trying to figure out which puppies in an entire room full of puppies are the cutest. Impossible. As much as I love Wolflet and Kaider, there is just that extra something that Cress and Thorne have.
For those familiar with the Disney movie, Tangled, their relationship is very similar (in my opinion). I absolutely adore the two of them together. While Thorne is a bit of a player, confident, a wanted criminal... he goes on this major character arc over the course of the series. Cress has this romanticized, hero view of him and he realizes that he wants to live up to that image.
I laughed so hard when Thorne barreled into the hallway yelling Cress and then ran right past the room. It both tugged at my heartstrings so much and made me roll my eyes. One of my favourite lines was "You came for me" because it just shows the new, unsure feelings between them while simultaneously showing that they're much deeper than either truly realizes yet. My heart melted.
It is fantastic to see how the characters grow and evolve over the course of the series. Kai starts out as a prince and completely unprepared for his responsibilities. He is thrust into his role much sooner than anticipated and he has to grow up really quickly. He has the weight of an entire people on his shoulders.
All Cinder ever wanted was to be a normal person and she finds out that her life is even more abnormal than she realized. Not only is she a cyborg, but she's Lunar. Not only is she a Lunar, but she's royalty. She has just as much if not more on her shoulders than Kai does. She is the one that people have been putting all of their hopes and dreams on for over a decade.
Cress has been stuck in a satellite by herself with no human interaction for a large portion of her life. Her whole life she had to escape into fictional stories in her own head because of her real life. She never learned to stand up for herself and she's not used to the real world. It was nice to see little elements of her bravery throughout the story despite the fact that that is not her nature.
Sadly, we don't really get to see any development from Scarlet or Wolf. Their stories in Cress are relatively non-existent. Despite the fact that they were the focus of the second book, I do think that it was a negative for me that one of the main pairs was essentially completely overlooked in this book. At the same time, I also have that feeling for Winter and Jacin in regards to the first two books and most of the third. We get little glimpses of them and spend a small amount of time with Jacin, but overall I don't feel like I know their characters whatsoever.
The author does continue the world building but the writing is predominantly focused on the characters and the plot. There are some really nice glimpses into small villages or communities in other places than we're used to. I think it is a nice blend between story and world so that these books are very accessible. It's not heavy world building that might make readers hesitant to dive into such rich, dense worlds (like high fantasy might be).
Overall, I think this is a fabulous novel and I would highly recommend the entire series to people even if science-fiction is not normally what you gravitate towards.
Fred (860 KP) rated Terraforming Mars in Tabletop Games
Mar 6, 2018
Good game, with one major flaw. The victory points on the cards. See, I've played 4 games of this so far (and one solo) & each time, the victory came due to whoever had the most victory points with their cards. Nothing else mattered. No matter the strategy, no matter the milestones or awards. It was the cards. And here's the problem with that. Getting cards with victory points is luck. You either get them or you don't. First game I played, I didn't even pay attention. I was well ahead of one player, and a few behind the leader. Then, the player in last counted his victory points on the cards & zoomed ahead, winning by at least 10 points. Must have had near to 30 points in cards alone.
Second game, I played against my wife & went for the cards & easily won.
Third game, I played against 4 players & again went for the cards. I got a lot of them & won the game easily. My friend, who had won the first game, said, "I was trying to get the cards with victory points, but I hardly got any. I played every one I got & only got a few points."
Fourth game. Played with my brother, his wife & my wife. Everyone played well, & we were pretty much even along the TR line. I got 3 of the milestones, giving me 15 victory points at the end of the game, which made my brother exclaim that it wasn't fair because he was going to get them, but each time, I went before him in the generation & that those 15 points would win me the game. He grabbed 3 of the awards, but only scored 12 points, while I scored 2 more points & my wife scored 7 points. Scoring for greenery, I got another 7 points. I was well ahead & thought victory was mine. We then started to count the points on our cards. As I was counting, I glanced up to see my brother moving his score cube past mine...way past mine. I thought that he must be cheating & he assured me that he had all these points. I looked at his cards & he had indeed all the points he said. I counted my points. 4. 4 points. What happened to my friend last game, had happened to me. I played every card I got that gave victory points & got 4 points. Actually, I had one more card that would have given me 3 more points, but I needed to already have a card that had a bacteria tag on it. But again, with the luck of the draw, I never got one to play, the entire game.
Now, there's nothing wrong with luck in games. I mean, every dice game is all luck. Every card game, is mostly luck. There is some strategy to the game, but it's basically play what you can to improve. And most people can figure this out & keep the game even. But with this game, every winner has won by at least 10 points & each has won with the points on cards alone.
While this may break a game for some people, I still find the game fun to play. I like the theme & I like the components. Even though the cards are thin & the ME(money) cubes are already flaking, I still like them. The luck factor is good in a way, as it means that one person can't be ridiculously good at the game & win every time. But this is not for everyone. My friend is very competitive & only wants to win. He's the kind of guy that goes online to find strategies on how to win, uses them, wins every game & thus ruins the game for everyone but him.
My bottom line is I like the game. It is one of my current favorites. The solo game is very good too. It's fairly quick, compared to the multi-player game. Less than half the time of the full game. I do recommend it to players who don't care too much about winning every game. You're not going to. Get used to it. Even though this is a major flaw for some, I'm still giving it 7 out of 10 for fun.
Second game, I played against my wife & went for the cards & easily won.
Third game, I played against 4 players & again went for the cards. I got a lot of them & won the game easily. My friend, who had won the first game, said, "I was trying to get the cards with victory points, but I hardly got any. I played every one I got & only got a few points."
Fourth game. Played with my brother, his wife & my wife. Everyone played well, & we were pretty much even along the TR line. I got 3 of the milestones, giving me 15 victory points at the end of the game, which made my brother exclaim that it wasn't fair because he was going to get them, but each time, I went before him in the generation & that those 15 points would win me the game. He grabbed 3 of the awards, but only scored 12 points, while I scored 2 more points & my wife scored 7 points. Scoring for greenery, I got another 7 points. I was well ahead & thought victory was mine. We then started to count the points on our cards. As I was counting, I glanced up to see my brother moving his score cube past mine...way past mine. I thought that he must be cheating & he assured me that he had all these points. I looked at his cards & he had indeed all the points he said. I counted my points. 4. 4 points. What happened to my friend last game, had happened to me. I played every card I got that gave victory points & got 4 points. Actually, I had one more card that would have given me 3 more points, but I needed to already have a card that had a bacteria tag on it. But again, with the luck of the draw, I never got one to play, the entire game.
Now, there's nothing wrong with luck in games. I mean, every dice game is all luck. Every card game, is mostly luck. There is some strategy to the game, but it's basically play what you can to improve. And most people can figure this out & keep the game even. But with this game, every winner has won by at least 10 points & each has won with the points on cards alone.
While this may break a game for some people, I still find the game fun to play. I like the theme & I like the components. Even though the cards are thin & the ME(money) cubes are already flaking, I still like them. The luck factor is good in a way, as it means that one person can't be ridiculously good at the game & win every time. But this is not for everyone. My friend is very competitive & only wants to win. He's the kind of guy that goes online to find strategies on how to win, uses them, wins every game & thus ruins the game for everyone but him.
My bottom line is I like the game. It is one of my current favorites. The solo game is very good too. It's fairly quick, compared to the multi-player game. Less than half the time of the full game. I do recommend it to players who don't care too much about winning every game. You're not going to. Get used to it. Even though this is a major flaw for some, I'm still giving it 7 out of 10 for fun.
Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazuko) (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Last month I had the opportunity to attend a screening of Shoplifters, following its huge success at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film was written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, and follows a large, multi-generational family who are living on the brink of poverty. They live in a cramped, very basic apartment in the heart of Tokyo, where those able to work all band together in a desperate attempt to keep the family sheltered and fed.
As the title suggests, some members are petty criminals and frequently shoplift from local supermarkets and convienience stores in order to survive. It’s become a talent in the family, passed down from father to son and almost feels like a bonding exercise when you witness the way they work together. The family leads a simple life, justifying their actions by telling themselves if the theft doesn’t bankrupt the store owner, then they can survive without the items they took. It’s a way of clearing their conscience and seems to work very well. Osamu and and his son, Shota are the major players in the art of shoplifting, and are literally partners in crime.
Their lives change when they encounter Yuri, a young child who is outside in the freezing cold and looks malnourished. Despite the fact they already have too many mouths to feed, Osamu makes the decision to take her home and give her food and shelter. It soon becomes clear that Yuri has suffered abuse, based on the marks on her arm and her very quiet and timid behaviour. They decide to keep her as part of the family, fearing for her wellbeing.
This decision makes life even harder for the family as they have to evade the police both when shoplifting, and when going out in public with Yuri, as she soon becomes a missing person. This selfless act forms the rest of the film, resulting in a gorgeous 2 hours of cinema.
I was completely blown away by Shoplifters and its intimate portrayal of family life. As the film progressed, I found myself bonding with the characters as an audience member. I enjoyed seeing them on screen and going with them as they went about their daily lives. Each character has so much depth, their own wants and desires and their own secrets, to the point where they feel real. It could have easily been a documentary based on how close we are to the subjects, and how much we learn from them. Their character development is just stunning, and events in the third act left me in a stunned silence as we discover some harsh truths about the family.
The visual style varies from scene to scene, switching from clean and clinical streets to the cramped, messy apartment and back again. We are given a well-rounded and contrasting look at Japan’s capital and the people that live in it. The family have next to nothing but their bond is strong, doing everything they can to keep each other happy and healthy. We see them enjoying a day at the beach and watching the fireworks, activities that are both free and a lot of fun. The film certainly places a strong focus on life’s simple pleasures, and gives you a sense of gratitude throughout. Though harrowing in places, the happier moments radiate from the screen and leave you smiling to yourself because of how beautiful and convincing they are. It’s truly an emotional rollercoaster.
I have never seen a film quite like Shoplifters and though its pacing is slow, the bonds between characters and the deep exploration of their lives is enough to keep you glued to the screen throughout. It is certainly deserving of its Cannes win, because of its deep, thorough and complex exploration of family life. It will warm your heart and break it soon after, leaving you wanting to stay in their lives by the time the credits roll. This is a must-see.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/11/25/my-thoughts-on-the-2018-palme-dor-winning-film-shoplifters/
As the title suggests, some members are petty criminals and frequently shoplift from local supermarkets and convienience stores in order to survive. It’s become a talent in the family, passed down from father to son and almost feels like a bonding exercise when you witness the way they work together. The family leads a simple life, justifying their actions by telling themselves if the theft doesn’t bankrupt the store owner, then they can survive without the items they took. It’s a way of clearing their conscience and seems to work very well. Osamu and and his son, Shota are the major players in the art of shoplifting, and are literally partners in crime.
Their lives change when they encounter Yuri, a young child who is outside in the freezing cold and looks malnourished. Despite the fact they already have too many mouths to feed, Osamu makes the decision to take her home and give her food and shelter. It soon becomes clear that Yuri has suffered abuse, based on the marks on her arm and her very quiet and timid behaviour. They decide to keep her as part of the family, fearing for her wellbeing.
This decision makes life even harder for the family as they have to evade the police both when shoplifting, and when going out in public with Yuri, as she soon becomes a missing person. This selfless act forms the rest of the film, resulting in a gorgeous 2 hours of cinema.
I was completely blown away by Shoplifters and its intimate portrayal of family life. As the film progressed, I found myself bonding with the characters as an audience member. I enjoyed seeing them on screen and going with them as they went about their daily lives. Each character has so much depth, their own wants and desires and their own secrets, to the point where they feel real. It could have easily been a documentary based on how close we are to the subjects, and how much we learn from them. Their character development is just stunning, and events in the third act left me in a stunned silence as we discover some harsh truths about the family.
The visual style varies from scene to scene, switching from clean and clinical streets to the cramped, messy apartment and back again. We are given a well-rounded and contrasting look at Japan’s capital and the people that live in it. The family have next to nothing but their bond is strong, doing everything they can to keep each other happy and healthy. We see them enjoying a day at the beach and watching the fireworks, activities that are both free and a lot of fun. The film certainly places a strong focus on life’s simple pleasures, and gives you a sense of gratitude throughout. Though harrowing in places, the happier moments radiate from the screen and leave you smiling to yourself because of how beautiful and convincing they are. It’s truly an emotional rollercoaster.
I have never seen a film quite like Shoplifters and though its pacing is slow, the bonds between characters and the deep exploration of their lives is enough to keep you glued to the screen throughout. It is certainly deserving of its Cannes win, because of its deep, thorough and complex exploration of family life. It will warm your heart and break it soon after, leaving you wanting to stay in their lives by the time the credits roll. This is a must-see.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/11/25/my-thoughts-on-the-2018-palme-dor-winning-film-shoplifters/
Hadley (567 KP) rated The Silver Eyes (Five Nights at Freddy's, #1) in Books
Jul 5, 2019
It was in 2014 when the video game Five Nights at Freddy's debuted, and now it's one of the most well known horror games in the world. Homicidal animatronics, a nighttime security guard, and a children's pizza restaurant make up Scott Cawthon's world in FNAF. Fast forward to 2016: Cawthon makes the game's story into a book series. The lore surrounding the video game franchise seems to be more sought after than the game play itself. ' The Silver Eyes' is the first of three books telling the dark story from Cawthon, but from the eyes of the animatronics creator's daughter, Charlie, instead of the night guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria.
We start with seventeen-year-old Charlie, who is returning to her hometown of Hurricane, Utah for a scholarship/memorial ceremony dedicated to her deceased childhood friend, Michael. She has a reunion with other childhood friends: Carlton, Jessica, John, Lamar and Marla; all of who share the same tragedy of Michael's disappearance from when they were children at Freddy Fazbear's. This disappearance seems to be the only thing the group can discuss, but more so from Charlie because her father was blamed for Michael's disappearance. This, the shared experience of being present at the time of Michael's kidnapping, and having been part of the same circle of friends, dominates this story. Charlie is our main point of view, but we are given a few glimpses from other characters which end up irrelevant.
Charlie's father, years before, had the pizzeria Freddy Fazbear's built in Hurricane, but after Michael was kidnapped while being there, it was shut down and, now, a mall is being built around it. But, with the stigma coming from Fazbear's kidnapping, no businesses will agree to have their store put inside the new building, leaving it abandoned. Right away, the reader is taken with the group of friends on a trip to the building, where they break into Fazbear's with only a lone guard on duty, but with the amount of noise the group makes and even, somehow, turning the electricity back on, it's unreasonable to the reader that the guard isn't aware of their presence. (Even the characters don't seem worried about the guard coming in and kicking them out).
Without trying to give any spoilers away to those who may not know the story- the night guard finally shows up later on in the book, but only to join the group on their third adventure through the abandoned Fazbear's. And it is as this point, the book is at it's best. Even the writing seems to change - - - as if a different person took over for the second part of the book (which is a good thing).
Cawthon and Breed-Wrisley tried their best to convey the story of Five Nights at Freddy's, but although the story is a good one, the writing is lacking in many aspects. There's not just a few inconsistencies that I found, but rather a lot, and one of these is an important one: Charlie,earlier on in the story, tells us about her twin brother, Sammy, being kidnapped from the first Pizzeria her father had built, but later on, she states that Sammy was present at the newer Fazbear's when clearly he had been kidnapped before the newer restaurant was even built.
This story isn't so much about animatronics and a child murderer, but rather a group of children that shared a trauma that permeates into their adulthood. Sadly, the symptoms of this trauma aren't clearly stated from a reality stand point, but the teen drama is held in-check, making it a much more pleasant read than most young adult books. Character development is also lacking enough that--- even the main character--- seems like a stranger to the reader, where interactions between most of the group seems forced and unreasonable.
I can only recommend this book to fans of Five Nights at Freddy's, but as just a casual reader of the horror genre, the writing is a huge disappointment. I can't and won't read this again.
We start with seventeen-year-old Charlie, who is returning to her hometown of Hurricane, Utah for a scholarship/memorial ceremony dedicated to her deceased childhood friend, Michael. She has a reunion with other childhood friends: Carlton, Jessica, John, Lamar and Marla; all of who share the same tragedy of Michael's disappearance from when they were children at Freddy Fazbear's. This disappearance seems to be the only thing the group can discuss, but more so from Charlie because her father was blamed for Michael's disappearance. This, the shared experience of being present at the time of Michael's kidnapping, and having been part of the same circle of friends, dominates this story. Charlie is our main point of view, but we are given a few glimpses from other characters which end up irrelevant.
Charlie's father, years before, had the pizzeria Freddy Fazbear's built in Hurricane, but after Michael was kidnapped while being there, it was shut down and, now, a mall is being built around it. But, with the stigma coming from Fazbear's kidnapping, no businesses will agree to have their store put inside the new building, leaving it abandoned. Right away, the reader is taken with the group of friends on a trip to the building, where they break into Fazbear's with only a lone guard on duty, but with the amount of noise the group makes and even, somehow, turning the electricity back on, it's unreasonable to the reader that the guard isn't aware of their presence. (Even the characters don't seem worried about the guard coming in and kicking them out).
Without trying to give any spoilers away to those who may not know the story- the night guard finally shows up later on in the book, but only to join the group on their third adventure through the abandoned Fazbear's. And it is as this point, the book is at it's best. Even the writing seems to change - - - as if a different person took over for the second part of the book (which is a good thing).
Cawthon and Breed-Wrisley tried their best to convey the story of Five Nights at Freddy's, but although the story is a good one, the writing is lacking in many aspects. There's not just a few inconsistencies that I found, but rather a lot, and one of these is an important one: Charlie,earlier on in the story, tells us about her twin brother, Sammy, being kidnapped from the first Pizzeria her father had built, but later on, she states that Sammy was present at the newer Fazbear's when clearly he had been kidnapped before the newer restaurant was even built.
This story isn't so much about animatronics and a child murderer, but rather a group of children that shared a trauma that permeates into their adulthood. Sadly, the symptoms of this trauma aren't clearly stated from a reality stand point, but the teen drama is held in-check, making it a much more pleasant read than most young adult books. Character development is also lacking enough that--- even the main character--- seems like a stranger to the reader, where interactions between most of the group seems forced and unreasonable.
I can only recommend this book to fans of Five Nights at Freddy's, but as just a casual reader of the horror genre, the writing is a huge disappointment. I can't and won't read this again.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated These Nameless Things in Books
Jul 2, 2020
When I read the synopsis for These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker, I knew it was a book I had to read. It ticked all the right boxes for me. Luckily, this book did not disappoint!
The plot was very interesting. Dan lives in an idyllic small village. Everyone is happy and friendly until a beautiful woman arrives at Dan's door on the verge of death. Dan doesn't tell anyone about her as he nurses her back to health. However, strange things start happening. The crops don't grow right, and people are regaining painful memories they had long forgotten. When the mysterious woman convinces Dan to go back through the mountain, a place he had been tormented at and had escaped, to fetch his brother who is stuck there, Dan is torn. He misses his brother like crazy. All the while Dan is left wondering who this strange woman is who has a strong pull over him, and why does she want him to go back to the horrible place he came from to save his brother so badly.
How amazing does that plot sound!?! The plot for These Nameless Things was solid, and it helps very much that Shawn Smucker is a very talented writer. Smucker has a way with words. The way he wrote and described everything really helped make it easy to envision everything that was unfolding second by second. He was able to put so much description into everything, but Smucker doesn't overdo it to the point where it becomes boring to read. He creates a very nice balance. I will say that the first third of the book is fairly slow pacing, but I kept reading because I did want to know more about Dan's brother and how the mysterious woman was connected to everything. For my perseverance, I was richly rewarded. The last two thirds of the book really took off! I found myself hooked on every single word, hungry for as much as I could get. I did not want to put this book down at all. I had to know what was going to happen to everyone. Yes, some of it was predictable, but it was a fantastic read nonetheless. While I would have liked to read some sort of epilogue or had more knowledge in what happened to everyone some time later, I think These Nameless Things ends well enough, and everything is explained leading up to the ending.
I felt that every character in These Nameless Things was fleshed out very well. By the middle of the book (perhaps even sooner than that), I felt like I had become friends with everyone mentioned in the book. It was easy to picture each and every character as a real life person (mostly thanks to Shawn Smucker's excellent writing again). I did feel that although the character of Dan was written superbly, he came across as a bit selfish for the most part. I felt like he put people in so much danger by keeping secrets. I did love Miho and Lucia very much. Miho seemed to be the biggest voice of reason throughout the book. I just loved Lucia because she made me feel hopeful and happy. Abe was my favorite character though. I loved how optimistic he could become and how much he cared for everyone. He was the leader of the village, and I admired how seriously he took this title. It was obvious how much love he had for all of his village. I would love an Abe in my life. He had such a soothing presence.
Trigger warnings for These Nameless Things include minor violence, death, a mention of rape, and alcoholism.
Overall, These Nameless Things is a highly interesting read that makes you reflect on your own feelings and how you react to them. With Shawn Smucker's fantastic prose, this book makes it easy to get hooked. I would definitely recommend These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker to those aged 17+ who are after well written novels with a touch of philosophy.
--
(A special thank you to the publisher for sending me a paperback of These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The plot was very interesting. Dan lives in an idyllic small village. Everyone is happy and friendly until a beautiful woman arrives at Dan's door on the verge of death. Dan doesn't tell anyone about her as he nurses her back to health. However, strange things start happening. The crops don't grow right, and people are regaining painful memories they had long forgotten. When the mysterious woman convinces Dan to go back through the mountain, a place he had been tormented at and had escaped, to fetch his brother who is stuck there, Dan is torn. He misses his brother like crazy. All the while Dan is left wondering who this strange woman is who has a strong pull over him, and why does she want him to go back to the horrible place he came from to save his brother so badly.
How amazing does that plot sound!?! The plot for These Nameless Things was solid, and it helps very much that Shawn Smucker is a very talented writer. Smucker has a way with words. The way he wrote and described everything really helped make it easy to envision everything that was unfolding second by second. He was able to put so much description into everything, but Smucker doesn't overdo it to the point where it becomes boring to read. He creates a very nice balance. I will say that the first third of the book is fairly slow pacing, but I kept reading because I did want to know more about Dan's brother and how the mysterious woman was connected to everything. For my perseverance, I was richly rewarded. The last two thirds of the book really took off! I found myself hooked on every single word, hungry for as much as I could get. I did not want to put this book down at all. I had to know what was going to happen to everyone. Yes, some of it was predictable, but it was a fantastic read nonetheless. While I would have liked to read some sort of epilogue or had more knowledge in what happened to everyone some time later, I think These Nameless Things ends well enough, and everything is explained leading up to the ending.
I felt that every character in These Nameless Things was fleshed out very well. By the middle of the book (perhaps even sooner than that), I felt like I had become friends with everyone mentioned in the book. It was easy to picture each and every character as a real life person (mostly thanks to Shawn Smucker's excellent writing again). I did feel that although the character of Dan was written superbly, he came across as a bit selfish for the most part. I felt like he put people in so much danger by keeping secrets. I did love Miho and Lucia very much. Miho seemed to be the biggest voice of reason throughout the book. I just loved Lucia because she made me feel hopeful and happy. Abe was my favorite character though. I loved how optimistic he could become and how much he cared for everyone. He was the leader of the village, and I admired how seriously he took this title. It was obvious how much love he had for all of his village. I would love an Abe in my life. He had such a soothing presence.
Trigger warnings for These Nameless Things include minor violence, death, a mention of rape, and alcoholism.
Overall, These Nameless Things is a highly interesting read that makes you reflect on your own feelings and how you react to them. With Shawn Smucker's fantastic prose, this book makes it easy to get hooked. I would definitely recommend These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker to those aged 17+ who are after well written novels with a touch of philosophy.
--
(A special thank you to the publisher for sending me a paperback of These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Vengeance in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 who are waiting patiently for the November release of Call of Duty: Ghosts, can put their skills to the test with the latest map pack DLC. The collection is named Vengeance and it offers four new multiplayer maps as well as a new Zombie campaigns for players aching for more of the wildly popular series.
The set is the third of a planned four map packs and for fans of frantic, run and gun action, this is the collection for you. This is not to say there is not a place for players who wish to snipe or use stealth, but the developers have clearly put the focus on smaller maps which bring the action front and center and force players to get into the action fast.
Like the previous map collections the players are limited to either Mosh pit or Hardcore Moshpit that puts teams of players in a series of online games where the objective is varied. There is the usual mix, Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Demolition modes and the mode as well as your teammates change with each map.
Accessing the new maps is easy as once you start in multiplayer mode, the option to select Vengeance is shown on your menu. Players who have the previous map packs which are not required to play the new ones, will be able to access them in the game mode of their choice now as they would for the maps that came with the initial release of the game.
The first map I played was called Uplink which is an updated version of the Summit map from Black Ops. This time out the snowy eastern Europe locale has been changed to a rainy Asian locale. It took me a few times around and a few deaths before I realized there was something familiar about it. This helped me get adjusted to likely areas for attacks and defense much faster than usual and I soon found myself dishing out the damage instead of being a walking target.
The next map is called “Detour” and this takes places on a bombed out suspension bridge that has cars and trucks as well as blast holes littering the roads. Players can take the side paths and lower areas but can also engage the other team in the clutter up top. Be prepared for plenty of flying grenades as well as mines and other traps in this one. I usually need around five rounds in a map before I am comfy enough to really let loose and this one after some initial frustrations paid off big,
A recent kill streak earned me a sentry gun, which when deployed racked up an impressive number of kills for me thanks to the choke points and strategic placement near an enemy objective.
Up next is “Cove” and while it took me a little bit to differentiate the enemy attire from that of my team, I soon found this to be an early favorite for me. The setting is a tropical island complete with a crashed plane. The plane became a great shield to toss grenades over and I loved walking around the beach in my efforts to flank the other players. For a person who loves a run and gun, devil may care style of play, coming around a rock and finding two or three enemy players facing away from me was a great thrill as was having a cluster of them camped out on a ledge above or in a rocky cave..
There are plenty of cliffs as well as snipers love to setup on the ridges and let loose as do players who have earned a sentry gun or other reward. This became tough when most of the objectives involved either planting or defusing a bomb. Fighting to an objective only to be cut down as you were seconds away from completing a task is a frustration indeed but also part of the fun.
The final map is entitled “Rush” and the title not only describes the fun of playing it but also the best way to play it as it is set in a paint ball venue. There are tons of paint-soaked vehicles, wooden buildings, and venues that anyone who has ever played paintball will be all to familiar with. The real joy comes when you head into the shop and have to battle in the pro shop, indoor arena, and other locales. The colors are vivid and the attacks can come from all angles at any time.
As much as I liked “Cove” “Rush” quickly became my favorite of the maps as I was able to record my best scores of the new maps the first time I played it, and was able to maintain my lucky runs with each subsequent match.
Zombie fans will love “Buried” which like previous Zombie modes allows four players to work with one another as they fight off legions of undead. Like previous modes, players must heal fallen players and purchase weapons and ammo. This can be a challenge as starting off with just a pistol, grenade, and knife, you have to take down more than a few bad guys to earn needed funs for the big guns.
Cash can also be used for health, to restore barricades, as well as unlock new areas of the map.
Set in an underground western town, and I have to admit to really enjoying mowing down legions of undead as I came out of the saloon and enjoying the detail level of the map.
Skilled players can earn the Ray Gun Mark II and really fry the undead to a crisp.
Picky fans will say that Vengeance does not offer as much as some map packs as more than one person I played with lamented the fact that they did not get any new weapons like they did with the first map pack, and how one of the four maps was an older map that was remade.
To me it all comes down to a matter of choice as the maps are available in a set for $14.99 or players can purchase a season pass which will allow them to obtain all four map packs at a discounted price.
If you are a fan of the game and play online on a regular basis then you will want the maps as they do offer something new and are enjoyable to look at and play for gamers but be prepared to take your lumps early as most of the players have already mastered the previous maps and showed no mercy for players who were trying to get their bearings in the new offerings.
In the end, if you’re a hardcore player or simply love the series, then you will enjoy the maps as they offer something new while players wait for the final collection and the November release of Call of Duty: Ghosts:
http://sknr.net/2013/08/06/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-vengeance/
The set is the third of a planned four map packs and for fans of frantic, run and gun action, this is the collection for you. This is not to say there is not a place for players who wish to snipe or use stealth, but the developers have clearly put the focus on smaller maps which bring the action front and center and force players to get into the action fast.
Like the previous map collections the players are limited to either Mosh pit or Hardcore Moshpit that puts teams of players in a series of online games where the objective is varied. There is the usual mix, Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Demolition modes and the mode as well as your teammates change with each map.
Accessing the new maps is easy as once you start in multiplayer mode, the option to select Vengeance is shown on your menu. Players who have the previous map packs which are not required to play the new ones, will be able to access them in the game mode of their choice now as they would for the maps that came with the initial release of the game.
The first map I played was called Uplink which is an updated version of the Summit map from Black Ops. This time out the snowy eastern Europe locale has been changed to a rainy Asian locale. It took me a few times around and a few deaths before I realized there was something familiar about it. This helped me get adjusted to likely areas for attacks and defense much faster than usual and I soon found myself dishing out the damage instead of being a walking target.
The next map is called “Detour” and this takes places on a bombed out suspension bridge that has cars and trucks as well as blast holes littering the roads. Players can take the side paths and lower areas but can also engage the other team in the clutter up top. Be prepared for plenty of flying grenades as well as mines and other traps in this one. I usually need around five rounds in a map before I am comfy enough to really let loose and this one after some initial frustrations paid off big,
A recent kill streak earned me a sentry gun, which when deployed racked up an impressive number of kills for me thanks to the choke points and strategic placement near an enemy objective.
Up next is “Cove” and while it took me a little bit to differentiate the enemy attire from that of my team, I soon found this to be an early favorite for me. The setting is a tropical island complete with a crashed plane. The plane became a great shield to toss grenades over and I loved walking around the beach in my efforts to flank the other players. For a person who loves a run and gun, devil may care style of play, coming around a rock and finding two or three enemy players facing away from me was a great thrill as was having a cluster of them camped out on a ledge above or in a rocky cave..
There are plenty of cliffs as well as snipers love to setup on the ridges and let loose as do players who have earned a sentry gun or other reward. This became tough when most of the objectives involved either planting or defusing a bomb. Fighting to an objective only to be cut down as you were seconds away from completing a task is a frustration indeed but also part of the fun.
The final map is entitled “Rush” and the title not only describes the fun of playing it but also the best way to play it as it is set in a paint ball venue. There are tons of paint-soaked vehicles, wooden buildings, and venues that anyone who has ever played paintball will be all to familiar with. The real joy comes when you head into the shop and have to battle in the pro shop, indoor arena, and other locales. The colors are vivid and the attacks can come from all angles at any time.
As much as I liked “Cove” “Rush” quickly became my favorite of the maps as I was able to record my best scores of the new maps the first time I played it, and was able to maintain my lucky runs with each subsequent match.
Zombie fans will love “Buried” which like previous Zombie modes allows four players to work with one another as they fight off legions of undead. Like previous modes, players must heal fallen players and purchase weapons and ammo. This can be a challenge as starting off with just a pistol, grenade, and knife, you have to take down more than a few bad guys to earn needed funs for the big guns.
Cash can also be used for health, to restore barricades, as well as unlock new areas of the map.
Set in an underground western town, and I have to admit to really enjoying mowing down legions of undead as I came out of the saloon and enjoying the detail level of the map.
Skilled players can earn the Ray Gun Mark II and really fry the undead to a crisp.
Picky fans will say that Vengeance does not offer as much as some map packs as more than one person I played with lamented the fact that they did not get any new weapons like they did with the first map pack, and how one of the four maps was an older map that was remade.
To me it all comes down to a matter of choice as the maps are available in a set for $14.99 or players can purchase a season pass which will allow them to obtain all four map packs at a discounted price.
If you are a fan of the game and play online on a regular basis then you will want the maps as they do offer something new and are enjoyable to look at and play for gamers but be prepared to take your lumps early as most of the players have already mastered the previous maps and showed no mercy for players who were trying to get their bearings in the new offerings.
In the end, if you’re a hardcore player or simply love the series, then you will enjoy the maps as they offer something new while players wait for the final collection and the November release of Call of Duty: Ghosts:
http://sknr.net/2013/08/06/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-vengeance/
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Vixen (Flappers, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<i>3.75 stars</i>
<b><i>Once upon a time there were three beautiful girls who went to the best schools (and speakeasies), and they were each assigned booze and clothes that are the cat's meow. But the flapper lifestyle took them into different directions and now they work to find out who they are and what makes them truly happy. My name is Vixen.</i></b>
And so you've been introduced to the first installment of The Flappers series Charlie's Angels' style (the best I was able to come up with anyway).
<b>Meet our <s>Angels</s> Vixens:</b>
<u><i>Gloria</i></u> - She's the one who has it all: <i>the</i> name, riches, looks, clothes, a handsome fiancee, everything comes easily to her, and everybody seemingly loves her. But this poor little rich girl isn't so happy after all and so she begins to rebel.
<u><i>Clara</i></u> - Burned by her former flapper lifestyle, she's now trying to start over as "Country Clara" without her sordid past coming to light. So has she turned into a goody-two shoes or is it just part of a grander scheme? Only time will tell.
<u><i>Lorraine</i></u> - Jealous of best friend, Gloria, she's desperate to step out of Glo's shadow to become the center of attention as an individual.
<b>Before getting to my review, there are a few questions that should be addressed:</b>
Is this great literature? <i>No.</i>
Will this book change your life? <i>No.</i>
Will you learn anything from reading this book? <i>No. Well, maybe some twenties' slang.</i>
Is this book accurate to the period? <i>No, there are some liberties, but it's good enough as wallpaper to the players and scenes.</i>
Is this book entertaining beyond belief? <i>A resounding YES!</i>
VIXEN is very easy to read and captured my attention from the first page, and while it may not be the best book ever, I had a lot of fun reading it. While there's nothing glaringly obvious anachronism-wise, I did question some word choices, phrases, and actions, but overall they were easy to overlook and I likened it to watching A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger. Written in third-person, each chapter focuses on one the three girls' point-of-view, starting with Gloria and continuing with Clara and then Lorraine, throughout the book until the end.
As for the characters, Clara (named after Ms. Clara Bow?) was definitely my favorite to read about, she's recovering from the aftereffects of her life in New York City (which includes a boy, of course), and is trying her best to leave the past behind and move on with her life. Her story had a lot to offer and she felt like a real person who had made mistakes and was now left dealing with the repercussions. Lorraine was a trainwreck you can't take your eyes off of, and while I can't say I liked her, I felt sorry for her. She tries way too hard to stand out and ends up making herself look pathetic; if she keeps it up she'll turn into a very ugly person whom everyone hates. Forget Gloria, Lorraine is the "real" poor little rich girl of the book. She's in the middle of making all the wrong decisions and we're along for the journey, which made her multidimensional and interesting to read about as well. Gloria was my least favorite, mainly because I don't think the author knew quite how to write her. At one moment Gloria seemed like a good girl rebelling, but then there would be moments where she was a real bitch and those two aspects just didn't gel into a cohesive whole. Now if she was seemingly sweet on the outside and really was a conniving bitch underneath, then I'd be on board or at least would get it. But she wasn't that type of bitch and she wasn't Alexis Carrington-bitchy (or insert less-dated reference here) either. How she was written made her look more like Sybil and didn't render me to sympathize with her at all. It didn't help that I felt she was too close to a Mary-Sue for my liking. I don't like perfect or near-perfect characters, they're boring and so was she. What was her motivation for anything, such as singing? Was that always a dream or did it just now come about? Is her recent behavior only happening because she's unhappy? Sorry, but there's just not enough there to make me care about this character. Gloria needed to be more fleshed out to make her feel like a real human, with real thoughts in her head and real feelings, and not a cliched cardboard cut-out.
The love aspects of the novel were fairly glossed over, mainly Gloria and Jerome's story, and felt more like teenage hormones than actual real love.
<i>"I don't know you but you're hot and I love you."
"Nothing will keep us apart!"
"We'll be together forever!"</i>
Which is too bad because I like the idea of an interracial romance taking place in the 1920's, it could have been fantastic, but instead was tepid and generally unromantic. It didn't help that half the duo was boring old Gloria and the other half never developed beyond the fact that he's a black musician who's forbidden to her due to the color of his skin. I wished for more impact and still hope for that in the next installment of the series. Clara's budding relationship with Marcus was far more realistic because they actually had conversations *gasp* and was well-paced. The relationships between the girls were touch and go, sometimes they felt authentic, then at other times interactions appeared too advanced to where the relationship had last left off; it was like there were scenes edited out in chunks. The same could be said of the developing romance between Gloria and Jerome.
So a few things bothered me in the book, such as the issue I had with every girl who wasn't one of the main trio being cattily described, i.e. eyes are close together, that color makes her look sallow, etc. Can we get over doing that already? That's not encouraging good behavior. A little more positivity would be a refreshing change. Another thing that annoyed me was at one point, the crap hit the fan and *minor spoiler* <spoiler>Gloria's career as a torch singer, which she's naturally perfect at (of course), came out into the open. So who does she immediately blame? Her best friend, Lorraine of course, whom she slaps! And who to this point Gloria had no provocation to even think it'd be her who had spilled the beans. Lorraine had not done anything to deserve Gloria's wrath, or at least nothing she knew about yet, so I don't know if the author had forgotten that fact or what. It did not make any kind of sense because there were other people who knew what Gloria was up to and others who could have easily found out. To me it was sloppy writing. What kind of friend does that make Gloria anyway? Not one I'd like, who always thinks the worst of her best friend without any miniscule proof of guilt. Told ya she was a bitch</spoiler>. There were some minor editing inaccuracies, such as when Gloria's dress goes from gold sequined to red in less than a page (pages 74-5) but nothing too overt to jar me out of the book altogether. Lastly, perhaps there was a bit too much twenties' slang that wasn't always incorporated into the text as smoothly as possible.
Overall, the plots were well-done and moved along at a brisk enough pace that I never got bored. The ending unfolded so that it tied up the multiple plotlines while still keeping plenty of loose ends for the sequel. So, a lot of the book is superficial, in some cases there are caricatures instead of characters, and it is a shallow interpretation of the Roaring Twenties, I don't care, the book is just plain fun and sometimes that's all I need. And while I can't say I loved this book and it totally lived up to its beautiful cover (seriously that dress is gorgeous, though I could do without the pit shot), I was suitably entertained and will read the sequels to find out what happens next, while I keep up the hope that Gloria will turn into a real, live girl.
<b><i>Once upon a time there were three beautiful girls who went to the best schools (and speakeasies), and they were each assigned booze and clothes that are the cat's meow. But the flapper lifestyle took them into different directions and now they work to find out who they are and what makes them truly happy. My name is Vixen.</i></b>
And so you've been introduced to the first installment of The Flappers series Charlie's Angels' style (the best I was able to come up with anyway).
<b>Meet our <s>Angels</s> Vixens:</b>
<u><i>Gloria</i></u> - She's the one who has it all: <i>the</i> name, riches, looks, clothes, a handsome fiancee, everything comes easily to her, and everybody seemingly loves her. But this poor little rich girl isn't so happy after all and so she begins to rebel.
<u><i>Clara</i></u> - Burned by her former flapper lifestyle, she's now trying to start over as "Country Clara" without her sordid past coming to light. So has she turned into a goody-two shoes or is it just part of a grander scheme? Only time will tell.
<u><i>Lorraine</i></u> - Jealous of best friend, Gloria, she's desperate to step out of Glo's shadow to become the center of attention as an individual.
<b>Before getting to my review, there are a few questions that should be addressed:</b>
Is this great literature? <i>No.</i>
Will this book change your life? <i>No.</i>
Will you learn anything from reading this book? <i>No. Well, maybe some twenties' slang.</i>
Is this book accurate to the period? <i>No, there are some liberties, but it's good enough as wallpaper to the players and scenes.</i>
Is this book entertaining beyond belief? <i>A resounding YES!</i>
VIXEN is very easy to read and captured my attention from the first page, and while it may not be the best book ever, I had a lot of fun reading it. While there's nothing glaringly obvious anachronism-wise, I did question some word choices, phrases, and actions, but overall they were easy to overlook and I likened it to watching A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger. Written in third-person, each chapter focuses on one the three girls' point-of-view, starting with Gloria and continuing with Clara and then Lorraine, throughout the book until the end.
As for the characters, Clara (named after Ms. Clara Bow?) was definitely my favorite to read about, she's recovering from the aftereffects of her life in New York City (which includes a boy, of course), and is trying her best to leave the past behind and move on with her life. Her story had a lot to offer and she felt like a real person who had made mistakes and was now left dealing with the repercussions. Lorraine was a trainwreck you can't take your eyes off of, and while I can't say I liked her, I felt sorry for her. She tries way too hard to stand out and ends up making herself look pathetic; if she keeps it up she'll turn into a very ugly person whom everyone hates. Forget Gloria, Lorraine is the "real" poor little rich girl of the book. She's in the middle of making all the wrong decisions and we're along for the journey, which made her multidimensional and interesting to read about as well. Gloria was my least favorite, mainly because I don't think the author knew quite how to write her. At one moment Gloria seemed like a good girl rebelling, but then there would be moments where she was a real bitch and those two aspects just didn't gel into a cohesive whole. Now if she was seemingly sweet on the outside and really was a conniving bitch underneath, then I'd be on board or at least would get it. But she wasn't that type of bitch and she wasn't Alexis Carrington-bitchy (or insert less-dated reference here) either. How she was written made her look more like Sybil and didn't render me to sympathize with her at all. It didn't help that I felt she was too close to a Mary-Sue for my liking. I don't like perfect or near-perfect characters, they're boring and so was she. What was her motivation for anything, such as singing? Was that always a dream or did it just now come about? Is her recent behavior only happening because she's unhappy? Sorry, but there's just not enough there to make me care about this character. Gloria needed to be more fleshed out to make her feel like a real human, with real thoughts in her head and real feelings, and not a cliched cardboard cut-out.
The love aspects of the novel were fairly glossed over, mainly Gloria and Jerome's story, and felt more like teenage hormones than actual real love.
<i>"I don't know you but you're hot and I love you."
"Nothing will keep us apart!"
"We'll be together forever!"</i>
Which is too bad because I like the idea of an interracial romance taking place in the 1920's, it could have been fantastic, but instead was tepid and generally unromantic. It didn't help that half the duo was boring old Gloria and the other half never developed beyond the fact that he's a black musician who's forbidden to her due to the color of his skin. I wished for more impact and still hope for that in the next installment of the series. Clara's budding relationship with Marcus was far more realistic because they actually had conversations *gasp* and was well-paced. The relationships between the girls were touch and go, sometimes they felt authentic, then at other times interactions appeared too advanced to where the relationship had last left off; it was like there were scenes edited out in chunks. The same could be said of the developing romance between Gloria and Jerome.
So a few things bothered me in the book, such as the issue I had with every girl who wasn't one of the main trio being cattily described, i.e. eyes are close together, that color makes her look sallow, etc. Can we get over doing that already? That's not encouraging good behavior. A little more positivity would be a refreshing change. Another thing that annoyed me was at one point, the crap hit the fan and *minor spoiler* <spoiler>Gloria's career as a torch singer, which she's naturally perfect at (of course), came out into the open. So who does she immediately blame? Her best friend, Lorraine of course, whom she slaps! And who to this point Gloria had no provocation to even think it'd be her who had spilled the beans. Lorraine had not done anything to deserve Gloria's wrath, or at least nothing she knew about yet, so I don't know if the author had forgotten that fact or what. It did not make any kind of sense because there were other people who knew what Gloria was up to and others who could have easily found out. To me it was sloppy writing. What kind of friend does that make Gloria anyway? Not one I'd like, who always thinks the worst of her best friend without any miniscule proof of guilt. Told ya she was a bitch</spoiler>. There were some minor editing inaccuracies, such as when Gloria's dress goes from gold sequined to red in less than a page (pages 74-5) but nothing too overt to jar me out of the book altogether. Lastly, perhaps there was a bit too much twenties' slang that wasn't always incorporated into the text as smoothly as possible.
Overall, the plots were well-done and moved along at a brisk enough pace that I never got bored. The ending unfolded so that it tied up the multiple plotlines while still keeping plenty of loose ends for the sequel. So, a lot of the book is superficial, in some cases there are caricatures instead of characters, and it is a shallow interpretation of the Roaring Twenties, I don't care, the book is just plain fun and sometimes that's all I need. And while I can't say I loved this book and it totally lived up to its beautiful cover (seriously that dress is gorgeous, though I could do without the pit shot), I was suitably entertained and will read the sequels to find out what happens next, while I keep up the hope that Gloria will turn into a real, live girl.
b.Young (97 KP) rated Win (The Atlantis Grail Book 3) in Books
May 21, 2018
Romance (3 more)
Action
The Atlantis Grail Games
Awesome storyline
My favorite in the series so far
Contains spoilers, click to show
I originally downloaded Book 1, Qualify, on my Kindle because it was offered for free. I immediately purchased Book 2 (Compete) and Book 3 (Win) after getting through the third chapter! I knew this was going to be a series to follow because Vera Nazarian's writing has an amazing way of drawing you into the story.
After Qualify, I was completely invested in the fate of Gwen Lark and needed to know what happened, so I continued with Compete. While Compete did not have the same action and urgency as Qualify, it was still an outstanding sequel and made me want to continue the The Atlantis Grail Series.
To be honest, Compete left me right where I wanted to be! Everything I had hoped for Gwen was happening and I had no choice but to continue the story (yes, I am a person who gets emotionally attached to certain fictional characters and therefore live my fantasy life vicariously through them).
Now, on to Win. Oh. My. Lord! Be still my heart, because Aeson has admitted his feelings for Gwen and they are going to get married!!! Yes, regular Earth-girl and winner of an all expense paid trip to Atlantis gets to marry the friggen Crown Prince of Atlantida!!!
Nevermind that Aeson's dad, the Imperator of Atlantida, does not like this one little bit, because what Gwen and Aeson have is real true love and it is so sweet and tender and... I must stop here before I gush all over this review since shit is about to get very real for them (at the hands of the Imperator, of course).
Flashback to that mindnumbing and heartbreaking decision Gwen made in Book 2 to niether become a Civilian or Cadet and instead enter the Atlantis Grail to become a Citizen so she could save her parents and her brother George from the impeding doom of the Asteriod hurtling through space with the purpose of destroying Earth. Well, it just so happens that because she is now the Imperial Bride-to-be, she will be awarded Citizenship when she marries Aeson and thusly inherit the ability to save the rest of her family without having to compete in the horrible and terrifying Atlantis Grail Games. I was literally jumping in my seat and squealing when I learned this!
All that worry and training for the entire year travelling in space to Atlantis was put to a rest and all seemed just hunky-dory. Until....
The Imperial Court Assembly that is held to recognize Gwen as Aeson's choice of Imperial Consort and Bride. Everything goes as planned until the Imperator decides to bestow an unrefusable gift unto Gwen: the "opportunity" to compete in the Atlantis Grail Games. This was such a blow to my heart and I wanted to hold Gwen and tell her it was never going to happen and she could just marry her Prince and have many children and live happily ever after. Alas, that would not have made for a very interesting story, so we must concede to the Imperator's whim and suffer with Aeson as Gwen competes in the stupid Atlantis Grail for her life all because the Imperator is not happy Aeson did not choose Lady Tiri, a proper Atlantean Royal.
Things get intense from this point on as Gwen only has 28 days to train and become a warrior capable of NOT dying in the Games. Thankfully, she has the support of her Bridegroom and the crew of the Astra Diamon to help her with this nearly impossible challenge.
After the 28 days of intense training, it is finally time for Gwen to say her goodbyes and focus on staying alive through all 4 stages of the deadly Grail Games.
During the Games, she is met with unique challenges and ordeals that left me reading into the wee hours of the night to make sure Gwen survived. I seriously could not put this book down I was so worried for Gwen and Aeson.
The Grail Games were more intense and horrible than Katniss Everdeen ever had to endure and although I was confident Gwen would make it through alive, I was unsure just how much of her would make it out at the end.
I cannot wait for Book 4, Survive! I saw an update yesterday from the author mentioning that over 26,000 words had been completed for the book! It cannot come soon enough!
After Qualify, I was completely invested in the fate of Gwen Lark and needed to know what happened, so I continued with Compete. While Compete did not have the same action and urgency as Qualify, it was still an outstanding sequel and made me want to continue the The Atlantis Grail Series.
To be honest, Compete left me right where I wanted to be! Everything I had hoped for Gwen was happening and I had no choice but to continue the story (yes, I am a person who gets emotionally attached to certain fictional characters and therefore live my fantasy life vicariously through them).
Now, on to Win. Oh. My. Lord! Be still my heart, because Aeson has admitted his feelings for Gwen and they are going to get married!!! Yes, regular Earth-girl and winner of an all expense paid trip to Atlantis gets to marry the friggen Crown Prince of Atlantida!!!
Nevermind that Aeson's dad, the Imperator of Atlantida, does not like this one little bit, because what Gwen and Aeson have is real true love and it is so sweet and tender and... I must stop here before I gush all over this review since shit is about to get very real for them (at the hands of the Imperator, of course).
Flashback to that mindnumbing and heartbreaking decision Gwen made in Book 2 to niether become a Civilian or Cadet and instead enter the Atlantis Grail to become a Citizen so she could save her parents and her brother George from the impeding doom of the Asteriod hurtling through space with the purpose of destroying Earth. Well, it just so happens that because she is now the Imperial Bride-to-be, she will be awarded Citizenship when she marries Aeson and thusly inherit the ability to save the rest of her family without having to compete in the horrible and terrifying Atlantis Grail Games. I was literally jumping in my seat and squealing when I learned this!
All that worry and training for the entire year travelling in space to Atlantis was put to a rest and all seemed just hunky-dory. Until....
The Imperial Court Assembly that is held to recognize Gwen as Aeson's choice of Imperial Consort and Bride. Everything goes as planned until the Imperator decides to bestow an unrefusable gift unto Gwen: the "opportunity" to compete in the Atlantis Grail Games. This was such a blow to my heart and I wanted to hold Gwen and tell her it was never going to happen and she could just marry her Prince and have many children and live happily ever after. Alas, that would not have made for a very interesting story, so we must concede to the Imperator's whim and suffer with Aeson as Gwen competes in the stupid Atlantis Grail for her life all because the Imperator is not happy Aeson did not choose Lady Tiri, a proper Atlantean Royal.
Things get intense from this point on as Gwen only has 28 days to train and become a warrior capable of NOT dying in the Games. Thankfully, she has the support of her Bridegroom and the crew of the Astra Diamon to help her with this nearly impossible challenge.
After the 28 days of intense training, it is finally time for Gwen to say her goodbyes and focus on staying alive through all 4 stages of the deadly Grail Games.
During the Games, she is met with unique challenges and ordeals that left me reading into the wee hours of the night to make sure Gwen survived. I seriously could not put this book down I was so worried for Gwen and Aeson.
The Grail Games were more intense and horrible than Katniss Everdeen ever had to endure and although I was confident Gwen would make it through alive, I was unsure just how much of her would make it out at the end.
I cannot wait for Book 4, Survive! I saw an update yesterday from the author mentioning that over 26,000 words had been completed for the book! It cannot come soon enough!