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Neliem
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Half the population of the island of Madera are dead, killed by an unforgiving and indiscriminate...
YA Young Adult Fantasy Romance Romantic Fantasy Neliem
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Devil You Know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion in Books
Jun 22, 2021
The Devil You Know is a series of case studies of some of the patients that Dr Gwen Adshead has worked with in her role as a forensic psychiatrist. I don’t know quite what I expected from this: perhaps a dry, academic-type book. It was nothing at all like that. It’s a book full of compassion for the terrible mistakes, acts and choices that these people have made. And this is what’s made clear in this book: we (or rather, I) have always been led to believe that people who murder, stalk or destroy others lives are sub-human, have no empathy, no guilt or reasons for their actions. But there are those who have made terrible, unforgivable, life-changing decisions and must now live with those choices. Some are wracked with guilt, others aren’t.
It’s really interesting to read about this diverse group of people - they were in Broadmoor, secure prisons or units, and some had been released back into society and were experiencing the world again after serving their sentences.
If you’ve always wondered what motivates people to commit violent crimes, then this is, in part, the book for you. I found it quite reassuring to know that there are people like Dr Adshead out there who listen to perpetrators of crime, who want to learn what it is that causes them to make that fatal decision. I found the part about early childhood neglect and abuse and its impact on brain development particularly interesting (I work in Early Years), and the fact that it is potentially within society’s power to prevent crime before it has even been thought about was sobering.
I could go on, but I won’t. Just to say that I found this whole book fascinating - it’s such a well-written, accessible and interesting read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and to Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne for reading along with the Pigeons!
It’s really interesting to read about this diverse group of people - they were in Broadmoor, secure prisons or units, and some had been released back into society and were experiencing the world again after serving their sentences.
If you’ve always wondered what motivates people to commit violent crimes, then this is, in part, the book for you. I found it quite reassuring to know that there are people like Dr Adshead out there who listen to perpetrators of crime, who want to learn what it is that causes them to make that fatal decision. I found the part about early childhood neglect and abuse and its impact on brain development particularly interesting (I work in Early Years), and the fact that it is potentially within society’s power to prevent crime before it has even been thought about was sobering.
I could go on, but I won’t. Just to say that I found this whole book fascinating - it’s such a well-written, accessible and interesting read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and to Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne for reading along with the Pigeons!
DMcQ (4 KP) rated The Martian in Books
Nov 7, 2017
This was a hilariously fantastic read! The only part I don't care for is the profanity. The science is believable, and he explains it so that those who may not be familiar with the concepts can understand it. It kept me enthralled to the end. This book became one of my favorites!
Dean (6925 KP) rated Crossroads (2002) in Movies
Apr 30, 2019
Very surprisingly I quite enjoyed this?! Yes it's very cheesy, what did you expect? I'm sure most people have panned this just because Britney is in it? It has a TV film feel to it but it's actually a pretty decent road trip film as a group of once close young friends head to L.A. together for different reasons. I thought Britney acted a lot better than I expected and it isn't overloaded with her songs for those who aren't fans of hers. It's not a bad film by any means.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Marmalade Martini in Books
Feb 20, 2018
An excellent debut novel. The story had a nice flow and the characters were very believable. I really enjoyed the way the story developed with some twists and turns just like in real life. Jamie is a little like all of us, or if you are one of those perfect people you have a friend like her. She deserves to have good things happen to her and you are overjoyed when it does. You also want to punch anyone who mistreats her. I hope to see a follow up novel soon.
Sarah (7798 KP) created a post in Smashbomb Feedback
Jun 21, 2018
saheffernan (157 KP) rated Vicious in Books
Oct 24, 2018
Epic ExtraOrdinary Story
I was so in love with the writing, world building, character development. I thought the plot was super creative and very refreshing to read. I love superheroes and the people who write about them or things related to them seem to have to most amazing skills to bring that world to light and this book was no exception I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves those kind of stories. Also, revenge is a side plot and well I always kind of love revenge stories.
David McK (3369 KP) rated Across the Blood-Red Skies. Robert Radcliffe in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Not really a book about war, this is more a book about how the experiences of war affect people: in particular, how it affects its main protaganists, primarily told as the memoirs of one of those characters.
While it jumps around a bit - sections with events set before the preceding chapter, then forward again to events after the first section, then back again ... - it is quite an enjoyable read, which pulls no punches when it comes to the horror of th war, both in the trenches and in the air.
While it jumps around a bit - sections with events set before the preceding chapter, then forward again to events after the first section, then back again ... - it is quite an enjoyable read, which pulls no punches when it comes to the horror of th war, both in the trenches and in the air.