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Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Loving Mr. Daniels in Books
Jan 30, 2019
This book was mentioned several times in the blogging community, and I finally decided to check it out and see what all the fuss was about. I���d never read anything by Brittainy Cherry before, and the book sounded promising. Then I went on Goodreads and saw the slew of 5 star reviews (many were from my friends). As soon as payday rolled around I sat on my couch with my list of books to one click, and Loving Mr. Daniels was on the top of my list. I was determined to have this book. So, I bought it, and I couldn���t wait to start it. That day on my first break at work I started in on page 1 ���Absorbed in a stream of murky thoughts������ ooo this sounds promising already. Fifteen minutes later I had devoured the prologue and most of chapter 1, and I was trying to keep myself from crying. Sigh. From that point on sitting at my desk and trying to focus on my work was impossible. I kept looking at my kindle and I could hear it calling to me. ���Jessica���Jessica, you know you want to read me.��� I fought the good fight, but lunch hit and I was out of my seat scurrying to the break room hoping to get 45 minutes alone. I wanted to be alone with these amazing characters and pages.
The story of Ashlyn and Daniel was so fresh, which is exactly what I needed. Lately it seems like all the contemporary romance, new adult romance, and even the erotica books are all the same, and I was demanding something fresh. This was that story! Yes, it is a boy meets girl, woos her with Shakespeare inspired music, falls for her, and finds out she���s his student���WHAT?!?! Immediately, I thought of Pretty Little Liars, which I LOVE! Aria and Ezra���s story started like this���minus the Shakespeare band. This story has a twist to it, and I loved it. I loved that the author didn���t leave us hanging.
The characters in this book were phenomenally written. I felt like I knew them. I felt like the loss of a sister and a dear friend was changing me the same way it did Ashlyn. I laughed with her, I cried with her, and I regained faith in mankind with her. I loved that she had that one person for her that completely changed her world. Loving Mr. Daniels turned her world on its axis and changed her views on everything she held true.
<p><b>���I was convinced that everyone in the world had a form of weirdness to them. And the cool thing, at least I hoped so, was the idea that there was someone out there just as quirky as you were. The idea of finding your other weirdo was so attractive to me.���</b></p>
Ashlyn and Daniel are written in such a way that you feel like they are two people cut from the same mold. Ashlyn is young and hurting, torn apart by the death of her twin sister. She���s trying to move on, but is suddenly ripped out of her world and forced to live with her absentee father and his new family. Daniel is an English teacher and he is reeling from the recent death of both of his parents. Neither one knows how to move on and move past it, but together they forge ahead in this strange new world.
Hailey, Ryan, and Gabby are amazing supporting characters. Hailey and Ryan are brother and sister and they are the children of Ashlyn���s father���s new family. When they all first meet Ashlyn doesn���t like this dynamic duo. She doesn���t hate them but doesn���t really know what to think. As the book goes on there is a wonderful bond that forms between these three characters pulling them closer together, and has them sharing secrets with each other they never thought possible. Gabby is Ashlyn���s twin sister who loses her battle to leukemia at the opening of the book. She isn���t present in the physical sense, but she very much has a presence in this book. Each of the characters gets a chance to know Gabby in their own way.
<p><b>���You���re the reason people believe in tomorrow. You���re the voice that scares the shadows away. You���re the love that makes me breathe. So for the next few seconds, I���m going to be selfish. I���m going to say things that I don���t want you to listen to���Don���t go. Stay with me forever. Please, Ashlyn. Let me be your everything. Make me your golden. Don���t go.���</b></p>
If you���re a romance junkie like me, love Pretty Little Liars, or even a fan of P.S. I love you, than I implore you to go out and buy this book. If there is one book you read this summer, make it this one. Let yourself get swept up in this brilliantly beautiful love story. Spend time with these astoundingly well written characters and remember what first love feels like.
I give this book not just 5 stars, but all of the stars in the sky. Brittainy Cherry deserves every one of them. It���s been a long time since a book has stayed with me the way this one has. Loving Mr. Daniels will be my absolute favorite book of 2014 and possibly ever, I guarantee it. I���ve got a book hangover that's going to take me months to recover from.
The story of Ashlyn and Daniel was so fresh, which is exactly what I needed. Lately it seems like all the contemporary romance, new adult romance, and even the erotica books are all the same, and I was demanding something fresh. This was that story! Yes, it is a boy meets girl, woos her with Shakespeare inspired music, falls for her, and finds out she���s his student���WHAT?!?! Immediately, I thought of Pretty Little Liars, which I LOVE! Aria and Ezra���s story started like this���minus the Shakespeare band. This story has a twist to it, and I loved it. I loved that the author didn���t leave us hanging.
The characters in this book were phenomenally written. I felt like I knew them. I felt like the loss of a sister and a dear friend was changing me the same way it did Ashlyn. I laughed with her, I cried with her, and I regained faith in mankind with her. I loved that she had that one person for her that completely changed her world. Loving Mr. Daniels turned her world on its axis and changed her views on everything she held true.
<p><b>���I was convinced that everyone in the world had a form of weirdness to them. And the cool thing, at least I hoped so, was the idea that there was someone out there just as quirky as you were. The idea of finding your other weirdo was so attractive to me.���</b></p>
Ashlyn and Daniel are written in such a way that you feel like they are two people cut from the same mold. Ashlyn is young and hurting, torn apart by the death of her twin sister. She���s trying to move on, but is suddenly ripped out of her world and forced to live with her absentee father and his new family. Daniel is an English teacher and he is reeling from the recent death of both of his parents. Neither one knows how to move on and move past it, but together they forge ahead in this strange new world.
Hailey, Ryan, and Gabby are amazing supporting characters. Hailey and Ryan are brother and sister and they are the children of Ashlyn���s father���s new family. When they all first meet Ashlyn doesn���t like this dynamic duo. She doesn���t hate them but doesn���t really know what to think. As the book goes on there is a wonderful bond that forms between these three characters pulling them closer together, and has them sharing secrets with each other they never thought possible. Gabby is Ashlyn���s twin sister who loses her battle to leukemia at the opening of the book. She isn���t present in the physical sense, but she very much has a presence in this book. Each of the characters gets a chance to know Gabby in their own way.
<p><b>���You���re the reason people believe in tomorrow. You���re the voice that scares the shadows away. You���re the love that makes me breathe. So for the next few seconds, I���m going to be selfish. I���m going to say things that I don���t want you to listen to���Don���t go. Stay with me forever. Please, Ashlyn. Let me be your everything. Make me your golden. Don���t go.���</b></p>
If you���re a romance junkie like me, love Pretty Little Liars, or even a fan of P.S. I love you, than I implore you to go out and buy this book. If there is one book you read this summer, make it this one. Let yourself get swept up in this brilliantly beautiful love story. Spend time with these astoundingly well written characters and remember what first love feels like.
I give this book not just 5 stars, but all of the stars in the sky. Brittainy Cherry deserves every one of them. It���s been a long time since a book has stayed with me the way this one has. Loving Mr. Daniels will be my absolute favorite book of 2014 and possibly ever, I guarantee it. I���ve got a book hangover that's going to take me months to recover from.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Goblin Teeth in Tabletop Games
Nov 5, 2019
You know a game is going to be great when you actually enjoy reading the rules. Please take a moment to consider what I just wrote. I *enjoyed* reading the rules to a game. To this game. Why? Well, the intro to the rules that introduces the setting of the game, is written in the voice of a goblin. For those of you who may uninitiated into fantasy lore, goblins are small, gross humanoids that are greedy and not at all known for their academic prowess. Ok, so the rules started out pretty entertaining. Did this set us up for an entertaining game or a boring slug… er, slog? I have high expectations from Jellybean Games now, so will this be a winner as well?
Goblin Teeth is a fantasy take-that, auction, set collection, dice and card game. Each player is a goblin attempting to impress the goblin boss enough to become the right hand gobbie by offering a collection of items that the boss enjoys.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. As this is a preview copy of the game, I do not know if the final rules or components will be similar or different to what we were provided. -T
To setup, create the offering mat by randomly drawing a red and blue offering card to be placed in their respective locations. Shuffle the Cheat cards and Item cards into separate decks. Each goblin player chooses a set of three matching dice they will use throughout the game. Give each goblin one Cheat card to begin their collection. From the Item cards, place as many Items face-up as the number of players and one more face-down at the end of the row near where the sacrifice altar will be placed. You now have your offer row for the first round and are ready to play.
Before the round begins, all players will roll all three of their dice simultaneously. These dice represent your bid amounts for the Item cards on display (including the face-down Item). Whomever is in possession of the first-player marker will take their turn first. This goblin may choose to play any number of Cheat cards in their hand, and then must place a die on an Item card or into the altar. These Item cards feature items to be collected and used to satisfy an Offering card – like skulls, goblin teeth, glow worms, and others. By placing a die on an Item card, a goblin is casting their bid. By placing a die into the sacrificing altar, the goblin is instead giving up a bid die in exchange for drawing a Cheat card (which can be very powerful). Once the die is placed, the next goblin in clockwise order can take their turn following the same order of operations. The goblin who wins the face-down Item card becomes the new first player and receives the first player token. A new round can now begin by laying out new Items and rolling all dice simultaneously.
The game continues in this fashion until one sneaky goblin has all the Items they need to satisfy one of the Offering cards (or the pre-printed space on the Offering mat). There are dice placement rules and Cheats-a-plenty that I did not describe at all, but per the disclaimer, you can back the game or purchase from your favorite board game retailer (naturally, your FLGS). All goblins then tear each other to shreds over jealousy and greed. Ok, I added that last bit myself, but it should go into the rules. Just sayin’.
Components. Again, this is a prototype version of the game and some components may (and probably will) change over the course of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I will comment on what I can here. The physical components themselves are fine for a prototype game. The cards are big tarot cards that are fun to handle. I hope they keep that size. The first player token in this is a green translucent plastic meeple that I’m sure they will be upgrading during the campaign. Similarly, the dice will more than likely see an upgrade (I am totally projecting here, I have no information on any future plans for components). What needs very little upgrading is the art on the cards. The card backs for the Cheat and Item cards feature an excellent logo (I hope) for the game, and the art on the Item cards are clear and really really good. I hope the art style doesn’t change as the art is amazing here. The Cheat cards look good, are clear, and although they feature several different fonts, I was not at all ever turned off by the presentation.
So here are my thoughts. Goblin Teeth is an excellent game of outbidding your opponents, double-think, and Cheating your way to victory! I absolutely adore this game. Without those Cheat cards it would still be decent, but those Cheats are what make this game special. Being able to play as many Cheat cards as you want on your turn, with some of them being good and some bad, but being able to place them on yourself or your opponents is just gold. I cannot wait to see this game go to Kickstarter and just kill it. Seriously, it’s an amusing, frustrating, beautiful game that I cannot wait to own in its full glory. If you enjoy experiences that pit you against your opponents and you find yourself giggling at thwarting their plans, this is the game for you.
Goblin Teeth is a fantasy take-that, auction, set collection, dice and card game. Each player is a goblin attempting to impress the goblin boss enough to become the right hand gobbie by offering a collection of items that the boss enjoys.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. As this is a preview copy of the game, I do not know if the final rules or components will be similar or different to what we were provided. -T
To setup, create the offering mat by randomly drawing a red and blue offering card to be placed in their respective locations. Shuffle the Cheat cards and Item cards into separate decks. Each goblin player chooses a set of three matching dice they will use throughout the game. Give each goblin one Cheat card to begin their collection. From the Item cards, place as many Items face-up as the number of players and one more face-down at the end of the row near where the sacrifice altar will be placed. You now have your offer row for the first round and are ready to play.
Before the round begins, all players will roll all three of their dice simultaneously. These dice represent your bid amounts for the Item cards on display (including the face-down Item). Whomever is in possession of the first-player marker will take their turn first. This goblin may choose to play any number of Cheat cards in their hand, and then must place a die on an Item card or into the altar. These Item cards feature items to be collected and used to satisfy an Offering card – like skulls, goblin teeth, glow worms, and others. By placing a die on an Item card, a goblin is casting their bid. By placing a die into the sacrificing altar, the goblin is instead giving up a bid die in exchange for drawing a Cheat card (which can be very powerful). Once the die is placed, the next goblin in clockwise order can take their turn following the same order of operations. The goblin who wins the face-down Item card becomes the new first player and receives the first player token. A new round can now begin by laying out new Items and rolling all dice simultaneously.
The game continues in this fashion until one sneaky goblin has all the Items they need to satisfy one of the Offering cards (or the pre-printed space on the Offering mat). There are dice placement rules and Cheats-a-plenty that I did not describe at all, but per the disclaimer, you can back the game or purchase from your favorite board game retailer (naturally, your FLGS). All goblins then tear each other to shreds over jealousy and greed. Ok, I added that last bit myself, but it should go into the rules. Just sayin’.
Components. Again, this is a prototype version of the game and some components may (and probably will) change over the course of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I will comment on what I can here. The physical components themselves are fine for a prototype game. The cards are big tarot cards that are fun to handle. I hope they keep that size. The first player token in this is a green translucent plastic meeple that I’m sure they will be upgrading during the campaign. Similarly, the dice will more than likely see an upgrade (I am totally projecting here, I have no information on any future plans for components). What needs very little upgrading is the art on the cards. The card backs for the Cheat and Item cards feature an excellent logo (I hope) for the game, and the art on the Item cards are clear and really really good. I hope the art style doesn’t change as the art is amazing here. The Cheat cards look good, are clear, and although they feature several different fonts, I was not at all ever turned off by the presentation.
So here are my thoughts. Goblin Teeth is an excellent game of outbidding your opponents, double-think, and Cheating your way to victory! I absolutely adore this game. Without those Cheat cards it would still be decent, but those Cheats are what make this game special. Being able to play as many Cheat cards as you want on your turn, with some of them being good and some bad, but being able to place them on yourself or your opponents is just gold. I cannot wait to see this game go to Kickstarter and just kill it. Seriously, it’s an amusing, frustrating, beautiful game that I cannot wait to own in its full glory. If you enjoy experiences that pit you against your opponents and you find yourself giggling at thwarting their plans, this is the game for you.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated A Wicked Thing (A Wicked Thing, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
My all-time favorite Disney movie (in VCR) – along with Pocahontas and Mulan, to which there are literally zilch retellings to my knowledge – while growing up was <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>. I even reenacted it... for fun and on my own (expected of a four or five year old).
And perhaps it is also one of the most difficult tales to be retold. There's a princess who has a curse placed on her that she would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel before her sixteenth birthday and die – not entirely too much to take a spin on, is there?
No pun intended.
Much as I give props to Rhiannon Thomas for taking <i>Sleeping Beauty</i> on another path, <i>A Wicked Thing</i> is certainly not a book I would enjoy even for the pleasure of reading. In fact, truth be told in maybe a harsh way, <i>A Wicked Thing</i> was funny. And while funny typically means a good thing, I honestly had a field day reading the first three chapters in between chess matches and poking fun at the book (aka making sassy comments that will make no appearance whatsoever in this review aside from a big basket of mozzarella sticks).
<i>A Wicked Thing</i> is almost a sequel to the original <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>. Some time has passed, and then the prince kisses Aurora – all that jazz is pretty much the same aside from maybe happily ever after, to which I won't bother finding out. Perhaps there <i>is</i> a happily ever after by the end of the book – I'm still not going to go and find out because I'm too focused on making it to at least the top 10 in the class now that I'm extremely close to it.
But let's start with the prince kisses Aurora. She wakes up and screams. It probably makes sense to scream when you wake up to a random stranger hovering above your face and actually kissed you. Honestly, a pretty fantastic opening scene – and I'm serious – aside from the part where the "boy" (we don't know he's a prince YET) says, "I did it. I actually did it."
Then I get a sled and start laughing gleefully (read: found it absolutely amusing) while sliding down a hill (read: continuing the book just see how it all plays out because I haven't found reasons to throw this aside yet and then I do).
Prince Rodric, the "boy," is pathetic. The <i>royal family</i>, in my opinion, is a little pathetic and cheesy. Are they actually pathetic? Perhaps not when you really get to know them and perhaps they're marvelous rulers and the people love them oh-so-dearly, but from the little bit of the book that I read and met the royal family, I find myself disappointed. Particularly disappointed in Rodric the princeling because he will obviously make a huge appearance throughout the rest of the book and I've got to at least like the main characters to enjoy the book.
The dear prince blushes <i>at almost every single sentence he speaks to Aurora</i>. I'm pretty sure the amount of blushes will be the equal amount of election commercials soon (Vote for me! Vote for me!).
<blockquote>He stopped and blushed again.</blockquote>
Princeling probably stutters as well, and is most likely a descendant of Romeo.
<blockquote>“I mean, you always look beautiful. But you look especially beautiful tonight. Is what I mean.”</blockquote>
The king is overly cheery, and while there seems to be a probable reason (my son woke up a slumbering princess!), "overly cheery" really means "exuberantly happy-go-lucky."
<blockquote>“Please send out the heralds. A little extra pomp and circumstance, if you please. It is hardly a normal day.”</blockquote>
No... definitely not a normal day. That much I'll agreee with. But isn't celebrating as soon as Aurora wakes up a little overboard? The chick just woke up from a hundred plus years of slumber and everything literally comes crashing down over on her head upside down! I'm not sure Aurora appreciated that – she was quite confuzzled when she woke up (whoa... what's going on here?!) and even protested a little (not that anyone heard her).
Betsy the maid babbles in excitement and is worse than the king.
<blockquote>“I was so honored, Princess, when they asked me to assist you. I never expected it! But then, I never expected you’d be standing here, if you don’t mind me saying. Not that I didn’t think Rodric could be your true love, because of course he’s wonderful, but it always seemed too much like a dream to ever happen while I was here. Things will be amazing, now, you’ll see. Everyone loves you already. How could they not?”</blockquote>
Reasonable babbling of excitement, seeing as she's a humble servant.
But she and everyone else aside from Aurora is also a little naïve with the assumption that everything is going to be fantastic and happily ever after Aurora and Rodric marry, simply based a fairy tale.
Aurora, however, might have been a character that I would actually like had I continued the book. But by that point in the novel, when Rodric and Aurora are first dining together, I was quite cheesed (it was the constant blushing and cheeriness). While I normally feel guilty for throwing a book aside really early, I don't think I feel too guilty in <i>A Wicked Thing's</i> case.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-arc-review-wicked-thing-by-rhiannon-thomas/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
My all-time favorite Disney movie (in VCR) – along with Pocahontas and Mulan, to which there are literally zilch retellings to my knowledge – while growing up was <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>. I even reenacted it... for fun and on my own (expected of a four or five year old).
And perhaps it is also one of the most difficult tales to be retold. There's a princess who has a curse placed on her that she would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel before her sixteenth birthday and die – not entirely too much to take a spin on, is there?
No pun intended.
Much as I give props to Rhiannon Thomas for taking <i>Sleeping Beauty</i> on another path, <i>A Wicked Thing</i> is certainly not a book I would enjoy even for the pleasure of reading. In fact, truth be told in maybe a harsh way, <i>A Wicked Thing</i> was funny. And while funny typically means a good thing, I honestly had a field day reading the first three chapters in between chess matches and poking fun at the book (aka making sassy comments that will make no appearance whatsoever in this review aside from a big basket of mozzarella sticks).
<i>A Wicked Thing</i> is almost a sequel to the original <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>. Some time has passed, and then the prince kisses Aurora – all that jazz is pretty much the same aside from maybe happily ever after, to which I won't bother finding out. Perhaps there <i>is</i> a happily ever after by the end of the book – I'm still not going to go and find out because I'm too focused on making it to at least the top 10 in the class now that I'm extremely close to it.
But let's start with the prince kisses Aurora. She wakes up and screams. It probably makes sense to scream when you wake up to a random stranger hovering above your face and actually kissed you. Honestly, a pretty fantastic opening scene – and I'm serious – aside from the part where the "boy" (we don't know he's a prince YET) says, "I did it. I actually did it."
Then I get a sled and start laughing gleefully (read: found it absolutely amusing) while sliding down a hill (read: continuing the book just see how it all plays out because I haven't found reasons to throw this aside yet and then I do).
Prince Rodric, the "boy," is pathetic. The <i>royal family</i>, in my opinion, is a little pathetic and cheesy. Are they actually pathetic? Perhaps not when you really get to know them and perhaps they're marvelous rulers and the people love them oh-so-dearly, but from the little bit of the book that I read and met the royal family, I find myself disappointed. Particularly disappointed in Rodric the princeling because he will obviously make a huge appearance throughout the rest of the book and I've got to at least like the main characters to enjoy the book.
The dear prince blushes <i>at almost every single sentence he speaks to Aurora</i>. I'm pretty sure the amount of blushes will be the equal amount of election commercials soon (Vote for me! Vote for me!).
<blockquote>He stopped and blushed again.</blockquote>
Princeling probably stutters as well, and is most likely a descendant of Romeo.
<blockquote>“I mean, you always look beautiful. But you look especially beautiful tonight. Is what I mean.”</blockquote>
The king is overly cheery, and while there seems to be a probable reason (my son woke up a slumbering princess!), "overly cheery" really means "exuberantly happy-go-lucky."
<blockquote>“Please send out the heralds. A little extra pomp and circumstance, if you please. It is hardly a normal day.”</blockquote>
No... definitely not a normal day. That much I'll agreee with. But isn't celebrating as soon as Aurora wakes up a little overboard? The chick just woke up from a hundred plus years of slumber and everything literally comes crashing down over on her head upside down! I'm not sure Aurora appreciated that – she was quite confuzzled when she woke up (whoa... what's going on here?!) and even protested a little (not that anyone heard her).
Betsy the maid babbles in excitement and is worse than the king.
<blockquote>“I was so honored, Princess, when they asked me to assist you. I never expected it! But then, I never expected you’d be standing here, if you don’t mind me saying. Not that I didn’t think Rodric could be your true love, because of course he’s wonderful, but it always seemed too much like a dream to ever happen while I was here. Things will be amazing, now, you’ll see. Everyone loves you already. How could they not?”</blockquote>
Reasonable babbling of excitement, seeing as she's a humble servant.
But she and everyone else aside from Aurora is also a little naïve with the assumption that everything is going to be fantastic and happily ever after Aurora and Rodric marry, simply based a fairy tale.
Aurora, however, might have been a character that I would actually like had I continued the book. But by that point in the novel, when Rodric and Aurora are first dining together, I was quite cheesed (it was the constant blushing and cheeriness). While I normally feel guilty for throwing a book aside really early, I don't think I feel too guilty in <i>A Wicked Thing's</i> case.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-arc-review-wicked-thing-by-rhiannon-thomas/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Revived in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I must be the sad opposite corner of book club. NEARLY EVERYONE ELSE LOVED REVIVED AND I DIDN'T.
Oh wait. You guys totally feel my pain... right? At least, when it comes to bestselling novels and what not?
Here's my impression of this year's Gateway Readers Award nominees:
<b>2014-15 GATEWAY READERS AWARD NOMINEES</b>
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks Eh... sounds very romancy.
Croak by Gina Damico I have this book and wasn't able to read it last month. :(
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller Nope.
Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon Consider me very interested.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Completed. Me thinks this is overrated. I'm sure Ella agrees.
Burning Blue by Paul Griffin Meh.
The Night She Disappeared by April Henry Meh.
Every Day by David Levithan Probably as overrated as TFIOS.
Revived by Cat Patrick I'm discussing this in the next few minutes. Go figure.
Starters by Lissa Price NOPE.
Trafficked by Kim Purcell My comment about this made favorite book club moment for one of my friends.
Boy21 by Matthew Quick ha. Ha. HA. Yeah... NO.
Dark Eyes by William Richter Meh.
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons Consider me a tad interested.
Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf Hello? Sophia + Contemporary = No, no, nooo, don't mess with my heart. Yes, that's a song.
I envy the middle schoolers. They have better nominees (Truman Readers Award). :p
I was overly hesitant with reading Revived. I mean, a girl dies at a really young age and became a guinea pig in this program that brings dead people back to life. Great! But honestly, do I care? No... not really. It's like Zach's Lie and Jack's Run with the name changes and "witness protection program" (not necessarily the latter, but it feels like it). It's like Falls the Shadow with the "experiment," and since the idea seems a little similar to that particular book (minus clones. That concept is used in Patrick's The Originals.), I pretty much knew I would be treading on thin ice if I read the book. Very thin ice, because this could go a few ways:
1. It would be absolutely magnifique! As a result, I'll be fangirling with Kahlan and Co.
2. I would find it predictable. But the thing is, most books ARE predictable to me. Lupe and Small Co. warned me of this.
3. WHYYYYY. *wails*
Here's the truth in paragraph format (oh, and technically, the review):
Revived wasn't a waste of my time, but I just don't like the book. I mainly don't like this entire analogy of "God" and "Jesus" and "Converts" and "Disciples" being used. I just don't. I get the analogy I mean, only someone as divine as God can actually bring back the "dead." Really, it's as bad as learning about the Puritans an absolute nightmare (even though Honors American Literature tests are the only reasons WHY my grade is climbing quickly). Plus, I try to tread very carefully with these topics.
I also found Revived pretty predictable. By page 88, there were two sentences that pretty much gave the entire plot away:
<blockquote>If God says we move, there's nothing Mason can do about it. If God says we move, we move.</blockquote>
Tell me that doesn't make you ask questions. The first comment I had? So basically if God says you die, you die? In treading very carefully on delicate topics, yes, this is true. In relation to the book, this so called God is what? A person! Tell me if you would actually be willing to die for a random stranger who you a) have no clue WHO it actually is, b) WHAT he looks like, and c) doesn't he sound like a person with an over-inflated ego?
I honestly didn't like the way the story would actually go from then on out. My second point bull's eye was the newspaper article Daisy shows Matt about what really happened to her and 20 others:
<blockquote> after a Brown Academy bus drove over Highway 13 bridge and plummeted into icy...</blockquote>
Heh. Sounds fishy. One does not simply drive over a highway bridge and "plummet" into a lake. True, true, there may have been a patch of ice, but here's the thing: snow plowers usually plow and salt highways first. So the chances of a bus just "driving" over a highway bridge sounds quite fishy unless it was done on purpose... by "God." Or, the bus driver was suicidal. But why kill a bunch of little kids?
Add to the fact that "police have not determined the cause of the collision..." Had there really been a patch of ice, it wouldn't just simply disappear right away. Or would it?
Finally, I don't get the end. Not really. I see some loopholes to the end here. What if Matt accidentally calls Daisy by her real name and not what everyone else knows her to be? (There was also one more question, but I can't post it without giving away HUGE spoilers.) I would actually love to see a second epilogue in regards to this to be honest.
But really. Had I been screeching about WHY I wasted my time, this wouldn't be called, "Review: Revived by Cat Patrick."
-------------------------
Original Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/10/review-revived-by-cat-patrick.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
Oh wait. You guys totally feel my pain... right? At least, when it comes to bestselling novels and what not?
Here's my impression of this year's Gateway Readers Award nominees:
<b>2014-15 GATEWAY READERS AWARD NOMINEES</b>
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks Eh... sounds very romancy.
Croak by Gina Damico I have this book and wasn't able to read it last month. :(
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller Nope.
Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon Consider me very interested.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Completed. Me thinks this is overrated. I'm sure Ella agrees.
Burning Blue by Paul Griffin Meh.
The Night She Disappeared by April Henry Meh.
Every Day by David Levithan Probably as overrated as TFIOS.
Revived by Cat Patrick I'm discussing this in the next few minutes. Go figure.
Starters by Lissa Price NOPE.
Trafficked by Kim Purcell My comment about this made favorite book club moment for one of my friends.
Boy21 by Matthew Quick ha. Ha. HA. Yeah... NO.
Dark Eyes by William Richter Meh.
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons Consider me a tad interested.
Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf Hello? Sophia + Contemporary = No, no, nooo, don't mess with my heart. Yes, that's a song.
I envy the middle schoolers. They have better nominees (Truman Readers Award). :p
I was overly hesitant with reading Revived. I mean, a girl dies at a really young age and became a guinea pig in this program that brings dead people back to life. Great! But honestly, do I care? No... not really. It's like Zach's Lie and Jack's Run with the name changes and "witness protection program" (not necessarily the latter, but it feels like it). It's like Falls the Shadow with the "experiment," and since the idea seems a little similar to that particular book (minus clones. That concept is used in Patrick's The Originals.), I pretty much knew I would be treading on thin ice if I read the book. Very thin ice, because this could go a few ways:
1. It would be absolutely magnifique! As a result, I'll be fangirling with Kahlan and Co.
2. I would find it predictable. But the thing is, most books ARE predictable to me. Lupe and Small Co. warned me of this.
3. WHYYYYY. *wails*
Here's the truth in paragraph format (oh, and technically, the review):
Revived wasn't a waste of my time, but I just don't like the book. I mainly don't like this entire analogy of "God" and "Jesus" and "Converts" and "Disciples" being used. I just don't. I get the analogy I mean, only someone as divine as God can actually bring back the "dead." Really, it's as bad as learning about the Puritans an absolute nightmare (even though Honors American Literature tests are the only reasons WHY my grade is climbing quickly). Plus, I try to tread very carefully with these topics.
I also found Revived pretty predictable. By page 88, there were two sentences that pretty much gave the entire plot away:
<blockquote>If God says we move, there's nothing Mason can do about it. If God says we move, we move.</blockquote>
Tell me that doesn't make you ask questions. The first comment I had? So basically if God says you die, you die? In treading very carefully on delicate topics, yes, this is true. In relation to the book, this so called God is what? A person! Tell me if you would actually be willing to die for a random stranger who you a) have no clue WHO it actually is, b) WHAT he looks like, and c) doesn't he sound like a person with an over-inflated ego?
I honestly didn't like the way the story would actually go from then on out. My second point bull's eye was the newspaper article Daisy shows Matt about what really happened to her and 20 others:
<blockquote> after a Brown Academy bus drove over Highway 13 bridge and plummeted into icy...</blockquote>
Heh. Sounds fishy. One does not simply drive over a highway bridge and "plummet" into a lake. True, true, there may have been a patch of ice, but here's the thing: snow plowers usually plow and salt highways first. So the chances of a bus just "driving" over a highway bridge sounds quite fishy unless it was done on purpose... by "God." Or, the bus driver was suicidal. But why kill a bunch of little kids?
Add to the fact that "police have not determined the cause of the collision..." Had there really been a patch of ice, it wouldn't just simply disappear right away. Or would it?
Finally, I don't get the end. Not really. I see some loopholes to the end here. What if Matt accidentally calls Daisy by her real name and not what everyone else knows her to be? (There was also one more question, but I can't post it without giving away HUGE spoilers.) I would actually love to see a second epilogue in regards to this to be honest.
But really. Had I been screeching about WHY I wasted my time, this wouldn't be called, "Review: Revived by Cat Patrick."
-------------------------
Original Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/10/review-revived-by-cat-patrick.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Faded (The Faded Trilogy, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Faded, was, well, a tad bit boring. The concept's interesting 4 teens are killed and are then bought back to life to help some spirits who are like guardian angels and have been around for almost a hundred years defeat a trio of peeps called The Forces who have been around since 1989. Oh, and it most certainly puts out a new definition of feeling as though someone's watching you.
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gswVIYSfcvM/U4ekIGUabqI/AAAAAAAADWE/McEZ8jexlHQ/s1600/giphy+(3).gif"; height="179" width="320">
I promise you I really don't
The world to me before that time seemed like a utopian society, hence "perfect little town of Fort Everwick." In fact, the story started out boring in the prologue, even though I and possibly many others appreciated the set up so I wasn't confused later. Plus, there wouldn't be any need of a long novella or prequel to everything. Which may or may not result in me wishing to stick my hand through the screen, pull out the book, and throw it at the wall.
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nEbLJxU6kIw/U4ekYLUnVhI/AAAAAAAADWM/INy-VFIulSg/s1600/throwing-book.gif"; height="179" width="320">
The story really didn't catch my attention until the accident happened each scene just seems to enter with a boring start and Faded just didn't click too much with me on the writing. However, after the accident happened, I found the attacks becoming more old each time after the first. It just seemed to be a repeat of the others doors slam shut of their own accord, doors and windows can't be opened, windows shatter, lights flicker on and off before plunging everyone into darkness really, I actually thought Chloe would keep using the same tactic throughout the entire story and then just let it end. Hope was nearly lost until knives decided to start flying. I'm pretty I did a happy dance as well. I know that sounds really weird for me to have hope and start dancing when there are flying knives involved, but that's beside the point.
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mA0fuCk0cxI/U4elybjJ9EI/AAAAAAAADWc/sBKoSXUqc0g/s1600/im-bored-so-bored.gif"; height="151" width="320">
What I also didn't like were the point of views just switching randomly not many signals whatsoever. Perhaps that's just the nature of third person and I'm just so used to seeing first person (has anyone noticed that?). Either way, it was confusing how the author would go from Savannah to Abigail, Logan to Jackson, or anyone else.
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E58aKHQnzK4/U4emA3lXoMI/AAAAAAAADWk/520TrVGPGXE/s1600/giphy+(4).gif"; height="140" width="320">
That said, characters! I thought Hattie was really cute and perky. She was just the sunshine of the entire story and so optimistic while everyone else was either a) serious, b) running for their lives (kidding) or c) oblivious (the majority of the townspeople). Savannah seemed to be a great heroine, but I really can't promise that entirely due to the repeats of the attacks from the Forces. She seems like a really strong heroine with her determination and loyalty especially to her little sister (their relationship is so amazing; most siblings fight in books!) but like I said earlier... not so original attacks.
<blockquote>I was there the day she was born. I was there when she started school. I was there the first time she fell off her bike, and I was the one who picked her up and helped her get back on it. You know why? Because Im her sister. Thats what Im supposed to do. Im supposed to protect her. Its an unwritten rule.</blockquote>
I loved Hunter's charm and the way he used words in front of Savannah. It's as though he's doing a creative *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* towards Savannah.
<blockquote>Hunter: So, how about a date?
Savannah: What?
Hunter: How about a date that is actually in the eighties? I can only find dates that are in the seventies. How about you?
Savannah: You mean the article dates?
Hunter: What did you think I meant?</blockquote>
Perhaps what I really loved the most are the failures after the accident, when Madison, Abigail, Jackson and Savannah have no control over their powers. I actually found those scenes funny I mean, everyone's literally oblivious for the most part especially Operation Scare Keira. ;)
<blockquote>Jackson: But I thought I was invisible.
Madison: Well, you thought wrong because youre clearly not.
Jackson: But Coach Ford didnt yell at me once during practice, so I figured I must be invisible today.
Madison: So the first place you think to test out that theory is in the girls locker room?</blockquote>
That's not the operation, but I did find that pretty funny... :3
While Faded isn't the greatest start in the entire world or made a dent into my favorites, it's certainly memorable with the characters and its uniqueness (ooo, random thought: girl falls in love with a ghost... Phantom of the Opera anyone?). I'm really curious as to how Miles will play out the second book in the trilogy, and hopefully it'll be much different in any attacks there compared to Faded.
-----------------------------
Review copy provided by the author
This review and more posted over at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/07/review-faded-by-chloe-miles.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gswVIYSfcvM/U4ekIGUabqI/AAAAAAAADWE/McEZ8jexlHQ/s1600/giphy+(3).gif"; height="179" width="320">
I promise you I really don't
The world to me before that time seemed like a utopian society, hence "perfect little town of Fort Everwick." In fact, the story started out boring in the prologue, even though I and possibly many others appreciated the set up so I wasn't confused later. Plus, there wouldn't be any need of a long novella or prequel to everything. Which may or may not result in me wishing to stick my hand through the screen, pull out the book, and throw it at the wall.
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nEbLJxU6kIw/U4ekYLUnVhI/AAAAAAAADWM/INy-VFIulSg/s1600/throwing-book.gif"; height="179" width="320">
The story really didn't catch my attention until the accident happened each scene just seems to enter with a boring start and Faded just didn't click too much with me on the writing. However, after the accident happened, I found the attacks becoming more old each time after the first. It just seemed to be a repeat of the others doors slam shut of their own accord, doors and windows can't be opened, windows shatter, lights flicker on and off before plunging everyone into darkness really, I actually thought Chloe would keep using the same tactic throughout the entire story and then just let it end. Hope was nearly lost until knives decided to start flying. I'm pretty I did a happy dance as well. I know that sounds really weird for me to have hope and start dancing when there are flying knives involved, but that's beside the point.
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mA0fuCk0cxI/U4elybjJ9EI/AAAAAAAADWc/sBKoSXUqc0g/s1600/im-bored-so-bored.gif"; height="151" width="320">
What I also didn't like were the point of views just switching randomly not many signals whatsoever. Perhaps that's just the nature of third person and I'm just so used to seeing first person (has anyone noticed that?). Either way, it was confusing how the author would go from Savannah to Abigail, Logan to Jackson, or anyone else.
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E58aKHQnzK4/U4emA3lXoMI/AAAAAAAADWk/520TrVGPGXE/s1600/giphy+(4).gif"; height="140" width="320">
That said, characters! I thought Hattie was really cute and perky. She was just the sunshine of the entire story and so optimistic while everyone else was either a) serious, b) running for their lives (kidding) or c) oblivious (the majority of the townspeople). Savannah seemed to be a great heroine, but I really can't promise that entirely due to the repeats of the attacks from the Forces. She seems like a really strong heroine with her determination and loyalty especially to her little sister (their relationship is so amazing; most siblings fight in books!) but like I said earlier... not so original attacks.
<blockquote>I was there the day she was born. I was there when she started school. I was there the first time she fell off her bike, and I was the one who picked her up and helped her get back on it. You know why? Because Im her sister. Thats what Im supposed to do. Im supposed to protect her. Its an unwritten rule.</blockquote>
I loved Hunter's charm and the way he used words in front of Savannah. It's as though he's doing a creative *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* towards Savannah.
<blockquote>Hunter: So, how about a date?
Savannah: What?
Hunter: How about a date that is actually in the eighties? I can only find dates that are in the seventies. How about you?
Savannah: You mean the article dates?
Hunter: What did you think I meant?</blockquote>
Perhaps what I really loved the most are the failures after the accident, when Madison, Abigail, Jackson and Savannah have no control over their powers. I actually found those scenes funny I mean, everyone's literally oblivious for the most part especially Operation Scare Keira. ;)
<blockquote>Jackson: But I thought I was invisible.
Madison: Well, you thought wrong because youre clearly not.
Jackson: But Coach Ford didnt yell at me once during practice, so I figured I must be invisible today.
Madison: So the first place you think to test out that theory is in the girls locker room?</blockquote>
That's not the operation, but I did find that pretty funny... :3
While Faded isn't the greatest start in the entire world or made a dent into my favorites, it's certainly memorable with the characters and its uniqueness (ooo, random thought: girl falls in love with a ghost... Phantom of the Opera anyone?). I'm really curious as to how Miles will play out the second book in the trilogy, and hopefully it'll be much different in any attacks there compared to Faded.
-----------------------------
Review copy provided by the author
This review and more posted over at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/07/review-faded-by-chloe-miles.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Mitropia in Tabletop Games
Apr 21, 2020
Have you ever had a crush on someone and just wanted to surround them with your presence? Too creepy? Okay, have you ever been at odds with your sworn enemies and learned to settle your differences by transporting yourselves to the plane of the gods to engage in a battle of strategic placement and enveloping in order to determine supremacy? Too specific? Well, the latter is the premise for the game Mitropia.
Mitropia is an area majority game that can end in several fashions. To setup your first game, please use the setup instructions in the rule book to form the playing area. However, the more you play, the more you might like to change it up and try out some wacky board formations. Every player receives a player mat featuring a tribe with different special abilities. They will each also receive the matching colored warrior tokens (and bag if present), cards from the two decks according to the setup in the rules. Each player will place their chieftan (two stacked warrior tokens) on the board. The game is ready to be played!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a near-retail prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I know the final components will be a little different from these shown (upgrades!). Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game – and the rules will certainly be tweaked from this version and the rules we used to play it. You are invited to download the rulebook from the publisher’s website, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign running April 16 – May 17, 2020, purchase it from your FLGS, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
Game play is relatively simple. Players are attempting to score points by occupying and/or surrounding terrain tiles. Some tiles are worth more points than others depending on tribe abilities and other factors. The game ends once there are no more legal plays, all players have passed, or a chieftan has been captured by an opponent. Points are then tallied and a victor is determined.
On a turn, a player will make a “move,” which is a strange term as the player is actually placing out a warrior token. The placement of the warrior is dependent upon a move pattern card that is showing on the player mat, or one from the player’s hand to be discarded. These move cards show where the warrior can be placed (like Onitama‘s movement cards). Move cards can be combined with special action cards to make interesting warrior placement upon the board. Again, the goal of the game is to encompass as much terrain as possible, and surround your opponents to capture their warrior tokens.
In addition to simply placing out new warriors to claim lands and surround opponents, using terrain types to their fullest is a strategy not to be ignored. Wormholes are teleport locations, and mountains are impassable. Using just these features can wreak havoc on unsuspecting opponents. Mountains can especially be brutal when being used as an obstacle to facilitate surrounding enemies. When you play Mitropia be warned: mind the mountains.
Play continues in turns until a win condition or game end condition has been met. The players tally points to declare a victor, and then setup to play again for the player will definitely want to play another.
Components. Again, this is a near-retail prototype copy, so the components are very close to what will be available and in each box upon a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, these components are amazing! I told the publisher the day after receiving the game that I was very impressed with what was packed in the box. Now, I haven’t been able to Tetris the components back in the box and have the cover fit flush since I opened it, but what is inside the box truly is wonderful. The player discs are all nicely-painted wood bits. The player mats, cards, and terrain tiles are all great quality. The art on everything is super stellar, and I just love playing with everything! You know the feeling when you’re playing a game that just has that perfect tactile quality? That’s Mitropia. And this copy isn’t even upgraded!
So here are my thoughts on this beast. I have never played Go, and I’m not really sure I want to after having Mitropia in my hands. I probably will play Go sometime, but I can only picture myself wishing I had been playing Mitropia. There is just something about having special abilities and slight differences that really improves my enjoyment. I love being able to see my turns several rounds in advance, but then having to switch tactics because an opponent has thwarted my evil plan at the last moment. I love being able to sit and think about my plays. I do not suffer from analysis paralysis, and this is a caveat I have for the game – do NOT play with AP-prone opponents. There is a lot going on here and so many options on a turn. AP sufferers can just stare at the board frightened of playing the wrong move or deciding whether or not to play a special ability card. However, I think this is a fantastic game with an excellent theme overlaid. If you are looking for a thematic game of Go that looks beautiful, is colorful instead of boring, allows players to have special powers and abilities, card play similar to the award-winning Onitama, then you certainly owe it to yourself to give a look at Mitropia. Please head over to the Kickstarter campaign that ends May 17, 2020 and check it out to learn even more and see what others are saying about it. I will be guarding my copy like you wouldn’t believe.
Mitropia is an area majority game that can end in several fashions. To setup your first game, please use the setup instructions in the rule book to form the playing area. However, the more you play, the more you might like to change it up and try out some wacky board formations. Every player receives a player mat featuring a tribe with different special abilities. They will each also receive the matching colored warrior tokens (and bag if present), cards from the two decks according to the setup in the rules. Each player will place their chieftan (two stacked warrior tokens) on the board. The game is ready to be played!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a near-retail prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I know the final components will be a little different from these shown (upgrades!). Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game – and the rules will certainly be tweaked from this version and the rules we used to play it. You are invited to download the rulebook from the publisher’s website, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign running April 16 – May 17, 2020, purchase it from your FLGS, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
Game play is relatively simple. Players are attempting to score points by occupying and/or surrounding terrain tiles. Some tiles are worth more points than others depending on tribe abilities and other factors. The game ends once there are no more legal plays, all players have passed, or a chieftan has been captured by an opponent. Points are then tallied and a victor is determined.
On a turn, a player will make a “move,” which is a strange term as the player is actually placing out a warrior token. The placement of the warrior is dependent upon a move pattern card that is showing on the player mat, or one from the player’s hand to be discarded. These move cards show where the warrior can be placed (like Onitama‘s movement cards). Move cards can be combined with special action cards to make interesting warrior placement upon the board. Again, the goal of the game is to encompass as much terrain as possible, and surround your opponents to capture their warrior tokens.
In addition to simply placing out new warriors to claim lands and surround opponents, using terrain types to their fullest is a strategy not to be ignored. Wormholes are teleport locations, and mountains are impassable. Using just these features can wreak havoc on unsuspecting opponents. Mountains can especially be brutal when being used as an obstacle to facilitate surrounding enemies. When you play Mitropia be warned: mind the mountains.
Play continues in turns until a win condition or game end condition has been met. The players tally points to declare a victor, and then setup to play again for the player will definitely want to play another.
Components. Again, this is a near-retail prototype copy, so the components are very close to what will be available and in each box upon a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, these components are amazing! I told the publisher the day after receiving the game that I was very impressed with what was packed in the box. Now, I haven’t been able to Tetris the components back in the box and have the cover fit flush since I opened it, but what is inside the box truly is wonderful. The player discs are all nicely-painted wood bits. The player mats, cards, and terrain tiles are all great quality. The art on everything is super stellar, and I just love playing with everything! You know the feeling when you’re playing a game that just has that perfect tactile quality? That’s Mitropia. And this copy isn’t even upgraded!
So here are my thoughts on this beast. I have never played Go, and I’m not really sure I want to after having Mitropia in my hands. I probably will play Go sometime, but I can only picture myself wishing I had been playing Mitropia. There is just something about having special abilities and slight differences that really improves my enjoyment. I love being able to see my turns several rounds in advance, but then having to switch tactics because an opponent has thwarted my evil plan at the last moment. I love being able to sit and think about my plays. I do not suffer from analysis paralysis, and this is a caveat I have for the game – do NOT play with AP-prone opponents. There is a lot going on here and so many options on a turn. AP sufferers can just stare at the board frightened of playing the wrong move or deciding whether or not to play a special ability card. However, I think this is a fantastic game with an excellent theme overlaid. If you are looking for a thematic game of Go that looks beautiful, is colorful instead of boring, allows players to have special powers and abilities, card play similar to the award-winning Onitama, then you certainly owe it to yourself to give a look at Mitropia. Please head over to the Kickstarter campaign that ends May 17, 2020 and check it out to learn even more and see what others are saying about it. I will be guarding my copy like you wouldn’t believe.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Chained in Books
Sep 10, 2019
As acting high lord of the house of Toustain, it’s Lady Gwendolyn’s job to manage affairs of Dinasdale, and that includes managing her new unruly prisoner, Caden Maignart. Unfortunately it looks like the only way she’ll be able to manage him is to have him chained up in her bedchamber.
After thirty years of peace, tensions are mounting between Daleria and Dinasdale again. After receiving reports of Dalerians massacring a Dinasdale village and Gwen’s brothers vanishing after being attacked, Gwen won’t take any chances with the Dalerian intruders found on Dinasdalian land. But she quickly realizes just throwing them into the dungeon won’t work, not when one of them is willing to stir up as much trouble as he possibly can to be freed. Chaining him up in her bedchamber keeps him secure, but it causes a whole new set of problems. Like how she can’t hide her thoughts and feelings from him. Not to mention the growing attraction she feels towards him, despite him being the enemy and her being engaged to another.
I will say this: Elise Marion can world-build. Like damn! Not only did she bring two completely different cultures to life, but she also wrote intricate histories for both of them. And it is definitely amazing. I love both Dinasdale and Daleria equally even though I think I’d rather live in Daleria. It’s all woods and mountains and women can become knights instead of just marrying for status. And honestly, I like red meat, not fish, which is the main food in Dinasdale. Yeah. Marion can world-build. These feel like real regions instead of fictional ones.
Unfortunately, the world-building choked the story a little bit at the beginning. In the prologue, when the three kings met, I was having trouble just trying to remember who belonged to which country, let alone keeping the reason for their conflict straight. I reread entire passages three times or so before I gave up on matching the names to the countries and points of contentions. Luckily as the story goes on, I could figure it out better.
Another thing that was frustrating was how much this plot relied on slow communication. I mean, if this world had email then not nearly as many people would have been killed. I’m reading the second book now, and that is still the main plot device, which makes me impatient for the characters to get caught up to speed on what’s happening. But hey, it works, right? The dramatic irony was killing me.
Mostly, I really love this story. I mean as soon as I finished the first one I bought the second, which is very rare for me. But I love it a lot. In addition to the seriously realistic world-building, there is also a really great plot full of political corruption and mystery. Even though I don’t think Rowan’s character is at all realistic, I like the story. There’s a lot going on at once. My summary up top doesn’t really do the plot of the book justice, honestly. It’s very hard to explain how intricate the plot really is, so I highly recommend you read it.
And yes, the love story between Caden and Gwen is fantastic. Caden is a really decent guy, even to Gwen despite the fact that he’s chained to her bedroom wall. Despite being the high lord heir for Daleria he’s very just and noble, which is way more than what can be said for King Rowan or Prince Gawain. I mean, I just get angry when I think about those two. And Gwen is a perfect match for him. She’s as headstrong and clever as you can get, not to mention beautiful (and can I just say that I love that she’s not caucasian? Too often romances like these are very monocolored unless it’s really relevant to the plot. The different races is only mentioned as an identifying trait between Dalerian and Dinasdale, but not a point of contention between them. It’s incredibly refreshing).
She is definitely wasted as Gawain’s fiancee. She holds her own really well and unlike other “strong” female heroines I see sometimes in books like these, she’s actually really smart and fierce instead of being just sassy. I mean, she killed three men in the first scene. She rocks. Her family makes me angry, though. How can they expect her to just be married off to Gawain? Her mother is delusional and selfish, so I understand why she wants her daughter to act all ladylike, but her brothers should know better and so should her uncle! It’s really frustrating to see how they want to coddle her and get her out of the way all the time.
Gwen and Caden are fantastic together. I love the chemistry between them and how sweet Caden is to Gwen. The gods know she needs it after her rough handling from Gawain. One thing I didn’t like, however, is how Caden was reluctant to be with Gwen because of her engagement to Gawain. Yeah, I admire the need for loyalty, but when Gwen didn’t want to marry Gawain in the first place, Gawain tried to rape her, and he probably caused the rift between Daleria and Dinasdale, the value of an engagement should probably be meaningless. It’s also frustrating that he kept saying that she belonged to someone else. Like her family, he sees her a little bit like a possession, which was really annoying. I know that probably has nothing to do with her sex. He would probably say the same thing about a guy engaged. But that didn’t stop me from disliking him a little bit.
After thirty years of peace, tensions are mounting between Daleria and Dinasdale again. After receiving reports of Dalerians massacring a Dinasdale village and Gwen’s brothers vanishing after being attacked, Gwen won’t take any chances with the Dalerian intruders found on Dinasdalian land. But she quickly realizes just throwing them into the dungeon won’t work, not when one of them is willing to stir up as much trouble as he possibly can to be freed. Chaining him up in her bedchamber keeps him secure, but it causes a whole new set of problems. Like how she can’t hide her thoughts and feelings from him. Not to mention the growing attraction she feels towards him, despite him being the enemy and her being engaged to another.
I will say this: Elise Marion can world-build. Like damn! Not only did she bring two completely different cultures to life, but she also wrote intricate histories for both of them. And it is definitely amazing. I love both Dinasdale and Daleria equally even though I think I’d rather live in Daleria. It’s all woods and mountains and women can become knights instead of just marrying for status. And honestly, I like red meat, not fish, which is the main food in Dinasdale. Yeah. Marion can world-build. These feel like real regions instead of fictional ones.
Unfortunately, the world-building choked the story a little bit at the beginning. In the prologue, when the three kings met, I was having trouble just trying to remember who belonged to which country, let alone keeping the reason for their conflict straight. I reread entire passages three times or so before I gave up on matching the names to the countries and points of contentions. Luckily as the story goes on, I could figure it out better.
Another thing that was frustrating was how much this plot relied on slow communication. I mean, if this world had email then not nearly as many people would have been killed. I’m reading the second book now, and that is still the main plot device, which makes me impatient for the characters to get caught up to speed on what’s happening. But hey, it works, right? The dramatic irony was killing me.
Mostly, I really love this story. I mean as soon as I finished the first one I bought the second, which is very rare for me. But I love it a lot. In addition to the seriously realistic world-building, there is also a really great plot full of political corruption and mystery. Even though I don’t think Rowan’s character is at all realistic, I like the story. There’s a lot going on at once. My summary up top doesn’t really do the plot of the book justice, honestly. It’s very hard to explain how intricate the plot really is, so I highly recommend you read it.
And yes, the love story between Caden and Gwen is fantastic. Caden is a really decent guy, even to Gwen despite the fact that he’s chained to her bedroom wall. Despite being the high lord heir for Daleria he’s very just and noble, which is way more than what can be said for King Rowan or Prince Gawain. I mean, I just get angry when I think about those two. And Gwen is a perfect match for him. She’s as headstrong and clever as you can get, not to mention beautiful (and can I just say that I love that she’s not caucasian? Too often romances like these are very monocolored unless it’s really relevant to the plot. The different races is only mentioned as an identifying trait between Dalerian and Dinasdale, but not a point of contention between them. It’s incredibly refreshing).
She is definitely wasted as Gawain’s fiancee. She holds her own really well and unlike other “strong” female heroines I see sometimes in books like these, she’s actually really smart and fierce instead of being just sassy. I mean, she killed three men in the first scene. She rocks. Her family makes me angry, though. How can they expect her to just be married off to Gawain? Her mother is delusional and selfish, so I understand why she wants her daughter to act all ladylike, but her brothers should know better and so should her uncle! It’s really frustrating to see how they want to coddle her and get her out of the way all the time.
Gwen and Caden are fantastic together. I love the chemistry between them and how sweet Caden is to Gwen. The gods know she needs it after her rough handling from Gawain. One thing I didn’t like, however, is how Caden was reluctant to be with Gwen because of her engagement to Gawain. Yeah, I admire the need for loyalty, but when Gwen didn’t want to marry Gawain in the first place, Gawain tried to rape her, and he probably caused the rift between Daleria and Dinasdale, the value of an engagement should probably be meaningless. It’s also frustrating that he kept saying that she belonged to someone else. Like her family, he sees her a little bit like a possession, which was really annoying. I know that probably has nothing to do with her sex. He would probably say the same thing about a guy engaged. But that didn’t stop me from disliking him a little bit.
HerCrazyReviews (247 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books
Aug 24, 2019
Marketed As A Mystery But It Isn't (2 more)
Unhealthy Friendships
Unsatisfactory Ending
Mental Illness Representation But No Mystery
Contains spoilers, click to show
As a casual fan who has watched a few of John Green’s YouTube videos and read a few books of his, I can honestly say he seems like such a genuinely honest and funny person. Plus, I have read a book or two of his in the past (Example: Paper Towns) and while I did enjoy this book there were quite a few things that made me stray away from a five or even four-star review.
The first thing that I felt was a let down in this novel was the fact that the book was actually not a mystery novel but instead dealt with more of Aza’s own anxiety. While I do love the fact that the book dealt with the topic of anxiety and mental illness in what I felt like was a realistic way I am disappointed that there was not as much mystery. To me, it seemed like the book was marketed around the fact that Aza was trying to solve the mystery of Russell Pickett and where he went. I incorrectly assumed that this novel would be some kind of Scooby-Doo mystery. We did see the characters wonder about Mr. Pickett’s “magical” escape and we did get an ending where everything was wrapped up and solved but it didn’t seem like the characters worked that hard towards it and the book was more about Aza’s own self-realization.
Speaking (or technically typing) about Aza’s struggle with anxiety and mental health I felt like the book did a good job of realistically representing the struggles and many difficulties people experience. I will say that I have personally never had a problem with mental illness and while I do have people I love and care for go through it my experiences are mainly from trying to help them. Therefore, I am not necessarily an accurate source when it comes to the reality of mental illness. I am able to see what my loved ones experience but those are on two different scales.
The simple fact is there is nothing pretty about struggling with mental illness. No matter how hard people try no one is able to always able to stay above the rainbow. Everyone has their bad days and Aza’s experiences, while cringe-worthy in some cases (Ex: digging into her fingernail and swallowing hand sanitizer) is the reality for many people.
While I am pleased by the fact that this book dealt with mental illness and the struggles that come along with it there are a few things that I am disappointed by besides the let down on the mystery front. Overall, the ending was not satisfying. While yes, we were able to see Aza grow and confront the fact that she will always have bad days and good days I felt like certain endings or wrap-ups were not satisfactory. One huge thing I felt strongly about was Aza’s relationships. With Daisy, her best friend, we eventually find out she has been writing about Aza in her fanfiction. But that isn’t the issue. The issue is that Daisy finally exposes her true feelings about her best friend. Turns out Daisy more or less has a lot of bottled up issues resolving Aza and reading Aza’s reaction to this is simply heartbreaking. I also felt that the ending where they simply go back to being friends was not good enough for me. If I found out one of my best friends had been writing hurtful things about me behind my back I would, of course, do what Aza did and confront them but I also do not think I could go back to being friends. Friendships are based on trust and respect for one another and Daisy was not being a true friend.
Now that I have gotten through my thoughts and let downs of the novel there were redeeming qualities. As mentioned above I am a huge fan of representation from several different areas such as mental health as is represented in this novel. This book gave representation to people who on a regular basis may not receive the care they are entitled to or feel like they are alone in the world. This book gives these people ownage and that is a truly beautiful thing. John Green, I believe, wrote this based on his own experiences with anxiety (though obviously, it is not his exact account) and I, therefore, feel like this is a fairly accurate source to read when wondering about the realities of anxiety. Now, I know this book is fiction but I personally feel like it did a great job on that front, which is what I believe John Green was aiming for.
Would I Recommend It?: Maybe. I do enjoy certain aspects of this book such as the amazing representation of mental illness such as OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and anxiety. Not to mention I truly loved the mentions of fanfiction. However, there were a few bits here and there that made my rating decrease down to three-stars. One of the main things was the fact that the book, from my point of view, appeared to be marketed with the mystery factor and while it was solved the solution was a letdown and the book wasn’t truly focused on the mystery. Plus, Aza’s relationships with her friends seemed to be unhealthy and the last chapter or two of the book did not hold a satisfactory ending for me.
The first thing that I felt was a let down in this novel was the fact that the book was actually not a mystery novel but instead dealt with more of Aza’s own anxiety. While I do love the fact that the book dealt with the topic of anxiety and mental illness in what I felt like was a realistic way I am disappointed that there was not as much mystery. To me, it seemed like the book was marketed around the fact that Aza was trying to solve the mystery of Russell Pickett and where he went. I incorrectly assumed that this novel would be some kind of Scooby-Doo mystery. We did see the characters wonder about Mr. Pickett’s “magical” escape and we did get an ending where everything was wrapped up and solved but it didn’t seem like the characters worked that hard towards it and the book was more about Aza’s own self-realization.
Speaking (or technically typing) about Aza’s struggle with anxiety and mental health I felt like the book did a good job of realistically representing the struggles and many difficulties people experience. I will say that I have personally never had a problem with mental illness and while I do have people I love and care for go through it my experiences are mainly from trying to help them. Therefore, I am not necessarily an accurate source when it comes to the reality of mental illness. I am able to see what my loved ones experience but those are on two different scales.
The simple fact is there is nothing pretty about struggling with mental illness. No matter how hard people try no one is able to always able to stay above the rainbow. Everyone has their bad days and Aza’s experiences, while cringe-worthy in some cases (Ex: digging into her fingernail and swallowing hand sanitizer) is the reality for many people.
While I am pleased by the fact that this book dealt with mental illness and the struggles that come along with it there are a few things that I am disappointed by besides the let down on the mystery front. Overall, the ending was not satisfying. While yes, we were able to see Aza grow and confront the fact that she will always have bad days and good days I felt like certain endings or wrap-ups were not satisfactory. One huge thing I felt strongly about was Aza’s relationships. With Daisy, her best friend, we eventually find out she has been writing about Aza in her fanfiction. But that isn’t the issue. The issue is that Daisy finally exposes her true feelings about her best friend. Turns out Daisy more or less has a lot of bottled up issues resolving Aza and reading Aza’s reaction to this is simply heartbreaking. I also felt that the ending where they simply go back to being friends was not good enough for me. If I found out one of my best friends had been writing hurtful things about me behind my back I would, of course, do what Aza did and confront them but I also do not think I could go back to being friends. Friendships are based on trust and respect for one another and Daisy was not being a true friend.
Now that I have gotten through my thoughts and let downs of the novel there were redeeming qualities. As mentioned above I am a huge fan of representation from several different areas such as mental health as is represented in this novel. This book gave representation to people who on a regular basis may not receive the care they are entitled to or feel like they are alone in the world. This book gives these people ownage and that is a truly beautiful thing. John Green, I believe, wrote this based on his own experiences with anxiety (though obviously, it is not his exact account) and I, therefore, feel like this is a fairly accurate source to read when wondering about the realities of anxiety. Now, I know this book is fiction but I personally feel like it did a great job on that front, which is what I believe John Green was aiming for.
Would I Recommend It?: Maybe. I do enjoy certain aspects of this book such as the amazing representation of mental illness such as OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and anxiety. Not to mention I truly loved the mentions of fanfiction. However, there were a few bits here and there that made my rating decrease down to three-stars. One of the main things was the fact that the book, from my point of view, appeared to be marketed with the mystery factor and while it was solved the solution was a letdown and the book wasn’t truly focused on the mystery. Plus, Aza’s relationships with her friends seemed to be unhealthy and the last chapter or two of the book did not hold a satisfactory ending for me.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Hidden Beach in Books
Aug 3, 2020
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I had the most amazing opportunity this month! Thanks to the team at Tandem Collective UK, I participated in a #Readalong on Instagram for The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan. The book is published by the amazing team at Pan Macmillan.
And I can immediately say - this experience was, so far, the highlight of my reading year!
Together with a number of amazing bookstagrammers, we read this book in 5 days, chatting about the plot twists and the ending. By the end of the second day, we were all in love with Karen Swan's writing and decided to do another read along for August. I also had the chance to participate in a Live Q&A session with Karen Swan herself and win a prize for being a runner-up to the quiz. And on top of everything, I visited my mum on the weekend, and we talked about books we're reading. And to my surprise, she owns FOUR books of Karen Swan already! So we decided to swap some books, and I came home with four more books I want to read!
We will be reading The Greek Escape by Karen Swan in August - so please shout if you have this book and want to join us!
I shared my readalong journey on my Instagram, and the highlights are still up, in case you want to have a look at my journey! I always share posts and stories of the books I am currently reading - so don't forget to follow for more updates.
<b><i>Synopsis:</i></b>
In the oldest part of Stockholm, Bell Everhurst is working as a nanny for an affluent family. Hanna and Max Von Greyerz are parents to 7 year-old Linus, and 5-year old twins Ellinor and Tilde, and Bell has been with the family for over two years.
One early Spring morning, as she’s rushing out to take the children to school, she answers the phone – and everything changes. A woman from a clinic she’s never heard of asks her to pass on the message that Hanna’s husband is awake.Bell is confused. She clearly just saw Max walking out of the house a few minutes earlier, but the woman mentioned Hanna by name...
When she gets hold of her employer, the truth is revealed: Hanna’s first husband fell into a coma seven years earlier, following a terrible accident. He has been in a Persistent Minimally Conscious State since and there was very little hope of further improvement. But now he’s awake. And life is going to change for them all.
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
I absolutely adored this book! I loved it so much, that I am unsure how to contain all my impressions in a well-written review.
Let's start with the setting.
It is set in Stockholm, on the coast, during summer. The descriptions about the place and the season really fit the mood. There is also a midsummer festival in the book which made me feel as if I was transported there, dancing with people from the town and enjoying the sunshine.
The characters have that aura about them, that makes you want to know them. Or they happen to remind you of someone you know, but you can't just recall where you know them from. They are so familiar, but distant at the same time. Each of them carrying their weight on their shoulders and each of them having their separate story.
We meet Bell - the nanny, who has her own reasons of why she decides to become a nanny and stay in Stockholm longer than she needed to. Her love for the children, especially for Linus is so adorable, and I can understand why she is so protective of him.
<b><i>I felt for Linus.</i></b>
The trauma he is going through in this book is heartbreaking, he's introduced to his real father, but he doesn't remember him. The way some situations are handled also doesn't do him any favours and just contributes to his confusion and anger, and I completely understand him. It is a very difficult situation to be in.
The most intriguing character in this book is definitely the husband that was in coma. Losing seven years of your life is devastating. One day - you have everything, and then you wake up to find out that your wife is with another person, happy, and has more children of her own with another man. And all you want to do is bring them back. Just like it was. Like time never passed. But time did pass. And people continued living...
<b><i>Very emotional read.</i></b>
I had all emotions flowing in me at certain moments. Sometimes I had conflicted opinions about some decisions the characters made. I had suspicions, hopes and anticipated a lot. And I loved it. It ended on a very (for me) satisfying ending, and I got the result I was hoping to get.
<b><i>I definitely recommend you pick up this book straight ahead - it's simply amazing! The perfect summer read with thriller elements, plot twists like you've never seen before and a subtle touch of romance.</i></b>
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I had the most amazing opportunity this month! Thanks to the team at Tandem Collective UK, I participated in a #Readalong on Instagram for The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan. The book is published by the amazing team at Pan Macmillan.
And I can immediately say - this experience was, so far, the highlight of my reading year!
Together with a number of amazing bookstagrammers, we read this book in 5 days, chatting about the plot twists and the ending. By the end of the second day, we were all in love with Karen Swan's writing and decided to do another read along for August. I also had the chance to participate in a Live Q&A session with Karen Swan herself and win a prize for being a runner-up to the quiz. And on top of everything, I visited my mum on the weekend, and we talked about books we're reading. And to my surprise, she owns FOUR books of Karen Swan already! So we decided to swap some books, and I came home with four more books I want to read!
We will be reading The Greek Escape by Karen Swan in August - so please shout if you have this book and want to join us!
I shared my readalong journey on my Instagram, and the highlights are still up, in case you want to have a look at my journey! I always share posts and stories of the books I am currently reading - so don't forget to follow for more updates.
<b><i>Synopsis:</i></b>
In the oldest part of Stockholm, Bell Everhurst is working as a nanny for an affluent family. Hanna and Max Von Greyerz are parents to 7 year-old Linus, and 5-year old twins Ellinor and Tilde, and Bell has been with the family for over two years.
One early Spring morning, as she’s rushing out to take the children to school, she answers the phone – and everything changes. A woman from a clinic she’s never heard of asks her to pass on the message that Hanna’s husband is awake.Bell is confused. She clearly just saw Max walking out of the house a few minutes earlier, but the woman mentioned Hanna by name...
When she gets hold of her employer, the truth is revealed: Hanna’s first husband fell into a coma seven years earlier, following a terrible accident. He has been in a Persistent Minimally Conscious State since and there was very little hope of further improvement. But now he’s awake. And life is going to change for them all.
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
I absolutely adored this book! I loved it so much, that I am unsure how to contain all my impressions in a well-written review.
Let's start with the setting.
It is set in Stockholm, on the coast, during summer. The descriptions about the place and the season really fit the mood. There is also a midsummer festival in the book which made me feel as if I was transported there, dancing with people from the town and enjoying the sunshine.
The characters have that aura about them, that makes you want to know them. Or they happen to remind you of someone you know, but you can't just recall where you know them from. They are so familiar, but distant at the same time. Each of them carrying their weight on their shoulders and each of them having their separate story.
We meet Bell - the nanny, who has her own reasons of why she decides to become a nanny and stay in Stockholm longer than she needed to. Her love for the children, especially for Linus is so adorable, and I can understand why she is so protective of him.
<b><i>I felt for Linus.</i></b>
The trauma he is going through in this book is heartbreaking, he's introduced to his real father, but he doesn't remember him. The way some situations are handled also doesn't do him any favours and just contributes to his confusion and anger, and I completely understand him. It is a very difficult situation to be in.
The most intriguing character in this book is definitely the husband that was in coma. Losing seven years of your life is devastating. One day - you have everything, and then you wake up to find out that your wife is with another person, happy, and has more children of her own with another man. And all you want to do is bring them back. Just like it was. Like time never passed. But time did pass. And people continued living...
<b><i>Very emotional read.</i></b>
I had all emotions flowing in me at certain moments. Sometimes I had conflicted opinions about some decisions the characters made. I had suspicions, hopes and anticipated a lot. And I loved it. It ended on a very (for me) satisfying ending, and I got the result I was hoping to get.
<b><i>I definitely recommend you pick up this book straight ahead - it's simply amazing! The perfect summer read with thriller elements, plot twists like you've never seen before and a subtle touch of romance.</i></b>
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Front Runner (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
Candidate for a downfall.
We can all probably rattle off some of the classics movies with US politics as their backdrop. For me, “All the President’s Men”; “Primary Colors”; and “Frost/Nixon” might make that list. In the next tier down there are many great drama/thrillers – “Miss Sloane“; “The Post“; “The Ides of March”; “The American President”; “JFK” – and even some pretty funny comedies – “Dave” and “My Fellow Americans” for example. It’s actually quite difficult to think of many films on the subject that are outright dire, proving it remains a fertile ground for film-makers.
“The Front Runner” fortunately avoids this last category, but it’s certainly not good enough to make it into the ‘classics’ list either.
A true story.
The film is based on the true-story of US presidential hopeful Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) and if you are NOT aware of the historical background then you might want to skip the rest of this review – and indeed all others – so you can see the film first and let the history come as a surprise to you.
Hart was younger than most candidates: good-looking, floppy-haired and refreshingly matter of fact in his dealings with the public and the press. Any interviews had to be about his politics: not about his family life with wife Lee (Vera Farmiga) and teenage daughter Andrea (Kaitlyn Dever).
Unfortunately, Hart has a weakness for a pretty face (or ten) and his marriage is rocky as a result: “Just don’t embarrass me” is Lee’s one requirement. His “nothing to hide” line to an intelligent Washington Post reporter – AJ Parker (a well cast Mamoudou Athie) – leads to a half-arsed stake-out by Miami Herald reporters and incriminating pictures linking Hart to a Miami pharmaceutical saleswoman Donna Rice (Sara Paxton). As the growing press tsunami rises, and his campaign manager (J.K. Simmons) gets more and more frustrated with him, can his candidacy survive and will his (now very much embarrassed) wife stick by him?
The turns.
Hugh Jackman is perfectly cast here; very believable as the self-centred, self-righteous and stubborn politician. But this central performance is surrounded by a strong team of supporting players. Vera Farmiga is superb as the wounded wife. Sara Paxton is heartbreaking as the intelligent college girl unfairly portrayed as a “slapper” by the media. The scenes between her and Hart-staffer Irene (Molly Ephraim), trying desperately to support her as best she can, are very nicely done. J.K Simmons as campaign manager Bill Dixon is as reliable as ever. And Alfred Molina turns up as the latest film incarnation of The Post’s Ben Bradlee – surely one of the most oft portrayed real-life journalists in film history.
“What did they just say”?
The biggest cause of dissatisfaction I have with the film is with the sound mixing. Was this a deliberate act by director Jason Reitman, to reflect the chaotic nature of political campaigning? Whether it was deliberate or not, much of the film’s dialogue – particularly in the first 30 minutes of the film – is drowned out by background noise. Sometimes I just longed for subtitles!
Just a little bit dull.
The screenplay, by Matt Bai (from his source book), Jay Carson (a Clinton staffer) and director Jason Reitman might align with the history, but the big problem is that the story’s just a little bit dull, particularly by today’s levels of scandal. This suffers the same fate as “House of Cards” (even before the Kevin Spacey allegations) in that the shocking realities of the Trump-era have progressively neutered the shock-factor of the fiction: to the point where it starts to become boring. Here, only once or twice does the screenplay hit a winning beat: for me, it was the scenes between Donna Rice and Irene Kelly and the dramatic press conference towards the end of the film. The rest of the time, the screenplay was perfectly serviceable but nothing spectacular.
When is a politician’s personal life private?
A core tenet of the film is Hart’s view that politics should be about the policies and not about the personality. Looking at the subject nowadays, it’s clearly a ridiculously idealistic viewpoint. Of course it matters. Politicians need to be trusted by their constituents (yeah, like that’s the case in the UK and the US at the moment!) and whether or not they slap their wives around or sleep with farm animals is clearly a material factor in that relationship. But this was clearly not as much the case in the 70’s as it is today, and the suggestion is that the Hart case was a turning point and a wake-up call to politicians around the world. (An interesting article by the Washington Post itself points out that this is also a simplistic view: that Hart should have been well aware of the dangerous game he was playing.)
Fidelity in politics.
Do you think that powerful politicos are driven to infidelity because they are powerful? Or that it is a characteristic of men who have the charisma to become political leaders in the first place? Such was the discussion my wife and I had in the car home after this film. Nature or political nurture? I’m still not sure.
It’s worth pointing out that to this day both Hart and Rice (interestingly, an alleged ex-girlfriend of Eagles front-man Don Henley) stick to their story that they never had sex.
Final thoughts.
The film’s perfectly watchable, has great acting, but is a little bit of a non-event. The end titles came and I thought “OK, that’s that then”…. nothing more. If you’re a fan of this style of historical political film then you probably won’t be disappointed by it; if not, probably best to wait and catch this on the TV.
“The Front Runner” fortunately avoids this last category, but it’s certainly not good enough to make it into the ‘classics’ list either.
A true story.
The film is based on the true-story of US presidential hopeful Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) and if you are NOT aware of the historical background then you might want to skip the rest of this review – and indeed all others – so you can see the film first and let the history come as a surprise to you.
Hart was younger than most candidates: good-looking, floppy-haired and refreshingly matter of fact in his dealings with the public and the press. Any interviews had to be about his politics: not about his family life with wife Lee (Vera Farmiga) and teenage daughter Andrea (Kaitlyn Dever).
Unfortunately, Hart has a weakness for a pretty face (or ten) and his marriage is rocky as a result: “Just don’t embarrass me” is Lee’s one requirement. His “nothing to hide” line to an intelligent Washington Post reporter – AJ Parker (a well cast Mamoudou Athie) – leads to a half-arsed stake-out by Miami Herald reporters and incriminating pictures linking Hart to a Miami pharmaceutical saleswoman Donna Rice (Sara Paxton). As the growing press tsunami rises, and his campaign manager (J.K. Simmons) gets more and more frustrated with him, can his candidacy survive and will his (now very much embarrassed) wife stick by him?
The turns.
Hugh Jackman is perfectly cast here; very believable as the self-centred, self-righteous and stubborn politician. But this central performance is surrounded by a strong team of supporting players. Vera Farmiga is superb as the wounded wife. Sara Paxton is heartbreaking as the intelligent college girl unfairly portrayed as a “slapper” by the media. The scenes between her and Hart-staffer Irene (Molly Ephraim), trying desperately to support her as best she can, are very nicely done. J.K Simmons as campaign manager Bill Dixon is as reliable as ever. And Alfred Molina turns up as the latest film incarnation of The Post’s Ben Bradlee – surely one of the most oft portrayed real-life journalists in film history.
“What did they just say”?
The biggest cause of dissatisfaction I have with the film is with the sound mixing. Was this a deliberate act by director Jason Reitman, to reflect the chaotic nature of political campaigning? Whether it was deliberate or not, much of the film’s dialogue – particularly in the first 30 minutes of the film – is drowned out by background noise. Sometimes I just longed for subtitles!
Just a little bit dull.
The screenplay, by Matt Bai (from his source book), Jay Carson (a Clinton staffer) and director Jason Reitman might align with the history, but the big problem is that the story’s just a little bit dull, particularly by today’s levels of scandal. This suffers the same fate as “House of Cards” (even before the Kevin Spacey allegations) in that the shocking realities of the Trump-era have progressively neutered the shock-factor of the fiction: to the point where it starts to become boring. Here, only once or twice does the screenplay hit a winning beat: for me, it was the scenes between Donna Rice and Irene Kelly and the dramatic press conference towards the end of the film. The rest of the time, the screenplay was perfectly serviceable but nothing spectacular.
When is a politician’s personal life private?
A core tenet of the film is Hart’s view that politics should be about the policies and not about the personality. Looking at the subject nowadays, it’s clearly a ridiculously idealistic viewpoint. Of course it matters. Politicians need to be trusted by their constituents (yeah, like that’s the case in the UK and the US at the moment!) and whether or not they slap their wives around or sleep with farm animals is clearly a material factor in that relationship. But this was clearly not as much the case in the 70’s as it is today, and the suggestion is that the Hart case was a turning point and a wake-up call to politicians around the world. (An interesting article by the Washington Post itself points out that this is also a simplistic view: that Hart should have been well aware of the dangerous game he was playing.)
Fidelity in politics.
Do you think that powerful politicos are driven to infidelity because they are powerful? Or that it is a characteristic of men who have the charisma to become political leaders in the first place? Such was the discussion my wife and I had in the car home after this film. Nature or political nurture? I’m still not sure.
It’s worth pointing out that to this day both Hart and Rice (interestingly, an alleged ex-girlfriend of Eagles front-man Don Henley) stick to their story that they never had sex.
Final thoughts.
The film’s perfectly watchable, has great acting, but is a little bit of a non-event. The end titles came and I thought “OK, that’s that then”…. nothing more. If you’re a fan of this style of historical political film then you probably won’t be disappointed by it; if not, probably best to wait and catch this on the TV.