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Darren (1599 KP) rated 400 Days (2016) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: 400 Days starts with our four main characters Captain Theo (Routh), Emily (Lotz), Cole (Cook) and Bug (Feldman) being put in a social simulation for 400 days to show what it will be like to travel through space over long periods of time. We follow the four as they get put hiccups as the learn to manage them after losing connect to mission control early on but it is dealing with the psychological side of the mission that will test them the most.
When they open the hatch they find themselves questioning what happened but more worrying where they are now.
400 days really seems to be a film that is two different incomplete films, the first half is all psychological but when they leave the hatch it turns into a post-apocalyptic film that never really ends up being dealt with. Each side of the story works well as a single film but both don’t have enough time to really pull off what is really happen. As for the ending it is all left up to you what you think happens which doesn’t help and what happens to two of the character never really gets answered either. This has problems but really could have been great.
Actor Review
Caity Lotz: Emily is the medical officers who is also the former partner of Theo who has to make sure the crew remains sane over the course of the mission as well as keeping the medication up to date. Caity gives us a solid performance but really doesn’t get a chance shine.
Brandon Routh: Theo is the captain of the mission; he has to make the big decision with the information provided by his crew. He doesn’t want to be on the mission and has been on a four-day bender before the mission. Brandon continued to show why he is struggling to live up to the hype he once had early in his career.
Dane Cook: Cole is the engineer on the mission, he is easily the most unpopular on the crew and his cocky attitude leads him to become distant to the rest of the crew. Dane is another actor in this film who hasn’t made much of his career and even with this choice because he tries to do something different.
Ben Feldman: Bug is the brains of the crew making all the hard decisions and is clearly the smartest of the four crew members on the ship. He had to leave his young family behind for the mission which haunts him every day of the mission. Ben does a good job even if he does end up being a very generic character for the genre.
Support Cast: 400 days has a supporting you only see half way through the film but they end up being very generic.
Director Review: Matt Osterman – Matt brings us a great idea that doesn’t quite get pulled off effectively.
Mystery: 400 days keep you guessing what is actually happening to our characters.
Sci-Fi: 400 days puts our character in the experiment which would include space travel and a post-apocalyptic world.
Thriller: 400 days does keep us guessing from start to finish.
Settings: 400 days has two good settings the space ship which creates the isolation and the town the end up in that shocks.
Special Effects: 400 days uses the effects for certain moments but tries to keep everything need to the minimum.
Suggestion: 400 days is one to try, it does have a few flaws but you can see a couple of good points. (Try It)
Best Part: The ideas are good.
Worst Part: Not enough time for each story, both sides could have been short to increase the second one.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes
Overall: Something Missing but good ideas being created.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/11/02/400-days-2015/
When they open the hatch they find themselves questioning what happened but more worrying where they are now.
400 days really seems to be a film that is two different incomplete films, the first half is all psychological but when they leave the hatch it turns into a post-apocalyptic film that never really ends up being dealt with. Each side of the story works well as a single film but both don’t have enough time to really pull off what is really happen. As for the ending it is all left up to you what you think happens which doesn’t help and what happens to two of the character never really gets answered either. This has problems but really could have been great.
Actor Review
Caity Lotz: Emily is the medical officers who is also the former partner of Theo who has to make sure the crew remains sane over the course of the mission as well as keeping the medication up to date. Caity gives us a solid performance but really doesn’t get a chance shine.
Brandon Routh: Theo is the captain of the mission; he has to make the big decision with the information provided by his crew. He doesn’t want to be on the mission and has been on a four-day bender before the mission. Brandon continued to show why he is struggling to live up to the hype he once had early in his career.
Dane Cook: Cole is the engineer on the mission, he is easily the most unpopular on the crew and his cocky attitude leads him to become distant to the rest of the crew. Dane is another actor in this film who hasn’t made much of his career and even with this choice because he tries to do something different.
Ben Feldman: Bug is the brains of the crew making all the hard decisions and is clearly the smartest of the four crew members on the ship. He had to leave his young family behind for the mission which haunts him every day of the mission. Ben does a good job even if he does end up being a very generic character for the genre.
Support Cast: 400 days has a supporting you only see half way through the film but they end up being very generic.
Director Review: Matt Osterman – Matt brings us a great idea that doesn’t quite get pulled off effectively.
Mystery: 400 days keep you guessing what is actually happening to our characters.
Sci-Fi: 400 days puts our character in the experiment which would include space travel and a post-apocalyptic world.
Thriller: 400 days does keep us guessing from start to finish.
Settings: 400 days has two good settings the space ship which creates the isolation and the town the end up in that shocks.
Special Effects: 400 days uses the effects for certain moments but tries to keep everything need to the minimum.
Suggestion: 400 days is one to try, it does have a few flaws but you can see a couple of good points. (Try It)
Best Part: The ideas are good.
Worst Part: Not enough time for each story, both sides could have been short to increase the second one.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes
Overall: Something Missing but good ideas being created.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/11/02/400-days-2015/
Darren (1599 KP) rated American Assassin (2017) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: American Assassin starts as normal American Mitch Rapp (O’Brien) sees his fiancée gunned down by terrorists and himself left for dead, 18 months later he has trained himself to eliminate the men responsible but little does he know that CIA agent Irene Kennedy (Lathan) has been watching his action.
When Kennedy arranges to save Mitch from a certain death, she recruits him for a special section of the CIA working under Stan Hurley (Keaton) who trains agents to go undercover but if caught or killed no one will come for them.
The first mission is to locate nuclear weapon components before former agent Ghost (Kitsch) can use or sell them giving somebody in the world a nuclear bomb that can wipe out millions.
Thoughts on American Assassin
Characters – Mitch Rapp is an American that loses everything at the hands of terrorists, he learns combat and language skills to go undercover in the terrorist cell for revenge, he gets recruited by the CIA where he must learn discipline but this is where he struggles because he always wants to go after the criminal. This character does feel like a young Jack Bauer because of his rule breaking attitude for the right reasons. Stan Hurley is the off the grid trainer who takes Mitch as part of his unit, he gets tired of the Mitch’s lack of discipline but knows he needs him to capture his former student. Irene Kennedy is the deputy director of the CIA, she sees the potential in Mitch forcing Hurley to take him on, but also falls into the standard CIA director figure that will risk their reputation to prove others wrong. Ghost is the former trainee of Hurley that is using all the skills gained to stay one step ahead of him while collecting the nuclear components.
Performances – Dylan O’Brien is an actor that got into the young adult films but this role showed an adult character, showing he could go onto action films without looking like the complete actions star. Michael Keaton looks like he did enjoy the mentoring role while also getting the action role he isn’t known for. Sanaa Lathan is good in her role even if the character is very generic. Taylor Kitsch does seem to be on the recovering his career tour showing everyone just how talented he is in the villainous role.
Story – The story does play out like an origin story for Mitch Rapp in the CIA, we see what motivated him to accept the offer, we see what makes him different from other potential agents. We have the standard level of threat, potential nuclear weapon and a story of needing to learn discipline to become a top agent while keeping his unique traits. This is an easy to watch but could easily be an over the top pilot for a television show.
Action/Thriller – The action starts out brutal with the terrorist attack, we also fall into the car chases, fights and shoot outs which are fun to watch, the final action sequences is just popcorn wow.
Settings – The settings take us on a tour of Europe which is fine and is giving us an iconic location moment, which is easy to locate for us.
Special Effects – The effects in the opening sequence are brutal but then it just becomes by the book stuff.
Scene of the Movie – Speed Boat fight.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – While it started with violent level, it did turn into Jack Bauer origin feeling.
Chances of Sequel: Easily could have one.
Post Credits Scene: No
Final Thoughts – This is an action film that is fun but not one of the greatest of the year.
Overall: Fun action packed blast.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/09/17/american-assassin-2017/
When Kennedy arranges to save Mitch from a certain death, she recruits him for a special section of the CIA working under Stan Hurley (Keaton) who trains agents to go undercover but if caught or killed no one will come for them.
The first mission is to locate nuclear weapon components before former agent Ghost (Kitsch) can use or sell them giving somebody in the world a nuclear bomb that can wipe out millions.
Thoughts on American Assassin
Characters – Mitch Rapp is an American that loses everything at the hands of terrorists, he learns combat and language skills to go undercover in the terrorist cell for revenge, he gets recruited by the CIA where he must learn discipline but this is where he struggles because he always wants to go after the criminal. This character does feel like a young Jack Bauer because of his rule breaking attitude for the right reasons. Stan Hurley is the off the grid trainer who takes Mitch as part of his unit, he gets tired of the Mitch’s lack of discipline but knows he needs him to capture his former student. Irene Kennedy is the deputy director of the CIA, she sees the potential in Mitch forcing Hurley to take him on, but also falls into the standard CIA director figure that will risk their reputation to prove others wrong. Ghost is the former trainee of Hurley that is using all the skills gained to stay one step ahead of him while collecting the nuclear components.
Performances – Dylan O’Brien is an actor that got into the young adult films but this role showed an adult character, showing he could go onto action films without looking like the complete actions star. Michael Keaton looks like he did enjoy the mentoring role while also getting the action role he isn’t known for. Sanaa Lathan is good in her role even if the character is very generic. Taylor Kitsch does seem to be on the recovering his career tour showing everyone just how talented he is in the villainous role.
Story – The story does play out like an origin story for Mitch Rapp in the CIA, we see what motivated him to accept the offer, we see what makes him different from other potential agents. We have the standard level of threat, potential nuclear weapon and a story of needing to learn discipline to become a top agent while keeping his unique traits. This is an easy to watch but could easily be an over the top pilot for a television show.
Action/Thriller – The action starts out brutal with the terrorist attack, we also fall into the car chases, fights and shoot outs which are fun to watch, the final action sequences is just popcorn wow.
Settings – The settings take us on a tour of Europe which is fine and is giving us an iconic location moment, which is easy to locate for us.
Special Effects – The effects in the opening sequence are brutal but then it just becomes by the book stuff.
Scene of the Movie – Speed Boat fight.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – While it started with violent level, it did turn into Jack Bauer origin feeling.
Chances of Sequel: Easily could have one.
Post Credits Scene: No
Final Thoughts – This is an action film that is fun but not one of the greatest of the year.
Overall: Fun action packed blast.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/09/17/american-assassin-2017/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated White Noise (2005) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Ever since the phenomenal success of “The Sixth Sense”, films dealing with the supernatural have been an ever increasing presence at theaters world wide as studios attempt to find the next break out film in the genre to ensure lucrative box office and video returns.
The latest foray into the Supernatural is the new Michael Keaton film White Noise, which is based on the actual study of E.V.P. or Electronic Voice Phenomena which is reputed some paranormal investigators to be the voices of dead people speaking to the living via static in electronic devices.
Although the factuality of this is still a topic of hot debate, as after decades of study, no conclusive finding either way as to the legitimacy of E.V.P. have been found as many people attribute the supposed voices as simply the mind hearing what it wants to hear. Despite this, there are a growing number of groups and organizations worldwide who are dedicated to the study of E.V.P.
The film centers on Jonathan Rivers’s (Michael Keaton), a successful architect who is married to a best selling author Anna (Chandra West). The couple is anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child as Jonathan has a son from a previous marriage and is thrilled to see his family grow
Tragedy sets in when Anna goes missing and eventually is found dead after an apparent accident. Jonathan has his world collapse around him yet and is living in a state of despair. Shortly, a man named Raymond Price (Ian McNeice) comes to Jonathan claiming that he has been receiving messages from Anna from the afterlife. Jonathan is at first dismissive but when he gets calls on his cell that are originating from Anna’s cell number; he visits Raymond and learns about E.V.P.
Jonathan becomes drawn into the study of E.V.P. and soon becomes obsessed with recording voices and images from the afterlife as he is desperate to stay in contact with Anna. All is not well though as Raymond failed to tell Jonathan that there are evil and dangerous entities in the afterlife and they can also use E.V.P. as a way to access and influence the living.
Jonathan also meets a fellow E.V.P user named Sara (Deborah Kara Unger), who like Jonathan becomes involved in a deeper and darker mystery as Jonathan begins to decipher a pattern behind the messages as well as the intentions behind them.
White Noise starts well as a solid mystery and had a few moments where what you imagine is often more intense than what the reality really is. Early in the film there are some good chills and creepy moments as the story unfolds. Roughly ¾ of the way into the film, the tone of the film changes from supernatural thriller to that of a mystery and I suspect that the film will lose many people at this point. The film was working well as a thrill, yet the last ¼ of the film and the conclusion become confused and sporadic as the momentum and flow of the film is lost.
The conclusion was unsatisfying as I was able to see where it was going and based on the very promising first hour of the film, it was sad to see that the film took the easy way out and relied on tired premises instead of continuing to forge ahead with the new premise and take it to what should have been a much better and more logical conclusion.
Keaton does solid work and carries the film very well. It is great to see him back on the big screen as he is a gifted and versatile actor who is capable of handling a wide range of roles.
While not a bad film, White Noise is sunk by the issues with the finale that I mentioned above. That being said, it is an entertaining film that aside from the ending, does generally work and holds the attention of the viewer.
The latest foray into the Supernatural is the new Michael Keaton film White Noise, which is based on the actual study of E.V.P. or Electronic Voice Phenomena which is reputed some paranormal investigators to be the voices of dead people speaking to the living via static in electronic devices.
Although the factuality of this is still a topic of hot debate, as after decades of study, no conclusive finding either way as to the legitimacy of E.V.P. have been found as many people attribute the supposed voices as simply the mind hearing what it wants to hear. Despite this, there are a growing number of groups and organizations worldwide who are dedicated to the study of E.V.P.
The film centers on Jonathan Rivers’s (Michael Keaton), a successful architect who is married to a best selling author Anna (Chandra West). The couple is anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child as Jonathan has a son from a previous marriage and is thrilled to see his family grow
Tragedy sets in when Anna goes missing and eventually is found dead after an apparent accident. Jonathan has his world collapse around him yet and is living in a state of despair. Shortly, a man named Raymond Price (Ian McNeice) comes to Jonathan claiming that he has been receiving messages from Anna from the afterlife. Jonathan is at first dismissive but when he gets calls on his cell that are originating from Anna’s cell number; he visits Raymond and learns about E.V.P.
Jonathan becomes drawn into the study of E.V.P. and soon becomes obsessed with recording voices and images from the afterlife as he is desperate to stay in contact with Anna. All is not well though as Raymond failed to tell Jonathan that there are evil and dangerous entities in the afterlife and they can also use E.V.P. as a way to access and influence the living.
Jonathan also meets a fellow E.V.P user named Sara (Deborah Kara Unger), who like Jonathan becomes involved in a deeper and darker mystery as Jonathan begins to decipher a pattern behind the messages as well as the intentions behind them.
White Noise starts well as a solid mystery and had a few moments where what you imagine is often more intense than what the reality really is. Early in the film there are some good chills and creepy moments as the story unfolds. Roughly ¾ of the way into the film, the tone of the film changes from supernatural thriller to that of a mystery and I suspect that the film will lose many people at this point. The film was working well as a thrill, yet the last ¼ of the film and the conclusion become confused and sporadic as the momentum and flow of the film is lost.
The conclusion was unsatisfying as I was able to see where it was going and based on the very promising first hour of the film, it was sad to see that the film took the easy way out and relied on tired premises instead of continuing to forge ahead with the new premise and take it to what should have been a much better and more logical conclusion.
Keaton does solid work and carries the film very well. It is great to see him back on the big screen as he is a gifted and versatile actor who is capable of handling a wide range of roles.
While not a bad film, White Noise is sunk by the issues with the finale that I mentioned above. That being said, it is an entertaining film that aside from the ending, does generally work and holds the attention of the viewer.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated After.Life (2010) in Movies
Jun 23, 2019
Anna (Christina Ricci) and Paul (Justin Long) have been together for quite some time. Although Anna seems to be pulling away, Paul is still madly in love with her. When his job offers him a promotion that would require him to move, Paul intends to ask Anna to come with him and be his wife. Anna, however, takes his lead-in as a break-up proposal before he can finish and leaves. After getting into a car accident, Anna wakes up in a funeral home where the director Eliot Deacon (Liam Neeson) tries to convince her that she's dead. Anna struggles with whether or not she has passed on and is merely in transition to the afterlife in the hands of a man with an incredible gift or is still alive and being held captive by a a lunatic.
When a film like After.Life is released theatrically, the part of me that loves horror films gets the best of me. It's true that most horror films turn out to be more terrible than you could ever imagine, but are pretty fantastic every once in a while. Fans of the genre live for the times a horror film not only lives up to expectations, but surpasses them. After.Life certainly looked to have potential, but wound up being another mediocre and predictable horror film.
The story is the film's biggest flaw. Although that is probably what will interest people and is what reeled you in (or pushed you away) judging by the trailer. The most interesting aspect of the film can really only go one of two ways. There's a 50/50 chance you already know how it ends. The film attempts to swerve you in a different direction once or twice, but is disproved as soon as the thought crosses your mind that something may happen you weren't expecting. It's like the film didn't wait long enough to let the swerve(s) sink in. Its predictability is too obvious to ignore even if you're somebody who doesn't try to figure out the ending before it happens.
I've always been picky when it comes to the use of CGI in films. Most of the time special effects that are used turn out looking cheap and take you out of the film since it's obvious the actor(s) is standing in front of a green screen and/or reacting to something that isn't there. I see movies to escape reality and it's hard to do that when crummy CGI takes me out of the film. As spectacular as the effects were in Avatar, they set the new standard as far as special effects go. While the special effects in After.Life are minimal, the scene featuring them is probably the weakest in the film.
Justin Long was pretty surprising. Judging by the trailer, his role seemed nearly identical to his role as Clay Dalton in Drag Me To Hell. While his role as Paul is similar, he showed a lot more emotion this time around. Long proved that he has more skill and is more talented than a lot of people (including myself) have ever given him credit for in the past.
After.Life isn't a terrible film, but is disappointing in comparison to what it could have been. Justin Long manages to outshine both Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci while the film's low budget is noticeable in its cheap but minimal use of CGI. While its premise may seem promising, After.Life is just another run of the mill horror/thriller. You do, however, get to see Christina Ricci bare it all for a good portion of the film. So it's not all bad.
When a film like After.Life is released theatrically, the part of me that loves horror films gets the best of me. It's true that most horror films turn out to be more terrible than you could ever imagine, but are pretty fantastic every once in a while. Fans of the genre live for the times a horror film not only lives up to expectations, but surpasses them. After.Life certainly looked to have potential, but wound up being another mediocre and predictable horror film.
The story is the film's biggest flaw. Although that is probably what will interest people and is what reeled you in (or pushed you away) judging by the trailer. The most interesting aspect of the film can really only go one of two ways. There's a 50/50 chance you already know how it ends. The film attempts to swerve you in a different direction once or twice, but is disproved as soon as the thought crosses your mind that something may happen you weren't expecting. It's like the film didn't wait long enough to let the swerve(s) sink in. Its predictability is too obvious to ignore even if you're somebody who doesn't try to figure out the ending before it happens.
I've always been picky when it comes to the use of CGI in films. Most of the time special effects that are used turn out looking cheap and take you out of the film since it's obvious the actor(s) is standing in front of a green screen and/or reacting to something that isn't there. I see movies to escape reality and it's hard to do that when crummy CGI takes me out of the film. As spectacular as the effects were in Avatar, they set the new standard as far as special effects go. While the special effects in After.Life are minimal, the scene featuring them is probably the weakest in the film.
Justin Long was pretty surprising. Judging by the trailer, his role seemed nearly identical to his role as Clay Dalton in Drag Me To Hell. While his role as Paul is similar, he showed a lot more emotion this time around. Long proved that he has more skill and is more talented than a lot of people (including myself) have ever given him credit for in the past.
After.Life isn't a terrible film, but is disappointing in comparison to what it could have been. Justin Long manages to outshine both Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci while the film's low budget is noticeable in its cheap but minimal use of CGI. While its premise may seem promising, After.Life is just another run of the mill horror/thriller. You do, however, get to see Christina Ricci bare it all for a good portion of the film. So it's not all bad.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated You Are Not Alone in Books
Dec 29, 2019
I've been a fan of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen since I read their novel The Wife Between Us as well as their other book An Anonymous Girl. Hendricks and Pekkanen are definitely a force to be reckoned with when it comes to writing. When I was offered a chance to read their new book You Are Not Alone, I didn't even have to think twice about saying yes!
The plot of You Are Not Alone sounded intriguing. Shay Miller is just existing. Through witnessing a tragic event, Shay meets the Moore sisters - Cassandra and Jane who are extremely glamorous. Shay is beyond thrilled to be friends with these two amazing women. However, things aren't always what they seem, and this is what puts Shay's life in immediate danger.
I felt that the world building of You Are Not Alone was done beautifully. The novel takes place in New York, and although I've never been, Hendricks and Pekkanen made me feel like I was instantly transported to that setting every time I started reading. The pacing is a bit up and down throughout the book though. However, this wasn't that fast paced thriller I was expecting it to be. I felt as if there was something missing overall from You Are Not Alone. I felt satiated with Hendricks and Pekkanen's last two novels, but there was something that felt a bit flat in this new novel. I felt as if the big unpredictable plot twist was also missing. Yes, there are a few plot twists throughout You Are Not Alone, but the actual plot twist didn't wow me like in the authors' previous books. Don't get me wrong, You are Not Alone is not a horrible read. In fact, it is quite interesting. I just felt as if Hendricks and Pekkanen rushed through You Are Not Alone. I will say that I admired all the statistics throughout the book. Hendricks and Pekkanen really did their research for this novel, and it shows.
I felt that some of the characters of You Are Not Alone lacked a bit of depth. The main character, Shay, felt a bit too one dimensional at times especially for the majority of the book. However, towards the end, she does become quite the character, and I enjoyed her tenacity to get to the bottom of what was happening. I did enjoy Cassandra and Jane, and I felt like they were fairly fleshed out, but I would have liked a bit more backstory on them such as how they rose to be such prominent adults. I would have liked to know about how they were able to become the perfect manipulators. I enjoyed the character of Daphne, but I would have liked to get to know her more. I would have also liked to read more about Stacey too. Valerie and Amanda were the only ones who felt the realest. They both seemed pretty fleshed out and realistic. I felt like I could relate to Amanda and her thought process.
Trigger warnings for You Are Not Alone include rape and attempted rape (not graphic), alcohol use, manipulation (including gaslighting), some violence, profanity (although not much), murder and attempted murder, and suicide.
Overall, You Are Not Alone is a decent read. Despite its flaws, the book does have some redeeming qualities such as an interesting plot and a fantastic background when it comes to the statistics mentioned in the book. I would still recommend You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen to those aged 17+ who are fans of psychological thrillers.
--
(A special thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eBook of You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The plot of You Are Not Alone sounded intriguing. Shay Miller is just existing. Through witnessing a tragic event, Shay meets the Moore sisters - Cassandra and Jane who are extremely glamorous. Shay is beyond thrilled to be friends with these two amazing women. However, things aren't always what they seem, and this is what puts Shay's life in immediate danger.
I felt that the world building of You Are Not Alone was done beautifully. The novel takes place in New York, and although I've never been, Hendricks and Pekkanen made me feel like I was instantly transported to that setting every time I started reading. The pacing is a bit up and down throughout the book though. However, this wasn't that fast paced thriller I was expecting it to be. I felt as if there was something missing overall from You Are Not Alone. I felt satiated with Hendricks and Pekkanen's last two novels, but there was something that felt a bit flat in this new novel. I felt as if the big unpredictable plot twist was also missing. Yes, there are a few plot twists throughout You Are Not Alone, but the actual plot twist didn't wow me like in the authors' previous books. Don't get me wrong, You are Not Alone is not a horrible read. In fact, it is quite interesting. I just felt as if Hendricks and Pekkanen rushed through You Are Not Alone. I will say that I admired all the statistics throughout the book. Hendricks and Pekkanen really did their research for this novel, and it shows.
I felt that some of the characters of You Are Not Alone lacked a bit of depth. The main character, Shay, felt a bit too one dimensional at times especially for the majority of the book. However, towards the end, she does become quite the character, and I enjoyed her tenacity to get to the bottom of what was happening. I did enjoy Cassandra and Jane, and I felt like they were fairly fleshed out, but I would have liked a bit more backstory on them such as how they rose to be such prominent adults. I would have liked to know about how they were able to become the perfect manipulators. I enjoyed the character of Daphne, but I would have liked to get to know her more. I would have also liked to read more about Stacey too. Valerie and Amanda were the only ones who felt the realest. They both seemed pretty fleshed out and realistic. I felt like I could relate to Amanda and her thought process.
Trigger warnings for You Are Not Alone include rape and attempted rape (not graphic), alcohol use, manipulation (including gaslighting), some violence, profanity (although not much), murder and attempted murder, and suicide.
Overall, You Are Not Alone is a decent read. Despite its flaws, the book does have some redeeming qualities such as an interesting plot and a fantastic background when it comes to the statistics mentioned in the book. I would still recommend You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen to those aged 17+ who are fans of psychological thrillers.
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(A special thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eBook of You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Inferno (2016) in Movies
Jul 15, 2019
Inferno is the latest thriller based on the novels of Dan Brown that follow the fictional character of Robert Langdon who is a world renowned symbologist (study of symbols). Like The DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons before them, Inferno follows mostly the same story arch and structure.
Tom Hanks has reprised his role as Robert Langdon (this time with an appropriate haircut) and once again he travels around to beautiful locations of European art and architecture with a young woman by his side, trying to solve a series of clues in order to stop a billionaire madman who believes humanity is a parasite and his plague inferno is the cure. If this sounds like a film you have seen before, it is because you have. In the other two movies that have come before it
Once again, audiences will enjoy being whisked around to see beautiful cities, art, and architecture to solve historical literary clues as the film plays out like a late middle ages travel lesson. These are all good things.
The bad is that during the first half of the film, Robert Langdon has amnesia due to a blow to the head. He cannot remember much which of what he was doing, which makes him a less compelling character. Throughout the series of films, Langdon has used his “dizzying intellect” to solve clues the brightest minds could not solve. In Inferno, that “super power” is taken away and we are left with an average, middle aged man, who is somehow able to solve impossible puzzles and clues while being chased by seedy underground characters and the world health organization. Who for the purposes of this film, seem to have become the FBI/CIA in one. This setup does not work and makes for a boring first half of the film Eventually Langdon regains his memory and the film picks up a bit from there, but for some it might be too late.
As far as the performances go, Tom Hanks delivers a watchable, likable performance, much to his credit considering that the character of Robert Langdon is a relatively boring protagonist. Meanwhile Ben Foster plays the somewhat forgettable billionaire madman (Bertrand Zobrist) in a somewhat forgettable way. It is a shame because perhaps if we had a chance to understand the nuance of his character, like I assume can be done in the books, he would have felt like a more compelling character and caused us to think if he was to be on the right side of history. Unfortunately, any nuance from the book does not translate well to the film adaptation. But not all is lost. For me, the bright spot of the film was Felicity Jones who plays the gifted doctor Sienna Brooks. Brooks, who in helping Langdon with his injury, gets swept up into game for the fate of the world. In her performance, Felicity Jones shows a transition of her emotional resonance throughout the film as her character develops and we get to understand her more, for better or worse. I am excited to see Jones continue to grow in her career and look forward to seeing her this holiday’s Star Wars Story: Rouge One. She has the ability to carry a film, let’s hope she is given the opportunity to do so.
In the end, Inferno is not a terrible film, but it is not very memorable either. Unlike the two films before it, Robert Langdon is handcuffed by an injury that doesn’t allow him to use his intellect that made him compelling before Couple that with what seems like an inspector gadget plot, where the bad guy leave a series of clues to foil his own master plan, and you end up with a “Meh” film.
Tom Hanks has reprised his role as Robert Langdon (this time with an appropriate haircut) and once again he travels around to beautiful locations of European art and architecture with a young woman by his side, trying to solve a series of clues in order to stop a billionaire madman who believes humanity is a parasite and his plague inferno is the cure. If this sounds like a film you have seen before, it is because you have. In the other two movies that have come before it
Once again, audiences will enjoy being whisked around to see beautiful cities, art, and architecture to solve historical literary clues as the film plays out like a late middle ages travel lesson. These are all good things.
The bad is that during the first half of the film, Robert Langdon has amnesia due to a blow to the head. He cannot remember much which of what he was doing, which makes him a less compelling character. Throughout the series of films, Langdon has used his “dizzying intellect” to solve clues the brightest minds could not solve. In Inferno, that “super power” is taken away and we are left with an average, middle aged man, who is somehow able to solve impossible puzzles and clues while being chased by seedy underground characters and the world health organization. Who for the purposes of this film, seem to have become the FBI/CIA in one. This setup does not work and makes for a boring first half of the film Eventually Langdon regains his memory and the film picks up a bit from there, but for some it might be too late.
As far as the performances go, Tom Hanks delivers a watchable, likable performance, much to his credit considering that the character of Robert Langdon is a relatively boring protagonist. Meanwhile Ben Foster plays the somewhat forgettable billionaire madman (Bertrand Zobrist) in a somewhat forgettable way. It is a shame because perhaps if we had a chance to understand the nuance of his character, like I assume can be done in the books, he would have felt like a more compelling character and caused us to think if he was to be on the right side of history. Unfortunately, any nuance from the book does not translate well to the film adaptation. But not all is lost. For me, the bright spot of the film was Felicity Jones who plays the gifted doctor Sienna Brooks. Brooks, who in helping Langdon with his injury, gets swept up into game for the fate of the world. In her performance, Felicity Jones shows a transition of her emotional resonance throughout the film as her character develops and we get to understand her more, for better or worse. I am excited to see Jones continue to grow in her career and look forward to seeing her this holiday’s Star Wars Story: Rouge One. She has the ability to carry a film, let’s hope she is given the opportunity to do so.
In the end, Inferno is not a terrible film, but it is not very memorable either. Unlike the two films before it, Robert Langdon is handcuffed by an injury that doesn’t allow him to use his intellect that made him compelling before Couple that with what seems like an inspector gadget plot, where the bad guy leave a series of clues to foil his own master plan, and you end up with a “Meh” film.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Curvature (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
If there’s any particular genre i’m particularly keen too, it’s science fiction. Books, movies, television, comics, you name it. I’ve been watching the old school versions of ‘The Twilight Zone’ and ‘The Outer Limits’ since I was like 5 years old (that could explain quite a few things actually). As far as movies? That’s going to lead only to the past, the future, other dimensions, etc. If you had to nail it down even further within the genre of science fiction, I’d have to go right to anything revolving around time travel. That’s where today’s film for your consideration comes in. This one in particular doesn’t seem to be getting the credit it deserves and although it’s a bit rough around the edges, I think it also deserves a shot.
‘Curvature’ is a 2017 science fiction/thriller film (released on February 23rd of this year) written by Brian DeLeeuw and directed by Diego Hallivis. The film stars Lyndsy Fonseca, Noah Bean, Glenn Morshower, Zach Avery, Alex Lanipekun, and Linda Hamilton (yes … THEE Linda Hamilton as in ‘Sarah Conner’).
Helen (Fonseca) is grieving the lose of her husband Wells (Bean) in the aftermath of his suicide. Not long after, Wells’s colleague Tomas (Morshower) seeks her out and asks for her blessing to continue the research project that he and Wells were involved in. Being an engineer and a scientist herself, she agrees and not long after returns to work trying to confront the grief as best she can with the guidance and help of her mentor Florence (Hamilton). Without warning, Helen succumbs to a blackout and awakens several days later. Upon awakening at home, she learns that several days have passed and receives a phone call …. from HERSELF. Helen warns herself to get out of the house as soon as possible as a man in a black BMW is coming to the house to kill her. In the confusion that follows, she manages to barely escape and seek out her friend Alex. What follows is a story of deceit, betrayal, and a conspiracy that goes beyond what Helen could imagine where she can’t trust anyone … not even her future self.
Obviously, i’m biased her being partial to the genre. That being said .. this movie is was, is, and will be excellent. 4 out of 5 stars. What impressed me about the film was how well the writing went with the talent of all the actors involved. My only real complaint, is that I wish they had incorporated more dialogue into the 90 minute movie. It’s almost like they sacrificed time between characters for the special effects which I will say, were absolutely awesome for an independent film. The film fell somewhere between a movie and a television episode as far as the experience. I would’ve preferred it to be one or the other and not in between if that makes any sense. However, I was still blown away by the film and will gladly watch it again and add it to my library at the first opportunity. Not to give too much of the film away, one thing I found unique about this particular time-travel film is how the writer came up with the concept that the nature of the ‘experiment’ allowed for someone to only go back so far into the past between a few hours and a few days limiting how far back you could alter history so-to-speak. The intent wasn’t necessarily to save because too much time had passed … but to ‘stop’. As for the ‘star power of the film’, I saw it as a tip of the hat to other films in the time travel genre. This film definitely deserves a place in the science fiction/time travel library. Take my suggestion and give it a look.
‘Curvature’ is a 2017 science fiction/thriller film (released on February 23rd of this year) written by Brian DeLeeuw and directed by Diego Hallivis. The film stars Lyndsy Fonseca, Noah Bean, Glenn Morshower, Zach Avery, Alex Lanipekun, and Linda Hamilton (yes … THEE Linda Hamilton as in ‘Sarah Conner’).
Helen (Fonseca) is grieving the lose of her husband Wells (Bean) in the aftermath of his suicide. Not long after, Wells’s colleague Tomas (Morshower) seeks her out and asks for her blessing to continue the research project that he and Wells were involved in. Being an engineer and a scientist herself, she agrees and not long after returns to work trying to confront the grief as best she can with the guidance and help of her mentor Florence (Hamilton). Without warning, Helen succumbs to a blackout and awakens several days later. Upon awakening at home, she learns that several days have passed and receives a phone call …. from HERSELF. Helen warns herself to get out of the house as soon as possible as a man in a black BMW is coming to the house to kill her. In the confusion that follows, she manages to barely escape and seek out her friend Alex. What follows is a story of deceit, betrayal, and a conspiracy that goes beyond what Helen could imagine where she can’t trust anyone … not even her future self.
Obviously, i’m biased her being partial to the genre. That being said .. this movie is was, is, and will be excellent. 4 out of 5 stars. What impressed me about the film was how well the writing went with the talent of all the actors involved. My only real complaint, is that I wish they had incorporated more dialogue into the 90 minute movie. It’s almost like they sacrificed time between characters for the special effects which I will say, were absolutely awesome for an independent film. The film fell somewhere between a movie and a television episode as far as the experience. I would’ve preferred it to be one or the other and not in between if that makes any sense. However, I was still blown away by the film and will gladly watch it again and add it to my library at the first opportunity. Not to give too much of the film away, one thing I found unique about this particular time-travel film is how the writer came up with the concept that the nature of the ‘experiment’ allowed for someone to only go back so far into the past between a few hours and a few days limiting how far back you could alter history so-to-speak. The intent wasn’t necessarily to save because too much time had passed … but to ‘stop’. As for the ‘star power of the film’, I saw it as a tip of the hat to other films in the time travel genre. This film definitely deserves a place in the science fiction/time travel library. Take my suggestion and give it a look.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Whickering Place (Legacy of Darkness #2) in Books
Nov 22, 2019
I've been a fan of London Clarke since I read her debut novel Wildfell. I was thrilled when Whickering Place, the second novel in the Legacy of Darkness series, came out. I really enjoyed the first book in the series The Meadows. I must say that Whickering Place really blew me away!
If you're a fan of vampires, ghosts, and a touch of romance, you will love Whickering Place. I'm not going to rehash the synopsis since you will have probably read it yourself, and the synopsis does such a great job at describing this book. Even though I'm not a fan of the whole vampire movement in media, I really did enjoy Whickering Place. The plot was done brilliantly. I very much enjoyed the world building. In fact, I couldn't find one fault with the world building. Clarke does a fantastic job at making sure you're left feeling like you are a bystander amidst all the action. While there is a cliffhanger at the end of Whickering Place, this was done intentionally and will hopefully all will be revealed in the next book in the series.
The pacing was slow for about the first quarter or so of the book as the backstory and plot were being set up. I will admit that I did think about just giving up on Whickering Place, but I'm glad I kept reading because wow, the pacing definitely picked up after that! Once it picked up, there was no going back. I devoured each page. The suspense kept me on my toes! I was heavily invested in the story and all of the characters in Whickering Place.
Each and every character no matter how minor or major was written fantastically! Each character had their own personality, and it felt as if I was reading about a real flesh and blood person instead of just a character in a book. Avery was a great character. I could sort of relate to her agoraphobia. I used to be almost as bad as her. I felt bad for her, and I was always hoping she would get better so she could have more of a life. I kept thinking that Avery and myself could become great friends if she was real. It was almost as if every decision she made was one that I would have made. Pearse was definitely an interesting character. I did feel bad for him when it came to The Colony. I was always hoping he'd be able to get away from them. He seemed like he had a good heart. I also felt bad for Colin when it came to Avery. It was very obvious that he cared deeply for her. Colin definitely came across as a stand up sort of guy! I didn't really care for Maris, not because she was written poorly. She was actually written quite well! She just reminded me of those pretty mean girls I knew back when I was in school. I didn't know what to think of Cassie. I liked Cassie, and I loved her personality and how willing she was to help out, but I was never sure if I could trust her 100 percent.
Trigger warnings for Whickering Place include profanity (there's not a lot though), sexual situations (although these aren't graphic, and there aren't many sexual scenes), murder, attempted murder, alcohol, dealings with the occult, demons, and violence.
Overall, Whickering Place is a thrilling read which such a fantastic set of characters and an intense plot! This is one of those books that even though it starts out slow, it does a fantastic job at pulling you right into its pages and doesn't let you go! I would definitely recommend Whickering Place by London Clarke to everyone aged 17+ who loves getting lost in a good thriller.
If you're a fan of vampires, ghosts, and a touch of romance, you will love Whickering Place. I'm not going to rehash the synopsis since you will have probably read it yourself, and the synopsis does such a great job at describing this book. Even though I'm not a fan of the whole vampire movement in media, I really did enjoy Whickering Place. The plot was done brilliantly. I very much enjoyed the world building. In fact, I couldn't find one fault with the world building. Clarke does a fantastic job at making sure you're left feeling like you are a bystander amidst all the action. While there is a cliffhanger at the end of Whickering Place, this was done intentionally and will hopefully all will be revealed in the next book in the series.
The pacing was slow for about the first quarter or so of the book as the backstory and plot were being set up. I will admit that I did think about just giving up on Whickering Place, but I'm glad I kept reading because wow, the pacing definitely picked up after that! Once it picked up, there was no going back. I devoured each page. The suspense kept me on my toes! I was heavily invested in the story and all of the characters in Whickering Place.
Each and every character no matter how minor or major was written fantastically! Each character had their own personality, and it felt as if I was reading about a real flesh and blood person instead of just a character in a book. Avery was a great character. I could sort of relate to her agoraphobia. I used to be almost as bad as her. I felt bad for her, and I was always hoping she would get better so she could have more of a life. I kept thinking that Avery and myself could become great friends if she was real. It was almost as if every decision she made was one that I would have made. Pearse was definitely an interesting character. I did feel bad for him when it came to The Colony. I was always hoping he'd be able to get away from them. He seemed like he had a good heart. I also felt bad for Colin when it came to Avery. It was very obvious that he cared deeply for her. Colin definitely came across as a stand up sort of guy! I didn't really care for Maris, not because she was written poorly. She was actually written quite well! She just reminded me of those pretty mean girls I knew back when I was in school. I didn't know what to think of Cassie. I liked Cassie, and I loved her personality and how willing she was to help out, but I was never sure if I could trust her 100 percent.
Trigger warnings for Whickering Place include profanity (there's not a lot though), sexual situations (although these aren't graphic, and there aren't many sexual scenes), murder, attempted murder, alcohol, dealings with the occult, demons, and violence.
Overall, Whickering Place is a thrilling read which such a fantastic set of characters and an intense plot! This is one of those books that even though it starts out slow, it does a fantastic job at pulling you right into its pages and doesn't let you go! I would definitely recommend Whickering Place by London Clarke to everyone aged 17+ who loves getting lost in a good thriller.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Jan 23, 2020
All I'd been hearing about Parasite was that it was a masterpiece and amazing, so many people were getting to see previews but of course they were all in London. Then Odeon came to the rescue with their Screen Unseen program so I defected from Cineworld for an evening.
The Kim family are desperately trying to make ends meet, their cramped home is uncomfortable and located in one of the shabbiest districts of Seoul. Things take a turn when the son's friend suggests that he takes over his tutoring job for the daughter of a well off family. Ki-woo doesn't have the qualifications but all he needs is to show confidence, he decides to take the job.
Once he gets to the upscale house opportunities start to present themselves and he sees a chance to set his family up with jobs too. Bringing their mother onboard sets in motion something that no one could have seen coming.
I seriously considered not writing a review for this, please excuse me if it seems a little disjointed but I'm still not entirely convinced that I have a proper conclusion.
Coming out of the film I was a little confused, mainly because apart from hearing about it being a masterpiece I had seen people saying it was a horror... IMDb lists it as "comedy, crime, drama", at least I agree with one of those.
The contrast between rich and poor is shown perfectly throughout, from their homes to the human senses expressed, the way it's all represented on screen solidifies the differences between the two families.
In each home environment we also see it, the sleek versus the chaotic, the clean versus the dirty. The Park's designer home is white, open and ordered, the Kim's is claustrophobic, cluttered and busy. The two are illustrated perfectly on each end of the spectrum and the two overlap briefly when the Kim's briefly take over the Park's home.
I thought the acting was good but I wasn't blown away by anything, potentially more of an issue with the script for me as I wasn't keen on some of the character traits that came out. The divide between the two families is obviously something that carries through to their members, but whereas we might expect the rich to be the villains in a story (and yes, they aren't necessarily the best people in the world) it is in fact the poor that are verging on the bad side of things. It does appear that in this instance money is the corrupting influence on the Kims and they get the taste for the high life. All the actors involved are very strong in helping this come across to the audience.
Beyond this set up I wasn't left with the gushing feeling that many, MANY others were. Maybe this just went over my head, I'm the first to admit that when I go to a movie I turn my brain down. Maybe it was more thinking than I'm willing to put into a film. When films touch a lot of different genres I feel like I have some trouble with then so this could also contribute to my underwhelmed feeling. My instinct coming out was that I wanted it to be a little darker and closer to a thriller than just drama.
After one viewing I would say I wouldn't have chosen to see it again but there's an Unlimited Screening coming I feel like it's worth giving it a second viewing in case I see something I didn't see before, but I'm not sure how much it will change things.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/parasite-movie-review.html
The Kim family are desperately trying to make ends meet, their cramped home is uncomfortable and located in one of the shabbiest districts of Seoul. Things take a turn when the son's friend suggests that he takes over his tutoring job for the daughter of a well off family. Ki-woo doesn't have the qualifications but all he needs is to show confidence, he decides to take the job.
Once he gets to the upscale house opportunities start to present themselves and he sees a chance to set his family up with jobs too. Bringing their mother onboard sets in motion something that no one could have seen coming.
I seriously considered not writing a review for this, please excuse me if it seems a little disjointed but I'm still not entirely convinced that I have a proper conclusion.
Coming out of the film I was a little confused, mainly because apart from hearing about it being a masterpiece I had seen people saying it was a horror... IMDb lists it as "comedy, crime, drama", at least I agree with one of those.
The contrast between rich and poor is shown perfectly throughout, from their homes to the human senses expressed, the way it's all represented on screen solidifies the differences between the two families.
In each home environment we also see it, the sleek versus the chaotic, the clean versus the dirty. The Park's designer home is white, open and ordered, the Kim's is claustrophobic, cluttered and busy. The two are illustrated perfectly on each end of the spectrum and the two overlap briefly when the Kim's briefly take over the Park's home.
I thought the acting was good but I wasn't blown away by anything, potentially more of an issue with the script for me as I wasn't keen on some of the character traits that came out. The divide between the two families is obviously something that carries through to their members, but whereas we might expect the rich to be the villains in a story (and yes, they aren't necessarily the best people in the world) it is in fact the poor that are verging on the bad side of things. It does appear that in this instance money is the corrupting influence on the Kims and they get the taste for the high life. All the actors involved are very strong in helping this come across to the audience.
Beyond this set up I wasn't left with the gushing feeling that many, MANY others were. Maybe this just went over my head, I'm the first to admit that when I go to a movie I turn my brain down. Maybe it was more thinking than I'm willing to put into a film. When films touch a lot of different genres I feel like I have some trouble with then so this could also contribute to my underwhelmed feeling. My instinct coming out was that I wanted it to be a little darker and closer to a thriller than just drama.
After one viewing I would say I wouldn't have chosen to see it again but there's an Unlimited Screening coming I feel like it's worth giving it a second viewing in case I see something I didn't see before, but I'm not sure how much it will change things.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/parasite-movie-review.html
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Catch and Kill : Shadow Operatives Thriller 2 in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Catch and Kill – Shadow Operatives Thriller 2 by J. D. Lasica came recommended to me because of people comparing it to works by Michael Crichton. I am pleased to confirm that all the people comparing the two authors were correct. J. D. Lasica also informed me that I did not need to read the first book to understand this one and that turned out to be true as well. There are not many books that are part of a series that can also be read as a stand-alone. On that same note, this book was so good that I want to go back and read the first book as well.
Action packed right from the start, A woman by the name of Kaden is attacked in an attempted kidnapping at a celebration where she was originally a person of honor. After returning home and finding that it has also been broken into Kaden receives messages from a mysterious man called Bo. Bo wants her help in investigating The Disappearance, and reluctantly Kaden agrees. At the same time on Samana City, a place called Fantasy Live is doing its soft open, and Alex, a reporter for the Axom is doing an undercover story on it.
Fantasy Live uses augmented reality to bring the patron’s deepest fantasies to life, within reason. Alex finds out some disturbing information about Samana City and Fantasy Live and sends word back to Axom. As it turns out Kaden and Bo’s investigation is already leading them to Fantasy Live and they team up with some other Axom employees to infiltrate the island. Things do not go very smooth for them on Samana City. Kaden must trust in her teammates, both familiar and new if they hope to escape. In the process, they are going to try to bring the girls from The Disappearance home and save the world from a surprise bio-warfare that no one is prepared for, but the creator of Fantasy Live is ready to kill to make sure no one interferes.
What I liked best was that the plot line was well thought out. The plans of Incognito and Lucid were explained in a way that made them completely believable. While it does take place in the future the technology used is not that far from what we use every day now. Naturally, I did not like the idea of Lucid and Incognito being missing at the end. However, with this being only the second book in the series I have faith that they will be found. I still do not completely understand how The Disappearance was able to happen without anyone noticing something before it was too late.
Target readers for this book are adults. This is due to the content and topics surrounding sex, forced surrogacy, and human trafficking. People who enjoy action-packed thrillers in a slightly futuristic setting will enjoy this book. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 because I got exactly what I was promised with this book. Each character clearly has their own personality that plays into how they respond to the situations presented. Everything was so believable that it was almost scary to think about how these events could actually happen.
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Action packed right from the start, A woman by the name of Kaden is attacked in an attempted kidnapping at a celebration where she was originally a person of honor. After returning home and finding that it has also been broken into Kaden receives messages from a mysterious man called Bo. Bo wants her help in investigating The Disappearance, and reluctantly Kaden agrees. At the same time on Samana City, a place called Fantasy Live is doing its soft open, and Alex, a reporter for the Axom is doing an undercover story on it.
Fantasy Live uses augmented reality to bring the patron’s deepest fantasies to life, within reason. Alex finds out some disturbing information about Samana City and Fantasy Live and sends word back to Axom. As it turns out Kaden and Bo’s investigation is already leading them to Fantasy Live and they team up with some other Axom employees to infiltrate the island. Things do not go very smooth for them on Samana City. Kaden must trust in her teammates, both familiar and new if they hope to escape. In the process, they are going to try to bring the girls from The Disappearance home and save the world from a surprise bio-warfare that no one is prepared for, but the creator of Fantasy Live is ready to kill to make sure no one interferes.
What I liked best was that the plot line was well thought out. The plans of Incognito and Lucid were explained in a way that made them completely believable. While it does take place in the future the technology used is not that far from what we use every day now. Naturally, I did not like the idea of Lucid and Incognito being missing at the end. However, with this being only the second book in the series I have faith that they will be found. I still do not completely understand how The Disappearance was able to happen without anyone noticing something before it was too late.
Target readers for this book are adults. This is due to the content and topics surrounding sex, forced surrogacy, and human trafficking. People who enjoy action-packed thrillers in a slightly futuristic setting will enjoy this book. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 because I got exactly what I was promised with this book. Each character clearly has their own personality that plays into how they respond to the situations presented. Everything was so believable that it was almost scary to think about how these events could actually happen.
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