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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Other Woman in Books
Jun 5, 2019
When Sophie discovers her husband is having an affair, she sets out to tackle the problem head on and confront his mistress face-to-face, in her own home, so his mistress can see her happy idyllic home life with their teenage children for herself, and perhaps back off. But they get into a tussle and the mistress accidentally gets killed, from then on one disaster after another happens to poor Sophie who is just trying to get rid of the body, but with such a busy household she ends up hiding the dead mistress in the freezer until she has more time to dispose of it. This idea had me thinking of that Fawlty Towers episode where a man dies in his hotel room and Basil ends up hiding him in the laundry basket, instead of doing the sensible, normal thing and owning up.
Although I did read this very fast and strangely have to admit I also thoroughly enjoyed this story, I did have a chuckle at quite a few of the things that happened. The nosy neighbour seemed to be constantly following Sophie around as if she had nothing better to do. The housekeeper who spotted everything going on! The twist at the end (featuring the truth about the mistress and what was really going on with the husband), was totally unexpected, and possibly pulled out of a hat to surprise us. Then the final wrap up session kind of happened far too easily for my liking. It was also a tad unbelievable, too. But hey, the way I looked at it was the husband needed to repent and unleash some of this guilt, and maybe even needed to prove his love for Sophie. Whilst Sophie (it turns out) was most certainly not a woman to be messed with, even though I doubted she realised it at the time until these disasters kept happening to her.
Overall, I did enjoy how fast I read this book, and how it kept me on tenterhooks whipping through the pages eager to get to the end to find out how they were going to round this off without getting caught. Seriously, Sophie was just trying to dispose of a body, and yet everything that could go wrong for her, did go wrong and I was constantly wondering just how was she going to get out of this mess! I also loved the ‘mysterious’ ending, which kind of made everything Sophie tried to avoid, come true and all her past efforts just a waste of time… comeuppance? Karma can be a bitch, even if the whole thing was just one big mistake. Worth a read if you don’t take it too seriously.
Although I did read this very fast and strangely have to admit I also thoroughly enjoyed this story, I did have a chuckle at quite a few of the things that happened. The nosy neighbour seemed to be constantly following Sophie around as if she had nothing better to do. The housekeeper who spotted everything going on! The twist at the end (featuring the truth about the mistress and what was really going on with the husband), was totally unexpected, and possibly pulled out of a hat to surprise us. Then the final wrap up session kind of happened far too easily for my liking. It was also a tad unbelievable, too. But hey, the way I looked at it was the husband needed to repent and unleash some of this guilt, and maybe even needed to prove his love for Sophie. Whilst Sophie (it turns out) was most certainly not a woman to be messed with, even though I doubted she realised it at the time until these disasters kept happening to her.
Overall, I did enjoy how fast I read this book, and how it kept me on tenterhooks whipping through the pages eager to get to the end to find out how they were going to round this off without getting caught. Seriously, Sophie was just trying to dispose of a body, and yet everything that could go wrong for her, did go wrong and I was constantly wondering just how was she going to get out of this mess! I also loved the ‘mysterious’ ending, which kind of made everything Sophie tried to avoid, come true and all her past efforts just a waste of time… comeuppance? Karma can be a bitch, even if the whole thing was just one big mistake. Worth a read if you don’t take it too seriously.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Boss (2016) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Where's the comedy?
Melissa McCarthy is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Her rise to fame has been nothing short of extraordinary, helped in part by her leading roles in The Heat, Spy and of course the hilarious Bridesmaids.
However, each of those examples of comedic brilliance had one thing in common, apart from McCarthy, director Paul Feig. He brings out the very best in the actress and we’ll see if this formula continues to work with the controversial Ghostbusters reboot, released later this year.
For now, McCarthy teams up with director and real-life husband Ben Falcone (Tammy) in The Boss. But does it offer you a laugh a minute?
The Boss follows the fall from grace of Michelle Darnell (McCarthy), one of America’s wealthiest women, and her efforts to get back on top. Her plan? To start a cake-making empire. Alongside her for the ride is long-suffering assistant Claire (Kristen Bell). Side roles are reserved for Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage as Michelle’s rival and Kathy Bates as her mentor.
Unfortunately, the biggest problem The Boss has is one that blights many films nowadays; the best bits have already been shown in the trailer. For an action adventure, this is disappointing, but for a comedy, it’s silver-screen suicide. Having laughed in the pre-release clips already, the rest of the film is as barren as the Sahara when it comes to raising a titter.
That’s a real shame as the film’s plot, whilst hardly ground-breaking, is fundamentally solid and the acting is, Dinklage’s hammy performance aside, decent. McCarthy in particular takes a poor script and injects some much-needed spice into it – a testament to her incredible talents as a comedienne. Bell is on-point and bounces off McCarthy’s presence very well while Kathy Bates provides the film with one of its more memorable scenes, albeit one already used in the trailer.
There’s also a well-choreographed bust-up between two groups of teenage girls that manages to raise a chuckle, but again the majority of it was added to the most recent trailer.
Overall, The Boss is McCarthy’s second true turkey with Tammy being the first, but there’s no blame to be placed on her shoulders here. Michelle Darnell is a cracking character, despite her striking resemblance to Rita from Coronation Street, and is one that deserves far better than a film that’s light on laughs and has to rest on the laurels of its lead star – now that’s just lazy.
Perhaps the next time her husband asks her to star in one of his comedies, she should really, really think about it first.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/06/11/wheres-the-comedy-the-boss-review/
However, each of those examples of comedic brilliance had one thing in common, apart from McCarthy, director Paul Feig. He brings out the very best in the actress and we’ll see if this formula continues to work with the controversial Ghostbusters reboot, released later this year.
For now, McCarthy teams up with director and real-life husband Ben Falcone (Tammy) in The Boss. But does it offer you a laugh a minute?
The Boss follows the fall from grace of Michelle Darnell (McCarthy), one of America’s wealthiest women, and her efforts to get back on top. Her plan? To start a cake-making empire. Alongside her for the ride is long-suffering assistant Claire (Kristen Bell). Side roles are reserved for Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage as Michelle’s rival and Kathy Bates as her mentor.
Unfortunately, the biggest problem The Boss has is one that blights many films nowadays; the best bits have already been shown in the trailer. For an action adventure, this is disappointing, but for a comedy, it’s silver-screen suicide. Having laughed in the pre-release clips already, the rest of the film is as barren as the Sahara when it comes to raising a titter.
That’s a real shame as the film’s plot, whilst hardly ground-breaking, is fundamentally solid and the acting is, Dinklage’s hammy performance aside, decent. McCarthy in particular takes a poor script and injects some much-needed spice into it – a testament to her incredible talents as a comedienne. Bell is on-point and bounces off McCarthy’s presence very well while Kathy Bates provides the film with one of its more memorable scenes, albeit one already used in the trailer.
There’s also a well-choreographed bust-up between two groups of teenage girls that manages to raise a chuckle, but again the majority of it was added to the most recent trailer.
Overall, The Boss is McCarthy’s second true turkey with Tammy being the first, but there’s no blame to be placed on her shoulders here. Michelle Darnell is a cracking character, despite her striking resemblance to Rita from Coronation Street, and is one that deserves far better than a film that’s light on laughs and has to rest on the laurels of its lead star – now that’s just lazy.
Perhaps the next time her husband asks her to star in one of his comedies, she should really, really think about it first.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/06/11/wheres-the-comedy-the-boss-review/
Kyera (8 KP) rated They Both Die At The End in Books
Jan 31, 2018
They Both Die at the End. That tells you exactly what is going to happen in the book, yet you hope the entire time that it won't be true. This book made me so happy and sad. The journey was hopeful despite the dark theme and you really connect with the characters. This was my first Adam Silvera novel and I am definitely interested in reading more of his books now.
I also listened to the audiobook for this, rather than physically reading it. I really enjoyed the two narrators who voiced the main characters, Mateo and Rufus. Both Silvera's words and the narrator's execution made the characters come to life. My one negative for the narration was the women who voiced the supporting characters when the chapters switched to their points of view.
I would have been happy with the story being told from just Mateo and Rufus' points of view. Some of the alternative viewpoints added an interesting note to the story or helped weave seemingly unrelated events and lives together, but I didn't feel that they were all relevant and occasionally took me out of the story.
I felt that the two main characters were very well fleshed out and seemed like teenage boys living out their last day. Mateo's anxiety was unique and nicely represented. I also loved that this was an own voices novel, so there was diversity and representation. The novel completely revolves around these two and it's perfect that way. I also feel that Silvera's side characters were decently developed, you could see that they were each unique people but they weren't so detailed that they took away from Mateo and Rufus' stories.
Honestly, even though you know what's coming the book manages to keep you completely emotionally engaged and on your toes. Right in the beginning of the book one of Rufus' friends starts to cry because he didn't get to hug his best friend. It was so sad, so soon and we hadn't even experienced hundreds of pages of development and heart-string tugging yet. I knew right then that I was in for a book that would have an affect.
I am not entirely sure how I feel about the world-building. The contemporary aspects of it were fantastic and I could completely see each place that the two visited. It was the Death-Cast aspect of it that felt a little flimsy to me. I think that part of the story is the mystery of it, but I do wish we learned more. It one of the few things that I felt could be improved in this book.
I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it if you like character-driven novels and don't mind a good cry at the end..
I also listened to the audiobook for this, rather than physically reading it. I really enjoyed the two narrators who voiced the main characters, Mateo and Rufus. Both Silvera's words and the narrator's execution made the characters come to life. My one negative for the narration was the women who voiced the supporting characters when the chapters switched to their points of view.
I would have been happy with the story being told from just Mateo and Rufus' points of view. Some of the alternative viewpoints added an interesting note to the story or helped weave seemingly unrelated events and lives together, but I didn't feel that they were all relevant and occasionally took me out of the story.
I felt that the two main characters were very well fleshed out and seemed like teenage boys living out their last day. Mateo's anxiety was unique and nicely represented. I also loved that this was an own voices novel, so there was diversity and representation. The novel completely revolves around these two and it's perfect that way. I also feel that Silvera's side characters were decently developed, you could see that they were each unique people but they weren't so detailed that they took away from Mateo and Rufus' stories.
Honestly, even though you know what's coming the book manages to keep you completely emotionally engaged and on your toes. Right in the beginning of the book one of Rufus' friends starts to cry because he didn't get to hug his best friend. It was so sad, so soon and we hadn't even experienced hundreds of pages of development and heart-string tugging yet. I knew right then that I was in for a book that would have an affect.
I am not entirely sure how I feel about the world-building. The contemporary aspects of it were fantastic and I could completely see each place that the two visited. It was the Death-Cast aspect of it that felt a little flimsy to me. I think that part of the story is the mystery of it, but I do wish we learned more. It one of the few things that I felt could be improved in this book.
I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it if you like character-driven novels and don't mind a good cry at the end..
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated This Is Where It Ends in Books
Feb 13, 2018
On a chilly day, the principal of Opportunity High School is giving a speech to her students, kicking off the new semester. The majority of the school is gathered in the auditorium, listening to her speak. As she finishes, they prepare to head to their next class, but the doors are stuck. Then, suddenly, someone begins to shoot.
The book is told from the viewpoint of a handful of kids (four) from Opportunity High and basically unfolds in less than a hour -- the time it takes for a horrific tragedy to fall upon their school and community. We hear from Sylvia and her twin brother Tomas. We also get the perspective of Autumn, Sylvia's best friend, who is struggling with the death of her mother and her abusive father, all the while watching her brother, Tyler, an Opportunity High dropout, drift away from her. Finally, we see things from Claire's perspective; a member of the track team - Claire is outside practicing when the tragedy begins, but worried about her brother Matt, who is inside.
I read this book in a few hours - its short time span makes it terrifying and you want to speed through to find out what happens to these kids. It's an all too horrifying and realistic account of what can happen with school shootings (and beware, some of the descriptions can be very graphic). The interwoven stories of the kids do a good job of telling the story and portraying the strong bond of family and friendship that can exist -- especially at the hyper-sensitive stage of high school, where everything truly does seem like life or death sometimes.
There's an added LGBT angle to this story, which is a nice twist, as it's very natural to the book. The kids' tales, overall, seem true to their voices, but some of the writing is stilted and tough to read (not from the subject matter, but the way it's written). The author overuses the play on words with "opportunity" far too much - it would have been better to just let the story play itself out. We get the parallels - no need to spell them out (over and over and over) for us.
Still, this is a powerful book - it's heartbreakingly lovely, really, and will leave you hoping and praying that no more children *ever* have to go through this experience. It's a worthy read, even if it leaves you hurting, but I would make sure you talk about it in detail with your teens. It's a tough subject matter that needs to be discussed.
(I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
The book is told from the viewpoint of a handful of kids (four) from Opportunity High and basically unfolds in less than a hour -- the time it takes for a horrific tragedy to fall upon their school and community. We hear from Sylvia and her twin brother Tomas. We also get the perspective of Autumn, Sylvia's best friend, who is struggling with the death of her mother and her abusive father, all the while watching her brother, Tyler, an Opportunity High dropout, drift away from her. Finally, we see things from Claire's perspective; a member of the track team - Claire is outside practicing when the tragedy begins, but worried about her brother Matt, who is inside.
I read this book in a few hours - its short time span makes it terrifying and you want to speed through to find out what happens to these kids. It's an all too horrifying and realistic account of what can happen with school shootings (and beware, some of the descriptions can be very graphic). The interwoven stories of the kids do a good job of telling the story and portraying the strong bond of family and friendship that can exist -- especially at the hyper-sensitive stage of high school, where everything truly does seem like life or death sometimes.
There's an added LGBT angle to this story, which is a nice twist, as it's very natural to the book. The kids' tales, overall, seem true to their voices, but some of the writing is stilted and tough to read (not from the subject matter, but the way it's written). The author overuses the play on words with "opportunity" far too much - it would have been better to just let the story play itself out. We get the parallels - no need to spell them out (over and over and over) for us.
Still, this is a powerful book - it's heartbreakingly lovely, really, and will leave you hoping and praying that no more children *ever* have to go through this experience. It's a worthy read, even if it leaves you hurting, but I would make sure you talk about it in detail with your teens. It's a tough subject matter that needs to be discussed.
(I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Late Show (Renée Ballard, #1) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
THE LATE SHOW introduces us to a new character in the Connelly canon: Renee Ballard, a young female detective in the LAPD striving to prove herself. Ballard works the night shift, where she picks up evening cases. But Ballard hates that she never gets to see an investigation to fruition--always turning her cases over to the daytime detectives. So when she is assigned two late shift cases, the shooting of a young female in a nightclub and the horrible beating of a transsexual prostitute, she finagles a way to stay involved with both. This means still working the night shift while--mostly secretly--tracking down leads on her cases during the day. In doing so, Ballard gets caught up in department politics and a case that could lead her to immense danger.
Connelly is just an excellent writer; I love all his books, and I was excited and interested to hear he was creating a new character. I've been in love with his Detective Bosch for years. This novel is basically vintage Connelly with a modern twist, with Ballard being extremely knowledgeable about the night shift and police procedure. Connelly is still clearly up-to-date on the current workings of a police department. At times, you almost forget you're not reading about Bosch and his shenanigans.
But, in saying that, I feel as if I don't give Renee Ballard true justice. She's a wonderful character--a strong, yet damaged female, who is smart and fascinating. It's a pleasure to read about such a complicated individual. Ballard is on the late shift (aka the late show) because she accused a former supervisor of sexual harassment and was subsequently blackballed. Yet she's dedicated to her job, almost to the point of obsession. At times, I was amazed she could get away with some of the stuff she pulled. (Sound like any other Connelly characters we know?)
Nonetheless, Ballard pulls us into an incredibly compelling mystery. It started a tad slow for me, but quickly picks up and remains quite mesmerizing. The cases are well-plotted and exciting, and Connelly gives us peeks into Ballard's personal life, without revealing everything. The novel spends a lot of time focusing on her thoughts and feelings, but is still quite compelling.
Overall, <i>I really enjoyed this one.</i> I'm excited to see Connelly with a new character and look forward to more of Renee Ballard in the future.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justacatandabook/">Instagram</a>; </center>
Connelly is just an excellent writer; I love all his books, and I was excited and interested to hear he was creating a new character. I've been in love with his Detective Bosch for years. This novel is basically vintage Connelly with a modern twist, with Ballard being extremely knowledgeable about the night shift and police procedure. Connelly is still clearly up-to-date on the current workings of a police department. At times, you almost forget you're not reading about Bosch and his shenanigans.
But, in saying that, I feel as if I don't give Renee Ballard true justice. She's a wonderful character--a strong, yet damaged female, who is smart and fascinating. It's a pleasure to read about such a complicated individual. Ballard is on the late shift (aka the late show) because she accused a former supervisor of sexual harassment and was subsequently blackballed. Yet she's dedicated to her job, almost to the point of obsession. At times, I was amazed she could get away with some of the stuff she pulled. (Sound like any other Connelly characters we know?)
Nonetheless, Ballard pulls us into an incredibly compelling mystery. It started a tad slow for me, but quickly picks up and remains quite mesmerizing. The cases are well-plotted and exciting, and Connelly gives us peeks into Ballard's personal life, without revealing everything. The novel spends a lot of time focusing on her thoughts and feelings, but is still quite compelling.
Overall, <i>I really enjoyed this one.</i> I'm excited to see Connelly with a new character and look forward to more of Renee Ballard in the future.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justacatandabook/">Instagram</a>; </center>
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated The Expendables (2010) in Movies
May 30, 2018
Action movies really don't get any better than this.
Contains spoilers, click to show
When I first heard about this film I had really high expectations. Sylvester Stallone writing, directing and starring in an action film. He was trying to bring together some of the greatest stars of action films past and present, it sounded too good to be true. As the months went by I kept hearing rumours as to who was in it. Pretty much every name from action films was mentioned. Then the biggest rumour of them all, it was going to star Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger! Never gonna happen I thought. I was never so glad to be wrong. The scene they appeared in may only be a few minutes long but it was perfect.
I went to see this film the week it came out. The cinema was fairly full, and as the film started I noticed something about the audience, they were loving the movie. As the film continued it started to feel like I was seeing this in my living room with a large group of friends. Everyone was laughing, gasping and really getting into the spirit of the film. This really added something special to the film. I have not experienced this during a normal screening of a film.
The film itself follows a very basic formula, big characters, big explosions, big guns and lots of bad guys dying. But what makes this one stand out from modern action films is it doesn't try to be anything more. It is a throw back to the great action films from the 80's and 90's like Commando, Predator, Die Hard and Rambo: First Blood Part II. Films that are so over the top but so very entertaining.
The cast is an action movie fans wet dream. Action movie legends Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren Gary Daniels and Mickey Rourke star alongside modern day action stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Steve Austin, Randy Couture and Terry Crews. Add to the cast Eric Roberts, David Zayas and Charisma Carpenter and you have probably the greatest cast assembled since Ocean's Eleven was remade in 2001. The cast works well. I always believe that if the cast had a good time making a movie then it will show in their performance. They must have had the time of their lives filming this.
A film like this will never get any major awards (it did win awards for the stunt work), but then again you don't go to see this looking for award winning performances. You go to see this to escape from the reality of life and to just be entertained. I am a major action movie fan and it really doesn't get any better than this.
I went to see this film the week it came out. The cinema was fairly full, and as the film started I noticed something about the audience, they were loving the movie. As the film continued it started to feel like I was seeing this in my living room with a large group of friends. Everyone was laughing, gasping and really getting into the spirit of the film. This really added something special to the film. I have not experienced this during a normal screening of a film.
The film itself follows a very basic formula, big characters, big explosions, big guns and lots of bad guys dying. But what makes this one stand out from modern action films is it doesn't try to be anything more. It is a throw back to the great action films from the 80's and 90's like Commando, Predator, Die Hard and Rambo: First Blood Part II. Films that are so over the top but so very entertaining.
The cast is an action movie fans wet dream. Action movie legends Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren Gary Daniels and Mickey Rourke star alongside modern day action stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Steve Austin, Randy Couture and Terry Crews. Add to the cast Eric Roberts, David Zayas and Charisma Carpenter and you have probably the greatest cast assembled since Ocean's Eleven was remade in 2001. The cast works well. I always believe that if the cast had a good time making a movie then it will show in their performance. They must have had the time of their lives filming this.
A film like this will never get any major awards (it did win awards for the stunt work), but then again you don't go to see this looking for award winning performances. You go to see this to escape from the reality of life and to just be entertained. I am a major action movie fan and it really doesn't get any better than this.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated I'll Be Home for Christmas in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Christmas can be a very difficult time for many people, especially if they are homeless. A selection of well known YA authors including Holly Bourne, Melvin Burgess and Marcus Sedgwick, have come together to produce an anthology of short stories that explore the idea of “home” during this festive period. Only a couple of the tales are about people living on the streets, however that does not mean those with a roof over their head necessarily have a home.
Once published, £1 of every copy of<i> I’ll Be Home for Christmas </i>sold will be donated to the British charity Crisis, an organization that offer their services to individual homeless citizens. They work all year round but advertise more heavily at Christmas. It is their hope that this book will increase awareness of homelessness and result in an increase of generosities this winter.
The fourteen short stories in this anthology all provide a different meaning of the word “home.” For some it is about having somewhere to live, for others it is about family, love and safety. The key connection between each author’s interpretations is the main character is unhappy or worried and does not feel a sense of home. A few tales result in a happy ending; unfortunately others are not fully resolved. Apart from a couple that take a sci-fi/fantasy direction, the authors have tried to keep their narratives as true to life in order to emphasise the problems many people in the UK, if not the world, face at Christmas and the year in general.
Being targeted at a young adult audience, most of the characters are in their late teens, dealing with issues that sadly many teenagers and children are faced with today. The same themes crop up in many of the stories, such as homosexuality, divorce, family or lack of, and the feeling of loneliness.
As stories go, the individual tales are nothing special. They are not exciting or gripping, as you would expect a novel to be, however some of the scenarios will stick with you long after turning the final page. Although set at Christmas time, these stories are not overly festive, largely due to the negativity the characters are facing. Even if you do not particularly enjoy the tales, it will not be a waste of time reading them. They will leave you with a greater awareness to the struggles of others during a time when “home” plays a vital part in people’s lives. Crisis hopes that the general public will become more mindful and willing to help out in the near future.
Christmas can be a very difficult time for many people, especially if they are homeless. A selection of well known YA authors including Holly Bourne, Melvin Burgess and Marcus Sedgwick, have come together to produce an anthology of short stories that explore the idea of “home” during this festive period. Only a couple of the tales are about people living on the streets, however that does not mean those with a roof over their head necessarily have a home.
Once published, £1 of every copy of<i> I’ll Be Home for Christmas </i>sold will be donated to the British charity Crisis, an organization that offer their services to individual homeless citizens. They work all year round but advertise more heavily at Christmas. It is their hope that this book will increase awareness of homelessness and result in an increase of generosities this winter.
The fourteen short stories in this anthology all provide a different meaning of the word “home.” For some it is about having somewhere to live, for others it is about family, love and safety. The key connection between each author’s interpretations is the main character is unhappy or worried and does not feel a sense of home. A few tales result in a happy ending; unfortunately others are not fully resolved. Apart from a couple that take a sci-fi/fantasy direction, the authors have tried to keep their narratives as true to life in order to emphasise the problems many people in the UK, if not the world, face at Christmas and the year in general.
Being targeted at a young adult audience, most of the characters are in their late teens, dealing with issues that sadly many teenagers and children are faced with today. The same themes crop up in many of the stories, such as homosexuality, divorce, family or lack of, and the feeling of loneliness.
As stories go, the individual tales are nothing special. They are not exciting or gripping, as you would expect a novel to be, however some of the scenarios will stick with you long after turning the final page. Although set at Christmas time, these stories are not overly festive, largely due to the negativity the characters are facing. Even if you do not particularly enjoy the tales, it will not be a waste of time reading them. They will leave you with a greater awareness to the struggles of others during a time when “home” plays a vital part in people’s lives. Crisis hopes that the general public will become more mindful and willing to help out in the near future.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Hyacinth Girls in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Hyacinth Girls</i> is the beautifully written debut novel by Lauren Frankel. Rebecca is the guardian of thirteen-year-old Callie who, despite phone calls from school, believes Callie can do no wrong. When Callie is accused of bullying another student, Rebecca easily turns the story around to make Callie the victim.
The story begins with a prologue in which a billboard is being erected featuring Callie’s face and the words “Do you know your children?” This implies that something tragic happens to Callie, but as we read, we question exactly what this is. Was Callie involved with the bullying at school, or was she the one being bullied? Callie has not exactly had an easy life with both her parents dying when she was five, and therefore Rebecca often glosses over the true meanings of Callie’s behaviour, insisting that Callie is acting out of grief.
As well as the question of what happens to Callie, the readers are plagued with many other questions as the story goes on. For example: How did Callie’s mother, Joyce, die? How did her father die? Who is her father? Who is sending Rebecca letters from prison? These queries get answered toward the end of the book thus encouraging readers to continue in order to sate their curiosity.
It is interesting to see how an adult interprets children’s behaviour based upon their own lives and experiences as well as jumping to conclusion about the way the child is feeling. <i>Hyacinth Girls</i> provides both the adult and the child the opportunity to express their point of view. Rebecca begins by trying to understand what Callie is going through, and getting it wrong, as well as introducing the reader to the past and present situation. Callie, on the other hand, reveals the truth.
Although not essentially a young adult novel, Callie’s narrative makes it suitable for teenagers as well as adults. The theme of bullying is something many young people may be familiar with from either being a victim, the cause or a bystander. Parents, on the other hand, will easily relate to Rebecca as she tries to understand her best friends daughter.
Overall <i>Hyacinth Girls</i> is a great book with a very intense theme. It is so realistic that it creates a sense of shock as we realize that there are school children around the world experiencing all the things mentioned within the story. Hopefully this novel will open readers’ eyes and make them more aware of the things they do and how they affect other people.
Hyacinth Girls</i> is the beautifully written debut novel by Lauren Frankel. Rebecca is the guardian of thirteen-year-old Callie who, despite phone calls from school, believes Callie can do no wrong. When Callie is accused of bullying another student, Rebecca easily turns the story around to make Callie the victim.
The story begins with a prologue in which a billboard is being erected featuring Callie’s face and the words “Do you know your children?” This implies that something tragic happens to Callie, but as we read, we question exactly what this is. Was Callie involved with the bullying at school, or was she the one being bullied? Callie has not exactly had an easy life with both her parents dying when she was five, and therefore Rebecca often glosses over the true meanings of Callie’s behaviour, insisting that Callie is acting out of grief.
As well as the question of what happens to Callie, the readers are plagued with many other questions as the story goes on. For example: How did Callie’s mother, Joyce, die? How did her father die? Who is her father? Who is sending Rebecca letters from prison? These queries get answered toward the end of the book thus encouraging readers to continue in order to sate their curiosity.
It is interesting to see how an adult interprets children’s behaviour based upon their own lives and experiences as well as jumping to conclusion about the way the child is feeling. <i>Hyacinth Girls</i> provides both the adult and the child the opportunity to express their point of view. Rebecca begins by trying to understand what Callie is going through, and getting it wrong, as well as introducing the reader to the past and present situation. Callie, on the other hand, reveals the truth.
Although not essentially a young adult novel, Callie’s narrative makes it suitable for teenagers as well as adults. The theme of bullying is something many young people may be familiar with from either being a victim, the cause or a bystander. Parents, on the other hand, will easily relate to Rebecca as she tries to understand her best friends daughter.
Overall <i>Hyacinth Girls</i> is a great book with a very intense theme. It is so realistic that it creates a sense of shock as we realize that there are school children around the world experiencing all the things mentioned within the story. Hopefully this novel will open readers’ eyes and make them more aware of the things they do and how they affect other people.
Louise (64 KP) rated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Books
Jul 2, 2018
The school year is just about to start and once again Harry finds himself back at 4 Privet Drive with the Dursley's. Harry Potter is to attend his second year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry but for some reason a strange house elf named Dobby appears in his bedroom one evening warning him that he cannot go back to school as it is unsafe. This Dobby creature doesn't let Harry know how he has got such information but when Harry doesn't agree to stay away he starts making life even more unbearable with the Dursley's.
Harry's second year at Hogwarts is not all plain and simple as he was hoping, he appears to attract attention from unwanted people...mostly Draco Malfoy. When Students start being petrified into a coma like state and a message informing the 'Chamber of Secrets' has been opened.... Harry, Ron and Hermione take it upon themselves to find the culprit.
There were some new characters introduced in this second edition of Harry Potter, we meet Dobby the house elf, who is trying to persuade Harry not to go to Hogwarts this year. I loved that we got another magical creature into the book and that he was a house elf/servant and explores classes, his relevance in the story is explained as the story progresses. Gilderoy Lockhart is the new professor for the defence against the dark arts, Lockhart is a self obsessed, pompous, egotistical character that is very annoying. Then we have Moaning Myrtle the ghost that haunts the girls toilets, it's in the name really she moans a lot and feels sorry for herself and always crying but again with every character in the book, she has relevance to the story. Ginny Weasley the last of the Weasley clan has started school and is very shy around Harry, it appears she has somewhat of a crush. We have all the same characters as the first book and you get to see Harry, Ron and Hermione grow and develop.
There is a lot of repetition in this book, I think you could read this second book without reading the first as she explains things over again, It is the shortest book among the series but it is fast paced, packed full of adventure and written in true J K Rowling style. It has you gripped all the way through. This isn't my favourite book of the series and I think that is because there are a lot of annoying characters in my opinion.
Favourite character of the book for me so far is Hagrid, I like the way he is written as big softy and the dialect of the dialogue makes him more endearing.
This book is an excellent continuation of the Harry Potter series and definitely recommend the book to anyone.
Harry's second year at Hogwarts is not all plain and simple as he was hoping, he appears to attract attention from unwanted people...mostly Draco Malfoy. When Students start being petrified into a coma like state and a message informing the 'Chamber of Secrets' has been opened.... Harry, Ron and Hermione take it upon themselves to find the culprit.
There were some new characters introduced in this second edition of Harry Potter, we meet Dobby the house elf, who is trying to persuade Harry not to go to Hogwarts this year. I loved that we got another magical creature into the book and that he was a house elf/servant and explores classes, his relevance in the story is explained as the story progresses. Gilderoy Lockhart is the new professor for the defence against the dark arts, Lockhart is a self obsessed, pompous, egotistical character that is very annoying. Then we have Moaning Myrtle the ghost that haunts the girls toilets, it's in the name really she moans a lot and feels sorry for herself and always crying but again with every character in the book, she has relevance to the story. Ginny Weasley the last of the Weasley clan has started school and is very shy around Harry, it appears she has somewhat of a crush. We have all the same characters as the first book and you get to see Harry, Ron and Hermione grow and develop.
There is a lot of repetition in this book, I think you could read this second book without reading the first as she explains things over again, It is the shortest book among the series but it is fast paced, packed full of adventure and written in true J K Rowling style. It has you gripped all the way through. This isn't my favourite book of the series and I think that is because there are a lot of annoying characters in my opinion.
Favourite character of the book for me so far is Hagrid, I like the way he is written as big softy and the dialect of the dialogue makes him more endearing.
This book is an excellent continuation of the Harry Potter series and definitely recommend the book to anyone.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated Skylark (Skylark, #1) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
Read the latest version of this review over on Ramble Media here http://www.ramblemedia.com/?p=20184
I have received this book through the Goodreads First Read Giveaway and I am very grateful for being given the opportunity to read and review.
This is a stunning book, following the plight of sixteen year old Lark who is trying to escape from the oppression and danger of 'the City'.
Firstly, I have to admit, that when I first opened this book and began to read I was worried about whether the pace and dynamic start would be sustained throughout. The book starts with a bang, and without spoiling it, the pace doesn't slow one bit as you continue through the story. The story develops naturally, with a good speed that leaves you enough 'time' to absorb the events, but doesn't dilly dally over the delivery of the plot. I honestly could not put this book down, it was gripping from start to finish.
A further great fact about this book is how believable it is. I read a lot of young adult fiction, purely because sometimes you just need an escape from your own world and I'm yet to find a genre that delivers that on tap as easily as this one. The dystopian society, hidden worlds behind a wall, 'shadow men' and all the other delicate additions make this world, whilst truly terrifying at times, entirely believable. In fact, I had nightmares one night about the shadow people!
The romance between Lark and Oren, and Lark and Kris and the way these relationships develop is fantastically written. Lark is a great character, very likeable (to me at least) as I can understand how she feels and relate to her. The fact she is so naive and unaware of the motives of Kris, and to an extent Oren, is a very endearing quality, and her development, helped by these two potential romances, is very well written and again, as with the rest of the book, very believable.
In conclusion, Spooner has creatively and imaginatively breathed new life into this much loved genre, creating a new heroine, dilemma and romances. I could spend hours talking about how wonderful I found this book, and how much I'm already looking forward to reading the rest of the series, but I would be wasting the time you could be spending hitting the 'to read' button and going and buying it from somewhere. Honestly, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's a true breath of fresh air in this genre, clearing the way for more new authors like Spooner to share their creative brilliance. And on that note, what are you still doing reading me? Go read the book and see for yourself!
I have received this book through the Goodreads First Read Giveaway and I am very grateful for being given the opportunity to read and review.
This is a stunning book, following the plight of sixteen year old Lark who is trying to escape from the oppression and danger of 'the City'.
Firstly, I have to admit, that when I first opened this book and began to read I was worried about whether the pace and dynamic start would be sustained throughout. The book starts with a bang, and without spoiling it, the pace doesn't slow one bit as you continue through the story. The story develops naturally, with a good speed that leaves you enough 'time' to absorb the events, but doesn't dilly dally over the delivery of the plot. I honestly could not put this book down, it was gripping from start to finish.
A further great fact about this book is how believable it is. I read a lot of young adult fiction, purely because sometimes you just need an escape from your own world and I'm yet to find a genre that delivers that on tap as easily as this one. The dystopian society, hidden worlds behind a wall, 'shadow men' and all the other delicate additions make this world, whilst truly terrifying at times, entirely believable. In fact, I had nightmares one night about the shadow people!
The romance between Lark and Oren, and Lark and Kris and the way these relationships develop is fantastically written. Lark is a great character, very likeable (to me at least) as I can understand how she feels and relate to her. The fact she is so naive and unaware of the motives of Kris, and to an extent Oren, is a very endearing quality, and her development, helped by these two potential romances, is very well written and again, as with the rest of the book, very believable.
In conclusion, Spooner has creatively and imaginatively breathed new life into this much loved genre, creating a new heroine, dilemma and romances. I could spend hours talking about how wonderful I found this book, and how much I'm already looking forward to reading the rest of the series, but I would be wasting the time you could be spending hitting the 'to read' button and going and buying it from somewhere. Honestly, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's a true breath of fresh air in this genre, clearing the way for more new authors like Spooner to share their creative brilliance. And on that note, what are you still doing reading me? Go read the book and see for yourself!