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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated A Streetcar Named Murder in Books
Dec 15, 2022
Promising First Draft, but Needed Lots of Work
Valerie Cooper is facing changes in her life. A young widow, her twin sons are now off at college, and she struggling to fill her days. An unexpected letter reveals she’s inherited the estate of one of her late husband’s great uncles, a man that Valerie didn’t know existed. The inheritance includes an antique shop. Meanwhile, Valerie attends a Halloween costume ball, but the night ends when she finds a woman she knows stabbed to death outside the dance. What is going on?
I sat down to read this hoping to find a new series I’d enjoy. Sadly, it was very disappointing. The author tried for something different when it came to the plot, which I appreciate, but the result wasn’t plotted well at all but did pick up in the second half. It wasn’t helped by Valerie’s constant reflections on her life before her husband died and questioning why she’d never heard of this great uncle. While this is important for Valerie’s character growth, it got to be a bit much. Unfortunately, the ARC I read was also riddled with errors that should have been caught in editing, some of which made me question if what I saw from the suspects was the suspects hiding something or the sloppy editing. Meanwhile, the author goes too far in making the victim unlikeable, turning her one dimensional. I did like Valerie and her family and friends. But there is not enough good here to recommend the book.
I sat down to read this hoping to find a new series I’d enjoy. Sadly, it was very disappointing. The author tried for something different when it came to the plot, which I appreciate, but the result wasn’t plotted well at all but did pick up in the second half. It wasn’t helped by Valerie’s constant reflections on her life before her husband died and questioning why she’d never heard of this great uncle. While this is important for Valerie’s character growth, it got to be a bit much. Unfortunately, the ARC I read was also riddled with errors that should have been caught in editing, some of which made me question if what I saw from the suspects was the suspects hiding something or the sloppy editing. Meanwhile, the author goes too far in making the victim unlikeable, turning her one dimensional. I did like Valerie and her family and friends. But there is not enough good here to recommend the book.
School Shooting examined
There are a lot of school shooting YA books. Out of all of the ones I've read this one is handle the best.
Valerie is caught up and under suspicion of aiding in the shooting for writing in a book when she was stressed or been bullied. Valerie never wanted anyone to die and saved lives when the shooting happens but it doesn't help that the press don't care about that. This book is well written and deals with a hard subject matter to grasp. Unfortunately we live in a world where these events keep happening more and more frequently. This book explores why and people emotions of it and it written so well.
Valerie is caught up and under suspicion of aiding in the shooting for writing in a book when she was stressed or been bullied. Valerie never wanted anyone to die and saved lives when the shooting happens but it doesn't help that the press don't care about that. This book is well written and deals with a hard subject matter to grasp. Unfortunately we live in a world where these events keep happening more and more frequently. This book explores why and people emotions of it and it written so well.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated The Right Kind of Rogue (Playful Brides, #8) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Normally I love Valerie Bowman and I have a weakness for childhood friends-to-lovers stories. That being said, I was disappointed that I didnt enjoy this novel as much as I thought I would. Of course it was predictable. I could have laid out the plot for you before I even opened it. But that hasnt bothered me before. I like the main couple although I lost patience with heros stubbornness.
I cant pinpoint anything exactly wrong with this novel. I just felt underwhelmed once it ended? I love Valerie Bowman and will continue to read her novel, but this novel just didnt do it for me like she usually does.
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Amazon
Normally I love Valerie Bowman and I have a weakness for childhood friends-to-lovers stories. That being said, I was disappointed that I didnt enjoy this novel as much as I thought I would. Of course it was predictable. I could have laid out the plot for you before I even opened it. But that hasnt bothered me before. I like the main couple although I lost patience with heros stubbornness.
I cant pinpoint anything exactly wrong with this novel. I just felt underwhelmed once it ended? I love Valerie Bowman and will continue to read her novel, but this novel just didnt do it for me like she usually does.
Buy Now
Amazon
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated Molten Death in Books
Apr 3, 2024 (Updated Apr 3, 2024)
Valerie Face a Hot Problem on Vacation in Hawaii
Valerie Corbin and her wife, Kristen, are spending a couple of weeks in Hilo, staying with Kristen’s friend Isaac. They have arrived just as a lava flow is really gaining steam, so they decide to go out and see it early their first Saturday morning on the island. When Valerie wanders away from the other two, she sees part of a body being buried in the molten lava. She can’t get anyone to take her seriously, even Kristen and Isaac. Certainly, the police aren’t taking it seriously without any proof. Can Valerie figure out what really happened?
Author Leslie Karst lives part time in Hilo, so I wasn’t surprised that she chose this as the setting for her new series. Her knowledge showed in how she brought the setting to life. And who doesn’t want a Hawaiian vacation? The plot was very inventive, and I appreciated Valerie’s good motive for getting involved. We had some nice twists before a great climax. I did struggle with Valerie’s relationship with Kristen because they were so at odds for much of the book. I think if this hadn’t been my introduction to them, I would have been okay with this sub-plot. Overall, I liked the series regulars by the end, and Valerie’s darker baggage made her an interesting character. We do get some Pigeon and Hawai’ian mixed into the dialogue. A couple times it was a bit overwhelming, but for the most part, I could figure it out from the context. We get six Hawaiian recipes at the end. The inventive plot will make this series debut a winner for mystery fans.
Author Leslie Karst lives part time in Hilo, so I wasn’t surprised that she chose this as the setting for her new series. Her knowledge showed in how she brought the setting to life. And who doesn’t want a Hawaiian vacation? The plot was very inventive, and I appreciated Valerie’s good motive for getting involved. We had some nice twists before a great climax. I did struggle with Valerie’s relationship with Kristen because they were so at odds for much of the book. I think if this hadn’t been my introduction to them, I would have been okay with this sub-plot. Overall, I liked the series regulars by the end, and Valerie’s darker baggage made her an interesting character. We do get some Pigeon and Hawai’ian mixed into the dialogue. A couple times it was a bit overwhelming, but for the most part, I could figure it out from the context. We get six Hawaiian recipes at the end. The inventive plot will make this series debut a winner for mystery fans.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Society of Imaginary Friends (The Conjurors Series #1) in Books
Nov 14, 2018
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The Society of Imaginary Friends (The Conjurors Series #1) by Kristen Pham is a Young Adult Fantasy novel. According to Goodreads, its original title was ÒInto the DarkÓ and published March 11, 2011.
Growing up, many children have imaginary friends. This story introduces Valerie, a girl bounced around foster homes. Helping her survive foster care is Cyrus, her imaginary friend. After ValerieÕs ÒpowersÓ become too much for her to handle on Earth she is transported to the Globe, a magical world. Here, Valerie realizes imaginary friends are real people with special powers which allow them to be seen by children on Earth and help them navigate their troubles. Of course, the Globe is not utopia and a fraction exists that wants to go back to Earth.
Most YA novels portray the heroine as perfect but Pham shows that Valerie is flawed. Doctors have diagnosed her as schizophrenic and, because of her ÒepisodesÓ her life is not easy. It is because of her difficult life that she is able to survive and help others.
I would read the rest of the series and would recommend the series for tweens, for people who enjoy YA fantasy, and especially middle school aged girls.
Growing up, many children have imaginary friends. This story introduces Valerie, a girl bounced around foster homes. Helping her survive foster care is Cyrus, her imaginary friend. After ValerieÕs ÒpowersÓ become too much for her to handle on Earth she is transported to the Globe, a magical world. Here, Valerie realizes imaginary friends are real people with special powers which allow them to be seen by children on Earth and help them navigate their troubles. Of course, the Globe is not utopia and a fraction exists that wants to go back to Earth.
Most YA novels portray the heroine as perfect but Pham shows that Valerie is flawed. Doctors have diagnosed her as schizophrenic and, because of her ÒepisodesÓ her life is not easy. It is because of her difficult life that she is able to survive and help others.
I would read the rest of the series and would recommend the series for tweens, for people who enjoy YA fantasy, and especially middle school aged girls.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Hate List in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I tried so hard! I made it to 63%. The heroine in this book just was not working for me. She wasn't easy to relate to and all she did was wallow in self pity. She wasn't a strong character at all. She was whiny and constantly wallowing in self pity. She kept putting her boyfriend who shot up the school on a freaking pedestal.
Check out my updates...
April 19, 2017 –
63.0% "No words... just bad... someone save me."
April 18, 2017 –
50.0% "Really not digging the reporter segments of this book."
April 18, 2017 –
42.0% "Valerie is finally starting to see the light... There may be hope for her yet."
April 18, 2017 –
37.0%
April 18, 2017 –
26.0% "Valerie doesn't seem to have changed her opinion of Nick at all. Just starting Part 2. Hopefully this is going to get better."
April 18, 2017 –
26.0%
April 18, 2017 –
15.0% "SO FAR I FEEL LIKE VALERIE IS OBSESSED WITH NICK AND HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HER AS MUCH AS SHE DOES. SHE SEES HIM FROM THIS POINT OF VIEW THAT HE WAS A GREAT PERSON, BUT HE SHOT UP A SCHOOL. SHE HAS THE NERVE TO BE SURPRISED THAT ON HER FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL THAT PEOPLE CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE LOVES HIM AND MOURNS HIM. TRYING TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND."
April 17, 2017 – Started Reading
Check out my updates...
April 19, 2017 –
63.0% "No words... just bad... someone save me."
April 18, 2017 –
50.0% "Really not digging the reporter segments of this book."
April 18, 2017 –
42.0% "Valerie is finally starting to see the light... There may be hope for her yet."
April 18, 2017 –
37.0%
April 18, 2017 –
26.0% "Valerie doesn't seem to have changed her opinion of Nick at all. Just starting Part 2. Hopefully this is going to get better."
April 18, 2017 –
26.0%
April 18, 2017 –
15.0% "SO FAR I FEEL LIKE VALERIE IS OBSESSED WITH NICK AND HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HER AS MUCH AS SHE DOES. SHE SEES HIM FROM THIS POINT OF VIEW THAT HE WAS A GREAT PERSON, BUT HE SHOT UP A SCHOOL. SHE HAS THE NERVE TO BE SURPRISED THAT ON HER FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL THAT PEOPLE CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE LOVES HIM AND MOURNS HIM. TRYING TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND."
April 17, 2017 – Started Reading
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Red Riding Hood (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
In a small village a wolf has been killing villagers who wander out alone. Yet for rule-breaking Valerie the desire to venture out and spend time with her true love overpowers all logic. However, drama sets in when Valerie finds she has been betrothed to a wealthy villager around the same time that that the big bad wolf returns.
Amanda Seyfried stars as Valerie in Red Riding Hood a reworking of the classic fairytale of the same name. The film also stars Shiloh Fernandez as Peter, Valerie’s childhood best friend turned love interest, and Max Irons as Henry, the wealthy suitor who has been selected to wed Valerie. The supporting cast includes some additional familiar faces such as Michael Hogan (The Reeve) best known for his work as Colonel Tigh in the Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica and Michael Shanks, known for his work on the hit television series Stargate SG-1 , who plays Adrien Lazer.
The concept of building more depth into the Red Riding Hood story is a good idea however the execution in this bland who-done-it comes a crossed as scattered. The film lacks cohesion and fails to build interest in the storyline focusing instead on sweeping landscapes and overly intense one-on-one character interactions.
The wardrobe is impressive with clothing that aptly represents both village life and fairytale ideals. However, much like the rest of the film, the wardrobe seems to be taking cues directly from other movies. Among the numerous familiar scenes is an ending that could have been plucked from The Lord of the Rings.
The film is not missing any major components but the lack of originality is a fatal flaw that impacts the entire tale. The scary moments are not scary. The intrigue lacks potency. And the romantic triangle fails to generate the intended drama.
Moviegoers will see far worse films this spring but Red Riding Hood does not deliver on what could have been a brilliant adaptation.
Amanda Seyfried stars as Valerie in Red Riding Hood a reworking of the classic fairytale of the same name. The film also stars Shiloh Fernandez as Peter, Valerie’s childhood best friend turned love interest, and Max Irons as Henry, the wealthy suitor who has been selected to wed Valerie. The supporting cast includes some additional familiar faces such as Michael Hogan (The Reeve) best known for his work as Colonel Tigh in the Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica and Michael Shanks, known for his work on the hit television series Stargate SG-1 , who plays Adrien Lazer.
The concept of building more depth into the Red Riding Hood story is a good idea however the execution in this bland who-done-it comes a crossed as scattered. The film lacks cohesion and fails to build interest in the storyline focusing instead on sweeping landscapes and overly intense one-on-one character interactions.
The wardrobe is impressive with clothing that aptly represents both village life and fairytale ideals. However, much like the rest of the film, the wardrobe seems to be taking cues directly from other movies. Among the numerous familiar scenes is an ending that could have been plucked from The Lord of the Rings.
The film is not missing any major components but the lack of originality is a fatal flaw that impacts the entire tale. The scary moments are not scary. The intrigue lacks potency. And the romantic triangle fails to generate the intended drama.
Moviegoers will see far worse films this spring but Red Riding Hood does not deliver on what could have been a brilliant adaptation.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Far Cry (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
On a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, a scientist named Dr. Krieger (Udo Kier) is conducting horrific genetic experiments in his secret facility.
Krieger is attempting to create the ultimate soldier for his financial backers and is not above using his own men as test subjects and fodder for his experiments as the morally lacking Krieger only cares about his work and his funding.
In the film “Far Cry”, Director Uwe Boll has taken the classic 3D shooter from Ubisoft and given it his own unique interpretation.
The film stars Til Schweiger as Jack Carver, a former special forces operative who spends his days as a boat captain chartering tourists on whale watching expeditions when he is not enjoying a beer and sleeping the day away.
Jack is hired by a determined investigative reporter named Valerie Cardinal (Emmanuelle Vaugier), to take her to the island so she can get further proof for her story about the bizarre experiments taking place on the island. Valerie has a personal interest in the story as her uncle Max (Ralf Moeller), is one of those stationed at the island facility.
While Jack is reluctant to go near the island he does agree to anchor of the coast and pick up Valerie in a few hours. Of course things do not go as planned as Valerie is captured and Jack’s boat is destroyed leaving him believed to be dead by the Doctor and his forces.
Jack is not one to let this go, and rescues Valerie and looks to find a way off the island while avoiding the ever present troops. The stubborn Valerie is unwilling to leave until she has the information she needs for her story and ignores the dangers.
As if the Doctor and his soldiers were not trouble enough, the super soldiers have escaped and have caused various factions within the Dr’s forces to turn against one another which results in a pitched battle between the factions and the super soldiers.
What follows is a lot of action that is hampered by a weak plot and bad dialogue, and sadly very disappointing monsters.
The leads in the film have very little chemistry with one another and the characters are wafer thin, even by action movie standards. There are attempts at romance and playful banter that fizzle badly leaving only the action sequences to carry the film. Sadly while they are decent enough, especially a good car chase, they cannot overcome the plot issues and the creatures that do not live up to the hype.
Boll has taken a step back here as his recent films have shown progress especially the solid
“Seed” and “1968 Tunnel Rats”. When I visited the set I learned that the production was not allowed to use large aspects of the game and that aside from names, title, and settings, they had to create a new story that was inspired by the game. While the effort is there, the results come up lacking and do not do justice to the game, premise, or talent assembled.
Krieger is attempting to create the ultimate soldier for his financial backers and is not above using his own men as test subjects and fodder for his experiments as the morally lacking Krieger only cares about his work and his funding.
In the film “Far Cry”, Director Uwe Boll has taken the classic 3D shooter from Ubisoft and given it his own unique interpretation.
The film stars Til Schweiger as Jack Carver, a former special forces operative who spends his days as a boat captain chartering tourists on whale watching expeditions when he is not enjoying a beer and sleeping the day away.
Jack is hired by a determined investigative reporter named Valerie Cardinal (Emmanuelle Vaugier), to take her to the island so she can get further proof for her story about the bizarre experiments taking place on the island. Valerie has a personal interest in the story as her uncle Max (Ralf Moeller), is one of those stationed at the island facility.
While Jack is reluctant to go near the island he does agree to anchor of the coast and pick up Valerie in a few hours. Of course things do not go as planned as Valerie is captured and Jack’s boat is destroyed leaving him believed to be dead by the Doctor and his forces.
Jack is not one to let this go, and rescues Valerie and looks to find a way off the island while avoiding the ever present troops. The stubborn Valerie is unwilling to leave until she has the information she needs for her story and ignores the dangers.
As if the Doctor and his soldiers were not trouble enough, the super soldiers have escaped and have caused various factions within the Dr’s forces to turn against one another which results in a pitched battle between the factions and the super soldiers.
What follows is a lot of action that is hampered by a weak plot and bad dialogue, and sadly very disappointing monsters.
The leads in the film have very little chemistry with one another and the characters are wafer thin, even by action movie standards. There are attempts at romance and playful banter that fizzle badly leaving only the action sequences to carry the film. Sadly while they are decent enough, especially a good car chase, they cannot overcome the plot issues and the creatures that do not live up to the hype.
Boll has taken a step back here as his recent films have shown progress especially the solid
“Seed” and “1968 Tunnel Rats”. When I visited the set I learned that the production was not allowed to use large aspects of the game and that aside from names, title, and settings, they had to create a new story that was inspired by the game. While the effort is there, the results come up lacking and do not do justice to the game, premise, or talent assembled.
I found this book to be full of relatable characters. Some I liked, some I disliked. I really did not like Valerie's father but enjoyed Valerie's psychiatrist. Valerie is living through the aftermath of her boyfriend planning and enacting a school shooting. I normally dislike the topic of the novel (the seriousness of a school shooting) but I thought the book was pretty well written. There were parts of "before" mixed in the timeline of the rest of the book.
Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) in Movies
May 30, 2019
Wow. I don't know what I just experienced but I know I want to do it again. In the opening sequence, Valerie experiences her first period. Almost immediately, her entry into adulthood is mired with otherworldly interactions with her crush, Eaglet, and the menacing, vampiric "Polecat."
It's certainly not the most linear of tales, but it is gorgeously shot, the score is wonderful, and the entire cast is spot on. I was hard-pressed to find a moment where I could look away, so much was happening in such seemingly still shots. I need to watch it again if for no other reason than to grasp what just happened on screen.
It's certainly not the most linear of tales, but it is gorgeously shot, the score is wonderful, and the entire cast is spot on. I was hard-pressed to find a moment where I could look away, so much was happening in such seemingly still shots. I need to watch it again if for no other reason than to grasp what just happened on screen.