Search
Search results
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Detroit (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
“Detroit” tells the story of the Algiers Motel incident that took place during the massive 12th Street Riot in 1967 Detroit, Michigan. Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal have created a stunning film that will suck the audience into a historical moment of horror.
The film, based on what is known about true events, takes viewers into a world of absolute terror as the streets of Detroit become a warzone filled with racial hatred and violence. After a police raid, looters took to the streets vandalizing and robbing local storefronts.
Rapidly, the police response grew into extreme reactionary violence and fueled the fire of the riot. The national guard is called in and rather than getting the situation under control, the city devolves into what looks like a warzone in a foreign land.
The film has a great build up and the characters are developed quite well by the time the thick of the plot gets started around the Algiers Motel Incident, an event that resulted in the deaths of three black men and the torture of nine other people.
The entire cast is amazing. Heart strings are pulled by the characters portraying Larry Reed (Algee Smith) and Fred (Jacob Latimore), two musicians that are caught in a horrific nightmare simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
John Boyega also delivers a heart wrenching performance as Melvin Dismukes, a black man who tries at great length to stay safe and keep the peace. His character is portrayed as caught in the cross fires of morality and necessity.
Will Poulter plays a real-life villain as blood thirsty and racist police officer, Phillip Krauss. His portrayal of Krauss is terrifying.
The film as a film, is gripping, an amazing cinematic feat. But, the story is painful to watch. Scarier than any horror film, “Detroit” brings to light one of the darkest sides of the human species and a bloody stain on American history.
The film, based on what is known about true events, takes viewers into a world of absolute terror as the streets of Detroit become a warzone filled with racial hatred and violence. After a police raid, looters took to the streets vandalizing and robbing local storefronts.
Rapidly, the police response grew into extreme reactionary violence and fueled the fire of the riot. The national guard is called in and rather than getting the situation under control, the city devolves into what looks like a warzone in a foreign land.
The film has a great build up and the characters are developed quite well by the time the thick of the plot gets started around the Algiers Motel Incident, an event that resulted in the deaths of three black men and the torture of nine other people.
The entire cast is amazing. Heart strings are pulled by the characters portraying Larry Reed (Algee Smith) and Fred (Jacob Latimore), two musicians that are caught in a horrific nightmare simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
John Boyega also delivers a heart wrenching performance as Melvin Dismukes, a black man who tries at great length to stay safe and keep the peace. His character is portrayed as caught in the cross fires of morality and necessity.
Will Poulter plays a real-life villain as blood thirsty and racist police officer, Phillip Krauss. His portrayal of Krauss is terrifying.
The film as a film, is gripping, an amazing cinematic feat. But, the story is painful to watch. Scarier than any horror film, “Detroit” brings to light one of the darkest sides of the human species and a bloody stain on American history.
Becs (244 KP) rated Max Einstein: Rebels with a Cause in Books
Oct 8, 2019
fast-paced (2 more)
adventure packed
lessons that are taught within
Amazing sequel to Max Einstein: the Genius Experiment
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
TRIGGER WARNINGS: a bit of violence, anger issues, absent parent(s), manipulation, kidnapping
REVIEW:
Rebels with a Cause is book two (2) of the Max Einstein series and it was just as great as book one (1)! The adventures that were packed into this little novel along side Max Einstein still being a great role model was seriously so refreshing.
In Rebels with a Cause, we get to see more of Max thinking on her feet and implementing crazy plans to save not only herself, but her team and the world as well. You also learn more about the villains in this novel, which made for an interesting addition to the plot!
Again, James Patterson really knows how to write a captivating story that is not only well-written but fast-paces as well. There are more math/science lessons in Rebels with a Cause and I really enjoyed that they were applied to real life problems. The way that each were explained were written in an extremely easy to understand way so that the reader, young or old, can know what is being put into the solution.
The task that Max and her team were given to fix was a water crisis and I really loved that this was the main problem in the story. Having clean water available to all is a real world crisis. Water is an extremely important part of the human survival and this topic really hit the spot while reading. James wrote Rebels with a Cause again with a fast-paced, adventure packed, and informative nature. I highly recommend to all!
"I believe that Ghandi's views were the most enlightened among all the political men of our time. We should strive to do things in his spirit; not to use violence in fighting for a cause, but by non-participation and what we believe is evil. - Albert Einstein”
TRIGGER WARNINGS: a bit of violence, anger issues, absent parent(s), manipulation, kidnapping
REVIEW:
Rebels with a Cause is book two (2) of the Max Einstein series and it was just as great as book one (1)! The adventures that were packed into this little novel along side Max Einstein still being a great role model was seriously so refreshing.
In Rebels with a Cause, we get to see more of Max thinking on her feet and implementing crazy plans to save not only herself, but her team and the world as well. You also learn more about the villains in this novel, which made for an interesting addition to the plot!
Again, James Patterson really knows how to write a captivating story that is not only well-written but fast-paces as well. There are more math/science lessons in Rebels with a Cause and I really enjoyed that they were applied to real life problems. The way that each were explained were written in an extremely easy to understand way so that the reader, young or old, can know what is being put into the solution.
The task that Max and her team were given to fix was a water crisis and I really loved that this was the main problem in the story. Having clean water available to all is a real world crisis. Water is an extremely important part of the human survival and this topic really hit the spot while reading. James wrote Rebels with a Cause again with a fast-paced, adventure packed, and informative nature. I highly recommend to all!
"I believe that Ghandi's views were the most enlightened among all the political men of our time. We should strive to do things in his spirit; not to use violence in fighting for a cause, but by non-participation and what we believe is evil. - Albert Einstein”
Hazel (2934 KP) rated After Dark in Books
May 15, 2022
What an interesting and different read that was!
In a country that has decided that enough is enough when it comes to violence against women, a radical solution is put in place - men are electronically tagged and are not allowed outside between the hours of 7pm and 7am. Women are no longer afraid to go out at night and it appears to be 'working' when, one morning, the badly beaten body of a woman is found in a park. It couldn't have been a man ... could it?
The premise of the story is an interesting one but, for me, it didn't really deliver how I thought it would; I was hoping there would be a balanced view but it felt to me like is was very anti-male and the overwhelming thought is that all men are evil. We know that is not the case but there wasn't one male character in this book that provided another viewpoint and this was disappointing for me. I do, however, recognise that I have never been subject to male violence and therefore may have come at this from a different frame of reference and because of this, I can certainly see why some may think the future world described in this book would be utopia but, for me, I don't like tarring everyone with the same brush.
Told from different points of view and in two timelines, this book moves along at a good pace. The characters, both male and female, are not particularly likeable with the teenage daughter being the most irritating and, annoyingly, stereotypical and this caused me to not care about any of them particularly so the mystery around who was murdered wasn't that intriguing but I did like how we didn't find out until towards the end.
Overall though it was an interesting and thought-provoking read but not as good as I think it could have been but I must thank Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts.
In a country that has decided that enough is enough when it comes to violence against women, a radical solution is put in place - men are electronically tagged and are not allowed outside between the hours of 7pm and 7am. Women are no longer afraid to go out at night and it appears to be 'working' when, one morning, the badly beaten body of a woman is found in a park. It couldn't have been a man ... could it?
The premise of the story is an interesting one but, for me, it didn't really deliver how I thought it would; I was hoping there would be a balanced view but it felt to me like is was very anti-male and the overwhelming thought is that all men are evil. We know that is not the case but there wasn't one male character in this book that provided another viewpoint and this was disappointing for me. I do, however, recognise that I have never been subject to male violence and therefore may have come at this from a different frame of reference and because of this, I can certainly see why some may think the future world described in this book would be utopia but, for me, I don't like tarring everyone with the same brush.
Told from different points of view and in two timelines, this book moves along at a good pace. The characters, both male and female, are not particularly likeable with the teenage daughter being the most irritating and, annoyingly, stereotypical and this caused me to not care about any of them particularly so the mystery around who was murdered wasn't that intriguing but I did like how we didn't find out until towards the end.
Overall though it was an interesting and thought-provoking read but not as good as I think it could have been but I must thank Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts.
Ali A (82 KP) rated Chaos & Flame in Books
Jun 7, 2023
Trigger Warnings: Misgendering, genocide (off page, but discussed), poison, knife violence, blood & gore, graphic violence, war, death
Written in the alternating points of views of Darling Seabreak and Talon Goldhoard, Chaos & Flame tells the story of the two navigating House politics while also being caught up in the High Prince Regent’s unknown scheme as they tour around the kingdom to the other Houses.
This book took me a while to get into it - it’s slow to start, but by the end of it, I was invested in what was happening with the characters, so I will be picking up the second book in this duology. I'm very curious to see how the authors are planning on bringing out more with the boons and if those will change with what could be happening in the second book.
I was really interested in Caspian’s character and wish I knew more about what was going on in his head since everyone just marked him as “being mad” when in fact, he just had a whole other agenda.
I do wish we had more history of the world. The world building was fantastic but I felt like 100 years isn’t a whole lot to have passed since the last phoenix was alive and that even with that, there should still be people around who were alive back then - wouldn’t they know more and have maybe some insight?
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the insta-love between Darling and Talon, but it is YA and that’s typical YA romance so I’m not complaining all too much to be honest with you.
Overall, it was a slow build up to a good read and that I’m excited to continue reading when the next book in the series comes out (please don’t be too long!).
*Thank you Razorbill and BookishFirst for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Written in the alternating points of views of Darling Seabreak and Talon Goldhoard, Chaos & Flame tells the story of the two navigating House politics while also being caught up in the High Prince Regent’s unknown scheme as they tour around the kingdom to the other Houses.
This book took me a while to get into it - it’s slow to start, but by the end of it, I was invested in what was happening with the characters, so I will be picking up the second book in this duology. I'm very curious to see how the authors are planning on bringing out more with the boons and if those will change with what could be happening in the second book.
I was really interested in Caspian’s character and wish I knew more about what was going on in his head since everyone just marked him as “being mad” when in fact, he just had a whole other agenda.
I do wish we had more history of the world. The world building was fantastic but I felt like 100 years isn’t a whole lot to have passed since the last phoenix was alive and that even with that, there should still be people around who were alive back then - wouldn’t they know more and have maybe some insight?
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the insta-love between Darling and Talon, but it is YA and that’s typical YA romance so I’m not complaining all too much to be honest with you.
Overall, it was a slow build up to a good read and that I’m excited to continue reading when the next book in the series comes out (please don’t be too long!).
*Thank you Razorbill and BookishFirst for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Men Explain Things to Me: And Other Essays in Books
Oct 20, 2017 (Updated Oct 20, 2017)
Some interesting points but doesn't connect together
Having read many of Rebecca Solnit's works, this is not one of the better ones. While there are some thoughtful ideas, the essays are disjointed from one another, so it seems to be lumped together.
That being said, some of the essays have some important points. This includes marriage equality between same sexes, ensuring inequality from a patriarchal standpoint can be dismantled.
And there is a small amount of intersectionality, discussing the rape of Native American and Indian women as part of a pandemic of violence against women rather than isolated incidents. And while this was written several years before and some of it no longer applies (Dominic Strauss-Kahn) it is still valid as the issues still continue.
The less said about slutwalk, the better.
I would say this is a good introduction to feminism for those who are seeking to understand parts, but I would recommend books with a little more substance than this.
That being said, some of the essays have some important points. This includes marriage equality between same sexes, ensuring inequality from a patriarchal standpoint can be dismantled.
And there is a small amount of intersectionality, discussing the rape of Native American and Indian women as part of a pandemic of violence against women rather than isolated incidents. And while this was written several years before and some of it no longer applies (Dominic Strauss-Kahn) it is still valid as the issues still continue.
The less said about slutwalk, the better.
I would say this is a good introduction to feminism for those who are seeking to understand parts, but I would recommend books with a little more substance than this.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Line Becomes a River in Books
Dec 16, 2017
Haunting, disturbing, an essential read
This novel is beautiful, fiercely honest, while being deeply empathetic, looking at those who police the Mexican-American border, and the migrants who risk and lose their lives crossing it. In a time of often ill-informed or downright deceitful political rhetoric, this book is an invaluable corrective.
The book follows author Francisco Cantu while he was a US Border Patrol agent from 2008 to 2012. Working the desert at the remote crossroads of drug routes and smuggling corridors, tracking humans through blistering days and frigid nights across a vast terrain. Hauling in the dead and detaining the exhausted, Cantu is plagued by nightmares, opting in the end to abandon his position. Line Becomes a River is a timely look at this arbitrary landscape, bringing home to us the destruction that US policy inflicts on countless lives, and the violence it wreaks on the humanity of us all.
The book follows author Francisco Cantu while he was a US Border Patrol agent from 2008 to 2012. Working the desert at the remote crossroads of drug routes and smuggling corridors, tracking humans through blistering days and frigid nights across a vast terrain. Hauling in the dead and detaining the exhausted, Cantu is plagued by nightmares, opting in the end to abandon his position. Line Becomes a River is a timely look at this arbitrary landscape, bringing home to us the destruction that US policy inflicts on countless lives, and the violence it wreaks on the humanity of us all.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Building Empires(MidKnight Blue #1) in Books
Dec 28, 2017
A Law Enforcement Thrill Ride
This book is a spin off of another series that Sherryl D. Hancock writes but slightly different in that the primary characters are not lesbians. That said you will see some of those characters in this book because all is intertwined in the world Hancock creates.
This is the in depth introduction to Midnight Chevalier. As always Hancock does a fantatstic job creating characters and Midnight does not disappoint as the tough, no nonsense female protagonist. There is more violence in this book but that is indicitive of the life Midnight lives. It is also what you would expect from this character and her motley crew of unlikely heros.
I love everything Hancock writes because she focuses on allowing the character drive the story and her characters are amazingly developed. I have already recommended the MidKnight Blue series to friends who love crime stories and romance and action andjust good writing. Pretty much anyone who likes to read.
This is the in depth introduction to Midnight Chevalier. As always Hancock does a fantatstic job creating characters and Midnight does not disappoint as the tough, no nonsense female protagonist. There is more violence in this book but that is indicitive of the life Midnight lives. It is also what you would expect from this character and her motley crew of unlikely heros.
I love everything Hancock writes because she focuses on allowing the character drive the story and her characters are amazingly developed. I have already recommended the MidKnight Blue series to friends who love crime stories and romance and action andjust good writing. Pretty much anyone who likes to read.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood in Books
Jan 3, 2018
An insider's view of Apartheid
It seems unlikely that comedian Trevor Noah would have ever made it out of the prison of colonialism, apartheid, poverty and violence, yet now he's regarded as one of South Africa's biggest export. His memoir is brutal and harrowing, describing how because of the illegal interracial relationship between his Xhosa mother and his Swiss-German, his birth was actually a crime.
It's hard to imagine that this legal segregation only ended 26 years ago, yet Noah then faced the turbulent legacy of post-apartheid. Being mixed race posed its own problems, as Noah describes never fitting in anywhere, but being accepted to a certain degree because of his 'whiteness' and his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings.
There are moments which are truly disturbing, as Noah speaks about his violent stepfather and going hungry. In this way, his life can be seen as a story of personal survival, through intelligence and humour, which millions have come to love.
It's hard to imagine that this legal segregation only ended 26 years ago, yet Noah then faced the turbulent legacy of post-apartheid. Being mixed race posed its own problems, as Noah describes never fitting in anywhere, but being accepted to a certain degree because of his 'whiteness' and his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings.
There are moments which are truly disturbing, as Noah speaks about his violent stepfather and going hungry. In this way, his life can be seen as a story of personal survival, through intelligence and humour, which millions have come to love.
Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Grandfather's House in Books
May 15, 2018
Like VC Andrews with a flamethrower
I enjoyed this book. Although it was a quick read, it was a disturbing one. Like THE ABUSE OF ASHLEY COLLINS, GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE deals with subject of child abuse. The focus, though, is on character rather than out and out violence, and it's a better novel because of it. It felt much more realistic, which gives it a stronger impact.
Our protagonist isn't especially likeable at the beginning of the story, but he's a teenager. Teenagers aren't likeable in the first place. But his grandparents are so disturbing right off the bat that you're immediately behind him. Athan takes the stereotype of the sweet grandparent and flips it on its head. There's a good amount of tension throughout the book from beginning to end--and while this is definitely horrific, I wouldn't classify it as extreme horror because more attention was paid to characterization than ripping people apart. GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE was like a V.C. Andrews book on speed.
Our protagonist isn't especially likeable at the beginning of the story, but he's a teenager. Teenagers aren't likeable in the first place. But his grandparents are so disturbing right off the bat that you're immediately behind him. Athan takes the stereotype of the sweet grandparent and flips it on its head. There's a good amount of tension throughout the book from beginning to end--and while this is definitely horrific, I wouldn't classify it as extreme horror because more attention was paid to characterization than ripping people apart. GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE was like a V.C. Andrews book on speed.