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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated The Skeleton Makes a Friend in Books
Nov 9, 2018
Sid's Friends Draw Georgia to Murder
Dr. Georgia Thackery has landed a summer job teaching a high school enrichment program on the campus of Overfeld College. Even better, she's found a semi-private cabin on a nearby lake to rent, meaning that her daughter, Madison, and her best friend, Sid, are able to accompany her. Even better, they are isolated enough that Sid, who is a living skeleton, can get outside the house occasionally. Their solitude is interrupted when a teen shows up asking to meet Sid. She is a member of Sid's clan in an online game, and she thinks a third member of their clan has gone missing. Sid and Georgia haven't investigated for too long before they stumble over a dead body. Can they figure out what is going on?
Those who love this series are in for another treat. Drop everything and read this book now. If you haven't picked up the series yet, you really should do so. Yes, there is a slight paranormal element to the book, but it really is slight. The characters are so strong that you'd swear they were fully fleshed out, yes, even Sid. We don't have a large cast of recurring characters, but the new characters more than make up for it. The twists keep us guessing up until the very end, when everything comes together perfectly. But it is Georgia, Sid, and Madison that make up the heart of this book. Their relationship is wonderful, and the bone puns and other jokes kept me smiling. I truly enjoyed my time with the characters.
Those who love this series are in for another treat. Drop everything and read this book now. If you haven't picked up the series yet, you really should do so. Yes, there is a slight paranormal element to the book, but it really is slight. The characters are so strong that you'd swear they were fully fleshed out, yes, even Sid. We don't have a large cast of recurring characters, but the new characters more than make up for it. The twists keep us guessing up until the very end, when everything comes together perfectly. But it is Georgia, Sid, and Madison that make up the heart of this book. Their relationship is wonderful, and the bone puns and other jokes kept me smiling. I truly enjoyed my time with the characters.
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated A Deadly Inside Scoop in Books
Jul 17, 2020
An Opening Scoop of Murder
Bronwyn “Win” Crewse is ready to reopen Crewse Creamery, the ice cream parlor founded by her grandparents in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, after some renovations. Unfortunately, opening day sees an early October snow storm and no customers. However, Win’s day gets even worse when she stumbles upon a dead body after she’s closed the shop for the day. The man turns out to be someone who crossed paths with Win’s family years ago, and not for the better. Before Win knows it, the police are looking at her father as the killer. Now, Win needs to figure out what really happened so she can clear him of a crime she knows he didn’t commit. Can she do that and get customers into the ice cream parlor?
I love ice cream, so that was a draw to this series, and the ice cream descriptions definitely made me drool. The delicious sounding recipes at the end will help with that. The mystery started out a little slowly. It did eventually get going, and we had some good suspects and twists before Win figured everything out. The characters were a mixed bag. I loved Win, and her family is wonderful as well. I especially appreciated the close relationship she has with both her parents and her grandfather. Her friends were more caricatures than fully developed characters, and as a result, they amused me at times and annoyed me at others. I can see them getting more developed as the series goes along, however. This is still a tasty treat, and I can see it developing into a favorite series for many.
I love ice cream, so that was a draw to this series, and the ice cream descriptions definitely made me drool. The delicious sounding recipes at the end will help with that. The mystery started out a little slowly. It did eventually get going, and we had some good suspects and twists before Win figured everything out. The characters were a mixed bag. I loved Win, and her family is wonderful as well. I especially appreciated the close relationship she has with both her parents and her grandfather. Her friends were more caricatures than fully developed characters, and as a result, they amused me at times and annoyed me at others. I can see them getting more developed as the series goes along, however. This is still a tasty treat, and I can see it developing into a favorite series for many.
Not If I See You First
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The Rules Don't deceive me. Ever. Especially using my blindness. Especially in public. Don't...
Young Adult Contemporary Romance
KittyMiku (138 KP) rated Say You're Sorry in Books
May 23, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Say Your Sorry by Melinda Leigh is a suspenseful murder mystery that keeps you guessing up to the very end. With all the characters involved in the story, the secrets and secrets and issues each character has, it isn't hard to find someone to hate, love, or relate to in one way or another. The severity of the crimes can be a little sickening, especially if you sometimes think of how that could happen to your or someone you love, but to watch how an innocent man is convicted the troubles he may face, as well as seeing how the law system can be wrong in some cases, can really bring light to how certain things can go on without anyone even knowing what is actually going on behind the sense.
I found that I really enjoyed watching Morgan and Lance, a private detective, investigate the crimes committed and pinned on a man. It helped solved a missing person's case and get other secrets revealed. In one particular case, a military veteran, who shot at Morgan and Lance, is found to be suffering from some mental issues. To see how killing someone, even though deployed, can really affect the mind of a man and break his spirit, was truly heart wrenching and yet real. It was very interesting to see how something in the news can trigger an onset of guilt and paranoia in such a brave man. It is characters and developments like this, that can make the story feel all to real and even hit close to home in some people. To have such details on how certain things can trigger certain emotions and outcomes in a variety of ways, made Leigh's storytelling a bit chilling.
It wasn't just a single character that made the book feel more life like, it was all the characters, the thoughts and ideas they had, and how they felt so convicted by what they thought and felt. Take Morgan for example, it is clear on many occasions in the beginning that she doesn't every want to be a defense attorney, but when someone she knows is arrested for a crime she believes he couldn't do, she is more than happy to get to the bottom of the story, even if she finds out the person is trying to protect is guilty. To have such strong feelings that you are willing to risk your dream career is truly a human feat as well as a desirable trait to have. I really found her to be someone to admire, even if fictional. It wasn't easy to see her struggle with the case or to even have images in her mind of her own little girls having been the victim, but it was something that made her all the more likeable. I feel that woman who work in law and who see the murder victims and crime photos think the same thing and find that having a character who would show this, makes it all the better. Even though the reader may know that this book was fictional, to have such real life emotions and thoughts put into the characters can make a book all more desirable to read. But it doesn't just stop there.
As the case unfolds, it is easy to see how a community can come together and even be judgmental based on what is said in the news and what is believed by those who are there to serve and protect the community was a pleasant surprised. Even though things were being rushed without a deeper investigation based on a few pieces of planted evidence and just a few ideas, it became clear that maybe things we see on the news or hear happen in our own communities aren't all that them seem to be. I am not dissing law enforcers, as I know they are overworked and spread thin as is, I am just saying sometimes just because something seems one way it isn't always the case. And to see a community go against one of their own because of how the media portrays things was slightly unsettling, even though it was accurate.
I also really enjoyed how there was some love interest between two characters who didn't feel ready for a relationship. We all know how hard it can to do deal with love after a loss of someone, whether the person died, or just left you. So it didn't come as shock to see Morgan struggle with her feelings when she realized they had been there, growing and waiting for her acknowledgment. However, to see someone so invested with taking care of their parent that they don't wish to burden another, was a even more of a delight. Though it was a very long battle of a will they won't they, I found it to be delightful and quite endearing. To want to be loved and cared for a is basic human want and in some case need, but to love someone in a way that you wouldn't want to have anything in your life burden them or create some kind of obstacle for them to hurdle over, was just delightful and pleasant to see.
Needless to say I could probably go on for days about all the things this particular book brings into light. With all the real world problems different characters had and everything else that made it feel all too real to be thought of as fictional, it was an extremely delightful read. I would rate this book 5 stars out of 5 stars for how will it portray how easily humanity can give up on itself and how it can take courage, determination and a bit of stubbornness to do exactly what you feel is right. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a murder mystery.
I found that I really enjoyed watching Morgan and Lance, a private detective, investigate the crimes committed and pinned on a man. It helped solved a missing person's case and get other secrets revealed. In one particular case, a military veteran, who shot at Morgan and Lance, is found to be suffering from some mental issues. To see how killing someone, even though deployed, can really affect the mind of a man and break his spirit, was truly heart wrenching and yet real. It was very interesting to see how something in the news can trigger an onset of guilt and paranoia in such a brave man. It is characters and developments like this, that can make the story feel all to real and even hit close to home in some people. To have such details on how certain things can trigger certain emotions and outcomes in a variety of ways, made Leigh's storytelling a bit chilling.
It wasn't just a single character that made the book feel more life like, it was all the characters, the thoughts and ideas they had, and how they felt so convicted by what they thought and felt. Take Morgan for example, it is clear on many occasions in the beginning that she doesn't every want to be a defense attorney, but when someone she knows is arrested for a crime she believes he couldn't do, she is more than happy to get to the bottom of the story, even if she finds out the person is trying to protect is guilty. To have such strong feelings that you are willing to risk your dream career is truly a human feat as well as a desirable trait to have. I really found her to be someone to admire, even if fictional. It wasn't easy to see her struggle with the case or to even have images in her mind of her own little girls having been the victim, but it was something that made her all the more likeable. I feel that woman who work in law and who see the murder victims and crime photos think the same thing and find that having a character who would show this, makes it all the better. Even though the reader may know that this book was fictional, to have such real life emotions and thoughts put into the characters can make a book all more desirable to read. But it doesn't just stop there.
As the case unfolds, it is easy to see how a community can come together and even be judgmental based on what is said in the news and what is believed by those who are there to serve and protect the community was a pleasant surprised. Even though things were being rushed without a deeper investigation based on a few pieces of planted evidence and just a few ideas, it became clear that maybe things we see on the news or hear happen in our own communities aren't all that them seem to be. I am not dissing law enforcers, as I know they are overworked and spread thin as is, I am just saying sometimes just because something seems one way it isn't always the case. And to see a community go against one of their own because of how the media portrays things was slightly unsettling, even though it was accurate.
I also really enjoyed how there was some love interest between two characters who didn't feel ready for a relationship. We all know how hard it can to do deal with love after a loss of someone, whether the person died, or just left you. So it didn't come as shock to see Morgan struggle with her feelings when she realized they had been there, growing and waiting for her acknowledgment. However, to see someone so invested with taking care of their parent that they don't wish to burden another, was a even more of a delight. Though it was a very long battle of a will they won't they, I found it to be delightful and quite endearing. To want to be loved and cared for a is basic human want and in some case need, but to love someone in a way that you wouldn't want to have anything in your life burden them or create some kind of obstacle for them to hurdle over, was just delightful and pleasant to see.
Needless to say I could probably go on for days about all the things this particular book brings into light. With all the real world problems different characters had and everything else that made it feel all too real to be thought of as fictional, it was an extremely delightful read. I would rate this book 5 stars out of 5 stars for how will it portray how easily humanity can give up on itself and how it can take courage, determination and a bit of stubbornness to do exactly what you feel is right. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a murder mystery.
Darren (1599 KP) rated King Kong (2005) in Movies
Jun 25, 2019
Thoughts on King Kong
Characters – Ann Darrow is a stage actress who has ben performing in an unsuccessful show for years until her theatre gets closed down, she is getting desperate to work with famous play write, only to find herself meeting a film director working with him. Ann jumps at the chance to have a paid gig, only this becomes more than she ever bargained for, when she becomes the object of King Kong affections on Skull Island. Carl Denham is a film director whose latest film isn’t impressing his investors, he decides to run before having the whole projects plug pulled, taking his crew to an unknown island and even after the danger starts, he continues to film his evolving story. Jack Driscoll is the screenwriter that is trying to get back to his stage work, only to find that Carl has tricked him into remaining on the boat, forcing him to work on the screenplay, he starts to fall in love with Ann along the way too, willing to risk his own life to save hers. Kong is the feared ruler of Skull Island, he takes Ann as a sacrifice falling in love with the human on his island, he can fight any threat, including T-Rexes. He is the icon that we know from previous films bought to life once again.
Performances – Naomi Watts in the role made famous by Fay Wray, brings her own stamp to the role, handling the small comic moments very well through the film too. Jack Black might not have been many people’s first choice for the director role, but he proves a lot of people wrong with his performance, which still remains one of his best. Adrian Brody proves to be a great choice too because he gets to poke fun at the Hollywood stereotypes.
Story – The story here follows an ambitious director who takes his crew including a desperate young actress to Skull Island, a mysterious uncharted location only to find a land filled with unseen monsters including the king of the island Kong, who becomes friends with Ann the actress. This is the remake of the one of the classic films of the 1930s, it does tell the same story, only builds on everything to new levels, because back then, nobody knew how big movies were going to be, so this time we can look back at the movie building era, showing more of the conflicts between movies and theatre. The island is also much larger in scale with plenty of creatures which add to the story. we do even have small side stories which do work to fill the films lengthy 3 hour plus run time. We do get to see just how destructive the human can be to new worlds too.
Action/Adventure – The action in the film is massive, edge of the seat and most importantly brilliant to watch, be it the fights between creatures, monsters and humans, right down to the New York showdown with Kong. The adventure does take us to a new world, where we haven’t seen the creatures before, or at least not this size. It shows the most dangerous side of the explorer’s journeys in the world.
Settings – The film does use two main settings, first New York which is re-created for the time period perfectly, the second is the island which is filled with the beauty and terror you would have come to expect from an unknown location
Special Effects – The effects are one of the biggest talking points of this film, first of all Kong looks fantastic, large amounts of the film looks brilliant, but that one chase scene will drag this down because it is such a weak point for the film.
Scene of the Movie – Kong versus the T-Rex.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The canyon chase the CGI looks awful.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the remakes that works because of the improvement in technology, it is epic in scale and manages to capture the true feeling behind what made the original such a memorable movie.
Overall: Stunning remake that lives up to the scale of the movie.
Characters – Ann Darrow is a stage actress who has ben performing in an unsuccessful show for years until her theatre gets closed down, she is getting desperate to work with famous play write, only to find herself meeting a film director working with him. Ann jumps at the chance to have a paid gig, only this becomes more than she ever bargained for, when she becomes the object of King Kong affections on Skull Island. Carl Denham is a film director whose latest film isn’t impressing his investors, he decides to run before having the whole projects plug pulled, taking his crew to an unknown island and even after the danger starts, he continues to film his evolving story. Jack Driscoll is the screenwriter that is trying to get back to his stage work, only to find that Carl has tricked him into remaining on the boat, forcing him to work on the screenplay, he starts to fall in love with Ann along the way too, willing to risk his own life to save hers. Kong is the feared ruler of Skull Island, he takes Ann as a sacrifice falling in love with the human on his island, he can fight any threat, including T-Rexes. He is the icon that we know from previous films bought to life once again.
Performances – Naomi Watts in the role made famous by Fay Wray, brings her own stamp to the role, handling the small comic moments very well through the film too. Jack Black might not have been many people’s first choice for the director role, but he proves a lot of people wrong with his performance, which still remains one of his best. Adrian Brody proves to be a great choice too because he gets to poke fun at the Hollywood stereotypes.
Story – The story here follows an ambitious director who takes his crew including a desperate young actress to Skull Island, a mysterious uncharted location only to find a land filled with unseen monsters including the king of the island Kong, who becomes friends with Ann the actress. This is the remake of the one of the classic films of the 1930s, it does tell the same story, only builds on everything to new levels, because back then, nobody knew how big movies were going to be, so this time we can look back at the movie building era, showing more of the conflicts between movies and theatre. The island is also much larger in scale with plenty of creatures which add to the story. we do even have small side stories which do work to fill the films lengthy 3 hour plus run time. We do get to see just how destructive the human can be to new worlds too.
Action/Adventure – The action in the film is massive, edge of the seat and most importantly brilliant to watch, be it the fights between creatures, monsters and humans, right down to the New York showdown with Kong. The adventure does take us to a new world, where we haven’t seen the creatures before, or at least not this size. It shows the most dangerous side of the explorer’s journeys in the world.
Settings – The film does use two main settings, first New York which is re-created for the time period perfectly, the second is the island which is filled with the beauty and terror you would have come to expect from an unknown location
Special Effects – The effects are one of the biggest talking points of this film, first of all Kong looks fantastic, large amounts of the film looks brilliant, but that one chase scene will drag this down because it is such a weak point for the film.
Scene of the Movie – Kong versus the T-Rex.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The canyon chase the CGI looks awful.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the remakes that works because of the improvement in technology, it is epic in scale and manages to capture the true feeling behind what made the original such a memorable movie.
Overall: Stunning remake that lives up to the scale of the movie.
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RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) in Movies
Feb 18, 2019
The Star Wars Story that nobody asked for, but was is a story worth telling?
In short, NO.
Where to start? Indeed, where to start with a background prequel focusing on one of the most iconic Star Wars characters ever, taking the ageing Harrison Ford’s characters to, well not so far beyond the age that we first met him back in 1977.
Recast with actor who brings very little Ford with him, apart from a few well practice smiles and other expressions here and there, this is a reinterpretation of the character, in this case as a naive and wimpy version, maybe even soft, is not the part for Alden Ehrenreich.
The Character arch of Han Solo in the original trilogy was his redemption from a selfish, self-assured space pirate to a man who could recognise and fight for a cause bigger than himself. But according this haphazard prequel, he was already a big softy before her learns the harsh realities of life, only he doesn’t, not really.
He just learns to be a little more cynical and to smirk his way through every situation with his lucky die and everything turns out okay for him. Ehrenrieich done not bring an ounce of the gravitas or charisma of Harrison Ford, as this film, which had to be almost entirely re-shot with Ron Howard taking the helm after The Lego Movie directing due Chris Miller and Phil Lord where unceremoniously fired after “not getting it”, apparently, shoe horns as much of the token events of Solo’s pre-rebellion life into its two and bit hour run time.
Ron Howard; A few hits and plenty of misses. Willow (1988) springs to mind. Not only was Willow Lucas’ attempt to begin and new fantasy trilogy after the Star Wars Saga was completed, it was micro directed by George Lucas as Ron Howard took the credit. And this has a lot of the hallmarks of Willow.
In short; A poor mans Star Wars. Hammy scripting and at times acting, the story is all over the place, with shallow characterisations, poor exposition, haphazard pacing and the action is actually quite hard to follow. Just please, give us ONE decent shot of the Millennium Falcon that we can keep up with and actually see, especially as it has been altered so much from the icon version that we all love. Maybe we’re getting bored of the same ship after 40 years? Maybe we all need to go out and by a new version?
Toyetic… anyone?
Instead everything of interest is speeding across the screen and the boring stuff is left to linger. And there was a level of boredom here. Incredibly predictable plotting, simply going through the motions of a no stakes story. But it does feel as if they shoehorned a larger narrative in there, with introduction in the final act of the rebellion and an old villain returns with a new legs, but by the time what should have been an earth shattering twist appeared, it wasn’t really interested, especially if you know the The Clone Wars or Rebels.
One major plus note though, Donald Glover aced Lando Calrissian, to such an extant that I wish this movie was actually called Lando: A Star War Story rather than Solo, because there’s no doubt that Glover brought so much more Billy Dee Williams and built on it, than Ehrenreich did for Ford’s.
As well as the subtle and well conceived plotting around Lando’s female droid, L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who may well be the ‘Old girl’ referred to by both Han and Lando during in the original trilogy when they speak to the Falcon, whilst shining a light on the deliberately ambiguous nature of droids in the Star Wars universe. In short; are they sentient or not? But this is not Star Trek so we do not really need an answer to that… do we?
Overall, I want to say that this was missed opportunity but in truth, it was not. It was waste of time. A story that did not need to be told with script that did not know what say. Clearly, they were aiming for a Guardians Of The Galaxy (2015), unaware that the secret of that surprise success was that it tapped in to the retro Star Wars vibe by NOT being Star Wars. And with little expectations.
Here they were playing with one of the biggest guns in modern film history and in my opinion, it blew up in there faces.
Where to start? Indeed, where to start with a background prequel focusing on one of the most iconic Star Wars characters ever, taking the ageing Harrison Ford’s characters to, well not so far beyond the age that we first met him back in 1977.
Recast with actor who brings very little Ford with him, apart from a few well practice smiles and other expressions here and there, this is a reinterpretation of the character, in this case as a naive and wimpy version, maybe even soft, is not the part for Alden Ehrenreich.
The Character arch of Han Solo in the original trilogy was his redemption from a selfish, self-assured space pirate to a man who could recognise and fight for a cause bigger than himself. But according this haphazard prequel, he was already a big softy before her learns the harsh realities of life, only he doesn’t, not really.
He just learns to be a little more cynical and to smirk his way through every situation with his lucky die and everything turns out okay for him. Ehrenrieich done not bring an ounce of the gravitas or charisma of Harrison Ford, as this film, which had to be almost entirely re-shot with Ron Howard taking the helm after The Lego Movie directing due Chris Miller and Phil Lord where unceremoniously fired after “not getting it”, apparently, shoe horns as much of the token events of Solo’s pre-rebellion life into its two and bit hour run time.
Ron Howard; A few hits and plenty of misses. Willow (1988) springs to mind. Not only was Willow Lucas’ attempt to begin and new fantasy trilogy after the Star Wars Saga was completed, it was micro directed by George Lucas as Ron Howard took the credit. And this has a lot of the hallmarks of Willow.
In short; A poor mans Star Wars. Hammy scripting and at times acting, the story is all over the place, with shallow characterisations, poor exposition, haphazard pacing and the action is actually quite hard to follow. Just please, give us ONE decent shot of the Millennium Falcon that we can keep up with and actually see, especially as it has been altered so much from the icon version that we all love. Maybe we’re getting bored of the same ship after 40 years? Maybe we all need to go out and by a new version?
Toyetic… anyone?
Instead everything of interest is speeding across the screen and the boring stuff is left to linger. And there was a level of boredom here. Incredibly predictable plotting, simply going through the motions of a no stakes story. But it does feel as if they shoehorned a larger narrative in there, with introduction in the final act of the rebellion and an old villain returns with a new legs, but by the time what should have been an earth shattering twist appeared, it wasn’t really interested, especially if you know the The Clone Wars or Rebels.
One major plus note though, Donald Glover aced Lando Calrissian, to such an extant that I wish this movie was actually called Lando: A Star War Story rather than Solo, because there’s no doubt that Glover brought so much more Billy Dee Williams and built on it, than Ehrenreich did for Ford’s.
As well as the subtle and well conceived plotting around Lando’s female droid, L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who may well be the ‘Old girl’ referred to by both Han and Lando during in the original trilogy when they speak to the Falcon, whilst shining a light on the deliberately ambiguous nature of droids in the Star Wars universe. In short; are they sentient or not? But this is not Star Trek so we do not really need an answer to that… do we?
Overall, I want to say that this was missed opportunity but in truth, it was not. It was waste of time. A story that did not need to be told with script that did not know what say. Clearly, they were aiming for a Guardians Of The Galaxy (2015), unaware that the secret of that surprise success was that it tapped in to the retro Star Wars vibe by NOT being Star Wars. And with little expectations.
Here they were playing with one of the biggest guns in modern film history and in my opinion, it blew up in there faces.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Plain Bad Heroines in Books
Dec 17, 2020
Plain Bad Heroines was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I am a sucker for a lesbian tale. Add in a Gothic New England boarding school for girls? Sold.
The story centers around two time periods. The first, 1902, at the Brookhants School for Girls, run by Libbie Brookhants. A book by a young writer, Mary MacLane has come out--one that's incredibly scandalous for the times. Two Brookhants girls, Flo and Clara, are obsessed with it and establish The Plain Bad Heroine Society. The two are in love, meeting in secret--until they are attacked by yellow jackets at their hiding spot, a copy of the book found with them. A few years later the school closes, but not until after more scandal and death. Now, our second period, over a hundred years later, where Merritt Emmons, a young writer, publishes a book about Flo and Clara's story. It inspires a horror film starring Harper Harper, a famous lesbian actress. Harper will be playing Flo and B-list actress Audrey Wells, Clara. Filming on-site at the abandoned Brookhants site, the three women converge. But soon, weird things start happening, and the curse of Brookhants seems back to haunt the set--and our three modern-day heroines.
This book is absolutely enthralling at times. I flew through these 619 pages, that's for sure. My notes state "very lesbian," which is, of course, a major plus for me. Believe me, we don't get a lot of books starring ourselves. And you know, where we are killed off by swarms of yellow jackets. I honestly found both storylines compelling. It's hard not to fall a bit in love with Harper Harper, the charismatic celebrity (out!) lesbian. And 1902 isn't just about Clara and Flo, but Libbie Brookhants and her life trying to run a cursed school in the early 1900s. Honestly, the pages really flew by most of the time. Though, there are certainly moments where I felt some of the story could have been cut.
And yes, the narrative style is different, though it really adds to the uniqueness of the book. It's basically told by an omnipresent narrator, talking directly to the reader. There are footnotes, often humorous ones, and the end result is something you don't often find. For the most part, I felt like Danforth pulled it off, too. I do think Libbie was a little more fully developed than Merritt, Harper, and Audrey, but that also may have been because that trio could come across as a bit spoiled at times.
Probably my two biggest issues with this book (regretfully): for a Gothic horror novel, it's not really that scary. There are a few creepy and eerie moments, especially in the beginning, but it never really builds up to that terrifying moment that you're expecting. And, somewhat related, the ending. We read and stick with our various tales for the entire time and then... poof! Everything just fizzles out. I was so bummed. The ending was such a disappointment after all I'd read and kept this from being a full-fledged 4 or 4.5-star read. I couldn't believe it after what we'd been through. It was like even the author was tired.
So, overall, this is an original and fascinating read. I'm certainly still advising you to read it (especially if you're queer or enjoy reading queer fiction). Just be prepared that the ending may not have that big scary moment you're expecting. 3.5 stars.
The story centers around two time periods. The first, 1902, at the Brookhants School for Girls, run by Libbie Brookhants. A book by a young writer, Mary MacLane has come out--one that's incredibly scandalous for the times. Two Brookhants girls, Flo and Clara, are obsessed with it and establish The Plain Bad Heroine Society. The two are in love, meeting in secret--until they are attacked by yellow jackets at their hiding spot, a copy of the book found with them. A few years later the school closes, but not until after more scandal and death. Now, our second period, over a hundred years later, where Merritt Emmons, a young writer, publishes a book about Flo and Clara's story. It inspires a horror film starring Harper Harper, a famous lesbian actress. Harper will be playing Flo and B-list actress Audrey Wells, Clara. Filming on-site at the abandoned Brookhants site, the three women converge. But soon, weird things start happening, and the curse of Brookhants seems back to haunt the set--and our three modern-day heroines.
This book is absolutely enthralling at times. I flew through these 619 pages, that's for sure. My notes state "very lesbian," which is, of course, a major plus for me. Believe me, we don't get a lot of books starring ourselves. And you know, where we are killed off by swarms of yellow jackets. I honestly found both storylines compelling. It's hard not to fall a bit in love with Harper Harper, the charismatic celebrity (out!) lesbian. And 1902 isn't just about Clara and Flo, but Libbie Brookhants and her life trying to run a cursed school in the early 1900s. Honestly, the pages really flew by most of the time. Though, there are certainly moments where I felt some of the story could have been cut.
And yes, the narrative style is different, though it really adds to the uniqueness of the book. It's basically told by an omnipresent narrator, talking directly to the reader. There are footnotes, often humorous ones, and the end result is something you don't often find. For the most part, I felt like Danforth pulled it off, too. I do think Libbie was a little more fully developed than Merritt, Harper, and Audrey, but that also may have been because that trio could come across as a bit spoiled at times.
Probably my two biggest issues with this book (regretfully): for a Gothic horror novel, it's not really that scary. There are a few creepy and eerie moments, especially in the beginning, but it never really builds up to that terrifying moment that you're expecting. And, somewhat related, the ending. We read and stick with our various tales for the entire time and then... poof! Everything just fizzles out. I was so bummed. The ending was such a disappointment after all I'd read and kept this from being a full-fledged 4 or 4.5-star read. I couldn't believe it after what we'd been through. It was like even the author was tired.
So, overall, this is an original and fascinating read. I'm certainly still advising you to read it (especially if you're queer or enjoy reading queer fiction). Just be prepared that the ending may not have that big scary moment you're expecting. 3.5 stars.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow in Books
Oct 5, 2020
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After reading (and loving) the Hidden Beach by Karen Swan, as part of the Tandem readalong, the whole group fell in love with Karen's writing, so we decided to continue the streak with reading another book. We chose the Greek Escape, because it was suited perfectly for the summer month of August.
<b><i>Synopsis:</i></b>
Running from a heartbreak, Chloe leaves London for a fresh start in New York. She works for a luxury concierge company, where she looks after client's arrangements and event management. But when her friend and colleague Poppy has a terrible accident, she needs to step up and fill her role. This role involves direct customer contact with the clients, which was different to what Chloe was used to.
This is how she meets Joe Lincoln, who asks her to find a secluded holiday home in Greece. You would think all goes by the plan, but her ex, Tom, unexpectedly shows up in New York and she is faced with issues from the past that she wants to run away from. He is the man who has hurt her before, but says he's changed.
She immediately jumps to the chance to help Joe inspect the holiday house - a trip to Greece will give her all the time and space she needs to sort her life out and decide what she wants to do next.
Her mind still unsure about Tom, she also forms a connection with Joe. Even though very mysterious and somehow secluded, there is an undeniable chemistry between them that Chloe is unable to resist. Should she give a second chance to the man she loved for years and years, or is it time for something brand new?
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
This book is perfect to help you forget the current pandemic and give you a nice summer vibe. Even though it’s not entirely set in Greece, but rather mostly set in New York. That being said, Chloe does also travel to the south of France and there are plenty of summer holiday vibes throughout the book as a whole.
<b><i>Karen Swan won me over with her writing again.</i></b>
The description of places, events and characters are so lively and colourful. I felt like I knew Chloe. When she is out for a drink, I felt like I am her friend. When she was in the office, I felt like a colleague. Something that also attracts me to Karen’s writing is her ability to fully materialise the antagonists as well. Even when they have ill intentions or do something bad, she is able to make the readers understand the reasoning behind it and accept it, no matter how wrong it may be.
The premise and the plot were very interesting, and the mystery behind Poppy’s attack kept me glued to the book. I loved how there was suspense in each chapter and slowly revealing the clues.
I felt for Chloe, when it came to her love life. She forgives Tom for years, and all he does is hurt her and then apologise for it! I think she deserves way better, and she should’ve ditched him the first time he screwed up.
I really enjoyed the Greek Escape, and I loved the ending. It was satisfying, how everything ended and was glad Chloe could find true happiness and peace in the end. I definitely recommend this book, and will continue reading Karen Swan’s books with excitement.
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<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Book-Review-Banner-78.png"/>;
After reading (and loving) the Hidden Beach by Karen Swan, as part of the Tandem readalong, the whole group fell in love with Karen's writing, so we decided to continue the streak with reading another book. We chose the Greek Escape, because it was suited perfectly for the summer month of August.
<b><i>Synopsis:</i></b>
Running from a heartbreak, Chloe leaves London for a fresh start in New York. She works for a luxury concierge company, where she looks after client's arrangements and event management. But when her friend and colleague Poppy has a terrible accident, she needs to step up and fill her role. This role involves direct customer contact with the clients, which was different to what Chloe was used to.
This is how she meets Joe Lincoln, who asks her to find a secluded holiday home in Greece. You would think all goes by the plan, but her ex, Tom, unexpectedly shows up in New York and she is faced with issues from the past that she wants to run away from. He is the man who has hurt her before, but says he's changed.
She immediately jumps to the chance to help Joe inspect the holiday house - a trip to Greece will give her all the time and space she needs to sort her life out and decide what she wants to do next.
Her mind still unsure about Tom, she also forms a connection with Joe. Even though very mysterious and somehow secluded, there is an undeniable chemistry between them that Chloe is unable to resist. Should she give a second chance to the man she loved for years and years, or is it time for something brand new?
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
This book is perfect to help you forget the current pandemic and give you a nice summer vibe. Even though it’s not entirely set in Greece, but rather mostly set in New York. That being said, Chloe does also travel to the south of France and there are plenty of summer holiday vibes throughout the book as a whole.
<b><i>Karen Swan won me over with her writing again.</i></b>
The description of places, events and characters are so lively and colourful. I felt like I knew Chloe. When she is out for a drink, I felt like I am her friend. When she was in the office, I felt like a colleague. Something that also attracts me to Karen’s writing is her ability to fully materialise the antagonists as well. Even when they have ill intentions or do something bad, she is able to make the readers understand the reasoning behind it and accept it, no matter how wrong it may be.
The premise and the plot were very interesting, and the mystery behind Poppy’s attack kept me glued to the book. I loved how there was suspense in each chapter and slowly revealing the clues.
I felt for Chloe, when it came to her love life. She forgives Tom for years, and all he does is hurt her and then apologise for it! I think she deserves way better, and she should’ve ditched him the first time he screwed up.
I really enjoyed the Greek Escape, and I loved the ending. It was satisfying, how everything ended and was glad Chloe could find true happiness and peace in the end. I definitely recommend this book, and will continue reading Karen Swan’s books with excitement.