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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Escape Room (2019) in Movies

Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)  
Escape Room (2019)
Escape Room (2019)
2019 | Action, Horror, Thriller
TL;DR - I'm never doing an escape room ever again, and potentially never going anywhere that begins with a mysterious invitation.

The film opens, somewhat strangely, with some of the last scenes of the movie. I'm not sure whether this helped the film along or not. We already knew what to expect before going in so starting with the intrigue of the invitations probably would have worked just as well, it did at least ease you in to what you'd be getting from the rest of the film.

I was a little disappointed that we didn't get an intro to all of the characters. Admittedly six intro pieces would have made the beginning of the story drag but it felt a little odd to have the other three thrown in with no context. On the plus side you are able to infer some things about their back story as we go through the film, but I don't quite see the logic behind who they included and excluded.

Drama, mystery, sci-fi, thriller... that's how IMDb classified Escape Room, and this is why I don't know why we bother pigeon holing films. It's definitely a thriller and can loosely fit into the horror genre (I only say loosely because of it's lack of gore) but to claim any of the others is a stretch.

In what was probably a rather average film I was glad to see some pieces that impressed me. Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll) has a flashback during one of their escapes and the transition was seamless. Woll's performance overall was probably the best, she goes from vulnerable to woman of action and in each scene she creates something that I found incredibly believable.

Tyler Labine is one of my favourite "hidden" gems of the movie world so I was excited to see he was part of this. My excitement was short lived though as his character wasn't given much opportunity to shine as his story is largely overlooked until the very last minute.

One of the issues I have at the cinema is that I suffer from mild motion sickness, generally I'm okay but on occasion the weirdest things can set it off. This film gave me a near heart attack when it entered the pool room, you can see it during the trailer, the room is basically upside down but that combined with the camera shots meant I had to keep looking at my feet for fear of either passing out or throwing up on my fellow cinema goers.

The idea behind the film had a lot of potential and up to a certain point I was enjoying what was happening... but that ending. My brain suddenly stopped and went "huh, Belko Experiment." I'm not generally a watcher of horror type films but from the comments I've seen online Escape Room is similar to a lot of things already out there. What I know is that it's predictable. Probably more so because of the way the film starts, the premise of an escape room, and the trailer. It does have some things up its sleeve though.

For someone who is easily scared out of their skin I didn't have a problem watching this (apart from that pool room scene), a lot of the really jumpy bits I'd already seen before going into the film. Until the memory of this film is washed away by several dozen other films I will not be setting foot in an escape room, and they should probably look at suing the film for lose of revenue.

What you should do

It's an entertaining film and if thrillers/horrors are your sort of thing then you should give it a go.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

Needless to say there is basically nothing I want from this movie apart from the little piece of sanity and rational thinking it stole from me.
  
M(
Moonlight (Dark Guardian, #1)
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I still don't really know how I feel about this one. While it wasn't terrible like i was expecting it to be, it wasn't anything special either. It seemed like just another typical young adult werewolf novel.

What I did enjoy about this novel was the style. I actually enjoyed Hawthorne's style compared to many young adult writers. Her dialogues were realistic even if her character were so stereotypical for a young adult novel.

What really irritated was having to continuously read about Kayla's parents dying. I understand that it was a huge part of the plot, but it only needs to brought up so many times when it isn't moving the plot forward. It comes to a point when you need to stop kicking the dead horse.

Another point that irritated me was how out of no where, suddenly Kayla and Lucas were so in love with each other. I can understand that Kayla was attracted to him, but to bring in the whole one true love thing was a bit much. I actually liked the concept that the Shifters found their mates young in life. I felt that it may give some young readers delusions about relationships.

I also felt like Hawthorne rushed so many things, such as Kayla becoming a Dark Guardian. I felt like Hawthorne could have fleshed the end out much more. Despite this, I still want to read the second one just to see what happens with the rest of the pack.
  
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Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Tin Man in Books

May 29, 2018  
Tin Man
Tin Man
Sarah Winman | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
I wanted to love this so much - and I did, in a way. The story is so sad to me. Wishing we knew now what we knew then, and how far we still have to go. This is like a love triangle that works, but it doesn't. And I can't help but think how often unsaid things, create such chasms between friends, and lovers. So unnecessary, and so sad.

Ellis, Annie and Michael have such an exquisite love story - and so many unanswered questions between them. This story is short, but powerful, and a lot of those questions are answered as we go through it. Sadly, there is so much love, but also so much loss. It's heartbreaking what they all endure.

I loved getting into Dora's story in the beginning - she was such an interesting character - but after that I struggled to get into it - finally really feeling like I was engaged in the story mid-way with Michael. But I coulnd't follow the writing style very well.... like they were these snippets of thoughts, run of mouth words, memories, flashes... I had trouble connecting the timelines and often found myself re-reading to stay engaged.

I love the descriptiveness of surroundings, and feelings, and characters (the sunflowers a character alone! and there was a lot of swimming.... I wonder what that signifies?), and the ending was so beautifully poetic. I just really wanted more story, more things happening.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
  
Snow One Like You (Snowed In - Valentine's Inc #9)
Snow One Like You (Snowed In - Valentine's Inc #9)
Ashe Winters | 2020 | LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
LOVED this book!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted a copy of this book.

Oh yeah, I LOVED this book! So much!

Angelo and Spencer have a great deal of . . .not hatred cos that is too strong a word, but they really dislike each other, with a passion. And it's that passion that spills things over into something much more, something neither of them dreamed of.

So much passion, from these two, it burned the page! While what they say to themselves is hatred of the other, deep down, they both know that there is something more between them and getting stuck in a snow storm together is the time to let it all out, and just FEEL, you know?? So much the feels!

I loved the speed at which these guys fell, once they admitted to themselves at least what they were actually feeling. Usually I don't but the whole book (bar the epilogue) takes place over a few days, some 125 pages, so for it to work, it has to be fast. I loved that they were all in.

Both guys have a say, in the first person, so we get it all from them both. How much Spencer riles Angelo up. How much Spencer gets a kick out of calling him Angel. How much what they both want from the other means to them. LOVED these guys, I really did!

Can't see that I've read anything else by this author, and now I want more!

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Kristina (502 KP) rated Bird Box in Books

Dec 7, 2020  
Bird Box
Bird Box
Josh Malerman | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
7
8.3 (23 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
3.5
This was definitely new level of apocalypse! I've read a few Dystopians (The Hunger Games and Divergent, for example) but none were quite like this. The idea is intriguing - something is causing people to turn into violent maniacs who usually murder those surrounding them before bringing themselves to death. I'm many, many ways, the fact these characters cannot see - are not allowed to look - at what's causing so much chaos is the suspense, leaving you with questions such as: what are they, why do they exist and how do they exist, what is their purpose, what do they want? I never would have thought of it without Tom's insight, but I suppose he had a point - are these creatures consciously evil of the destruction they are causing? Either way, it makes for an interesting, albeit frustrating, concept. I chose to read this before watching the movie and I can understand how this could play out better on the big screen, but I feel like Josh did an excellent job at using the absence of sight with his words. I read Bird Box in one sitting, was curious about the nature of these creatures, interested in the possibility of a relationship between Tom and Malorie. The ending felt like it could have been final: Malorie and the kids and up at their destination and live happily ever after; but I'm fully aware there is at least one more novel, which I look forward to reading so I can hopefully get more answers about these deadly creatures.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Gone for Gouda in Books

Jan 9, 2023 (Updated Jan 9, 2023)  
Gone for Gouda
Gone for Gouda
Korina Moss | 2022 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder Preempts Author Event
Willa Bauer is thrilled to be hosting a stop for Phoebe Winston on her tour promoting her new cookbook. The celebrity chef is sure to bring in lots of people to Willa’s new cheese shop. However, when Willa meets Phoebe, she discovers the author is a bit of a diva, with demands that make the event a much harder prospect than Willa bargained for. Then Phoebe is murdered in the house she was renting in the area, with Willa’s employee Archie the last person on the property’s security system. Can Willa figure out what happened?

I enjoyed the first book in the series, but this was even stronger. We meet Phoebe long enough to know what a pain she is before she dies, but then we learn even more, opening up the suspect pool. The climax becomes a race to figure things out, and I was along for the twists that kept coming at that point. I was thrilled that the supporting players got a bigger role this time around. They are fantastic, and I enjoyed spending time with all of them. I grew up in Sonoma County, so I have a special connection with the setting even if I did have to move my mental map of the fictional town where most of the action takes place. This book will leave you hungry for cheese, so the three recipes at the end will be welcome. I’m already anxious to see what happens to Willa and the others in the next in the series.
  
Look For Me
Look For Me
Lisa Gardner | 2018 | Crime
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
DD Warren is trying to find out who has killed the Baez family. Mother, Justine; her boyfriend, Charlie; her youngest daughter, Lola; and her only son, Manny. But there is another child, Roxanna, as well as two dogs, Rosie and Blaze. Where are they? Did Roxanna do this to her family? If so, why? But Roxy was the protector of the family. Her mom is a recovering alcoholic and when she was drinking Roxy made sure her siblings ate and made it to school. When the state took the kids away from Justine for a year, this role for Roxy became more prominent. After that year, the girls were never the same. Did something happen during their year in foster care that could have warranted this kind of violence? Will DD be able to find the person or people responsible for this before more people are killed? Will her new CI, Flora Dane prove to be helpful or detrimental to this case?

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When I made the request from NetGalley for this book, I was intrigued by the description and didn't know that this was the 9th book in the series. I don't think that I needed to read the entire series to get into this book, but I'm sure the background on some of the characters would have been helpful. So, I'm definitely going to go back now and read the rest of the series.

Can you imagine coming home and finding your whole family dead? Your younger sister clutching your brother in order to protect him from a crazy killer? How do you come back from that? Over the course of a few days Detective DD Warren is trying to find out who could do such a thing to this family. With the help of confidential informant, Flora Dane, will they be able to find the killer as well as find Roxana before it's too late. Who would want to hurt these people? What did they do? So many questions and the answers can't come fast enough, until they all do come crashing into one another in one fell swoop.

I can't wait to read more books in this series.
  
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Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Ghosted in Books

Jun 27, 2018  
Ghosted
Ghosted
Rosie Walsh | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Really great story (0 more)
Character drive you nuts! (0 more)
Great Story - Awesome Blindsides
This book had some serious 'holy-crap' shockers! I was riveted from start to finish, gobbled up every word, and felt like I got smacked in the face several times with total blindsiding plot twists!

Sarah's been ghosted. If you don't know what that means - well... she literally fell in love with Eddie after ONE WEEK. They meet, by chance, spend an entire week with no-one but each other, the connection is insane, they are meant for each other, they both seem to be in love - it's that much of a connection. He leaves to go on an already planned holiday, with promises to call, to stay in touch, to possibly start lives together afterwards... aaaaaaand GHOSTED. Eddie is gone. He doesn't call or email, he hasn't been on Facebook, her texts go unanswered. He's just GONE.

Weeks go by and Sarah is a HOT MESS. She knows Eddie was THE ONE. She knows he felt the same, but Where. The heck. Did he go?

Her friends think she's losing her mind. It was one week! You are barely divorced! Guys suck! Get over it! But Sarah knows in her bones that something is wrong. Something happened to Eddie and she won't give up until he is back in her life and found safe and sound.

But seriously Sarah, Get a grip. This chick is going looney tunes. She's obsessed with this guy and it's getting a bit weird. It's just about the only problem I had with the book. Tone it down Sarah! For goodness sake - it was a WEEK! The obsession and neurosis she goes through is a bit embarrassing! Yikes!

But then, things start happening: Clues. Messages. Strange people watching her. And really old wounds are opened. Who is Eddie and why did he disappear??

I really really really enjoyed this (as much as I wanted to smack the living daylights out of Sarah and tell her to "stop it! he's just a dude! dudes do this sort of thing ALL the time!) but I really did have a great time with this book! It's interspersed with texts, and letters and flips between characters really seamlessly and it's worth a read just for the really shocking and fun blindsides. Definitely recommend!!

Thanks to Penguin Random House for the advanced copy to read and review!
  
TS
The Secret of Joy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thoughts: This is such a sweet heart-warming story about life and love, and takes the drama of ex-wives and love-sick ladies to a whole new level, giving it life and plausibility at the same time. How did Melissa do it? No idea. But she won me over.

This book asks a lot of questions about marriage, relationships, and love. Does the author answer all the questions? Not really—but she answers the ones that she needs to, and as for others, she lets her readers decide the answers for themselves. THE SECRET OF JOY makes the reader think about what forgiveness really is, what it means to love someone, and the responsibility of loving them.

Characters: Joy was my favorite character. She was a rough-tough-don’t-mess-with-me-you-cant-make-me-cry kinda girl. She held her facade well (most of the time) but when she showed her true colors, she was a gem. Michael, Rebecca’s boyfriend, was a bit of a confusing character. At first I really liked him but as the story went on, I got fed up with him and kept thinking “Rebecca, dump him, please.” I almost cried when Rebecca’s dad died. These characters in this story will beckon you.

Writing: Melissa held me captive with her unique writing style. It was relaxed and smooth, and flowed well, something that could be read aloud without too much problem.

Content: There was only an occasional swear word, and some mention of sex, but no details.

Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone craving a light-hearted sit-by-the-fire-with-tea kind of book.

**Thank you to Sarah from Pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
  
The Crown Of Draga (Draga Court #2)
The Crown Of Draga (Draga Court #2)
Emma Dean, Jillian Ashe | 2017 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
burning hotter!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book two in the Draga Court series, and you really SHOULD read Princess of Draga before reading this one. It will give you a better picture of who is who, and what they are all up to. Not everything is recapped.

I found this a much better read! Maybe because I was able to read it in one sitting, I dunno. But it certainly held my attention far better.

We again get almost everyone, but I really wanted to hear from Raena, Adelina's eldest sister, who places the restrictions on Lina about Nash. I wanted to know what was going through her mind when she did that!

On the blurb bit of this book it says "This is a slow-burn, reverse harem series" Now, it IS a whole lot sexier than the first book, I'll give you that, but the reverse harem bit?? Still not clear how that is gonna pan out! Not that Adelina doesn't have any suitors, cos she does, I just don't know who will end up in her bed next!

Across the galaxy, on the outer rim, the Neprijat have made their first move. The galaxy is at war with these monsters. We meet them too, along with their (almost) human handlers, and are introduced to their *quite literal* mind bending powers.

I can't see where this is going, or how many books it will take to get there, but I KNOW I want to follow the series. I just hope I don't have to wait for a long time!

Creeping up to...

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**