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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Cruella (2021) in Movies
Jun 2, 2021 (Updated Jun 3, 2021)
The Acting- great performances by both Emma Stone and Emma Thompson (2 more)
The costume designs and wardrobe were amazing to see
The soundtrack was phenomenal - great music
Original cartoon Cruella vs this Cruella (1 more)
The pacing was sparratic and movie ran a little too long
Part Devil Wears Prada, Part The Joker, Surprisingly Splendid
https://youtu.be/Ja_Cl-9IKNI
I have to say this movie really wasn't on the top of my list for "must watch" movies as much as I like Disney movies and Emma Stone as an actress (loved her in Superbad as Jules, lol) but I really liked this movie and it was really good. Emma Stone was fantastic as Estella/Cruella and this movie really came off as a mix of Devil Wears Prada and The Joker in my opinion. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it in the beginning because I was weary of the concept of them trying to turn this villain into a good guy or giving them a compelling reason for their "villainy" ways but I'm a sucker for revenge movies. I have to say it had me right away with what happens to her mother and It was "hook, line and sinker" for me and I was along for the ride. I like how the movie kept the characters of Jasper and Horace which if I remember correctly were the name of her two helpers the skinny and fat one from the cartoons who helped her steal all those puppies so that was pretty cool as well. I really can't say how much I loved the soundtrack for this movie, it was just hit after hit, song after song the whole way through the film. Lots of great oldie music from around the times that they movie was supposed to be set in which was 1970's. There were some issues that I had with the movie like how it portrays Cruella when she's so horrible in the cartoons, how the plot turns into a whole heist situation, and how it takes until the end of the movie to answer a lot of the questions that were building up the whole movie. The movie did have good things too, such as the acting being great, especially the performances by Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, the setting and time period fitting the story in 1970's London and the clothes and the fashion, not to mention the soundtrack that knocked it out of the park. I give this movie a 7/10, unfortunately it doesn't get my "must see" seal of approval and I wouldn't suggest shelling out $30 on top of your Disney Plus subscription to see this movie by yourself. However, if you plan on watching as a family it is definitely worth it to watch it in the comfort of your own home and not worry about movie theater etiquette or prices especially if you have young ones. If your not in a rush to watch it, I would wait until it becomes free to watch on Disney Plus which has been announced as Friday August 27th, so around 3 months. If you want to hear more of what I thought about the movie stick around for the spoiler section review.
-------------------------------------------------------
Spoiler Section Review:
https://youtu.be/PvPC_yAMwFQ
I guess my spoiler section review ran a little long so if your interested in what else I had to say check out the full review on my website or check out my spoiler section video on YouTube.
I have to say this movie really wasn't on the top of my list for "must watch" movies as much as I like Disney movies and Emma Stone as an actress (loved her in Superbad as Jules, lol) but I really liked this movie and it was really good. Emma Stone was fantastic as Estella/Cruella and this movie really came off as a mix of Devil Wears Prada and The Joker in my opinion. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it in the beginning because I was weary of the concept of them trying to turn this villain into a good guy or giving them a compelling reason for their "villainy" ways but I'm a sucker for revenge movies. I have to say it had me right away with what happens to her mother and It was "hook, line and sinker" for me and I was along for the ride. I like how the movie kept the characters of Jasper and Horace which if I remember correctly were the name of her two helpers the skinny and fat one from the cartoons who helped her steal all those puppies so that was pretty cool as well. I really can't say how much I loved the soundtrack for this movie, it was just hit after hit, song after song the whole way through the film. Lots of great oldie music from around the times that they movie was supposed to be set in which was 1970's. There were some issues that I had with the movie like how it portrays Cruella when she's so horrible in the cartoons, how the plot turns into a whole heist situation, and how it takes until the end of the movie to answer a lot of the questions that were building up the whole movie. The movie did have good things too, such as the acting being great, especially the performances by Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, the setting and time period fitting the story in 1970's London and the clothes and the fashion, not to mention the soundtrack that knocked it out of the park. I give this movie a 7/10, unfortunately it doesn't get my "must see" seal of approval and I wouldn't suggest shelling out $30 on top of your Disney Plus subscription to see this movie by yourself. However, if you plan on watching as a family it is definitely worth it to watch it in the comfort of your own home and not worry about movie theater etiquette or prices especially if you have young ones. If your not in a rush to watch it, I would wait until it becomes free to watch on Disney Plus which has been announced as Friday August 27th, so around 3 months. If you want to hear more of what I thought about the movie stick around for the spoiler section review.
-------------------------------------------------------
Spoiler Section Review:
https://youtu.be/PvPC_yAMwFQ
I guess my spoiler section review ran a little long so if your interested in what else I had to say check out the full review on my website or check out my spoiler section video on YouTube.
Fred (860 KP) rated The Haunting of Bly Manor in TV
Oct 11, 2020
Yet another re-telling of The Turn of the Screw
This is a re-telling of The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, written in 1898. The last re-telling was 2020s The Turning, which was terrible. So how is this version?
In the last episode of this series, a character says, "This wasn't a ghost story, it was a love story." which is true. Sort of. It's a ghost story in the fact that it has ghosts in it. It's a love story in that two people fall in love. But it's really all about the characters. They are very good characters & acted out very well. I'll even give Henry Thomas credit for trying a British accent, even if his face contorted like someone was running a current through his face every time he talked. Entire episodes are sometimes devoted to a character. And this is the main problem. It's fine to give some character development, but this series is so stretched out. It's 9 episodes that could have been 3 or 4 episodes and worked out much better. Each person's story also jumps back in time, then forward, then back, then back again, then forward, then back. It's pacing can be real bad & quite frankly can be real boring at times.
Sometimes I think how can this story be remade 35 times now & still there's no great film version. It's a good story. It's an interesting idea. But, it's also weird & sometimes confusing & sometimes all over the place. It's got to be tight, but it's also got to be fleshed out enough that we care about the characters. Which as I said, is what it's all about.
Now, is it a ghost story? I already said yes. Is it a horror series? Well, I would say no. It's not scary. It's not creepy. It doesn't even have jump scares, which is normally good, but I would have enjoyed one or two to be honest. What it does have, as I've stated, is characters. But it also has atmosphere & great settings. The manor itself is almost it's own character. But as much as it is dark & there are things hiding in the corners or even in plain sight, it's just doesn't have that creep factor. Even the little girl shushes a ghost when it won't shut up. There's no sense of real evil or malevolence going on.
Now it sounds like I hated this series, but I didn't. I liked it. It was not what I expected, being the second season of the anthology "The Haunting" series, which started with the phenomenal "The Haunting of Hill House". But, if it had been just like Hill House, I probably would have been bored & just re-watched the first season again. So, I'm glad it was different. But like I said, it was stretched out far longer than it should have been.
Now, after we watched the entire series, my wife said that she liked it & would re-watch it maybe in 5 years. and gives it a 6 out of 10 as well. I'm sure a re-watch would be good for seeing things you did not catch the first time, but feel it'd be better to move on to something different. If you're looking for something scary to watch this Halloween series, then you can skip this. Unless you're in the mood to watch some good actors, playing good characters, with an interesting movie & have lots of free time. However, if you didn't see the first season "Hill House", then watch that instead.
In the last episode of this series, a character says, "This wasn't a ghost story, it was a love story." which is true. Sort of. It's a ghost story in the fact that it has ghosts in it. It's a love story in that two people fall in love. But it's really all about the characters. They are very good characters & acted out very well. I'll even give Henry Thomas credit for trying a British accent, even if his face contorted like someone was running a current through his face every time he talked. Entire episodes are sometimes devoted to a character. And this is the main problem. It's fine to give some character development, but this series is so stretched out. It's 9 episodes that could have been 3 or 4 episodes and worked out much better. Each person's story also jumps back in time, then forward, then back, then back again, then forward, then back. It's pacing can be real bad & quite frankly can be real boring at times.
Sometimes I think how can this story be remade 35 times now & still there's no great film version. It's a good story. It's an interesting idea. But, it's also weird & sometimes confusing & sometimes all over the place. It's got to be tight, but it's also got to be fleshed out enough that we care about the characters. Which as I said, is what it's all about.
Now, is it a ghost story? I already said yes. Is it a horror series? Well, I would say no. It's not scary. It's not creepy. It doesn't even have jump scares, which is normally good, but I would have enjoyed one or two to be honest. What it does have, as I've stated, is characters. But it also has atmosphere & great settings. The manor itself is almost it's own character. But as much as it is dark & there are things hiding in the corners or even in plain sight, it's just doesn't have that creep factor. Even the little girl shushes a ghost when it won't shut up. There's no sense of real evil or malevolence going on.
Now it sounds like I hated this series, but I didn't. I liked it. It was not what I expected, being the second season of the anthology "The Haunting" series, which started with the phenomenal "The Haunting of Hill House". But, if it had been just like Hill House, I probably would have been bored & just re-watched the first season again. So, I'm glad it was different. But like I said, it was stretched out far longer than it should have been.
Now, after we watched the entire series, my wife said that she liked it & would re-watch it maybe in 5 years. and gives it a 6 out of 10 as well. I'm sure a re-watch would be good for seeing things you did not catch the first time, but feel it'd be better to move on to something different. If you're looking for something scary to watch this Halloween series, then you can skip this. Unless you're in the mood to watch some good actors, playing good characters, with an interesting movie & have lots of free time. However, if you didn't see the first season "Hill House", then watch that instead.
Hey Duggee: We Love Animals
Games and Education
App
**** As seen on Nick Jr. **** Duggee's back and this time he's awarding the We Love Animals Badge....
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Shatter Me in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Shatter Me is one of those books that will stick with me forever. I may even re-read it just because I enjoyed it so much! I mean, I never re-read books! But I may very well re-read this one! It's one that I can pick up the next one after not having read it for a year, and I can jump right back in because I remember it all. I can't wait until the next book comes out! Oh my gosh! Why on earth did I wait so long to read it? Oh yeah. College.
The writing was magnificent (man has it been a long time since I've been able to say that). It was interesting, and different, and felt like a free flowing train of thought instead of conscious sentences or pages from a diary. It was beautiful and poetic, and full of metaphors about nature and beauty and pain that were so honest and true that I couldn't figure out why I hadn't thought them up myself first. Sometimes there would be a phrase that Juliette thought to herself that was true but she refused to admit to thinking, and it would be crossed out. (like that ^). I really liked this, because it showed what she was really thinking, but it also showed what kind of person she wanted to be.
The plot was fantastic. It never stopped moving forward. There were brief times of rest in the thriller aspect of the story, but the tension itself never went away, and there were no dead plot fillers thrown in.
I really liked Juliette. She wants to be strong, but after a long life of being emotionally abused, she's a weak broken pitiful creature who just wants to be loved and nurtured back to health. She will do anything to be on good terms with someone she loves. She's dying to be touched, but she knows she can't be because she'll kill whoever touches her. And she doesn't want to hurt anyone. She wants to help people and comfort them, but she knows she'll kill them. What a horrible place to be in!
I won't say too much about her love interest, Adam, but I will say he is so going on my list of favorite literary crushes. He is hott stuff. And because of that, I'm going to put my recommendation as ages 16+. If you can't read Hush Hush or Hourglass, I'd hold off on this one for a while…
Content/recommendation: Some hot kissing scenes, and I'm seeing a potential for more in the later books. Ages 16+
The writing was magnificent (man has it been a long time since I've been able to say that). It was interesting, and different, and felt like a free flowing train of thought instead of conscious sentences or pages from a diary. It was beautiful and poetic, and full of metaphors about nature and beauty and pain that were so honest and true that I couldn't figure out why I hadn't thought them up myself first. Sometimes there would be a phrase that Juliette thought to herself that was true but she refused to admit to thinking, and it would be crossed out. (like that ^). I really liked this, because it showed what she was really thinking, but it also showed what kind of person she wanted to be.
The plot was fantastic. It never stopped moving forward. There were brief times of rest in the thriller aspect of the story, but the tension itself never went away, and there were no dead plot fillers thrown in.
I really liked Juliette. She wants to be strong, but after a long life of being emotionally abused, she's a weak broken pitiful creature who just wants to be loved and nurtured back to health. She will do anything to be on good terms with someone she loves. She's dying to be touched, but she knows she can't be because she'll kill whoever touches her. And she doesn't want to hurt anyone. She wants to help people and comfort them, but she knows she'll kill them. What a horrible place to be in!
I won't say too much about her love interest, Adam, but I will say he is so going on my list of favorite literary crushes. He is hott stuff. And because of that, I'm going to put my recommendation as ages 16+. If you can't read Hush Hush or Hourglass, I'd hold off on this one for a while…
Content/recommendation: Some hot kissing scenes, and I'm seeing a potential for more in the later books. Ages 16+
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Try Not to Breathe in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Amy Stevenson was seriously injured 15 years ago. The person who attacked her has never been caught. Alex Dale is a journalist who has suffered a lot of loss over the past few years, but she is determined to get her life back in order and try to help to find out who hurt Amy. Will Alex be able to solve the mystery? Will she be able to keep her health under control long enough?
There are so many unanswered questions when it comes to the night Amy was attacked. With the help of her ex-husband, Matt, a police officer and Amy's ex-boyfriend, Jake, will Alex be able to find out what really happened to Amy.
This is Holly Seddon's first book and she hit it out of the park. This mystery had you guessing who could have done it. There were a couple of times, when I was certain I knew who the culprit was, but at the end, I was wrong. I was shocked at the end by the turn of events. Alex, dives deep in to Amy's past to find out what is going on. She investigates the case more than the police did when they had the case.
This book had me intrigued from the very beginning. I was invested in Ale and was routing for her to accomplish her goal of helping Amy and the world find out who attacked her. I got worried when she hit a setback in the case, hoping it wouldn't be a setback in her quest to try to get healthy. When her doctor gives her a health update, that isn't quite what she hopes to hear, it puts a fire under her in my opinion, that makes her work harder on the case. Whether it's to beat the inevitable, or to prove that she can still do the job she loves, I'm not sure.
Working with Jacob(Jake) who has his own issues he is going through, proves to be most helpful. Jake has visited Amy quite a bit over the past 15 years. Unfortunately, his wife, Fiona has no idea. With his first child on the way, Jake has to make a decision about whether or not he can keep up this charade, but will Fiona find out before he has a chance to help Alex solve the mystery.
Overall, this was one of the best books I have read this year. It was hard to put down and it kept me captivated throughout the entire book. Highly recommended.
There are so many unanswered questions when it comes to the night Amy was attacked. With the help of her ex-husband, Matt, a police officer and Amy's ex-boyfriend, Jake, will Alex be able to find out what really happened to Amy.
This is Holly Seddon's first book and she hit it out of the park. This mystery had you guessing who could have done it. There were a couple of times, when I was certain I knew who the culprit was, but at the end, I was wrong. I was shocked at the end by the turn of events. Alex, dives deep in to Amy's past to find out what is going on. She investigates the case more than the police did when they had the case.
This book had me intrigued from the very beginning. I was invested in Ale and was routing for her to accomplish her goal of helping Amy and the world find out who attacked her. I got worried when she hit a setback in the case, hoping it wouldn't be a setback in her quest to try to get healthy. When her doctor gives her a health update, that isn't quite what she hopes to hear, it puts a fire under her in my opinion, that makes her work harder on the case. Whether it's to beat the inevitable, or to prove that she can still do the job she loves, I'm not sure.
Working with Jacob(Jake) who has his own issues he is going through, proves to be most helpful. Jake has visited Amy quite a bit over the past 15 years. Unfortunately, his wife, Fiona has no idea. With his first child on the way, Jake has to make a decision about whether or not he can keep up this charade, but will Fiona find out before he has a chance to help Alex solve the mystery.
Overall, this was one of the best books I have read this year. It was hard to put down and it kept me captivated throughout the entire book. Highly recommended.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Connor's Gambit in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Connor’s Gambit by Z. Gottlieb is the first book I’ve received to review that’s in audible format, so this is quite a new experience for me, just like it’s the lead character Brad Johnson’s first adventure with aliens. And what a trip this is!
After Brad sees an alien spaceship and it seems no one else did, he begins to doubt his sanity. But when his suspicions are confirmed and his wife, Shinny, reveals who and what she really is, his life not only changes forever, but so does everything he thought he knew about his life and the universe which surrounds him — aliens do exist — he should know, he’s married to one! And, boy, does the plot thicken after that.
In Z. Gottlieb’s fun world there were times that the space technology seemed so realistic I was wondering if the author had some sort of NASA experience. From alien creature descriptions, their lifestyles and their amazing high-tech technology, to Brad’s awakening and newfound belief in UFOs, and his acceptance to jump right in and help, whilst learning on the job; this book has a lot to offer any self-respecting science fiction fan and space cadet!
A few of my favourite things? There’s so many to choose from. I loved Brad (obviously!). Then there’s the scary Neslins, the Aneplè, the battle cruiser Zuonopy and all its features and Brad and Shinny’s son, Dane with his talking dragon Yeshawliq. I need a talking dragon, can you make one out of a 3D printer for me please?
The narrator’s voice was different to what I expected at first, however, Charlie Thurston pulled me into the action and kept me hooked right through to the satisfying end, which is slightly left open for more, whilst at the same time it’s also a fully completed standalone story with major plot threads all tied up nicely. I’m so pleased to have discovered Z. Gottleib’s space world and I cannot wait to read or even listen to the next instalment. I’m sure it will definitely be worth the wait!
Z. Gottlieb has captured the essence of space travel, alien life and the rules of their universe spectacularly. I really enjoy my time (all 13 hours of it) listening to this space opera, and the fact that I was listening (instead of reading) really made me feel like I was there, thrown in deep with the characters and their stories, part of their crew!
After Brad sees an alien spaceship and it seems no one else did, he begins to doubt his sanity. But when his suspicions are confirmed and his wife, Shinny, reveals who and what she really is, his life not only changes forever, but so does everything he thought he knew about his life and the universe which surrounds him — aliens do exist — he should know, he’s married to one! And, boy, does the plot thicken after that.
In Z. Gottlieb’s fun world there were times that the space technology seemed so realistic I was wondering if the author had some sort of NASA experience. From alien creature descriptions, their lifestyles and their amazing high-tech technology, to Brad’s awakening and newfound belief in UFOs, and his acceptance to jump right in and help, whilst learning on the job; this book has a lot to offer any self-respecting science fiction fan and space cadet!
A few of my favourite things? There’s so many to choose from. I loved Brad (obviously!). Then there’s the scary Neslins, the Aneplè, the battle cruiser Zuonopy and all its features and Brad and Shinny’s son, Dane with his talking dragon Yeshawliq. I need a talking dragon, can you make one out of a 3D printer for me please?
The narrator’s voice was different to what I expected at first, however, Charlie Thurston pulled me into the action and kept me hooked right through to the satisfying end, which is slightly left open for more, whilst at the same time it’s also a fully completed standalone story with major plot threads all tied up nicely. I’m so pleased to have discovered Z. Gottleib’s space world and I cannot wait to read or even listen to the next instalment. I’m sure it will definitely be worth the wait!
Z. Gottlieb has captured the essence of space travel, alien life and the rules of their universe spectacularly. I really enjoy my time (all 13 hours of it) listening to this space opera, and the fact that I was listening (instead of reading) really made me feel like I was there, thrown in deep with the characters and their stories, part of their crew!
Dana (24 KP) rated Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Okay, so this book gets a 4.5 stars, but, again, I am rounding up for this book because it was honestly close enough to a 5 that I'm okay giving it a five star!!
Why did I wait so long to read this book?!?! Oh my goodness. I loved Cinder so much and I bought this book almost immediately after reading Cinder, so I'm not sure why I hesitated reading this because it was just as good!!
Kai and Cinder are still so cute together. I just love all of the little moments when they are thinking about each other and they are just consumed by those thought. Ugh. So freaking cute. (I'm still going for the the ship name of Kainder because they both need a little kindness in their lives, to be honest).
I love the new characters as well. Scarlet is so independent and feisty! I love how she sticks up for what she believes in and wants to protect those she loves, but she's also very trusting, maybe too trusting with people.
And Wolf, he's so smooth, but he's got anxiety. He wants to be a better person for Scarlet because she believes in him! Wolflet is an adorable ship name and I love them together.
And *CAPTAIN* Carswell is hilarious and I can't wait to see what shenanigans he gets into in the next year.
I'm just so in love with all of the new characters and I'm so glad they were added to the story! It's never certain that the characters introduced in the sequels will be as compelling as the characters in the first book, but they shined just as brightly. (Yeah, I know I'm getting cheesy, I just love these characters so freaking much.)
Normally I'm not the biggest fan of multiple PoV stories, this book was written so well that I actually loved it!!
I read this whole book in a day and it helped me out of a minor book slump, so thank you Scarlet!!
I absolutely love where the plot is going. I can't wait until I can get my hands on the rest of the series, which will hopefully be soon!
I just love these books and the author. I got to meet her a couple of years ago at yallwest and she signed this book. She's just so freaking nice and I'm so happy she's had so much success in this series! I can't wait to see what else she will be writing!
Why did I wait so long to read this book?!?! Oh my goodness. I loved Cinder so much and I bought this book almost immediately after reading Cinder, so I'm not sure why I hesitated reading this because it was just as good!!
Kai and Cinder are still so cute together. I just love all of the little moments when they are thinking about each other and they are just consumed by those thought. Ugh. So freaking cute. (I'm still going for the the ship name of Kainder because they both need a little kindness in their lives, to be honest).
I love the new characters as well. Scarlet is so independent and feisty! I love how she sticks up for what she believes in and wants to protect those she loves, but she's also very trusting, maybe too trusting with people.
And Wolf, he's so smooth, but he's got anxiety. He wants to be a better person for Scarlet because she believes in him! Wolflet is an adorable ship name and I love them together.
And *CAPTAIN* Carswell is hilarious and I can't wait to see what shenanigans he gets into in the next year.
I'm just so in love with all of the new characters and I'm so glad they were added to the story! It's never certain that the characters introduced in the sequels will be as compelling as the characters in the first book, but they shined just as brightly. (Yeah, I know I'm getting cheesy, I just love these characters so freaking much.)
Normally I'm not the biggest fan of multiple PoV stories, this book was written so well that I actually loved it!!
I read this whole book in a day and it helped me out of a minor book slump, so thank you Scarlet!!
I absolutely love where the plot is going. I can't wait until I can get my hands on the rest of the series, which will hopefully be soon!
I just love these books and the author. I got to meet her a couple of years ago at yallwest and she signed this book. She's just so freaking nice and I'm so happy she's had so much success in this series! I can't wait to see what else she will be writing!
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated In the Company of Secrets (Postcards from Pullman #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
(There are some spoilers in this review)
What happens when you build an entire life on a foundation of lies? Consequences!
Olivia travels to Pullman, Illinois from England with the Lady Charlotte. Charlotte is unmarried and pregnant. In order to be hired for a position as the assistant chef at the Hotel and to protect Charlotte's honor, they fabricate a pack of lies and stories about who they are. As time progresses, Olivia's closest friends Fred and his mother, Mrs. DeVault, as well as her cousin Albert and his girlfriend Martha are all deceived by who they are. In the end Olivia realizes the importance of honesty and seeks the Lord's forgiveness for what she has done. She tries to begin a fresh in her walk with the Lord. However, she keeps the truth about the lies hidden. She is eventually found out and has to face the consequences.
I am very baffled by this book. It drove me crazy at parts and I wanted to stop reading it, but I was also intrigued to see how it would all play out. I was disappointed in the end that the loose ends were not tied up. I understand that it is a series, however it felt very confusing at the close of the book. The two main characters were the reasons why I wanted to put the book down. Charlotte has her baby and neglects him and eventually abandons him. I know that this happens in the real world, but Charlotte's snobbery is the main reason behind her poor attitude towards the baby. Being a mother of 2 small children, this made me quite upset. Olivia is extremely naive when it comes to men and seems to be quite spineless when it comes to standing up for herself. She constantly lets herself get walked over and lives in complete fear that someone will find her out. I read for enjoyment and I prefer to read about women who are strong, truthful and stand up for what is right. I did enjoy the historical side of this book. Although, I am not quite sure where the "Postcards" come into play, learning a little about Pullman and the railworks in 1892 was quite interesting.
Even though I have conflicting feelings regarding this book, I am curious to see how Olivia's character progresses. Seeing as how the library does not yet have this series in electronic form though, I will not be continuing. I was able to purchase this book for free at Barnes & Noble.
Bethany House Publishers
What happens when you build an entire life on a foundation of lies? Consequences!
Olivia travels to Pullman, Illinois from England with the Lady Charlotte. Charlotte is unmarried and pregnant. In order to be hired for a position as the assistant chef at the Hotel and to protect Charlotte's honor, they fabricate a pack of lies and stories about who they are. As time progresses, Olivia's closest friends Fred and his mother, Mrs. DeVault, as well as her cousin Albert and his girlfriend Martha are all deceived by who they are. In the end Olivia realizes the importance of honesty and seeks the Lord's forgiveness for what she has done. She tries to begin a fresh in her walk with the Lord. However, she keeps the truth about the lies hidden. She is eventually found out and has to face the consequences.
I am very baffled by this book. It drove me crazy at parts and I wanted to stop reading it, but I was also intrigued to see how it would all play out. I was disappointed in the end that the loose ends were not tied up. I understand that it is a series, however it felt very confusing at the close of the book. The two main characters were the reasons why I wanted to put the book down. Charlotte has her baby and neglects him and eventually abandons him. I know that this happens in the real world, but Charlotte's snobbery is the main reason behind her poor attitude towards the baby. Being a mother of 2 small children, this made me quite upset. Olivia is extremely naive when it comes to men and seems to be quite spineless when it comes to standing up for herself. She constantly lets herself get walked over and lives in complete fear that someone will find her out. I read for enjoyment and I prefer to read about women who are strong, truthful and stand up for what is right. I did enjoy the historical side of this book. Although, I am not quite sure where the "Postcards" come into play, learning a little about Pullman and the railworks in 1892 was quite interesting.
Even though I have conflicting feelings regarding this book, I am curious to see how Olivia's character progresses. Seeing as how the library does not yet have this series in electronic form though, I will not be continuing. I was able to purchase this book for free at Barnes & Noble.
Bethany House Publishers
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Lock Every Door in Books
Aug 5, 2019
Jules has just lost her job, her boyfriend and her home all in the same day. She is currently living with her best friend, Chloe. When the opportunity presents itself for her to live in one of the most exclusive apartment buildings in New York City, The Bartholomew, she can't pass up on the chance. Not only does she get to live there, she's getting paid to do so as an apartment sitter. This is an opportunity Jules can not pass up despite the protestations of Chloe, she has to get back on her feet. So she takes the job even though the rules are a little strict. Shortly after moving in, Jules meets another apartment sitter, Ingrid, who is unsure about continuing to live at The Bartholomew. When Jules is ready to ask her about it, Ingrid disappears without a trace. What happened to Ingrid and other apartment sitters that have gone missing? What dark secrets lie within The Bartholomew?
Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I was so excited to get this book from NetGalley. Last year I read both of Riley Sager's books and I was looking forward to this one. It did not disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I definitely didn't see the ending coming.
If I was a single young woman and was given the opportunity to live in an exclusive apartment and get paid for it, I would jump on that in a heartbeat. I don't think I would care about rules or anything, just tell me where to sign and let me sit back and collect the cash.
Another reason Jules is so quick to accept this opportunity is because her favorite book is set in the building. I think many readers would love to live in the place where their favorite book is set if they don't already. And Jules needs a little fantasy in her life since she has lost both parents and her sister. At first The Bartholomew seems like a dream place to live. With a courteous doorman, friendly neighbors and a doctor as one of the residents, it's idyllic. But when Ingrid goes missing, Jules starts to question everything. The explanation she receives for the sudden departure doesn't sound right and the police aren't willing to help because she doesn't know enough about Ingrid to form a case.
What is she going to do? Will she discover the secrets of the building before it's too late?
Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I was so excited to get this book from NetGalley. Last year I read both of Riley Sager's books and I was looking forward to this one. It did not disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I definitely didn't see the ending coming.
If I was a single young woman and was given the opportunity to live in an exclusive apartment and get paid for it, I would jump on that in a heartbeat. I don't think I would care about rules or anything, just tell me where to sign and let me sit back and collect the cash.
Another reason Jules is so quick to accept this opportunity is because her favorite book is set in the building. I think many readers would love to live in the place where their favorite book is set if they don't already. And Jules needs a little fantasy in her life since she has lost both parents and her sister. At first The Bartholomew seems like a dream place to live. With a courteous doorman, friendly neighbors and a doctor as one of the residents, it's idyllic. But when Ingrid goes missing, Jules starts to question everything. The explanation she receives for the sudden departure doesn't sound right and the police aren't willing to help because she doesn't know enough about Ingrid to form a case.
What is she going to do? Will she discover the secrets of the building before it's too late?
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