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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Yesterday (2019) in Movies
Nov 23, 2019
Rocky For the Win
Yesterday can be quite the uneven movie at times, however its good ultimately outweighs its bad when it’s all said and done. When a struggling singer-songwriter gets hit by a bus, he awakens to a world where people have no knowledge of The Beatles. He uses their songs to become famous, but soon realizes that that fame comes at a cost.
Acting: 10
Himesh Patel delivers a strong performance as singer-songwriter Jack Malik. He was definitely overshadowed at times by even stronger performances from the likes of Joel Fry who plays his Road Manager Rocky and Kate McKinnon as Debra Hammer, a woman who latches on to Jack’s fame and runs with it. Even Ed Sheeran came through with a solid performance as himself.
Beginning: 9
Characters: 10
To expand on the above, I loved what the supporting characters brought to the table. Ed Sheeran’s caricature of himself is pretty hilarious and it’s refreshing to see a celebrity not taking himself too seriously. Rocky is all over the place and constantly screwing things up, but even his screwups have a certain endearing quality that brings you closer into his world. Meanwhile Debra Hammer is just a fireball, adding spice to every single scene she is in. She is one of those characters you can’t help but laugh at.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
As Jack’s popularity start to increase so does his fanbase and reach. He starts to travel the world and we’re graced with beautiful shots from all over the globe and across the UK. Different venues and swelling crowds keep the scenes fresh and advance the story in a smooth fashion.
Conflict: 5
The major conflict appears to be between Jack and his friend Ellie (Lily James). They both seem to have a thing for each other but Jack’s newfound fame throws a bit of a monkey wrench into the advancement of their relationship. I had trouble buying into the conflict a bit, however, as I never suspected the truth would be found out about Jack nor did I think at any point that him and Ellie wouldn’t end up together. Despite knowing this, the movie was still enjoyable. I just wish more feasible obstacles were put in place to advance the story properly.
Entertainment Value: 8
The movie is ultimately heartfelt and sweet which makes for enhancing its entertainment value. it was a treat watching someone who struggled for so long finally make it and live his dream. I also enjoyed watching Jack develop as a character and change his perspective on what he considered success.
Memorability: 8
Pace: 7
Plot: 10
Resolution: 5
Overall: 82
I have to say, this was one of the most fun movie experiences I had all year. To hear these crowds succumb to all The Beatles music sung from the mouth of someone else is vastly unique. Although it does stumble at bit at the end, I highly recommend Yesterday.
Acting: 10
Himesh Patel delivers a strong performance as singer-songwriter Jack Malik. He was definitely overshadowed at times by even stronger performances from the likes of Joel Fry who plays his Road Manager Rocky and Kate McKinnon as Debra Hammer, a woman who latches on to Jack’s fame and runs with it. Even Ed Sheeran came through with a solid performance as himself.
Beginning: 9
Characters: 10
To expand on the above, I loved what the supporting characters brought to the table. Ed Sheeran’s caricature of himself is pretty hilarious and it’s refreshing to see a celebrity not taking himself too seriously. Rocky is all over the place and constantly screwing things up, but even his screwups have a certain endearing quality that brings you closer into his world. Meanwhile Debra Hammer is just a fireball, adding spice to every single scene she is in. She is one of those characters you can’t help but laugh at.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
As Jack’s popularity start to increase so does his fanbase and reach. He starts to travel the world and we’re graced with beautiful shots from all over the globe and across the UK. Different venues and swelling crowds keep the scenes fresh and advance the story in a smooth fashion.
Conflict: 5
The major conflict appears to be between Jack and his friend Ellie (Lily James). They both seem to have a thing for each other but Jack’s newfound fame throws a bit of a monkey wrench into the advancement of their relationship. I had trouble buying into the conflict a bit, however, as I never suspected the truth would be found out about Jack nor did I think at any point that him and Ellie wouldn’t end up together. Despite knowing this, the movie was still enjoyable. I just wish more feasible obstacles were put in place to advance the story properly.
Entertainment Value: 8
The movie is ultimately heartfelt and sweet which makes for enhancing its entertainment value. it was a treat watching someone who struggled for so long finally make it and live his dream. I also enjoyed watching Jack develop as a character and change his perspective on what he considered success.
Memorability: 8
Pace: 7
Plot: 10
Resolution: 5
Overall: 82
I have to say, this was one of the most fun movie experiences I had all year. To hear these crowds succumb to all The Beatles music sung from the mouth of someone else is vastly unique. Although it does stumble at bit at the end, I highly recommend Yesterday.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019) in Movies
Jun 20, 2020
The first Angry Birds movie is one of my favourites, it's light-hearted fun that I can just put on if I need some distraction, so I was just a little excited for this coming out.
The fight against the pigs is much more of a game than an all-out war these days. Red is living the life of a hero, but he worries that one day the inhabitants of the island won't need him.
Over on Piggy Island their attention is drawn to an uncharted part of the world when a large ice ball falls from the sky. Leonard raises the white flag to ask Red to join him in defending their island against this new frosty neighbour.
Red is very relatable in this one and it's nice that he's come on a bit since the first film. They've given him a lot of anxiety that the audience will be able to identify with, and he definitely holds my same views on speed dating.
Hatchlings have always been the cutest things in Angry Birds and these three are a brilliant part of this one. Their reactions to everything that happens with the eggs is hilarious. There's one troubling incident with a snake that makes them less cute... but the less said about that the better. [Although it's in the trailer above if you want to see it.]
I have to say that out of the new characters I found it very difficult to recognise them. Everyone did a great job though and the new faces were always what they needed to be. There was just one confusing thing for me, Leslie Jones and Tiffany Haddish. I think they're both great actresses and I particularly like Haddish's voice work, but... I feel like they were cast in the wrong roles. I don't know why I think that, perhaps because I associate Haddish with larger than life bossy characters? I'm genuinely not sure.
It's a fun addition to the universe but I don't think it was better than the first. It was nice seeing the birds and pigs working together in a sort of Mission: Impossible/James Bond style infiltration piece but I wasn't excited about the story that gets them there. This mystery island that no one knows about has appeared like a bonus level in a game but you've skipped the intro. We're left with lots of questions but not enough fun to cover them up. I can't say I was happy about the ending either, there was a very quick resolution to it. It was still untaxing entertainment though and sometimes that's just what you need.
Side note: Something you'll notice is that there's a lot of music to recognise, some real bangers, but when they keep coming it begins to get rather tiring. I attempted to make a list but it became such an effort that I gave up.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-angry-birds-movie-2-movie-review.html
The fight against the pigs is much more of a game than an all-out war these days. Red is living the life of a hero, but he worries that one day the inhabitants of the island won't need him.
Over on Piggy Island their attention is drawn to an uncharted part of the world when a large ice ball falls from the sky. Leonard raises the white flag to ask Red to join him in defending their island against this new frosty neighbour.
Red is very relatable in this one and it's nice that he's come on a bit since the first film. They've given him a lot of anxiety that the audience will be able to identify with, and he definitely holds my same views on speed dating.
Hatchlings have always been the cutest things in Angry Birds and these three are a brilliant part of this one. Their reactions to everything that happens with the eggs is hilarious. There's one troubling incident with a snake that makes them less cute... but the less said about that the better. [Although it's in the trailer above if you want to see it.]
I have to say that out of the new characters I found it very difficult to recognise them. Everyone did a great job though and the new faces were always what they needed to be. There was just one confusing thing for me, Leslie Jones and Tiffany Haddish. I think they're both great actresses and I particularly like Haddish's voice work, but... I feel like they were cast in the wrong roles. I don't know why I think that, perhaps because I associate Haddish with larger than life bossy characters? I'm genuinely not sure.
It's a fun addition to the universe but I don't think it was better than the first. It was nice seeing the birds and pigs working together in a sort of Mission: Impossible/James Bond style infiltration piece but I wasn't excited about the story that gets them there. This mystery island that no one knows about has appeared like a bonus level in a game but you've skipped the intro. We're left with lots of questions but not enough fun to cover them up. I can't say I was happy about the ending either, there was a very quick resolution to it. It was still untaxing entertainment though and sometimes that's just what you need.
Side note: Something you'll notice is that there's a lot of music to recognise, some real bangers, but when they keep coming it begins to get rather tiring. I attempted to make a list but it became such an effort that I gave up.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-angry-birds-movie-2-movie-review.html
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Leopard at the Door in Books
Sep 24, 2020
More reviews at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
My favourite genre to read normally is mystery, crime or thrillers, but I try to choose different genres from time to time. I need to rest from investigations and murders, that’s where historical fiction, YA and other books come in. This book is no exception; I needed something to clear my mind, and it really done the job.
Let me begin by saying, that I loved the environment used in this book. Author portrayed the surroundings and places in this book with great detail, and made me actually feel the African spirit. So, all her travels through Africa, really helped her to describe what she felt to the reader.
The main character in this book was Rachel, and she was the one to share her life with a reader. This novel had a huge variety of very diverse characters, some of them positive and dear to the heart, and some of them really negative, which made me really angry about them. Unfortunately, I did not have any favourite character in this book, as I felt they were not fully developed and opened up to the reader. I would’ve liked to read different perspectives and have more insight into different personalities. Even though I really tried to like Rachel’s rebellious views and kind heart, I think some of her decisions were really silly and disappointing.
The narrative of this novel starts in 1952, when British Empire is on a verge of collapsing, and Kenya wishes its independence. I absolutely adored all the details about Mau Mau, their ideology and ways of action. I loved Michael’s thoughts about war and his country’s independence. I think, this book was really well researched and the whole spirit of the book was shared just gorgeously. The whole story was flowing very smoothly, with some turns and twists, which kept me interested. There was a great love story going on in this book, but I would’ve liked it to be a bit more passionate than it was. Author discussed some interesting topics in this book, such as: Life after mother’s death and relationship with a stepmother; feelings, when you don’t have anyone to turn to; love and betrayal.
The writing style of this novel was not difficult to read, but it contains some African words, which were explained at the end of the book. (If you read it on Kindle, it’s not very helpful) The chapters of this book have decent length, but it might drag a little, because there is not much action going on in this novel. The ending was quite interesting and done the justice to the book and Rachel, but still left me questioning about “What happened to Michael?” So, overall, I actually enjoyed this story of wish for independence, unexpected love, family difficulties and betrayal, and I would recommend immersing yourself into this beautiful Kenyan setting.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
My favourite genre to read normally is mystery, crime or thrillers, but I try to choose different genres from time to time. I need to rest from investigations and murders, that’s where historical fiction, YA and other books come in. This book is no exception; I needed something to clear my mind, and it really done the job.
Let me begin by saying, that I loved the environment used in this book. Author portrayed the surroundings and places in this book with great detail, and made me actually feel the African spirit. So, all her travels through Africa, really helped her to describe what she felt to the reader.
The main character in this book was Rachel, and she was the one to share her life with a reader. This novel had a huge variety of very diverse characters, some of them positive and dear to the heart, and some of them really negative, which made me really angry about them. Unfortunately, I did not have any favourite character in this book, as I felt they were not fully developed and opened up to the reader. I would’ve liked to read different perspectives and have more insight into different personalities. Even though I really tried to like Rachel’s rebellious views and kind heart, I think some of her decisions were really silly and disappointing.
The narrative of this novel starts in 1952, when British Empire is on a verge of collapsing, and Kenya wishes its independence. I absolutely adored all the details about Mau Mau, their ideology and ways of action. I loved Michael’s thoughts about war and his country’s independence. I think, this book was really well researched and the whole spirit of the book was shared just gorgeously. The whole story was flowing very smoothly, with some turns and twists, which kept me interested. There was a great love story going on in this book, but I would’ve liked it to be a bit more passionate than it was. Author discussed some interesting topics in this book, such as: Life after mother’s death and relationship with a stepmother; feelings, when you don’t have anyone to turn to; love and betrayal.
The writing style of this novel was not difficult to read, but it contains some African words, which were explained at the end of the book. (If you read it on Kindle, it’s not very helpful) The chapters of this book have decent length, but it might drag a little, because there is not much action going on in this novel. The ending was quite interesting and done the justice to the book and Rachel, but still left me questioning about “What happened to Michael?” So, overall, I actually enjoyed this story of wish for independence, unexpected love, family difficulties and betrayal, and I would recommend immersing yourself into this beautiful Kenyan setting.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated The Man Of Steel in Books
Nov 30, 2020
If you know me, you know that I have a strong dislike for the writing by Brian Michael Bendis. His last few years before his journey to DC Comics, the work he did on the X-titles, as well as GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, it was just rubbish! It was the end result of someone who clearly needed a change of scenery and a more focused editor! After reading this, I feel confident that what I just wrote, as well as feeling, is pretty close to the truth, as this, his first work for DC, was frikkin' A-MAZ-ING!
While I have a great love of Marvel (preferrably older stuff, as the new stuff is starting to stink like yesterday's diapers!), I also have a great love of DC (the comics, not the nation's capital, which stinks as well, but of ignorance, racism, and misogyny), especially Superman, a hero who has never been more needed than he is needed now! It is very apparent that BMB has a great love/admiration of the Big 'S'!
His Clark Kent is written different from Superman, making the <i>illusion</i> that much easier to swallow once the glasses and suit goes on over his costume. The character does not appear as "mild mannered" as he was originally conceived, but he also is not mean or off-putting. He is still an alien, but he embraced our customs, and the end result is quite pleasing, especially with the toxicity that exists with the US at this point in time!
Equally well written is BMB's handling of Lois Lane and Jon, her and Kal-El's son. Lois is both a successful, highly competent writer, but she is also a mother. Not an overbear, bitchy mom, but someone who cares for her son, as much as she cares for her husband. The boy, Jon, is written like a normal boy his age, but without that precociousness that seems to be given to young'uns his age on TV!
As I am so prone to do in my other reviews, I want to give credit to the art side of this tale. The artists (yes, artists, Plural.) on board is quite a top shelf gathering. Jim Lee handles the first issue, while Ivan Reis (BLACKEST NIGHT), Steve Rude (NEXUS), Jay Fabok (New 52 JUSTICE LEAGUE), and even Ryan Sook! What a heckuva good way to start your beginnings with DC!
While some are apt to disagree, Superman needs the red shorts! And, that, my friends, was Bendis' first order of business on taking on the Man of Steel! I look forward to seeing where he goes with Superman, as the character is one that many love, and many will expect something good! If this is the beginning, I can't wait to see where the rest of this ride takes us!
While I have a great love of Marvel (preferrably older stuff, as the new stuff is starting to stink like yesterday's diapers!), I also have a great love of DC (the comics, not the nation's capital, which stinks as well, but of ignorance, racism, and misogyny), especially Superman, a hero who has never been more needed than he is needed now! It is very apparent that BMB has a great love/admiration of the Big 'S'!
His Clark Kent is written different from Superman, making the <i>illusion</i> that much easier to swallow once the glasses and suit goes on over his costume. The character does not appear as "mild mannered" as he was originally conceived, but he also is not mean or off-putting. He is still an alien, but he embraced our customs, and the end result is quite pleasing, especially with the toxicity that exists with the US at this point in time!
Equally well written is BMB's handling of Lois Lane and Jon, her and Kal-El's son. Lois is both a successful, highly competent writer, but she is also a mother. Not an overbear, bitchy mom, but someone who cares for her son, as much as she cares for her husband. The boy, Jon, is written like a normal boy his age, but without that precociousness that seems to be given to young'uns his age on TV!
As I am so prone to do in my other reviews, I want to give credit to the art side of this tale. The artists (yes, artists, Plural.) on board is quite a top shelf gathering. Jim Lee handles the first issue, while Ivan Reis (BLACKEST NIGHT), Steve Rude (NEXUS), Jay Fabok (New 52 JUSTICE LEAGUE), and even Ryan Sook! What a heckuva good way to start your beginnings with DC!
While some are apt to disagree, Superman needs the red shorts! And, that, my friends, was Bendis' first order of business on taking on the Man of Steel! I look forward to seeing where he goes with Superman, as the character is one that many love, and many will expect something good! If this is the beginning, I can't wait to see where the rest of this ride takes us!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Grace Year in Books
Sep 26, 2019
For Tierney and the other girls in Garner County, their sixteenth year is when they are banished from the county. Their grace year. In the county, women have magic, and the girls are sent away to rid themselves of it. While away, they could supposedly be nabbed by poachers any chance they get, who sell their parts on the black market. Many don't return home, or if they do, they are missing body parts (ugh, I know). Tierney has always wanted a different life. Not an arranged marriage, nor a world where women are inferior to men. But she realizes as the grace year nears, her fellow girls may pose the greatest threat of all.
"No one speaks of the grace year. It's forbidden."
I really liked the premise of this book. I'm sure you've heard all the comparisons by now. This is "The Handmaid's Tale" plus "Lord of the Flies." Throw a little "Hunger Games" in. Sold, right? The idea that society sends girls away at sixteen to rid themselves of their "magic"--it sounds really cool. A society that fears women and takes away their status, yet relies on their parts (literally) as medicine. Yes. So much of this book is really amazing. I highlighted so many powerful lines.
But, I don't know, guys... I am still wrapping my brain around this one. I just couldn't get into it. I never wanted to pick it up--I should have cared deeply for Trinity, and I did. Sometimes. Part of the reason I had problems going back to the book was because it stressed me out. These girls were mean. Sometimes I was confused. We were thrown into the story without any backstory--what time period, why they think women have magic, why medicine consists of body parts, who are the poachers, what are the outskirts, why is the original language flowers, etc. I guess that adds to the mystique, but I don't like reading when I can't figure anything out.
"But not all of us will make it home... not in one piece."
It seemed like this was going to be a power anthem. The girls rise against society. Or maybe just Trinity escapes and the outskirts rise against society. Someone should be revolting, right? And yes, Trinity definitely had her awesome moments. But it also seemed like there were lots of moments that involved rescue--by men. There's also a really convenient insta-romance in here. Everything just seemed a little jumbled and crazy for my taste. There's some amazing, underlining worthy lines and then some that just make you cringe a bit.
So, overall, I'm not totally sold, though there's potential here. I rate based on my enjoyment, so this is a 3-star read for me. But it's getting lots of rave reviews from others, so don't let my review necessarily hold you back.
"No one speaks of the grace year. It's forbidden."
I really liked the premise of this book. I'm sure you've heard all the comparisons by now. This is "The Handmaid's Tale" plus "Lord of the Flies." Throw a little "Hunger Games" in. Sold, right? The idea that society sends girls away at sixteen to rid themselves of their "magic"--it sounds really cool. A society that fears women and takes away their status, yet relies on their parts (literally) as medicine. Yes. So much of this book is really amazing. I highlighted so many powerful lines.
But, I don't know, guys... I am still wrapping my brain around this one. I just couldn't get into it. I never wanted to pick it up--I should have cared deeply for Trinity, and I did. Sometimes. Part of the reason I had problems going back to the book was because it stressed me out. These girls were mean. Sometimes I was confused. We were thrown into the story without any backstory--what time period, why they think women have magic, why medicine consists of body parts, who are the poachers, what are the outskirts, why is the original language flowers, etc. I guess that adds to the mystique, but I don't like reading when I can't figure anything out.
"But not all of us will make it home... not in one piece."
It seemed like this was going to be a power anthem. The girls rise against society. Or maybe just Trinity escapes and the outskirts rise against society. Someone should be revolting, right? And yes, Trinity definitely had her awesome moments. But it also seemed like there were lots of moments that involved rescue--by men. There's also a really convenient insta-romance in here. Everything just seemed a little jumbled and crazy for my taste. There's some amazing, underlining worthy lines and then some that just make you cringe a bit.
So, overall, I'm not totally sold, though there's potential here. I rate based on my enjoyment, so this is a 3-star read for me. But it's getting lots of rave reviews from others, so don't let my review necessarily hold you back.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Charnel House (2016) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Characters – Alex Reaves is the man behind the refurbishment of the building, he sees this as a fresh start for his family which will give them financial support for life, he starts having visions which will bring the connection back to the previous owner. Charlotte is the artist and designer (I think she did this too) who has help turn the building into the apartments and soon becomes the one that needs to fight to keep her family together. Mia is the daughter of the couple who starts seeing the little boy haunting the building, treated like the imaginary friend for the most part, she has behavioural problems and follows in her mother’s artistic nature. Devin Pyles is the man that has a connection to the previous use of the building, he is here to investigate just what happened here and knows about the darker side of the building.
Performances – Callum Blue in the leading role is fine without ever standing out in the leading role, which is going to be a theme when looking at the performances, nobody does anything to make themselves feel stand out in the film.
Story – The story here follows the re-opening of an old slaughterhouse as luxury apartments, but the ghosts of the old building are still there haunting the people that move in. this does give us the limited characters as the building isn’t officially opened, but will let people move into the property they have purchased early, this helps the story because an over crowded building would have only dragged the film down. The story is trying to be clever with certain connections only to fall mostly short with this side of the story telling. Once you do work out where the story wants to go you will work out the ending pretty easily which again disappoints and as for the supporting characters they seem to have no connection to the actual hauntings and are here just to give us a body count.
Horror – The horror in the film comes from the ghost visits and the technology not following the rules it should be, again simple scares which don’t give us anything to be frightened off.
Settings – The film is set in one house, we have an apartment building with history which gives us the haunting side of the film. it works well for the most part too.
Special Effects – The effects are not over used, they are simple when needed but nothing that becomes clear to what is happening in the film.
Scene of the Movie – Butch the Yorkie.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The pointless disposable supporting residents.
Final Thoughts – This is a very simple horror, it does the basics right without ever being put in the position of being anything special or standout, nothing is terrible, it is just average throughout.
Overall: Average horror.
Performances – Callum Blue in the leading role is fine without ever standing out in the leading role, which is going to be a theme when looking at the performances, nobody does anything to make themselves feel stand out in the film.
Story – The story here follows the re-opening of an old slaughterhouse as luxury apartments, but the ghosts of the old building are still there haunting the people that move in. this does give us the limited characters as the building isn’t officially opened, but will let people move into the property they have purchased early, this helps the story because an over crowded building would have only dragged the film down. The story is trying to be clever with certain connections only to fall mostly short with this side of the story telling. Once you do work out where the story wants to go you will work out the ending pretty easily which again disappoints and as for the supporting characters they seem to have no connection to the actual hauntings and are here just to give us a body count.
Horror – The horror in the film comes from the ghost visits and the technology not following the rules it should be, again simple scares which don’t give us anything to be frightened off.
Settings – The film is set in one house, we have an apartment building with history which gives us the haunting side of the film. it works well for the most part too.
Special Effects – The effects are not over used, they are simple when needed but nothing that becomes clear to what is happening in the film.
Scene of the Movie – Butch the Yorkie.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The pointless disposable supporting residents.
Final Thoughts – This is a very simple horror, it does the basics right without ever being put in the position of being anything special or standout, nothing is terrible, it is just average throughout.
Overall: Average horror.
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Secrets of the Snow Globe (Science Makes It Work) in Books
Mar 6, 2022
My 7 year old has been obsessed with snow globes for the past few years. When I saw Catherine Stier's new book entitled Secrets of the Snow Globe, I couldn't wait to read it with my son. (As we were reading, my son had to go grab his own snow globe to hold onto the whole time.) We ended up both loving it!
Secrets of the Snow Globe is a great read for those youngsters who are into science and learning. Reading this book, it felt like we were getting a science lesson but in a very fun way. My son and I enjoyed the fact that the language wasn't in "baby talk" as my son put it. The author doesn't talk down to the children throughout the book which I appreciated. The language is appropriate for the age group of this book. I enjoyed how it would have the actual science word for something, and then it would explain what the word meant. However, it didn't explain what the world "soluble" meant, so my son and I looked that word up online. Other than than, everything was explained very well.
My son and I very much enjoyed the story of Secrets of the Snow Globe. We loved learning the background on where snow globes were invented. We loved reading about how Lily makes her own snow globe and watching her collection of snow globes grow. I really enjoyed Lily's inquisitive nature and her initiative to find out information. She reminded me very much of my son who is very curious and thirsty for knowledge.
My 7 year old said his overall favorite thing about Secrets of the Snow Globe was the illustrations. Floss Pottage, the illustrator, did an amazing job at making this book come alive. Floss' illustrations are spot on at keeping a child's attention, and they were very well done and very realistic looking. Many times throughout the book, we would have to pause for a few minutes while my son took in everything the illustrations conveyed. The illustrations are colorful and very vibrant for sure!
All in all, Secrets of the Snow Globe is a fantastic children's book full of learning adventures. You and your child will be instantly transported to Lily's world of snow globes. With colorful illustrations and a well written educational story, this is a book that children and adults will enjoy over and over again. I would definitely recommend Secrets of the Snow Globe by Catherine Stier to those aged 5+ who constantly love learning and like finding out the why's of things. This is a book though children and adults can very much enjoy together. Just be ready to make a snow globe together afterwards!
--
(A special thank you to the publisher and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing me with a paperback copy of Secrets of the Snow Globe by Catherine Stier in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Secrets of the Snow Globe is a great read for those youngsters who are into science and learning. Reading this book, it felt like we were getting a science lesson but in a very fun way. My son and I enjoyed the fact that the language wasn't in "baby talk" as my son put it. The author doesn't talk down to the children throughout the book which I appreciated. The language is appropriate for the age group of this book. I enjoyed how it would have the actual science word for something, and then it would explain what the word meant. However, it didn't explain what the world "soluble" meant, so my son and I looked that word up online. Other than than, everything was explained very well.
My son and I very much enjoyed the story of Secrets of the Snow Globe. We loved learning the background on where snow globes were invented. We loved reading about how Lily makes her own snow globe and watching her collection of snow globes grow. I really enjoyed Lily's inquisitive nature and her initiative to find out information. She reminded me very much of my son who is very curious and thirsty for knowledge.
My 7 year old said his overall favorite thing about Secrets of the Snow Globe was the illustrations. Floss Pottage, the illustrator, did an amazing job at making this book come alive. Floss' illustrations are spot on at keeping a child's attention, and they were very well done and very realistic looking. Many times throughout the book, we would have to pause for a few minutes while my son took in everything the illustrations conveyed. The illustrations are colorful and very vibrant for sure!
All in all, Secrets of the Snow Globe is a fantastic children's book full of learning adventures. You and your child will be instantly transported to Lily's world of snow globes. With colorful illustrations and a well written educational story, this is a book that children and adults will enjoy over and over again. I would definitely recommend Secrets of the Snow Globe by Catherine Stier to those aged 5+ who constantly love learning and like finding out the why's of things. This is a book though children and adults can very much enjoy together. Just be ready to make a snow globe together afterwards!
--
(A special thank you to the publisher and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing me with a paperback copy of Secrets of the Snow Globe by Catherine Stier in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Wives in Books
Oct 5, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher is a very fast-paced domestic thriller. Expect many plot twists and disturbing revelations.
Synopsis:
Thursday is married to Seth. But he has two other wives, that he sees during the week. Thursday gets to see Seth on Thursday, while the other wives each have a day for themselves as well. The main rule is - she is not supposed to know the other wives, nor contact them.
When Thursday finds the name of his newest wife, Hannah, in Seth’s pocket, she does what every woman would - looks her up. She meets up with Hannah under a false name, trying to find out more about her and the husband that they share. But Hannah is not only pregnant with Seth’s baby; she also has bruises on her body. Is Seth capable of that? The Seth she is married to?
Realising she might not know who Seth really is, Thursday is on a mission to find out as much as possible about him and the other two wives, before he realises something’s up. With many twists and turns, Thursday realises things are not as they seem. At all.
My Thoughts:
The first half of the book gives us the idea of the situation. From Thursday’s point of view, we get a glimpse of a very rare situation. How a woman feels when she is sharing a man with other women. The challenges and worries this entails. The constant battle to be better than the others, even though she doesn’t know them. The constant curiosity to know how they treat him, whether they are more beautiful than her, whether they can give him more than she can. The battle with herself, on why isn’t she enough. Why does he need other women to be happy? The loss of her baby, that changed everything.
The second half of the book is filled with plot twists, and I cannot say much more without revealing anything. It involves finding out the truth, violence, mental health hospital and many lies told by many people. I was very disappointed with the ending, and I will have to explain why below.
SPOILER ALERT - The below paragraph contains spoilers.
During the book, we kept having more and more plot twists. The story started becoming more and more twisted and tricky to unravel. And then, a few chapters before the end, the author explains this as one of Thursday’s delusions. Seth divorced her when they lost the baby, but she could never move on and started believing this delusion that he has multiple wives. However, there are many inconsistencies to this, and they are all left for us to believe they are part of Thursday’s delusions. Also, there are facts that don’t correspond. He still came to see her every Thursday (which was explained as cheating). Furthermore. he stole money from her bank account. He brewed some weird tea for her before she lost her baby. Somehow, I keep thinking that the plot became too twisted for the author as well, and she just decided to blame it all on Thursday’s delusions.
SPOILER FINISHED.
I am still unsure on how I feel about this book. Perhaps I would’ve been more satisfied if the explanation and the ending were different. The very last scene was shocking, and completely out of character. I cannot understand why this is how the book ended and I am very conflicted. This type of plot seems very similar to other books I have read before, and I don’t find it unique. However, I read this book in a day and it did intrigue me to find out more. Once you start reading, you cannot put this book down. But once you get to the ending, there is the conflict of whether it was a good ending of such a twisty book.
I definitely recommend it, if you love this genre. It will keep you on your toes. It also might make you think whether your husband has other wives as well. Just kidding :)
BLOG TOUR
This review is part of the blog tour for The Wives, organised by the HQ Team. Thank you to the publisher and the author, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
Thursday is married to Seth. But he has two other wives, that he sees during the week. Thursday gets to see Seth on Thursday, while the other wives each have a day for themselves as well. The main rule is - she is not supposed to know the other wives, nor contact them.
When Thursday finds the name of his newest wife, Hannah, in Seth’s pocket, she does what every woman would - looks her up. She meets up with Hannah under a false name, trying to find out more about her and the husband that they share. But Hannah is not only pregnant with Seth’s baby; she also has bruises on her body. Is Seth capable of that? The Seth she is married to?
Realising she might not know who Seth really is, Thursday is on a mission to find out as much as possible about him and the other two wives, before he realises something’s up. With many twists and turns, Thursday realises things are not as they seem. At all.
My Thoughts:
The first half of the book gives us the idea of the situation. From Thursday’s point of view, we get a glimpse of a very rare situation. How a woman feels when she is sharing a man with other women. The challenges and worries this entails. The constant battle to be better than the others, even though she doesn’t know them. The constant curiosity to know how they treat him, whether they are more beautiful than her, whether they can give him more than she can. The battle with herself, on why isn’t she enough. Why does he need other women to be happy? The loss of her baby, that changed everything.
The second half of the book is filled with plot twists, and I cannot say much more without revealing anything. It involves finding out the truth, violence, mental health hospital and many lies told by many people. I was very disappointed with the ending, and I will have to explain why below.
SPOILER ALERT - The below paragraph contains spoilers.
During the book, we kept having more and more plot twists. The story started becoming more and more twisted and tricky to unravel. And then, a few chapters before the end, the author explains this as one of Thursday’s delusions. Seth divorced her when they lost the baby, but she could never move on and started believing this delusion that he has multiple wives. However, there are many inconsistencies to this, and they are all left for us to believe they are part of Thursday’s delusions. Also, there are facts that don’t correspond. He still came to see her every Thursday (which was explained as cheating). Furthermore. he stole money from her bank account. He brewed some weird tea for her before she lost her baby. Somehow, I keep thinking that the plot became too twisted for the author as well, and she just decided to blame it all on Thursday’s delusions.
SPOILER FINISHED.
I am still unsure on how I feel about this book. Perhaps I would’ve been more satisfied if the explanation and the ending were different. The very last scene was shocking, and completely out of character. I cannot understand why this is how the book ended and I am very conflicted. This type of plot seems very similar to other books I have read before, and I don’t find it unique. However, I read this book in a day and it did intrigue me to find out more. Once you start reading, you cannot put this book down. But once you get to the ending, there is the conflict of whether it was a good ending of such a twisty book.
I definitely recommend it, if you love this genre. It will keep you on your toes. It also might make you think whether your husband has other wives as well. Just kidding :)
BLOG TOUR
This review is part of the blog tour for The Wives, organised by the HQ Team. Thank you to the publisher and the author, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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