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Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Return to Hundred Acre Wood
As a child I adored Winnie The Pooh. From owning soft toys of Pooh bear and his friends to playing Pooh sticks in the woods with my grandad, it shaped a lot of my childhood. Perhaps this explains why I was so drawn to this film from the day it was released. I was excited yet quietly apprehensive as you often are when your favourite childhood characters are revived on the big screen. There’s always a risk that it just won’t be the same.
Thankfully Christopher Robin did a fantastic job of bringing audiences back to Hundred Acre Wood, and telling the story of an adult Christopher Robin. As you can probably imagine; he soon outgrows his toys and is forced to grow up very quickly as he’s sent off to boarding school. Beyond that, he is soon conscripted and upon his return, has to work tirelessly to provide for his wife and daughter. This level of stress soon turns Christopher Robin into a serious workaholic who would much rather see his child study hard than play games. All that changes when Robin is reunited with Winnie The Pooh, and he soon remembers all the fun he once had as a child.
Ewan McGregor delivers a stunning performance as an adult Christopher Robin, perfectly encapsulating the serious businessman persona, as well as one filled with child-like glee. It’s refreshing to see McGregor in a much more playful role than usual, and I believe he’s appealing for all audiences, both adult and children alike. His performance made me cry in places, because the script tugs at your heartstrings and delivers a jolt of welcome nostalgia. In all honesty it makes you want to grab your bear and be a child again, just for a few moments. And even more honestly, is there anything wrong with that? It’s a film that reminds you to stop working so hard, and make sure you enjoy those precious moments with those dear to you. Pass the tissues, please!
Pooh and his friends are animated wonderfully, they blend in effortlessly with the scenes and create this illusion of toys coming to life. It’s very easy to forget that they’re not actually real. I especially loved classic grumpy Eeyore, as he resonates well with the adult audience and makes you think “you know what Eeyore, I can relate to that”. He’s a hilarious antidote to the mushier characters, and reminded me why I’ve always loved his character. It was so fun seeing Pooh and friends again, and I’m so happy they were portrayed the way they should’ve been.
Christopher Robin is an all-round beautiful family film, full of playful visuals, genuinely funny one-liners, and moments that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. It is very cheesy in places but you have to remember that this is a sweet, family film, so overly mushy moments don’t feel too out of place. I soon learned to roll with it and found myself genuinely beaming at the chemistry between characters, and the love that radiated from the screen. Frankly, it’s a welcome change from the blood and guts I’m used to, and I’m happy about that. Sometimes even a die hard horror fan needs a teddy bear in their lives.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/08/22/return-to-hundred-acre-wood-a-review-of-christopher-robin/
Thankfully Christopher Robin did a fantastic job of bringing audiences back to Hundred Acre Wood, and telling the story of an adult Christopher Robin. As you can probably imagine; he soon outgrows his toys and is forced to grow up very quickly as he’s sent off to boarding school. Beyond that, he is soon conscripted and upon his return, has to work tirelessly to provide for his wife and daughter. This level of stress soon turns Christopher Robin into a serious workaholic who would much rather see his child study hard than play games. All that changes when Robin is reunited with Winnie The Pooh, and he soon remembers all the fun he once had as a child.
Ewan McGregor delivers a stunning performance as an adult Christopher Robin, perfectly encapsulating the serious businessman persona, as well as one filled with child-like glee. It’s refreshing to see McGregor in a much more playful role than usual, and I believe he’s appealing for all audiences, both adult and children alike. His performance made me cry in places, because the script tugs at your heartstrings and delivers a jolt of welcome nostalgia. In all honesty it makes you want to grab your bear and be a child again, just for a few moments. And even more honestly, is there anything wrong with that? It’s a film that reminds you to stop working so hard, and make sure you enjoy those precious moments with those dear to you. Pass the tissues, please!
Pooh and his friends are animated wonderfully, they blend in effortlessly with the scenes and create this illusion of toys coming to life. It’s very easy to forget that they’re not actually real. I especially loved classic grumpy Eeyore, as he resonates well with the adult audience and makes you think “you know what Eeyore, I can relate to that”. He’s a hilarious antidote to the mushier characters, and reminded me why I’ve always loved his character. It was so fun seeing Pooh and friends again, and I’m so happy they were portrayed the way they should’ve been.
Christopher Robin is an all-round beautiful family film, full of playful visuals, genuinely funny one-liners, and moments that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. It is very cheesy in places but you have to remember that this is a sweet, family film, so overly mushy moments don’t feel too out of place. I soon learned to roll with it and found myself genuinely beaming at the chemistry between characters, and the love that radiated from the screen. Frankly, it’s a welcome change from the blood and guts I’m used to, and I’m happy about that. Sometimes even a die hard horror fan needs a teddy bear in their lives.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/08/22/return-to-hundred-acre-wood-a-review-of-christopher-robin/
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
Winnie the Pooh, the much love bear created by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard, has been brought by Disney in enchantingly live action in Christopher Robin. The story begins in the hundred acre woods where little Christopher Robin is spending his last day having a picnic with his dear friends: Eeyore(Brad Garrett), Owl(Toby Jones), Rabbit(Peter Capaldi), Kanga(Sophie Okonedo) and Roo(Sara Sheen), Piglet(Nick Mohammed) Tigger and Pooh(Both beautifully voiced by Jim Cummings). The voice actor cast was rather surprising, but quite spot on for each character. I was absolutely drawn into Christopher Robin’s world.
We are transported through Christopher Robin’s journey from boarding school as a child, his teenage years through secondary education, to becoming an adult, meeting Evelyn(Hayley Atwell) who becomes his wife, leaving for World War II, returning from war to his wife and young daughter Madeline(Bronte Carmichael). Christopher Robin(Ewan McGregor) is now a grown man, working for Winslow, making luggage for the travelling set. He has been tasked to find ways to reduce waste for efficiency. Times are tough after the war and not many people are spending money on travel, therefore no one is buying luggage for their trips. His boss, Giles Winslow(Mark Gatiss, who seems to enjoy playing this feckless git) expects him to work through the weekend to come up with ideas to meet an overall 20% reduction or else Winslow will cut the workforce.
The plan was to spend his weekend with his family down at the cottage. The order from his boss has once again upended his plans. Christopher Robin is a grown man indeed and he has not smiled or had any fun for the longest time. He has become so serious even his wife was looking for his smile. While he works through the weekend. Evelyn decides that Madelyn needs to play and proceeds with the visit to the cottage.
While we follow Christopher Robin as he walks through life, we also see Winnie the Pooh at the tree to the hundred acre woods waiting every day for Christopher Robin’s return. One day, Pooh wakes to an empty woods where he cannot find any of his friends. He goes through the door in the tree hoping to find Christopher Robin and get help because he fears that his friends have been taken by the Heffalumps and Woozles.
Ewan McGregor plays Christopher Robin as an adult with such sincerity and honesty, that we all believe that Pooh and his friends truly exist in the film. The hundred acre woods magically come alive in the movie, capturing the colors of autumn and the warmth of the sunshine on the meadows. The score includes favorites that are the signature of the characters. It will have you quietly singing the words to the well known tunes.
For those that love Winnie the Pooh as I do and have fond memories of your own childhood or of your children’s, this movie was so enjoyable, heartwarmingly satisfying. Go as an adult, go with the kids (grown and little) its not a summer action film, but it is such a lovely movie by Disney with such a well told tale of old friends.
We are transported through Christopher Robin’s journey from boarding school as a child, his teenage years through secondary education, to becoming an adult, meeting Evelyn(Hayley Atwell) who becomes his wife, leaving for World War II, returning from war to his wife and young daughter Madeline(Bronte Carmichael). Christopher Robin(Ewan McGregor) is now a grown man, working for Winslow, making luggage for the travelling set. He has been tasked to find ways to reduce waste for efficiency. Times are tough after the war and not many people are spending money on travel, therefore no one is buying luggage for their trips. His boss, Giles Winslow(Mark Gatiss, who seems to enjoy playing this feckless git) expects him to work through the weekend to come up with ideas to meet an overall 20% reduction or else Winslow will cut the workforce.
The plan was to spend his weekend with his family down at the cottage. The order from his boss has once again upended his plans. Christopher Robin is a grown man indeed and he has not smiled or had any fun for the longest time. He has become so serious even his wife was looking for his smile. While he works through the weekend. Evelyn decides that Madelyn needs to play and proceeds with the visit to the cottage.
While we follow Christopher Robin as he walks through life, we also see Winnie the Pooh at the tree to the hundred acre woods waiting every day for Christopher Robin’s return. One day, Pooh wakes to an empty woods where he cannot find any of his friends. He goes through the door in the tree hoping to find Christopher Robin and get help because he fears that his friends have been taken by the Heffalumps and Woozles.
Ewan McGregor plays Christopher Robin as an adult with such sincerity and honesty, that we all believe that Pooh and his friends truly exist in the film. The hundred acre woods magically come alive in the movie, capturing the colors of autumn and the warmth of the sunshine on the meadows. The score includes favorites that are the signature of the characters. It will have you quietly singing the words to the well known tunes.
For those that love Winnie the Pooh as I do and have fond memories of your own childhood or of your children’s, this movie was so enjoyable, heartwarmingly satisfying. Go as an adult, go with the kids (grown and little) its not a summer action film, but it is such a lovely movie by Disney with such a well told tale of old friends.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Turning (2020) in Movies
Mar 2, 2020
On reflection, I'm going to have to apologise to Like A Boss for saying it was the worst film I saw in January.
Another adaptation of another classic novel... I'll get this broken record fixed at some point, I promise. Though not until after Dolittle, oh and The Invisible Man, oh and The True History Of The Kelly Gang... you know what? Never mind!
Kate is looking for a different challenge and so she quits her teaching job to become governess to a young girl living on her uncle's estate with his housekeeper after her parent's tragic death. Life in the house is strange even before her brother arrives home suddenly from boarding school. There's something untoward going on but everything defies logic. Can she get out without it slowly eating away at her sanity?
But Emma, this is a horror and you don't like going to horrors at the cinema! No, you're right, but I'm still trying to be brave... but my god do I wish I'd picked a better film.
The first thing I would query is the time jump this film makes from its source material. I can understand wanting to modernise something to get a new audience, I really can, but its setting in 1994 didn't make a lot of sense and at the same time wasn't very noticeable. Within the house and grounds you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a period thriller because there was little to remind you it wasn't. Why not just go the whole hog and set it in the present day? The house could still have been off the grid, it would have allowed for extra backstory being inserted by her researching (I suspect the inclusion of Kate's friend was to allow for extra story details) and then in the climax of the film she could have been cut off from her access to the outside world. There's nothing quite like making an audience fear the technology they hold dear like that.
1 hour and 34 minutes, that was the entire runtime. Normally that's something to be applauded, but in this instance it was an agonising 94 minutes of programming. There was nothing in the film that gripped me, mild intrigue at times, but there was nothing to sustain that interest through any major sections of the film. Jump scares seemed to be the way it wanted to go but even I, the scardiest scaredy cat there ever was, could see them coming, meaning they made no impact.
Both Mackenzie Davis and Finn Wolfhard are good actors but there was no chemistry on screen. I felt no genuine tension between the two at all even though Miles was the certainly playing the creeper card a lot.
If you're talking about The Turning then you have to address the style of ending. A film that leaves you able to interpret what you want from certain events is something to be treasured and is a stroke of genius when done correctly. It's a great marketing tool because your audience are still thinking about the film and discussing it with people long after they've seen it. But for that discussion to be positive you need to have a film that hooks you in and The Turning just didn't do that for me.
Sometimes suspense works better as the written word.
Originally posted on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-turning-movie-review.html
Another adaptation of another classic novel... I'll get this broken record fixed at some point, I promise. Though not until after Dolittle, oh and The Invisible Man, oh and The True History Of The Kelly Gang... you know what? Never mind!
Kate is looking for a different challenge and so she quits her teaching job to become governess to a young girl living on her uncle's estate with his housekeeper after her parent's tragic death. Life in the house is strange even before her brother arrives home suddenly from boarding school. There's something untoward going on but everything defies logic. Can she get out without it slowly eating away at her sanity?
But Emma, this is a horror and you don't like going to horrors at the cinema! No, you're right, but I'm still trying to be brave... but my god do I wish I'd picked a better film.
The first thing I would query is the time jump this film makes from its source material. I can understand wanting to modernise something to get a new audience, I really can, but its setting in 1994 didn't make a lot of sense and at the same time wasn't very noticeable. Within the house and grounds you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a period thriller because there was little to remind you it wasn't. Why not just go the whole hog and set it in the present day? The house could still have been off the grid, it would have allowed for extra backstory being inserted by her researching (I suspect the inclusion of Kate's friend was to allow for extra story details) and then in the climax of the film she could have been cut off from her access to the outside world. There's nothing quite like making an audience fear the technology they hold dear like that.
1 hour and 34 minutes, that was the entire runtime. Normally that's something to be applauded, but in this instance it was an agonising 94 minutes of programming. There was nothing in the film that gripped me, mild intrigue at times, but there was nothing to sustain that interest through any major sections of the film. Jump scares seemed to be the way it wanted to go but even I, the scardiest scaredy cat there ever was, could see them coming, meaning they made no impact.
Both Mackenzie Davis and Finn Wolfhard are good actors but there was no chemistry on screen. I felt no genuine tension between the two at all even though Miles was the certainly playing the creeper card a lot.
If you're talking about The Turning then you have to address the style of ending. A film that leaves you able to interpret what you want from certain events is something to be treasured and is a stroke of genius when done correctly. It's a great marketing tool because your audience are still thinking about the film and discussing it with people long after they've seen it. But for that discussion to be positive you need to have a film that hooks you in and The Turning just didn't do that for me.
Sometimes suspense works better as the written word.
Originally posted on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-turning-movie-review.html
Becs (244 KP) rated The Black Orchids in Books
Aug 2, 2019
Not what you expect
"I knew this wasn't the end."
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death, torture
Review:
I originally rated this 3.5 stars but I'm dropping this down to 2.5 stars, as I've had time to sit and really gather my thoughts around.
The Black Orchids is a paranormal fantasy novel about a young girl being haunted by a monster called It (no, not the clown). She goes to a boarding school where she comes into contact with It again and even gains new friends. There are multiple of love interests within this story and the story gave off a very dark, suspenseful, and adventure feel with twists, but it wasn't what I expected from reading the blurb.
The Black Orchids vaguely has the same vibes that the Vampire Academy and Beautiful Creatures series' has. There was a lack of connection with the characters and the story overall lacked. There was potential here but it fell short and left me a bit disappointed.
The main character was in a constant battle with herself and her family, she even considered herself to be different from the "other girls". Basically, she was the loner, edgy girl that didn't have friends. This wasn't executed the greatest and really just made the MC feel shallow and a tad emotionless. The other characters weren't much better. The relationships between them seemed a tad forced and not at all 'believable'.
The story lacked descriptive nature and world-building. But the plot was pretty decent. I wasn't instantly enamored with the story and it was a slow read - even though I devoured it. There was something still keeping me reading and I couldn't put my finger on it. I know for sure it wasn't the characters, as I could never really connect with any of them and the villain wasn't even the greatest. Majority of villains are these morally grey characters with amazing backstories, but not the villain here. There was no grand reveal of who the mystery figure was and the plot twist at the end was rather disappointing.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the ending! But so much more could have been added to the story-line that would have added an appealing and captivating touch that built up until BOOM, plot twist, and cliffhanger. The Black Orchids does end on a bit of a cliffhanger but again, it lacked and didn't give a massive explosion to my brain as most cliffhangers do.
Another aspect of The Black Orchids that I couldn't get over was all of the spelling and grammatical errors. I kept having to reread sentences, paragraphs, and even whole pages! I wanted to DNF this but also keep reading, all at the same time. And I honestly don't know how I feel about that.
The Black Orchids has a good plot for a debut, it just needs a bit of work done to it to revamp and add cushion to the story-line.
"In the end, she settled for trying to show a turtle raising its head out of its shell. She thought it symbolized new hope, courage, and maybe even as a welcoming. For a turtle to peek outside was courage indeed, they never knew what awaited them on the other side."
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death, torture
Review:
I originally rated this 3.5 stars but I'm dropping this down to 2.5 stars, as I've had time to sit and really gather my thoughts around.
The Black Orchids is a paranormal fantasy novel about a young girl being haunted by a monster called It (no, not the clown). She goes to a boarding school where she comes into contact with It again and even gains new friends. There are multiple of love interests within this story and the story gave off a very dark, suspenseful, and adventure feel with twists, but it wasn't what I expected from reading the blurb.
The Black Orchids vaguely has the same vibes that the Vampire Academy and Beautiful Creatures series' has. There was a lack of connection with the characters and the story overall lacked. There was potential here but it fell short and left me a bit disappointed.
The main character was in a constant battle with herself and her family, she even considered herself to be different from the "other girls". Basically, she was the loner, edgy girl that didn't have friends. This wasn't executed the greatest and really just made the MC feel shallow and a tad emotionless. The other characters weren't much better. The relationships between them seemed a tad forced and not at all 'believable'.
The story lacked descriptive nature and world-building. But the plot was pretty decent. I wasn't instantly enamored with the story and it was a slow read - even though I devoured it. There was something still keeping me reading and I couldn't put my finger on it. I know for sure it wasn't the characters, as I could never really connect with any of them and the villain wasn't even the greatest. Majority of villains are these morally grey characters with amazing backstories, but not the villain here. There was no grand reveal of who the mystery figure was and the plot twist at the end was rather disappointing.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the ending! But so much more could have been added to the story-line that would have added an appealing and captivating touch that built up until BOOM, plot twist, and cliffhanger. The Black Orchids does end on a bit of a cliffhanger but again, it lacked and didn't give a massive explosion to my brain as most cliffhangers do.
Another aspect of The Black Orchids that I couldn't get over was all of the spelling and grammatical errors. I kept having to reread sentences, paragraphs, and even whole pages! I wanted to DNF this but also keep reading, all at the same time. And I honestly don't know how I feel about that.
The Black Orchids has a good plot for a debut, it just needs a bit of work done to it to revamp and add cushion to the story-line.
"In the end, she settled for trying to show a turtle raising its head out of its shell. She thought it symbolized new hope, courage, and maybe even as a welcoming. For a turtle to peek outside was courage indeed, they never knew what awaited them on the other side."
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
If sin were visible, what would the world be like? That is the premise of this brand new, original historical novel by Dan Vyletta. Bordering on steam-punk, <i>Smoke</i> is set in a Victorian England unlike any version ever documented before. Instead of an era of peace and posterity, it is full of wickedness and chaos. For an unexplained reason whenever a human acts with malicious intention or has a sinful thought their body emits a plume of smoke, staining their clothes and surrounding area with a coating of soot.
The story begins in an Oxford boarding school where two friends, Thomas and Charlie, are being taught that Smoke is bad and that they must learn to control it. However during the Christmas holidays, which both boys spend at a prodigious manor, they discover alternative views regarding Smoke, and are spooked by the Lady Naylor’s fascination. With their lives in sudden danger, Thomas and Charlie, along with Livia – Lady Naylor’s daughter – flee with the knowledge of a sinister, scientific intent that they do not understand.
From this point onwards the tale becomes darker and much more violent as the three friends try to work out Livia’s mother’s plans and endeavor to prevent her from carrying them out. All the while they are trying to deal with the effects of Smoke, which they have long given up trying to suppress.
Written from a large variety of viewpoints, <i>Smoke</i> is full of mystery and suspense, making it difficult to work out whom to trust. The reader has the same amount of knowledge as the protagonists and thus comes to the same conclusions at the same time, making reader and character feel like they are working together to identify the unknown.
It is unclear whether this is a young adult novel or intended for older readers. The key characters are only sixteen and are a trio of friends – two boys and a girl – which is something that since the dawn of <i>Harry Potter</i> has become fairly common place in YA literature. Also, Lady Naylor is reminiscent of the antagonist in Philip Pullman’s <i>His Dark Materials</i>. On the other hand, the language, whilst fitting for the time period, is far too formal to flow in a way that a book for teenagers would expect. There is also no attempt to sugarcoat or conceal the violence that takes place throughout a large section of the novel.
<i>Smoke</i> gets off to a shaky start leaving the reader feeling bewildered. The idea of Smoke and soot is not introduced in a clear manner, instead being thrown out there where everyone has to try and find the author’s wavelength and pick up the pieces as they go. Once the action begins – the escape from the manor – the story picks up the pace and becomes far more exciting before, sadly, diminishing into a confusing, violent jumble of a narrative that is tedious to try and follow. The conclusion, unfortunately, is also unclear, providing more questions that it actually solves.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. At times I enjoyed it, yet it also felt a chore to read. I found the concept rather confusing, unresolved and, on the whole, disappointing. <i>Smoke </i>is not a book I would easily recommend to anyone; even those who I know enjoy this particular genre. To be perfectly honest, I am glad I have finished it and do not need to read it anymore.
If sin were visible, what would the world be like? That is the premise of this brand new, original historical novel by Dan Vyletta. Bordering on steam-punk, <i>Smoke</i> is set in a Victorian England unlike any version ever documented before. Instead of an era of peace and posterity, it is full of wickedness and chaos. For an unexplained reason whenever a human acts with malicious intention or has a sinful thought their body emits a plume of smoke, staining their clothes and surrounding area with a coating of soot.
The story begins in an Oxford boarding school where two friends, Thomas and Charlie, are being taught that Smoke is bad and that they must learn to control it. However during the Christmas holidays, which both boys spend at a prodigious manor, they discover alternative views regarding Smoke, and are spooked by the Lady Naylor’s fascination. With their lives in sudden danger, Thomas and Charlie, along with Livia – Lady Naylor’s daughter – flee with the knowledge of a sinister, scientific intent that they do not understand.
From this point onwards the tale becomes darker and much more violent as the three friends try to work out Livia’s mother’s plans and endeavor to prevent her from carrying them out. All the while they are trying to deal with the effects of Smoke, which they have long given up trying to suppress.
Written from a large variety of viewpoints, <i>Smoke</i> is full of mystery and suspense, making it difficult to work out whom to trust. The reader has the same amount of knowledge as the protagonists and thus comes to the same conclusions at the same time, making reader and character feel like they are working together to identify the unknown.
It is unclear whether this is a young adult novel or intended for older readers. The key characters are only sixteen and are a trio of friends – two boys and a girl – which is something that since the dawn of <i>Harry Potter</i> has become fairly common place in YA literature. Also, Lady Naylor is reminiscent of the antagonist in Philip Pullman’s <i>His Dark Materials</i>. On the other hand, the language, whilst fitting for the time period, is far too formal to flow in a way that a book for teenagers would expect. There is also no attempt to sugarcoat or conceal the violence that takes place throughout a large section of the novel.
<i>Smoke</i> gets off to a shaky start leaving the reader feeling bewildered. The idea of Smoke and soot is not introduced in a clear manner, instead being thrown out there where everyone has to try and find the author’s wavelength and pick up the pieces as they go. Once the action begins – the escape from the manor – the story picks up the pace and becomes far more exciting before, sadly, diminishing into a confusing, violent jumble of a narrative that is tedious to try and follow. The conclusion, unfortunately, is also unclear, providing more questions that it actually solves.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. At times I enjoyed it, yet it also felt a chore to read. I found the concept rather confusing, unresolved and, on the whole, disappointing. <i>Smoke </i>is not a book I would easily recommend to anyone; even those who I know enjoy this particular genre. To be perfectly honest, I am glad I have finished it and do not need to read it anymore.
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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Circus Galacticus in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Have you ever wanted to run away and join the circus? How about a galaxy-traveling circus complete with your very own Doctor Who-like Ringmaster and spaceship? Sounds pretty awesome, right? While you sadly may not be able to do that in real life, Deva Fagan's Circus Galacticus takes the reader on a voyage through the stars. Okay, so maybe reading instead of experiencing those adventures isn't quite as fun, but it's still a grand ride to hop on while I impatiently wait for my very own Doctor to show up and whisk me away to galaxies unknown and unimagined.
Meet the Earther Beatrix "Trix" Ling: miserable, friendless orphan, you know, the usual. On the surface that is. Seriously unhappy at her boarding school, she often gets into trouble due to the fact she's quick to rile and doesn't think things through before acting or speaking. After a few weird events happen to Trix, such as some strange dude breaking into her room and her hair deciding it'd like to be a cotton candy pink, the Circus Galacticus comes to town promising her some answers. Here is where the journey for Trix and the reader begins. Aliens and gadgets abound, as do allies with their own special Tinker power and enemies trying to suppress that power, a spaceship that's alive with many mysterious corridors, and too much to even begin to cover, and really, they'd be better serviced by reading the book instead of this review. This book is like Doctor Who, The X-Men, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory all tossed into a blender to make one scrump-diddly-umptous concoction. Smoothly written, the book moves at a swift pace as Trix struggles to find somewhere she belongs, make and keep friends, and to believe she deserves it. I don't believe there's a person out there that hasn't felt like an outsider at one time or another, though some more-so than others perhaps, and while Trix may make mistakes and may not always follow rules, that only makes her all the more full-bodied as a character. Except a little with the Ringmaster and the circus tent spaceship, Big Top (as much a character as anyone, if not more), the others aren't delved into as much but they each add their own quirks to make the book well-rounded.
And while I'd heartily recommend Circus Galacticus with no reservations, it isn't a perfect book by any means. Trix's age is never mentioned and at one time she describes the others as her age or a few years older. Umm, okay, I don't even know how old you are, chica, so how am I supposed to know how old everyone else is? At first, I surmised she was somewhere between 12-16 until unneeded curse words popped up, so she's probably a teenager. I finally found out how old Trix was by going to the author's site. She's 15. Call me odd, but I like to know the main character's age. The book could also have stood to have a little more meat on its bones, even as little as fifty pages tacked on. This was like a sampler platter and I wanted a full-course meal. With dessert. So many questions were left unanswered and it is just begging for a sequel to explore these more fully. And as I said before, the curse words really added absolutely nothing to the context of the scenes they were in. Other words could have been substituted easily and been more fitting. Sure there weren't many, but this is intended for middle-grade students and except for the cursing, it's good, clean fun. I'm not naive enough to think that children don't come across foul language from many sources, and even use it themselves, but that doesn't mean that books tailored for their age range should include them either.
However, I had a blast travelling through space with the crew of the Big Top. If there is a sequel, and I truly hope there is, you can be sure I'll be there for the next adventure of Circus Galacticus.
If interested, the author has up illustrations of the main characters: http://devafagan.com/circus-galacticus-characters/
Meet the Earther Beatrix "Trix" Ling: miserable, friendless orphan, you know, the usual. On the surface that is. Seriously unhappy at her boarding school, she often gets into trouble due to the fact she's quick to rile and doesn't think things through before acting or speaking. After a few weird events happen to Trix, such as some strange dude breaking into her room and her hair deciding it'd like to be a cotton candy pink, the Circus Galacticus comes to town promising her some answers. Here is where the journey for Trix and the reader begins. Aliens and gadgets abound, as do allies with their own special Tinker power and enemies trying to suppress that power, a spaceship that's alive with many mysterious corridors, and too much to even begin to cover, and really, they'd be better serviced by reading the book instead of this review. This book is like Doctor Who, The X-Men, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory all tossed into a blender to make one scrump-diddly-umptous concoction. Smoothly written, the book moves at a swift pace as Trix struggles to find somewhere she belongs, make and keep friends, and to believe she deserves it. I don't believe there's a person out there that hasn't felt like an outsider at one time or another, though some more-so than others perhaps, and while Trix may make mistakes and may not always follow rules, that only makes her all the more full-bodied as a character. Except a little with the Ringmaster and the circus tent spaceship, Big Top (as much a character as anyone, if not more), the others aren't delved into as much but they each add their own quirks to make the book well-rounded.
And while I'd heartily recommend Circus Galacticus with no reservations, it isn't a perfect book by any means. Trix's age is never mentioned and at one time she describes the others as her age or a few years older. Umm, okay, I don't even know how old you are, chica, so how am I supposed to know how old everyone else is? At first, I surmised she was somewhere between 12-16 until unneeded curse words popped up, so she's probably a teenager. I finally found out how old Trix was by going to the author's site. She's 15. Call me odd, but I like to know the main character's age. The book could also have stood to have a little more meat on its bones, even as little as fifty pages tacked on. This was like a sampler platter and I wanted a full-course meal. With dessert. So many questions were left unanswered and it is just begging for a sequel to explore these more fully. And as I said before, the curse words really added absolutely nothing to the context of the scenes they were in. Other words could have been substituted easily and been more fitting. Sure there weren't many, but this is intended for middle-grade students and except for the cursing, it's good, clean fun. I'm not naive enough to think that children don't come across foul language from many sources, and even use it themselves, but that doesn't mean that books tailored for their age range should include them either.
However, I had a blast travelling through space with the crew of the Big Top. If there is a sequel, and I truly hope there is, you can be sure I'll be there for the next adventure of Circus Galacticus.
If interested, the author has up illustrations of the main characters: http://devafagan.com/circus-galacticus-characters/
Amanda (96 KP) rated People Like Us in Books
Mar 12, 2019
Ever watched that show Pretty Little Liars or Riverdale (RIP Luke Perry) and think to yourself, this is such a stupid teenager drama show...and yet I can't stop watching or I need to know what happens next? This book doesn't read like Riverdale, but it definitely reads like an episode or another book of Pretty Little Liars. I will say that it reads like that, and a little like Karen M. McManus' novel, One of Us is Lying.
So we have Katherine "Kay" at a boarding school called, Bates. She's there for a soccer and hopes to get an athletic scholarship. One night, her and her few friends come across a body, a student and things begin to unravel about Kay and now she's being blackmailed.
Here's Kay in a nutshell. She DID NOT come from money, though she is trying her best to dress and act the part - including being the bully. It's hard to say if she goes a long with most of the stuff her friends did and said, or if she is genuinely a 'mean girl'. Although, after a prank that was her idea comes to play, my sympathy for her slowly weakens.
She gets a link to this revenge blog and it works along with algorithm that if she doesn't get a student off the class roster (meaning getting them expelled) then information about her is leaked to the police that could put her in prison. How it works is the blog is a stove and it opens for a 'recipe'. The recipe is a poem and sometimes had photos or information that incriminates her friends. One of them, for example, hints that one of her friends cheats on her tests.
To add to the drama, Kay struggles with her romantic feelings for her best friend (though I often wonder why) Brie whom has a girlfriend. They've gone through the whole will they or will they not bit, and although Brie has a girlfriend, Kay still struggles. She also has conflicting feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Spencer, who cheated on her...oddly enough with the student they found dead.
Kay's life is one long soap opera. She harbors a secret about her brother's murder and her best friend's suicide (before she was shipped to Bates). Her and her group of friends makes me think of the reasons of why I didn't hang out with a group of girls growing up. They are catty and vengeful. Sometimes guys aren't any better, but I had more guy friends than I did girl friends growing up.
I dozed off on most of the book because Kay started babbling on about certain things that just didn't keep my interest. The more she told her story the more intrigued I did get, but in the end, I still couldn't really feel much for her. I'm not sure if that was the intention of the story - perhaps if it were, it wouldn't be told by Kay. The characters were not likable, but I think that was the point.
I didn't even care for Brie whom is basically the only NICE girl in the whole bunch. I can understand her being hurt by Kay (and Kay has said and done some things to warrant that), but at the same time, I wonder what it is about her that has Kay wanting her so badly.
I liked Nola for a moment because she was a computer nerd and liked literature, but that didn't last long at all. The only character I felt for was a cat named Hunter...poor kitty.
The story as a whole wasn't bad. Each side story came around in full circle and nothing was left out or left unresolved. I didn't even have a problem with how it ended, because honestly, how else would it have ended? Kay expresses regret for her actions and the things she has said, but if the story were to continue into a book two, I better see some major growth from everything she endured.
So we have Katherine "Kay" at a boarding school called, Bates. She's there for a soccer and hopes to get an athletic scholarship. One night, her and her few friends come across a body, a student and things begin to unravel about Kay and now she's being blackmailed.
Here's Kay in a nutshell. She DID NOT come from money, though she is trying her best to dress and act the part - including being the bully. It's hard to say if she goes a long with most of the stuff her friends did and said, or if she is genuinely a 'mean girl'. Although, after a prank that was her idea comes to play, my sympathy for her slowly weakens.
She gets a link to this revenge blog and it works along with algorithm that if she doesn't get a student off the class roster (meaning getting them expelled) then information about her is leaked to the police that could put her in prison. How it works is the blog is a stove and it opens for a 'recipe'. The recipe is a poem and sometimes had photos or information that incriminates her friends. One of them, for example, hints that one of her friends cheats on her tests.
To add to the drama, Kay struggles with her romantic feelings for her best friend (though I often wonder why) Brie whom has a girlfriend. They've gone through the whole will they or will they not bit, and although Brie has a girlfriend, Kay still struggles. She also has conflicting feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Spencer, who cheated on her...oddly enough with the student they found dead.
Kay's life is one long soap opera. She harbors a secret about her brother's murder and her best friend's suicide (before she was shipped to Bates). Her and her group of friends makes me think of the reasons of why I didn't hang out with a group of girls growing up. They are catty and vengeful. Sometimes guys aren't any better, but I had more guy friends than I did girl friends growing up.
I dozed off on most of the book because Kay started babbling on about certain things that just didn't keep my interest. The more she told her story the more intrigued I did get, but in the end, I still couldn't really feel much for her. I'm not sure if that was the intention of the story - perhaps if it were, it wouldn't be told by Kay. The characters were not likable, but I think that was the point.
I didn't even care for Brie whom is basically the only NICE girl in the whole bunch. I can understand her being hurt by Kay (and Kay has said and done some things to warrant that), but at the same time, I wonder what it is about her that has Kay wanting her so badly.
I liked Nola for a moment because she was a computer nerd and liked literature, but that didn't last long at all. The only character I felt for was a cat named Hunter...poor kitty.
The story as a whole wasn't bad. Each side story came around in full circle and nothing was left out or left unresolved. I didn't even have a problem with how it ended, because honestly, how else would it have ended? Kay expresses regret for her actions and the things she has said, but if the story were to continue into a book two, I better see some major growth from everything she endured.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
For once, I think my instincts were right (not that I ever listen) about Going Down in Flames. I was expecting a lot more.
The idea and the concept were unique and interesting. Shape-shifting dragons? Check. Oddball at a prestigious boarding school Bryn is being sent to on her sixteenth birthday? Check. Proof that the Directorate isn't always right? Check. TRYING to stay alive? Ooo, interesting. Check! All the ingredients of a great book. I was even so excited about DRAGONS!
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuqBh1sDPEY/U6NzNu6g3hI/AAAAAAAADhs/Pb2oaXOydkQ/s1600/how_to_train_your_dragon_2_gif_by_thegrzebol-d6wlb2k.gif"; height="106" width="320">
Plus, the pretty cover and the tag line: If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.
WHAT REVOLUTION?!?!?! is my biggest question right at this very moment. There's no revolution, not really. At least, not one that Bryn starts. That revolution, which is apparently peaceful and started by Zavien-Not-Zayn, was there well before Bryn comes around. She doesn't even know about that revolution or even the fact that she's a dragon until said dude starts stalking her for awhile.
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-98SDXmeq-i8/U6Nzpun3IGI/AAAAAAAADh0/d0iqv6tv0OU/s1600/giphy.gif"; height="175" width="320">
So I'm really curious as to the definition of revolution here. Because in the long run, it's all sparkly rainbows and unicorns with the abrupt end. The last sentence? Damn Directorate. If anything, damning the Directorate shows there hasn't been a revolution. Sure, Bryn makes her point. She's a crossbreed and she's just like any other dragon. She made a change. To have a love life, that is, but it's not like she gets to choose. I mean, her grandmother and the mom of the dude she hates most attempts at playing matchmaker. Arranged marriage still exists.
*sighs* Not a dramatic change if you ask me. A change for future crossbreeds, sure. Certainly the Directorate wasn't overthrown.
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ffyT3n870o/U6N0wvDSjhI/AAAAAAAADiA/3S69yaZT8RM/s1600/giphy+(2).gif"; height="176" width="320">
Perhaps the most interesting part of Going Down in Flames for me were the death threats. The way they're written and set up. They're thrown in at surprising, yet right times. Oh, and there's no warning on those attempts. It kept me at the edge of my seat trying to guess where the next attack would be at.
There also seems to be something missing from the characters. Particularly with Jaxon and Bryn. They hate each other and then all of a sudden, he starts helping her. Not just to save his reputation, but to protect her. There is something remotely wrong with a character who hates you from the bottom of their hearts to "protecting you." O_o
<blockquote>Jaxon: I also did it to help you.
Bryn: I saved your life. Dont get snippy with me.
Jaxon: *slams coffee cup down* I came to secure protection for your life.</blockquote>
Tell me there isn't something wrong with that. O_o Because it ends shortly after, and now I can't really decide if Bryn gets stuck marrying Jaxon due to arranged marriage or she gets to choose who she wants to marry. If there are any other life threatening stuff going on afterward or the dragons that used to hate her now treat her as an equal. If her mother actually gets a happy reunion with her parents. If Zavien is still stuck with his intended or if he and the Revisionists peacefully achieve more individual rights for dragons.
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v3e-NYdq7P8/U6N2FJxKKNI/AAAAAAAADiM/7xswneekUqs/s1600/giphy+(3).gif"; height="239" width="320">
There are just so many questions that aren't answered yet, that this feels like an entire end is missing and Going Down in Flames is the very first of a trilogy or series. Yet... this is a stand alone... according to Goodreads. Am I missing something, or did anyone else who read this feel the same way?
--------------------------
Advanced copy provided by the publisher
Original Rating: 2.5
This review and more found over at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/arc-review-going-down-in-flames-by-chris-cannon.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
The idea and the concept were unique and interesting. Shape-shifting dragons? Check. Oddball at a prestigious boarding school Bryn is being sent to on her sixteenth birthday? Check. Proof that the Directorate isn't always right? Check. TRYING to stay alive? Ooo, interesting. Check! All the ingredients of a great book. I was even so excited about DRAGONS!
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuqBh1sDPEY/U6NzNu6g3hI/AAAAAAAADhs/Pb2oaXOydkQ/s1600/how_to_train_your_dragon_2_gif_by_thegrzebol-d6wlb2k.gif"; height="106" width="320">
Plus, the pretty cover and the tag line: If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.
WHAT REVOLUTION?!?!?! is my biggest question right at this very moment. There's no revolution, not really. At least, not one that Bryn starts. That revolution, which is apparently peaceful and started by Zavien-Not-Zayn, was there well before Bryn comes around. She doesn't even know about that revolution or even the fact that she's a dragon until said dude starts stalking her for awhile.
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-98SDXmeq-i8/U6Nzpun3IGI/AAAAAAAADh0/d0iqv6tv0OU/s1600/giphy.gif"; height="175" width="320">
So I'm really curious as to the definition of revolution here. Because in the long run, it's all sparkly rainbows and unicorns with the abrupt end. The last sentence? Damn Directorate. If anything, damning the Directorate shows there hasn't been a revolution. Sure, Bryn makes her point. She's a crossbreed and she's just like any other dragon. She made a change. To have a love life, that is, but it's not like she gets to choose. I mean, her grandmother and the mom of the dude she hates most attempts at playing matchmaker. Arranged marriage still exists.
*sighs* Not a dramatic change if you ask me. A change for future crossbreeds, sure. Certainly the Directorate wasn't overthrown.
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ffyT3n870o/U6N0wvDSjhI/AAAAAAAADiA/3S69yaZT8RM/s1600/giphy+(2).gif"; height="176" width="320">
Perhaps the most interesting part of Going Down in Flames for me were the death threats. The way they're written and set up. They're thrown in at surprising, yet right times. Oh, and there's no warning on those attempts. It kept me at the edge of my seat trying to guess where the next attack would be at.
There also seems to be something missing from the characters. Particularly with Jaxon and Bryn. They hate each other and then all of a sudden, he starts helping her. Not just to save his reputation, but to protect her. There is something remotely wrong with a character who hates you from the bottom of their hearts to "protecting you." O_o
<blockquote>Jaxon: I also did it to help you.
Bryn: I saved your life. Dont get snippy with me.
Jaxon: *slams coffee cup down* I came to secure protection for your life.</blockquote>
Tell me there isn't something wrong with that. O_o Because it ends shortly after, and now I can't really decide if Bryn gets stuck marrying Jaxon due to arranged marriage or she gets to choose who she wants to marry. If there are any other life threatening stuff going on afterward or the dragons that used to hate her now treat her as an equal. If her mother actually gets a happy reunion with her parents. If Zavien is still stuck with his intended or if he and the Revisionists peacefully achieve more individual rights for dragons.
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v3e-NYdq7P8/U6N2FJxKKNI/AAAAAAAADiM/7xswneekUqs/s1600/giphy+(3).gif"; height="239" width="320">
There are just so many questions that aren't answered yet, that this feels like an entire end is missing and Going Down in Flames is the very first of a trilogy or series. Yet... this is a stand alone... according to Goodreads. Am I missing something, or did anyone else who read this feel the same way?
--------------------------
Advanced copy provided by the publisher
Original Rating: 2.5
This review and more found over at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/arc-review-going-down-in-flames-by-chris-cannon.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Before I Let Go in Books
Jan 5, 2018
Easy to read (1 more)
Honest portrayal of mental illness
Lacks full character development (1 more)
Difficult to discern full point
Quick read that falls a little short
When Corey gets the call that her best friend, Kyra, has passed away--falling under the ice in their frigid hometown of Lost Creek, Alaska--she is devastated. Corey has been gone from Lost, as it's known, away at boarding school, corresponding with Kyra only via letters. She was due to visit in a few days and now her best friend is gone. Lost always shunned Kyra because she was bipolar and had maniac episodes. The small, insulated town couldn't understand Kyra's highs and lows. She stood out too much in a place where being different was wrong. But the seven months that Corey's been away has been long enough for the town of Lost to turn on her and now deem her an outsider. Since Corey's departure, Lost has suddenly embraced Kyra, though Corey isn't sure why. Even worse, they are calling Kyra's death meant to be, her time. They've rallied around in her death and they want nothing to do with Corey. Kyra always said she would wait for Corey to return: why didn't she?
I definitely have some mixed feelings about this one. It's billed as a YA mystery, and I can see its drama appealing more to teens, perhaps, but I could never really fully tell what the book was truly about or what it was trying to be. It has weird unexplained mystical elements thrown in--think Carol Goodman or Jennifer McMahon, but they aren't fully fleshed out or well-explained. I believe the intent is to slowly build up suspense and creep you out, but they don't slowly build up (they sort of start out full force and stay there, or almost trickle away... it's hard to explain) and they never really seem to have a purpose. So it's just one element of the book that leaves you hanging. The ending, too, leaves you with little closure.
The novel is told mainly from Corey's perspective, but we also get weird snippets told as if in a play format (like we're hearing from the town), but those aren't fully formed either. It's very strange. I liked Corey, but she comes in angry at her town and we don't get a lot of explanation into her character or real background into her friendship with Kyra, despite being assured that they were best friends up until Corey left.
It's sad, because I was really drawn to the character of Kyra (you get flashbacks to the girls' friendship and life before Kyra's death). I thought the book did a fairly good job of portraying mental illness and honestly Kyra--despite her death--seemed to be the most fully formed character in many ways. She implores Corey not to fix her, that she's not a puzzle to solve, and she discusses her manic spells in a very mature and very thoughtful way. It's one of the reasons that I'm keeping a three-star rating for this one; I'm hoping the portrayal of her illness can help and inform others.
There are also a variety of relationships portrayed in the novel--albeit, I thought, rather superficially--lesbian, pansexual, asexual, gay, etc. I wouldn't say any relationship is at all fully delved into, but I appreciate that Nijkamp at least wanted to try to be representative with her characters.
The other thing is that Nijkamp's books are just so darn easy to read. I remember that about This Is Where It Ends, too. I read almost this entire novel in one setting. Her writing draws you in so easily, even if you don't always agree with what you're reading, or if you wish for more character development. You could pick this up and fly through it in a day.
In the end, this certainly wasn't what I expected. The strange mystical elements seemed out of place and they, along with most of the characters, weren't really fleshed out. I was a fan of how easy the story was to read and the mental illness portrayal, though, as well as how easy the story was to read. I was drawn to the character of Kyra and wished I could have learned even more about her. The story was compelling and Nijkamp did an excellent job making you feel the cold of the Alaskan setting and the similar coldness of the townspeople. At the same time, while I could certainly see a small town being incredibly close-minded (and they were), some of the other plot points seemed a little overboard. A quick read, especially for teens.
I definitely have some mixed feelings about this one. It's billed as a YA mystery, and I can see its drama appealing more to teens, perhaps, but I could never really fully tell what the book was truly about or what it was trying to be. It has weird unexplained mystical elements thrown in--think Carol Goodman or Jennifer McMahon, but they aren't fully fleshed out or well-explained. I believe the intent is to slowly build up suspense and creep you out, but they don't slowly build up (they sort of start out full force and stay there, or almost trickle away... it's hard to explain) and they never really seem to have a purpose. So it's just one element of the book that leaves you hanging. The ending, too, leaves you with little closure.
The novel is told mainly from Corey's perspective, but we also get weird snippets told as if in a play format (like we're hearing from the town), but those aren't fully formed either. It's very strange. I liked Corey, but she comes in angry at her town and we don't get a lot of explanation into her character or real background into her friendship with Kyra, despite being assured that they were best friends up until Corey left.
It's sad, because I was really drawn to the character of Kyra (you get flashbacks to the girls' friendship and life before Kyra's death). I thought the book did a fairly good job of portraying mental illness and honestly Kyra--despite her death--seemed to be the most fully formed character in many ways. She implores Corey not to fix her, that she's not a puzzle to solve, and she discusses her manic spells in a very mature and very thoughtful way. It's one of the reasons that I'm keeping a three-star rating for this one; I'm hoping the portrayal of her illness can help and inform others.
There are also a variety of relationships portrayed in the novel--albeit, I thought, rather superficially--lesbian, pansexual, asexual, gay, etc. I wouldn't say any relationship is at all fully delved into, but I appreciate that Nijkamp at least wanted to try to be representative with her characters.
The other thing is that Nijkamp's books are just so darn easy to read. I remember that about This Is Where It Ends, too. I read almost this entire novel in one setting. Her writing draws you in so easily, even if you don't always agree with what you're reading, or if you wish for more character development. You could pick this up and fly through it in a day.
In the end, this certainly wasn't what I expected. The strange mystical elements seemed out of place and they, along with most of the characters, weren't really fleshed out. I was a fan of how easy the story was to read and the mental illness portrayal, though, as well as how easy the story was to read. I was drawn to the character of Kyra and wished I could have learned even more about her. The story was compelling and Nijkamp did an excellent job making you feel the cold of the Alaskan setting and the similar coldness of the townspeople. At the same time, while I could certainly see a small town being incredibly close-minded (and they were), some of the other plot points seemed a little overboard. A quick read, especially for teens.