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the_mad_meeple (55 KP) rated Forbidden Island in Tabletop Games

Mar 10, 2020 (Updated Mar 10, 2020)

Forbidden Island

2010 | Adventure, Card Game, Fantasy

7.0

(14 Ratings)

Tabletop Game Rating

Sink or swim?

Considering my Y childhood holidays spent by the water, I've never been more anxious at the sight of rising water levels. A fully cooperative experience, all players, new and experienced, took part in an adventure fit for all. Fighting to get to the chopper we found ourselves facing an ever changing table top with tiles sinking faster than we were able to get to them. As you move around the board collecting treasures, you face difficult challenges of whether to move yourself or to use your special abilities to better position your comrades. A gem of a game, the variety of characters provide a strong amount of replay ability, ideal for a game that provides an air of impending doom telling you that all you can do now is it to start planning for the next attempt.
Whether you play it for the theme of an intrepid explorer searching an unknown island, or you are looking for an excellent family friendly cooperative experience (allowed by the ability to simply and effectively vary difficulty levels) this is a game for boardgamers of all shapes and sizes.

Kudos

lurkykitty (3 KP) rated The Kingdom of Back in Books

Mar 26, 2020

The Kingdom of Back

Marie Lu | 2020 | Music & Dance, Young Adult (YA)

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Mozart's sister reimagined

Marie Lu, known for her fantasy and science fiction has created a well-written and imaginative story about the childhood of the Mozart siblings. Wolfgang Mozart had an older sister nicknamed Nannerl, and together they imagined a fantasy land called the Kingdom of Back.
Nannerl, like her brother, is a enormous talent in terms of playing and composing music, but it is 18th century Europe and women are not allowed to openly compose or have musical careers. Her greatest wish is to be remembered forever. Enter Hyacinthe, a faerie prince from the Kingdom of Back, who offers to make Nannerl's wish a reality, if she will complete a series of tasks for him. At first Nannerl is enthusiastic as she follows his wishes, but soon realizes that there is a sinister price that comes with Hyacinthe's demands. She realizes she must rethink her priorities.
A big theme is this novel is the constraints that were placed on women in this time and it made me wonder how many talented women throughout history were unable to pursue their dreams. Four and a half stars.

Kudos

Lindsay (1807 KP) rated The Berenstain Bears' Nature Rescue in Books

Feb 23, 2020

The Berenstain Bears Nature Rescue is a really good book for all. It teaches us about nature and birds. This one is about learning about different kinds of birds. Like the yellow popinjay. This almost put everyone into an almost war.

The story plot is mostly learning about what is important birds are to peoples. The way the author or authors wrote this makes it easy for early readers to learn about habitats and a lot what around them. Woods and birds are important. There may be more than one way to solve a problem.

The wood bears want to build cottages for more bears and families. Who will come out on top? The story and plot are to learn about birds and saving though birds before they are gone forever. Find out what brother and sister and other cubs do.

It is good for early readers as well. The pictures are done well. I enjoy the images that are drawn. This book is made for all age groups. I enjoy this series as well as many others. One of the best series of my childhood and still is.

Kudos

Lenard (726 KP) rated Fantasy Island (2020) in Movies

Feb 24, 2020

Fantasy Island (2020)

2020 | Comedy, Horror, Mystery

5.7

(19 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Much like the recent adaptation of the Banana Splits Hour, Blumhouse's Fantasy Island took a show from my childhood and added horror elements to the premise. Five strangers land on an island where their fantasy is granted. The island is overseen by a mysterious Latino named Mr. Roarke, played by master monologuist Michael Pena. As you may have seen in the trailer, two are given everything that they want (money, sex, a mansion), one plays soldier, one is given a fresh start, and one gets revenge on a middle-school bully. However, a fantasy can easily become a nightmare and the island does not distinguish. As the five strangers are slowly brought back together, they learn that the island did not randomly select them. Someone else has their own nightmarish fantasy to live. I will not spoil the secret, but the mysterious person behind it all makes precious little sense unless he or she had a traumatic brain injury before and during the plot of the movie. Some scenes were very good and it could have been a good horror movie if it had just left the storylines separate like the tv show managed to do.