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Hazel (1853 KP) rated All That is Solid Melts into Air in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<b>My rating: 3.5</b>
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>All That is Solid Melts into Air</i> (the title taken from a Karl Marx quote) is the debut novel from Irish author Darragh McKeon. Set mostly in 1986, it follows the lives of several people in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster.
On reading the blurb I thought that the plot would be solely focused on the Chernobyl disaster however this was not the case. In fact it is difficult to pick out what the actual plot line was. Each character has individual storylines, some of which connect up, but the disaster is not completely the entire focus of the novel.
Beginning in April 1986 we read about Yevgeni, a nine-year-old piano prodigy and his life in Soviet Russia. We also discover his aunt, Maria, who, although through third person narrative, describes her life, thoughts and difficulties at this period of time. The person who appeared to be the main character for the majority of the narrative was Grigory Ivanovich Brovkin, a surgeon who so happens to be Maria’s ex-husband that gets sent out to Ukraine to assist with the clean up after the Chernobyl incident. In Ukraine lives Artyom, a thirteen-year-old boy who is forced to evacuate his home to get away from the radiation. Here, while not until November 1986, Grigory and Artyom’s storylines merge together.
The novel ends in April 2011, but by this point Artyom’s story has fizzled out, his sole purpose being to show the reader what life was like for the evacuees: shockingly terrible.
As I have said, there was not really a main plotline, however the book gives a good account of what happened and how things were dealt with after. That is, of course, if it is historically accurate. Despite studying the Soviet Union at school, my knowledge of the Chernobyl disaster was virtually non-existent. There is also a hint of romance regarding Grigory and Maria.
Overall it was incredibly well written, full of description and very interesting.
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>All That is Solid Melts into Air</i> (the title taken from a Karl Marx quote) is the debut novel from Irish author Darragh McKeon. Set mostly in 1986, it follows the lives of several people in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster.
On reading the blurb I thought that the plot would be solely focused on the Chernobyl disaster however this was not the case. In fact it is difficult to pick out what the actual plot line was. Each character has individual storylines, some of which connect up, but the disaster is not completely the entire focus of the novel.
Beginning in April 1986 we read about Yevgeni, a nine-year-old piano prodigy and his life in Soviet Russia. We also discover his aunt, Maria, who, although through third person narrative, describes her life, thoughts and difficulties at this period of time. The person who appeared to be the main character for the majority of the narrative was Grigory Ivanovich Brovkin, a surgeon who so happens to be Maria’s ex-husband that gets sent out to Ukraine to assist with the clean up after the Chernobyl incident. In Ukraine lives Artyom, a thirteen-year-old boy who is forced to evacuate his home to get away from the radiation. Here, while not until November 1986, Grigory and Artyom’s storylines merge together.
The novel ends in April 2011, but by this point Artyom’s story has fizzled out, his sole purpose being to show the reader what life was like for the evacuees: shockingly terrible.
As I have said, there was not really a main plotline, however the book gives a good account of what happened and how things were dealt with after. That is, of course, if it is historically accurate. Despite studying the Soviet Union at school, my knowledge of the Chernobyl disaster was virtually non-existent. There is also a hint of romance regarding Grigory and Maria.
Overall it was incredibly well written, full of description and very interesting.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Nov 2, 2021
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated Road House (1989) in Movies
May 30, 2018
Very underrated
Contains spoilers, click to show
So what kind of film do you get when you have great one liners, bar fights, guns, knives, egos, strippers, blues music, a polar bear and a monster truck? You get one of the most enjoyable and entertaining films of the late 80's, Road House. The film follows James Dalton (Patrick Swayze) a cooler (bouncer) and the best in the business, as he takes employment with Frank Tilghman (Kevin Tighe) the owner of the Double Deuce in Jasper, Missouri. The bar is the roughest in town and he needs Dalton to clean it up. However corrupt business man and crime boss Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara) stands in his way. After the classic "chick flick" Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze was Hollywood gold. Women loved him and men wanted to be him. The film was full of romance. Then along came Road House, a complete opposite to Dirty Dancing, a little romance and loads of action. The film has a great cast including Patrick Swayze, Kevin Tighe, Ben Gazzara, Kelly Lynch, Marshall R. Teague, Red West, Kathleen Wilhoite, John William Young, John Doe, Kurt James Stefka, Keith David & Terry Funk. The cast works well together and it is full of great performances. Naturally Patrick Swayze at the height of his career stands miles apart from the rest of the cast as Dalton. A character that can hurt you with his words just as much as his fists. Tragically, 20 years later Swayze had his life cut short by cancer. His death is still a major loss to the entertainment industry, but his legacy will live on in the great performances and memorable characters he played. The film also a features a great performance by the late great blues guitarist Jeff Healey as Cody. It's the music in the film that goes a long way to achieving the right feel for the film. Everything works well from the characters, the music to the setting. Set in a rural area the scenery is breath-taking and it is used to great effect. But it's the fight choreography that stands out from many other films. Great bar fights are pretty much a thing of the past, but here they are full of action and humour just like the classic westerns. The one on one fights are brutal, mainly for the realism they portray. The script is awesome and full of classic lines mainly from Dalton and although many are cheesy, when he says it, it feels right. The director surprisingly hasn't made many films but the ones I have seen of his I really like and I know I am in the minority. See my review of Gladiator (1992) for more by this director. This is truly a great film, although very underrated. It is also one of my personal all-time favourites. There are a couple of versions of this so ensure that you see the USA or UK version released after 2002 as these are the uncut editions. So grab a few beers and a few friends, but this on a big screen and turn the sound way up for a really great movie experience.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Dead Perfect in Books
Apr 27, 2018
My Summary: Shannah is going to die. She has a blood disease that none of the doctors can identify, and she only has months to live. She’s on her last month, possibly her last week… she hates to think it’s her last day, but it sure feels like it. She has been watching the strange tall, dark (and hansom) man for several months, and is convinced that he is a vampire (though she’s not exactly sane when she makes that decision). She goes to him seeking immortality, but collapses in near death on his front porch. When she wakes up, she feels better. What did he do that healed her? She’s not a vampire, but even the doctors couldn’t heal her… then there’s the fact that she’s pretty sure that she’s falling in love with him. but Ronan’s healing doesn’t last forever… and Shannah has to make a hard choice.
Ronan is five hundred and thirteen years old. He has never loved anyone in his life, but when Shannah comes to his door he takes her into his house and begins to heal her in his own special way. But then he accidentally falls in love with her. That causes problems—when your mortal soulmate is going to die soon and she isn’t sure she wants to be a leach her whole life. If he changes her against her will, will she hate him forever? Are his only choices letting her die and losing her, or changing her and losing her?
And then there’s that whole problem with a vampire hunter tracking down Ronan… and trying to kill him.
My Thoughts—at first glimpse, this seemed so twilight-ish. But once I started reading it I got out of my vampire stereotype and enjoyed this book quite a lot. I was at the library and dying for a light-hearted vampire romance (because I was just in that mood) so I picked it up. It’s a very quick read, and very sweet.
The Plot—the plot moved quickly, though at one point a thought crossed my mind, “there isn’t much story here, how is the author dragging it out into 345 pages and is still managing to keep it interesting?” although the plot seemed a little simple, it held my attention very well.
The Characters—I loved the characters in this book. Shannah was depicted as a desperate-to-do-anything-to-keep-alive kind of girl, to the point that she was willing to live with a vampire. Ronan had so much passion and love for this poor girl that it made him endearing. I love how he’d always call her “love.” It was so sweet. Jim Hewitt, the hunter, was a character that you just didn’t like one bit—a strong willed jerk who, although he thought he was doing the right thing, even that he was doing it to keep Shannah safe, I didn’t like him and I felt sorry for him. Though, in my opinion, I liked what happened to him at the end ;)
The writing—There were a lot of really good descriptions in this book, I was able to see everything that the author said in beautiful detail. There wasn’t any graphic sex, though there were a few scenes at the end, but it was brief. There were a few re-used phrases in the book though, and that gets annoying. (My sister and I call this the JMG Syndrome, or “Jenny McGrady” syndrome, because of a series we read when we were younger. Jenny was always feeling “like she got slugged in the stomach”. The phrase was used several times in all fifteen books. It got old really fast.) Shannah had many kissed “brushed across her brow” in this book. But besides that, the writing was warm and welcoming.
My Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good paranormal romance, vampires, or just a romance in general. Ages 16+, only because of the frequency of sex at the end of the book (though I will say that the vampire held fast to abstinence, so that was encouraging.) there wasn’t any foul language, and I really liked that! I hate books that have so much language that I feel dirty reading it. But this book was very clean.
~Haleyknitz
Ronan is five hundred and thirteen years old. He has never loved anyone in his life, but when Shannah comes to his door he takes her into his house and begins to heal her in his own special way. But then he accidentally falls in love with her. That causes problems—when your mortal soulmate is going to die soon and she isn’t sure she wants to be a leach her whole life. If he changes her against her will, will she hate him forever? Are his only choices letting her die and losing her, or changing her and losing her?
And then there’s that whole problem with a vampire hunter tracking down Ronan… and trying to kill him.
My Thoughts—at first glimpse, this seemed so twilight-ish. But once I started reading it I got out of my vampire stereotype and enjoyed this book quite a lot. I was at the library and dying for a light-hearted vampire romance (because I was just in that mood) so I picked it up. It’s a very quick read, and very sweet.
The Plot—the plot moved quickly, though at one point a thought crossed my mind, “there isn’t much story here, how is the author dragging it out into 345 pages and is still managing to keep it interesting?” although the plot seemed a little simple, it held my attention very well.
The Characters—I loved the characters in this book. Shannah was depicted as a desperate-to-do-anything-to-keep-alive kind of girl, to the point that she was willing to live with a vampire. Ronan had so much passion and love for this poor girl that it made him endearing. I love how he’d always call her “love.” It was so sweet. Jim Hewitt, the hunter, was a character that you just didn’t like one bit—a strong willed jerk who, although he thought he was doing the right thing, even that he was doing it to keep Shannah safe, I didn’t like him and I felt sorry for him. Though, in my opinion, I liked what happened to him at the end ;)
The writing—There were a lot of really good descriptions in this book, I was able to see everything that the author said in beautiful detail. There wasn’t any graphic sex, though there were a few scenes at the end, but it was brief. There were a few re-used phrases in the book though, and that gets annoying. (My sister and I call this the JMG Syndrome, or “Jenny McGrady” syndrome, because of a series we read when we were younger. Jenny was always feeling “like she got slugged in the stomach”. The phrase was used several times in all fifteen books. It got old really fast.) Shannah had many kissed “brushed across her brow” in this book. But besides that, the writing was warm and welcoming.
My Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good paranormal romance, vampires, or just a romance in general. Ages 16+, only because of the frequency of sex at the end of the book (though I will say that the vampire held fast to abstinence, so that was encouraging.) there wasn’t any foul language, and I really liked that! I hate books that have so much language that I feel dirty reading it. But this book was very clean.
~Haleyknitz
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Ghost, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth's Piano in Books
Apr 27, 2018
THE GHOST, THE EGGHEADS, AND BABE RUTH’S PIANO
By Larry Sweitzer
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Freddie is a nerd, and he likes it that way. He keeps his grades up, he holds honors positions at his school, and he studies hard. But he’s only second best. Tony is his rival, and Tony is always putting him down. Tony and Freddie both go to Camp Mason over the summer, where Billy Mason died many years ago. Supposedly, there’s a ghost haunting the camp, but nobody has ever seen him.
Freddie is desperately trying to do three things: one, keep Tony from winning the scholarship at the end of the camp, two, find out about the ghost, and three, get a little closer to his crush, Ginny. But there are plenty of things stopping Freddie. How is he going to solve the mystery, win the scholarship competition, and put together sentences that make sense when he talks to Ginny?
The Ghosts, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth’s Piano was hilarious. I enjoyed this story immensely! The story had the perfect amount of adventure, romance, tension, comic relief, and baseball. Now I’m not really Red Sox fan like Freddie is, but I now have a healthy respect for baseball. The cool part is, the baseball parts weren’t boring to me because of the way they were presented.
My favorite character was Zoe, the perky lively girl who ended up as Logan’s (Freddie’s friend) girlfriend by the end of the book (My second favorite had to be Harry Potter… Monty’s pet rat.), but I loved all the characters in this story. They had a lot of personality and were relatable and likeable (or in Tony’s case, hate-able.)
There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t expect! The pacing was perfect—it wasn’t too fast or too slow, and clues and keys were presented in a logical fashion. The end was totally unexpected and exciting, and got my blood racing. Freddie finally solves this mystery of how Billy died… and even though he didn’t win the scholarship competition, somehow ends up with money for college anyway.
Content: This book was wonderfully clean of everything.
Recommendation: Ages 10+, but suitable for teens as well.
**Thank you to Larry and Dorothy from Pump Up Your Book for supplying my review copy!**
By Larry Sweitzer
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Freddie is a nerd, and he likes it that way. He keeps his grades up, he holds honors positions at his school, and he studies hard. But he’s only second best. Tony is his rival, and Tony is always putting him down. Tony and Freddie both go to Camp Mason over the summer, where Billy Mason died many years ago. Supposedly, there’s a ghost haunting the camp, but nobody has ever seen him.
Freddie is desperately trying to do three things: one, keep Tony from winning the scholarship at the end of the camp, two, find out about the ghost, and three, get a little closer to his crush, Ginny. But there are plenty of things stopping Freddie. How is he going to solve the mystery, win the scholarship competition, and put together sentences that make sense when he talks to Ginny?
The Ghosts, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth’s Piano was hilarious. I enjoyed this story immensely! The story had the perfect amount of adventure, romance, tension, comic relief, and baseball. Now I’m not really Red Sox fan like Freddie is, but I now have a healthy respect for baseball. The cool part is, the baseball parts weren’t boring to me because of the way they were presented.
My favorite character was Zoe, the perky lively girl who ended up as Logan’s (Freddie’s friend) girlfriend by the end of the book (My second favorite had to be Harry Potter… Monty’s pet rat.), but I loved all the characters in this story. They had a lot of personality and were relatable and likeable (or in Tony’s case, hate-able.)
There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t expect! The pacing was perfect—it wasn’t too fast or too slow, and clues and keys were presented in a logical fashion. The end was totally unexpected and exciting, and got my blood racing. Freddie finally solves this mystery of how Billy died… and even though he didn’t win the scholarship competition, somehow ends up with money for college anyway.
Content: This book was wonderfully clean of everything.
Recommendation: Ages 10+, but suitable for teens as well.
**Thank you to Larry and Dorothy from Pump Up Your Book for supplying my review copy!**
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Love at Any Cost (The Heart of San Francisco, #1) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
*Note: This review is from my original posting in March of 2014, which can be found here:http://cafinatedreads.com/book-reviewlove-at-any-cost-by-julie-lessman/. My thoughts are still the same, my emotions are still the same as the first time I read it!*
Sweet Saints above, Ms. Lessman has done it again!!! Next to Karen Kingsbury, she is absolutely positively my absolute favorite Christian Fiction author. I love her work! Her characters (my favorite is Katie from A Hope Undaunted!) steal you away to their time and place and sweep you into their mix for a time. I laugh, I cry, I smile through all her books and her characters……well, they are chiseled absolutely perfectly for their stories!
Oh my! Cassidy was absolute a breath of fresh air! I loved the phrases she used through out the story. Ms. Lessman used phrases my granddaddy used to use before he passed away years ago, it brought back so many memories for me! And her heart, bless her, she just wanted to let go of her broken engagement from a gold digger and move on with becoming a teacher in a new place. I laughed at her and wanted to wrap her up and squeeze her tight!
And Jamie McKenna……oh sweet lawdy, I loved him! Can we say *drool*??? That is one fine man….err, um. Yes, back to my review. Jamie is a wonderful man and I saw it from the start! He was made out to be a womanizer but I could just tell that deep down, he was a tenderhearted, one woman man. Yes sirree I did indeed see it! Ms. Lessman did a wonderful job with his creation and I didn’t want to say goodbye to him, especially as I started watching him pursue Ms. Cassidy.
I can’t give this book anything less than 5 stars! It would be an utter disgrace to do so! Ms. Lessman combined laugh out loud laughter, spark flying romance (clean, of course!), and a setting to sweep you off your feet! I highly, hats-off, two thumbs up, the whole shebang, recommend this start to a fabulous series by Ms. Lessman!<a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/book-review-love-at-any-cost-by-julie-lessman-re-read/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Sweet Saints above, Ms. Lessman has done it again!!! Next to Karen Kingsbury, she is absolutely positively my absolute favorite Christian Fiction author. I love her work! Her characters (my favorite is Katie from A Hope Undaunted!) steal you away to their time and place and sweep you into their mix for a time. I laugh, I cry, I smile through all her books and her characters……well, they are chiseled absolutely perfectly for their stories!
Oh my! Cassidy was absolute a breath of fresh air! I loved the phrases she used through out the story. Ms. Lessman used phrases my granddaddy used to use before he passed away years ago, it brought back so many memories for me! And her heart, bless her, she just wanted to let go of her broken engagement from a gold digger and move on with becoming a teacher in a new place. I laughed at her and wanted to wrap her up and squeeze her tight!
And Jamie McKenna……oh sweet lawdy, I loved him! Can we say *drool*??? That is one fine man….err, um. Yes, back to my review. Jamie is a wonderful man and I saw it from the start! He was made out to be a womanizer but I could just tell that deep down, he was a tenderhearted, one woman man. Yes sirree I did indeed see it! Ms. Lessman did a wonderful job with his creation and I didn’t want to say goodbye to him, especially as I started watching him pursue Ms. Cassidy.
I can’t give this book anything less than 5 stars! It would be an utter disgrace to do so! Ms. Lessman combined laugh out loud laughter, spark flying romance (clean, of course!), and a setting to sweep you off your feet! I highly, hats-off, two thumbs up, the whole shebang, recommend this start to a fabulous series by Ms. Lessman!<a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/book-review-love-at-any-cost-by-julie-lessman-re-read/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Selection in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Set many years into the future The US has undergone drastic change. Under the rule of a monarchy once again. Prince Maxon, only child and heir to the throne, is ready to find his future queen. In a lottery type draw, one young lady (between the ages of 16 and 20) from each province is selected as candidates for the throne, and for Maxon's heart. Among them is America Singer. A Five in the caste system (There are eight total). Although her becoming a part of the selection was an accident, of sorts...Will she be able to forget her past and embrace her future? There are 35 girls, and only 1 prince. Who will emerge as Queen?
It has been a long while since I have been so engrossed in a book that I couldn't put it down to go to sleep. I finally had to, as my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer, with only two chapters remaining! I kept having dreams about the book! I finished it as soon as I woke up this morning and am now anxiously awaiting to check out The Elite from the library. Since this is a book about a prince finding a wife, you can expect to have romance with a mild dystopian flair. Although I personally think the emotions are slightly intense for a YA book, it is still clean and decent. Prince Maxon is an honorable man. Parents, please use your own discretion. Kiera Cass has done a fabulous job imagining a new world of castes, monarchy, fashion, rebellion and love. (It's like The Bachelor, but way better!) Please be advised that these books do not stand alone. And once you finish The Selection you are going to want to start The Elite immediately (so do what I didn't do and place a hold on BOTH)! This book ends well, but definitely leaves you wanting more. I have also heard that The Selection is being made into a movie. Although all I could find out was that it is in pre-production. I am thoroughly enjoying this series, but I know that it won't be to everyone's taste. Keep in mind that it is a Young Adult novel and is written for that level. Happy reading! And may the odds be ever in your favor....wait....
It has been a long while since I have been so engrossed in a book that I couldn't put it down to go to sleep. I finally had to, as my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer, with only two chapters remaining! I kept having dreams about the book! I finished it as soon as I woke up this morning and am now anxiously awaiting to check out The Elite from the library. Since this is a book about a prince finding a wife, you can expect to have romance with a mild dystopian flair. Although I personally think the emotions are slightly intense for a YA book, it is still clean and decent. Prince Maxon is an honorable man. Parents, please use your own discretion. Kiera Cass has done a fabulous job imagining a new world of castes, monarchy, fashion, rebellion and love. (It's like The Bachelor, but way better!) Please be advised that these books do not stand alone. And once you finish The Selection you are going to want to start The Elite immediately (so do what I didn't do and place a hold on BOTH)! This book ends well, but definitely leaves you wanting more. I have also heard that The Selection is being made into a movie. Although all I could find out was that it is in pre-production. I am thoroughly enjoying this series, but I know that it won't be to everyone's taste. Keep in mind that it is a Young Adult novel and is written for that level. Happy reading! And may the odds be ever in your favor....wait....
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Dance Over Me in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Well, my first thought...is that I NEED to see 42nd Street! As a lover of all things theatre, I can't believe that I haven't seen it yet. Speaking of theatre, I simply adored all the stage talk in this book! It has been so long since I have been on the stage, but I felt like I was right there with Dani. The pre-show nerves, the excitement and thrill of a live audience, the relief when the final curtain falls. But OH...Drama, drama, drama!!! Unfortunately, the theatre world can be brutal and harsh (thankfully not MY experience), and Candee did a wonderful job of portraying that, even if it did make me want to go out and purse whomp some people. (Thank you Reading is my SuperPower for the inspiration.) The romance is clean and oh, so sweet. Candee built the suspense perfectly, and Alex is such a gentleman! I too, am a dancer, and I found Dani's expression of her heart through dance bringing me to tears. It has been too long since I have danced, since I have truly expressed myself in the arts, and too long since I have let my Heavenly Father dance over me. (This is something that will hopefully be remedied before too long.) Dani's story is a good reminder to trust the Lord to fight our battles for us. While I do think we need to stand up for ourselves, it is not our place to fight for revenge. And through all of this, Dani was trying to kick down doors to find her brother, when all along the Lord was simply wanting her to trust Him to open the doors. You will just have to read the book to see if she walks through the doors He opens...Dance Over Me is written strictly from Dani's viewpoint, in third person. I found that it made the story very easy to follow and truly let me live inside Dani's brain. Dance Over Me had me on the edge of my seat for the whole TWO days that it took me to read this book, it is THAT good. Beautifully written and a captivating storyline, you definitely do not want to miss this one.
I received a free copy of Dance Over Me from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I received a free copy of Dance Over Me from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Frank & Lola (2016) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters – Frank is a brilliant chef that has started dating the younger Lola, he gets jealous easily which makes him want to know who every man in Lola’s life is as he starts to look to solve her problems. Lola is a college graduate in fashion that is in Vegas, she is dating Frank and starts working for the charismatic Keith, she knows what will make Frank jealous as she starts to use him to get what she wants. Keith knows people in Vegas, he offers jobs to talent, which will see him follow a strict code of not trying to date them, he will always offer people job if he believes they deserve the change. Patricia is Lola’s mother that hasn’t always been as close with her daughter.
Performances – We have such a great cast here, Michael Shannon gives one of his most average performances of his career, Imogen Poots struggles to make an impact, Justin Long gets his moments, but not enough. Most of this comes from such dull characters they must try to bring to life.
Story – The story is the hardest part to describe because it seems to follow a chef that is trying to do anything to clean up his girlfriends past, only to get caught up in the middle of just what might be true or not. The problem with the story comes from the poor dialogue which makes it hard to connect the story together, it seems to create scenes which put Frank’s mind in one direction only for the next one to change it, this happens too often and becomes annoying because we can’t get invested in his story. we did get some heavy themes which do just get glanced over which only confuses in the end.
Crime/Romance – The crime side of the film comes from what Frank will do for Lola, he is driven by his love for her which shows him where to go with his actions.
Settings – The film has two main settings, Las Vegas and Paris, both are used to show the busy side of the lives of the people we are follow.
Scene of the Movie – Job offer.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The story is too heavy on changing direction too often.
Final Thoughts – This is a dull romantic thriller that just drags along at a snails pace, never using the talent to its strengths.
Overall: Bitterly disappointing.
Performances – We have such a great cast here, Michael Shannon gives one of his most average performances of his career, Imogen Poots struggles to make an impact, Justin Long gets his moments, but not enough. Most of this comes from such dull characters they must try to bring to life.
Story – The story is the hardest part to describe because it seems to follow a chef that is trying to do anything to clean up his girlfriends past, only to get caught up in the middle of just what might be true or not. The problem with the story comes from the poor dialogue which makes it hard to connect the story together, it seems to create scenes which put Frank’s mind in one direction only for the next one to change it, this happens too often and becomes annoying because we can’t get invested in his story. we did get some heavy themes which do just get glanced over which only confuses in the end.
Crime/Romance – The crime side of the film comes from what Frank will do for Lola, he is driven by his love for her which shows him where to go with his actions.
Settings – The film has two main settings, Las Vegas and Paris, both are used to show the busy side of the lives of the people we are follow.
Scene of the Movie – Job offer.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The story is too heavy on changing direction too often.
Final Thoughts – This is a dull romantic thriller that just drags along at a snails pace, never using the talent to its strengths.
Overall: Bitterly disappointing.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Other Side of Forever in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Allie is that awkward girl in school with only a couple friends, trying to keep her head down and her nose clean and make it through each day without causing a scene. However, there's a secret she's been carrying for years, a secret not even her best friend knows, and that's how she wants it to stay. That is, until a new boy strolls into the shop where she works, and throws all her best-laid plans of staying off love's radar out the window.
I rather enjoyed this book right from the start, as I remember being one of those awkward high school kids. Although, it was never to the extent of Allie, as she has to hold her emotions in check due to her secret. Not too easy when you're being harassed by two older bullies just for accidentally pushing one down the stairs. But while the two girls are trashing the store where she works, Allie loses it, and now what does she do? They know there's something up with her, but not exactly what, and then this hot new guy shows up, and her day just keeps getting better. Although many people would love the gorgeous new kid to take a shine to them, Allie's the complete opposite, and it gnaws at her that she feels an electric attraction to him whenever he's around. The main characters really grabbed my attention, as Allie and Ethan are both hiding something, and I couldn't wait to get to the part where they finally opened up about their secrets. Ethan's is a little beyond what Allie could have imagined, but their bond is great, and he helps her cope with everything in her life.
My only issue is I felt the ending was rushed. It was a great story, don't get me wrong, but about 3/4 through, I was under the impression it would continue into a second book because of the issue with Ethan (I don't want to give too much away). However, only a couple of chapters later, it gets resolved in one of those "happened in the background" type ways, and it just didn't seem to flow with the pace of the story. I would love a continuation, to see how the characters cope with what happens in the end, but if that's the case, then I wish the last couple chapters of this one had been stretched into a sequel. Still, a very good read, and I'd recommend it to fans of the paranormal, paranormal romance, and YA.
4 stars
Allie is that awkward girl in school with only a couple friends, trying to keep her head down and her nose clean and make it through each day without causing a scene. However, there's a secret she's been carrying for years, a secret not even her best friend knows, and that's how she wants it to stay. That is, until a new boy strolls into the shop where she works, and throws all her best-laid plans of staying off love's radar out the window.
I rather enjoyed this book right from the start, as I remember being one of those awkward high school kids. Although, it was never to the extent of Allie, as she has to hold her emotions in check due to her secret. Not too easy when you're being harassed by two older bullies just for accidentally pushing one down the stairs. But while the two girls are trashing the store where she works, Allie loses it, and now what does she do? They know there's something up with her, but not exactly what, and then this hot new guy shows up, and her day just keeps getting better. Although many people would love the gorgeous new kid to take a shine to them, Allie's the complete opposite, and it gnaws at her that she feels an electric attraction to him whenever he's around. The main characters really grabbed my attention, as Allie and Ethan are both hiding something, and I couldn't wait to get to the part where they finally opened up about their secrets. Ethan's is a little beyond what Allie could have imagined, but their bond is great, and he helps her cope with everything in her life.
My only issue is I felt the ending was rushed. It was a great story, don't get me wrong, but about 3/4 through, I was under the impression it would continue into a second book because of the issue with Ethan (I don't want to give too much away). However, only a couple of chapters later, it gets resolved in one of those "happened in the background" type ways, and it just didn't seem to flow with the pace of the story. I would love a continuation, to see how the characters cope with what happens in the end, but if that's the case, then I wish the last couple chapters of this one had been stretched into a sequel. Still, a very good read, and I'd recommend it to fans of the paranormal, paranormal romance, and YA.
4 stars