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Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Chat Love in Books
Oct 2, 2020
I wanted to read this book immediately after reading the synopsis, and I was honoured when the author, Justine Faeth, approached me and sent me an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book synopsis is a very promising one. Lucia is having trouble finding a man. After a few disastrous dates, she chooses to follow her friend’s advice and tries Chat Love, an online dating service.
As promising as the synopsis sounds, this book didn’t quite deliver. With Chat Love, I found the whole setting of the book unrealistic. There is a nice background story and a great idea, but it hasn’t been properly executed.
Lucia is an Italian lady. She is a city girl and a business woman. She is searching for love. See, Lucia is under pressure by her Italian family to get married. And I can completely understand that pressure, being born in a country where I have met people with similar beliefs. Lucia’s family thinks that a woman is made to be a mother, and not have a career. They think that if you are thirty and you haven’t got a boyfriend yet, you are useless and unworthy.
And I completely agree with Lucia when she tries to stand up to them and tell them how it’s important for her to find a man she will really love, not just marry in order to please her family. In some scenes though, it appears as if she hates her family, and has very bad attitude towards them. I understand completely where her frustration comes from.
But then, on the other hand, we have a Lucia that is being a hypocrite.
And while this whole book seems like she is searching for her true love, when someone appears and cares about her, she is acting as if she’s not interested. Woman, WHAT DO YOU WANT? She wants true love, and she doesn’t want to be used as a one-night stand, which is completely acceptable. But going on a date with a man for the first time, and telling him you want to get serious is creepy. Even if that is your long-term goal, you DO NOT say it on the first date. It scares people away. It makes people think you are a creep.
Also, given the fact that the synopsis promises an online app, this left me disappointed. During this book, we don’t get to really see a single chat happen through this app. Apart from a few letters from Jake. Honestly, I expected a back and forth conversations with men before a date happens. In the book, we get to see Lucia dating a lot of men. I didn’t stop to count them, but there must’ve been around twenty dates. And all these men had something wrong with them. But she never screwed up.
I will be honest with you now, and you people need to be honest with yourselves. In your life, you will meet people, and some people will make you giggle. Others might make you gag. But sometimes, the reason for a bad date is you. I am only trying to be honest here. I have screwed up a few dates myself, and you must have done the same thing too. That’s life though. We have to move on and try not to blame others for our mistakes. I wish this been represented in this book.
I really wish I loved this book.
I have mixed feelings, because despite all, this book did make me think and bring up discussions with people around the various topics, from family beliefs, to being creepy on first dates, to finding out what you really like. In a summary, as much as I didn’t enjoy it, I also am grateful for this book, for bringing out a lot of things to think about.
If you love chick-lit and short romance funny novels, you might enjoy it. If you think any of this discussion points is intriguing, you might enjoy it. I would love to have a chat and see what you think of this book.
The book synopsis is a very promising one. Lucia is having trouble finding a man. After a few disastrous dates, she chooses to follow her friend’s advice and tries Chat Love, an online dating service.
As promising as the synopsis sounds, this book didn’t quite deliver. With Chat Love, I found the whole setting of the book unrealistic. There is a nice background story and a great idea, but it hasn’t been properly executed.
Lucia is an Italian lady. She is a city girl and a business woman. She is searching for love. See, Lucia is under pressure by her Italian family to get married. And I can completely understand that pressure, being born in a country where I have met people with similar beliefs. Lucia’s family thinks that a woman is made to be a mother, and not have a career. They think that if you are thirty and you haven’t got a boyfriend yet, you are useless and unworthy.
And I completely agree with Lucia when she tries to stand up to them and tell them how it’s important for her to find a man she will really love, not just marry in order to please her family. In some scenes though, it appears as if she hates her family, and has very bad attitude towards them. I understand completely where her frustration comes from.
But then, on the other hand, we have a Lucia that is being a hypocrite.
And while this whole book seems like she is searching for her true love, when someone appears and cares about her, she is acting as if she’s not interested. Woman, WHAT DO YOU WANT? She wants true love, and she doesn’t want to be used as a one-night stand, which is completely acceptable. But going on a date with a man for the first time, and telling him you want to get serious is creepy. Even if that is your long-term goal, you DO NOT say it on the first date. It scares people away. It makes people think you are a creep.
Also, given the fact that the synopsis promises an online app, this left me disappointed. During this book, we don’t get to really see a single chat happen through this app. Apart from a few letters from Jake. Honestly, I expected a back and forth conversations with men before a date happens. In the book, we get to see Lucia dating a lot of men. I didn’t stop to count them, but there must’ve been around twenty dates. And all these men had something wrong with them. But she never screwed up.
I will be honest with you now, and you people need to be honest with yourselves. In your life, you will meet people, and some people will make you giggle. Others might make you gag. But sometimes, the reason for a bad date is you. I am only trying to be honest here. I have screwed up a few dates myself, and you must have done the same thing too. That’s life though. We have to move on and try not to blame others for our mistakes. I wish this been represented in this book.
I really wish I loved this book.
I have mixed feelings, because despite all, this book did make me think and bring up discussions with people around the various topics, from family beliefs, to being creepy on first dates, to finding out what you really like. In a summary, as much as I didn’t enjoy it, I also am grateful for this book, for bringing out a lot of things to think about.
If you love chick-lit and short romance funny novels, you might enjoy it. If you think any of this discussion points is intriguing, you might enjoy it. I would love to have a chat and see what you think of this book.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) in Movies
Dec 4, 2017
No attempt to explain the background of ... anyone really (1 more)
No Rose Byrne
"Chapter 3" is a prequel to the first 2 Insidious films and follows a young girl, Quinn attempting to contact her dead mother, who eventually calls in the help of Elise Rainier (a former psychic who since her husband passed away has become a weird cat lady, played by the weird dog lady from There's Something About Mary), a key character of the first 2 films.
Quinn thinks her mother is attempting to respond to her and wants help breaking through, but after she is hit by a car, breaking both legs, she starts to realise it isn't her mother trying to contact her.
The demon in the film clearly has a backstory (tar footprints, breathing apparatus in his mouth, hospital gown) but there is no attempt to explain this at all. One of the best bits of the second film was the exposition of the demon haunting Josh his whole life and what he had been in life. That is completely absent here. Fan theories abound on the internet but these all seem like nonsense and clutching at straws.
This in itself is a half-decent horror film, there is enough atmosphere and the acting is (in places) decent, but for me was quite a disappointment based on the first film (and to a lesser extent the second chapter). It just be me being grumpy having paid for this film (despite having Sky Cinema, Netflix and Amazon Prime) and didn't feel like I got my £3.49 worth, but I felt a little disappointed at the end.
There was an annoying little teaser at the end of the film where the main demon from the first film appears. This was a bit "Prometheus" as it kind of felt like a prequel but didn't really make sense, and Elise seeing this demon should have meant she was expecting it in the first movie, which didn't quite sit right.
There was a similar teaser at the end of the second film which bore no relation to this film, so plenty of pressure on 2018's conclusion to tie up the loose ends!
Quinn thinks her mother is attempting to respond to her and wants help breaking through, but after she is hit by a car, breaking both legs, she starts to realise it isn't her mother trying to contact her.
The demon in the film clearly has a backstory (tar footprints, breathing apparatus in his mouth, hospital gown) but there is no attempt to explain this at all. One of the best bits of the second film was the exposition of the demon haunting Josh his whole life and what he had been in life. That is completely absent here. Fan theories abound on the internet but these all seem like nonsense and clutching at straws.
This in itself is a half-decent horror film, there is enough atmosphere and the acting is (in places) decent, but for me was quite a disappointment based on the first film (and to a lesser extent the second chapter). It just be me being grumpy having paid for this film (despite having Sky Cinema, Netflix and Amazon Prime) and didn't feel like I got my £3.49 worth, but I felt a little disappointed at the end.
There was an annoying little teaser at the end of the film where the main demon from the first film appears. This was a bit "Prometheus" as it kind of felt like a prequel but didn't really make sense, and Elise seeing this demon should have meant she was expecting it in the first movie, which didn't quite sit right.
There was a similar teaser at the end of the second film which bore no relation to this film, so plenty of pressure on 2018's conclusion to tie up the loose ends!
Uptown Oracle (24 KP) rated The House of Mountfathom in Books
Jun 30, 2017
Family, Adventure and Magic
Family, adventure and magic. A perfect combination for this middle grade book. The House of Mountfathom is set in Ireland during times of unrest. The Driochta, always peacekeepers, must choose a side to survive.
My favourite aspect was how alive the house felt as it was so full of magic. The House of Mountfathom seemed like another member of the family almost like it had a mind of it's own. There was so much time given to explaining the house, magic and family though, that it reduced the actual plot to the second half of the book.
The House of Mountfathom has a strong focus on family. The Mountfathom family are the protagonists of the book. The Order of Driochta are another kind of family. There's no romance subplot which was a big plus point for me.
Another thing was that the house was in Ireland. I cant think off the top of my head another book I've read based in Ireland. The introduction of both historical aspects and folklore was great. There's also a distinct discussion about class systems. The 'big houses' aka the upper class in Ireland are in trouble, including the Mountfathom house, even though they're trying to keep the peace.
A problem I had was the format seemed odd, I assume it would be best in a printed book. My kindle seemed to push everything together and it was difficult to discern between chapters. The illustrations would have also worked much better within a book. Since this was an e-ARC though, I wouldn't take that into account.
Another problem is the book doesn't seem quite finished. Understandable as Nigel McDowell passed away in February. Although the ambiguous ending does give something towards the mysterious aspect of the book as a whole.
I really enjoyed how McDowell described the hows of magic. The first part of the book follows Luke as he grows up and learns magic. The five principles are distinct in how Luke learns them. I would compare The House of Mountfathom to Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. It was a bit dark and creepy in places. Full of intrigue and magic.
My favourite aspect was how alive the house felt as it was so full of magic. The House of Mountfathom seemed like another member of the family almost like it had a mind of it's own. There was so much time given to explaining the house, magic and family though, that it reduced the actual plot to the second half of the book.
The House of Mountfathom has a strong focus on family. The Mountfathom family are the protagonists of the book. The Order of Driochta are another kind of family. There's no romance subplot which was a big plus point for me.
Another thing was that the house was in Ireland. I cant think off the top of my head another book I've read based in Ireland. The introduction of both historical aspects and folklore was great. There's also a distinct discussion about class systems. The 'big houses' aka the upper class in Ireland are in trouble, including the Mountfathom house, even though they're trying to keep the peace.
A problem I had was the format seemed odd, I assume it would be best in a printed book. My kindle seemed to push everything together and it was difficult to discern between chapters. The illustrations would have also worked much better within a book. Since this was an e-ARC though, I wouldn't take that into account.
Another problem is the book doesn't seem quite finished. Understandable as Nigel McDowell passed away in February. Although the ambiguous ending does give something towards the mysterious aspect of the book as a whole.
I really enjoyed how McDowell described the hows of magic. The first part of the book follows Luke as he grows up and learns magic. The five principles are distinct in how Luke learns them. I would compare The House of Mountfathom to Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. It was a bit dark and creepy in places. Full of intrigue and magic.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Nails (2017) in Movies
May 12, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
If you’re looking for a film packed with clichés and continuity issues, I recommend Nails – an Irish film currently available on Netflix. I ended up watching it yesterday with my sister-in-law and while it isn’t absolutely awful, it was definitely something I won’t be watching again.
The movie begins with a bam, jumping immediately into what can be read in the above synopsis. There’s not much of a build up and the characters are awfully flat. In fact, we don’t really get much of a chance to learn anything about them other than that Dana Milgrom, the main character, is helpless and dismissed by her healthcare professionals, and Steve Milgrom is a cheating asshole (because hey, what movie does that not happen in?). There’s also a daughter, and while she plays a major role toward the end of the film, she’s fairly minor otherwise.
What bothers me most about Nails isn’t its dry characters, though. The film is riddled with continuity errors. For instance, Dana is struck by a car and hits the pavement, but her face appears to have been severely burnt after the fact. Also Dana’s broken arm somehow heals faster than her face. Similarly, her stitches don’t lighten up or begin to heal. Later, there’s a scene where she’s tossed haphazardly over a wheelchair, then magically has repositioned herself.
As for clichés, here’s a list of them:
-Creepy scenes accompanied with ear shattering music
-Borderline creeper psychiatrist
-Eric Nilsson is an “angel of mercy” that killed five children then, surprise, killed himself in the same room Dana just happens to be stuck in.
-Hospital has a prior nefarious history and record of poor choices
Steve’s affair
-The dismissal of Dana’s concerns as being a mental issue (though this does have some importance when you consider the current mental health battles, it is hugely overplayed in horror movies without actually addressing the issue itself)
This is just a short compilation of issues I found with the movie. It’s one saving grace really is the type of monster being radically different from what you usually see. I felt Nails, the entity itself, was unique enough to save this movie from a one skull rating. Nonetheless, it could have been a lot better.
The movie begins with a bam, jumping immediately into what can be read in the above synopsis. There’s not much of a build up and the characters are awfully flat. In fact, we don’t really get much of a chance to learn anything about them other than that Dana Milgrom, the main character, is helpless and dismissed by her healthcare professionals, and Steve Milgrom is a cheating asshole (because hey, what movie does that not happen in?). There’s also a daughter, and while she plays a major role toward the end of the film, she’s fairly minor otherwise.
What bothers me most about Nails isn’t its dry characters, though. The film is riddled with continuity errors. For instance, Dana is struck by a car and hits the pavement, but her face appears to have been severely burnt after the fact. Also Dana’s broken arm somehow heals faster than her face. Similarly, her stitches don’t lighten up or begin to heal. Later, there’s a scene where she’s tossed haphazardly over a wheelchair, then magically has repositioned herself.
As for clichés, here’s a list of them:
-Creepy scenes accompanied with ear shattering music
-Borderline creeper psychiatrist
-Eric Nilsson is an “angel of mercy” that killed five children then, surprise, killed himself in the same room Dana just happens to be stuck in.
-Hospital has a prior nefarious history and record of poor choices
Steve’s affair
-The dismissal of Dana’s concerns as being a mental issue (though this does have some importance when you consider the current mental health battles, it is hugely overplayed in horror movies without actually addressing the issue itself)
This is just a short compilation of issues I found with the movie. It’s one saving grace really is the type of monster being radically different from what you usually see. I felt Nails, the entity itself, was unique enough to save this movie from a one skull rating. Nonetheless, it could have been a lot better.
Debbiereadsbook (1475 KP) rated The Supers )The Supers #1, Dreamspun Beyond #6) in Books
May 14, 2018
GREAT book, good narration
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted the AUDIO file of this book.
Flynn joins Blaine's paranormal research group, and they visit an abandoned hospital. Things get real creepy and the guys are faced with a possession, a haunting a tragic love story and a twist I did not see coming!
Another one of those books that kinda creeps up on ya and you have no idea, not a single clue about how its all gonna go down!
While there is immediate attraction between Blaine and Flynn, it takes a while for them to act on it.
The story of Room 204 builds at an even pace and there were points where I had to rewind, and double check that Blaine had in fact, called Flynn David. The story of Room 204 (that's how I heard it, with a capital R, if that makes sense!) did not play out how I was expecting it to!
It's a little . . . fluffier. . . than other books I've read of Michael (Three Wishes) but it is a DreamSpun Beyond and they are generally so. Just enough heat and passion between Blaine and Flynn to keep the heat level high, but not scorching. Right for this book.
Kenneth Obi narrates.
Mostly, I enjoyed Obi's narration. His reading voice is clear and deep and he got over the emotions of Blaine and Flynn in all the right ways, in all the right places.
His voice for the 204 ghost comes across as really REALLY nasty in some places, though, and that is probably why I did not see that ending coming at me.I thought the ghost was going to be a bit more vengeful.
And the voices Obi gives to Blaine and Flynn are far too similar for my crappy hearing to make out the difference between them, so I struggled a bit keeping up with conversations between them
BUT!!! I will give Obi another go, as this is the first of his work I listened to.
5 stars for the book
4 stars for the narration
4.5 (rounded down to 4) overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Flynn joins Blaine's paranormal research group, and they visit an abandoned hospital. Things get real creepy and the guys are faced with a possession, a haunting a tragic love story and a twist I did not see coming!
Another one of those books that kinda creeps up on ya and you have no idea, not a single clue about how its all gonna go down!
While there is immediate attraction between Blaine and Flynn, it takes a while for them to act on it.
The story of Room 204 builds at an even pace and there were points where I had to rewind, and double check that Blaine had in fact, called Flynn David. The story of Room 204 (that's how I heard it, with a capital R, if that makes sense!) did not play out how I was expecting it to!
It's a little . . . fluffier. . . than other books I've read of Michael (Three Wishes) but it is a DreamSpun Beyond and they are generally so. Just enough heat and passion between Blaine and Flynn to keep the heat level high, but not scorching. Right for this book.
Kenneth Obi narrates.
Mostly, I enjoyed Obi's narration. His reading voice is clear and deep and he got over the emotions of Blaine and Flynn in all the right ways, in all the right places.
His voice for the 204 ghost comes across as really REALLY nasty in some places, though, and that is probably why I did not see that ending coming at me.I thought the ghost was going to be a bit more vengeful.
And the voices Obi gives to Blaine and Flynn are far too similar for my crappy hearing to make out the difference between them, so I struggled a bit keeping up with conversations between them
BUT!!! I will give Obi another go, as this is the first of his work I listened to.
5 stars for the book
4 stars for the narration
4.5 (rounded down to 4) overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Night Rising (Vampire Babylon, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I'm having a hard time formulating my thoughts on this book. I did like it and will read the next one, but there was just something off about the whole thing. Maybe because there were a bunch of loose ends at the end of the book than was necessary, but who knows. I didn't get the whole promiscuous thing, mostly because it didn't feel like it belonged in the book and really came out of nowhere; it felt like it was added for the whole "sex sells" concept. I mean that thing with "the Voice" was just plain weird and creepy. Quite few times I thought Dawn needed to get over herself and quit whining about her mother. She's twenty-four, she needs to act like it, not like some angsty teenager. I get it - it's hard to grow up with a beautiful mother who died too young and being compared to her when you're only average looking is hard (Although the cover model is above average looking. Marketing? I think so. :P), but deal with it already. I really didn't care about her and thought overall that Kiko was the best character of the bunch. Hopefully in the next book they are all developed better and Dawn grows up.
You can tell the author has taken some things from other medias: The Crow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, especially with Dawn being the "key" and probably from other things I haven't seen or read so can't compare. I think that detracted from the book because I don't want to compare the stories; I'd rather the book stood alone as it is.
Nearer the end it had me wondering about a certain character and if that was a hint to what's to come in future books. That's probably the main reason I'll read on, although there are some interesting concepts in the book too. The most interesting is the the vampire world, in which there are some varying degrees of good and evil - like humans - and they're just trying to survive without being found out - at least that's how I took it. All in all it was a decent read, but just an average urban fantasy book.
2.5 stars
You can tell the author has taken some things from other medias: The Crow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, especially with Dawn being the "key" and probably from other things I haven't seen or read so can't compare. I think that detracted from the book because I don't want to compare the stories; I'd rather the book stood alone as it is.
Nearer the end it had me wondering about a certain character and if that was a hint to what's to come in future books. That's probably the main reason I'll read on, although there are some interesting concepts in the book too. The most interesting is the the vampire world, in which there are some varying degrees of good and evil - like humans - and they're just trying to survive without being found out - at least that's how I took it. All in all it was a decent read, but just an average urban fantasy book.
2.5 stars
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Golem (2019) in Movies
Mar 8, 2019
Had Potential But Came Up Short
The more movies I watch, the more I want to find those hidden gems. You know, that movie you know no one else has seen that actually turns out to be really good. I was hoping The Golem would be one of those movies. Nope.
The Plot: Set in a Jewish community in the 1600’s, a woman invokes a powerful entity to help save her village from invaders.
Acting: 10
Despite other glaring issues with the film, performances was not one of them. I was impressed with Hani Furstenberg in her lead role as Hanna. Hani breathes pain and frustration into her character and really makes the audience sympathize with the character. She plays a character that’s seemingly dead inside because of the monotonous life she lives. I also enjoyed young Konstantin Anikienko as The Golem. Talk about creepy. I’m sure he spent a lot of time practicing his slow, deliberate movements and calculating gaze. Definitely gave me a shiver a time or two.
Beginning: 5
Characters: 6
Outside of Hanna and The Golem, there are not really any other characters to care about. There were even times where I found it hard to even care for Hanna. Some of the things that happened were out of her control, but some of it was totally her fault and I’m thinking, “Yeah, you kinda did this to yourself.” While her character was solid, it seemed like they dumped the full emotional load on her and I feel like more time could have been taken to develop other characters as well.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 4
Genre: 5
Memorability: 3
Pace: 4
Plot: 6
Not the worst story but it definitely left me with a few questions. Unfortunately the plot didn’t leave room for much character development which left me unsatisfied. Sometimes linear can be good. Other times, that line is just a little bit too long…
Resolution: 5
Overall: 55
While some of the cinematic work is cool especially as it relates to the action sequences with the Golem, this movie left me entirely too underwhelmed. Guess I’ll have to look elsewhere for my sneaky good movie.
The Plot: Set in a Jewish community in the 1600’s, a woman invokes a powerful entity to help save her village from invaders.
Acting: 10
Despite other glaring issues with the film, performances was not one of them. I was impressed with Hani Furstenberg in her lead role as Hanna. Hani breathes pain and frustration into her character and really makes the audience sympathize with the character. She plays a character that’s seemingly dead inside because of the monotonous life she lives. I also enjoyed young Konstantin Anikienko as The Golem. Talk about creepy. I’m sure he spent a lot of time practicing his slow, deliberate movements and calculating gaze. Definitely gave me a shiver a time or two.
Beginning: 5
Characters: 6
Outside of Hanna and The Golem, there are not really any other characters to care about. There were even times where I found it hard to even care for Hanna. Some of the things that happened were out of her control, but some of it was totally her fault and I’m thinking, “Yeah, you kinda did this to yourself.” While her character was solid, it seemed like they dumped the full emotional load on her and I feel like more time could have been taken to develop other characters as well.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 4
Genre: 5
Memorability: 3
Pace: 4
Plot: 6
Not the worst story but it definitely left me with a few questions. Unfortunately the plot didn’t leave room for much character development which left me unsatisfied. Sometimes linear can be good. Other times, that line is just a little bit too long…
Resolution: 5
Overall: 55
While some of the cinematic work is cool especially as it relates to the action sequences with the Golem, this movie left me entirely too underwhelmed. Guess I’ll have to look elsewhere for my sneaky good movie.
Another smash hit by Jordan Peele
I am an avid horror fanatic. This being said, I have seen loads of horror/thriller movies and Us actually made me leave the theater feeling more creeped out than I have ever felt watching a movie in this genre.
The sound editing was on point. The song "I got 5 on it" by Luniz was used several times in the movie as the original song and sampled in various ways depending on the portion of the movie and it worked in all aspects. The slowed down version worked well during the heightened moments when it was needed to be sufficiently creepy.
Surprisingly there were a few funny moments in the movie. I wasn't expecting to be tickled in a horror movie but Mr Peele knows how to keep that balance between funny and scary. It had just enough to cut the tension in some moments but not so much that you felt like you were watching some garbage like Scary Movie or Paranormal Whacktivity.
Plotwise, it didn't feel like it was hard to get lost but, in the mark of a true horror director, just when you think you have things figured out. BAM!! Plot twist came out of left field and slapped me in the face making me realize that I had no idea what was even right in the first place.
The acting was well done for the main cast but I feel the secondary cast could have been portrayed better or even with better people. It wasn't bad but the minor characters were so one dimensional and lacked any kind of personality that made me care about them for the short time they were on screen multiple times.
Overall, really great movie. I give it a 9 inky because nothing is perfect, but that was very well done and I look forward to Jordan Peele helming the reboot of The Twilight Zone series later this year. If it's anything like his last 2 movies, we're in for a treat.
The sound editing was on point. The song "I got 5 on it" by Luniz was used several times in the movie as the original song and sampled in various ways depending on the portion of the movie and it worked in all aspects. The slowed down version worked well during the heightened moments when it was needed to be sufficiently creepy.
Surprisingly there were a few funny moments in the movie. I wasn't expecting to be tickled in a horror movie but Mr Peele knows how to keep that balance between funny and scary. It had just enough to cut the tension in some moments but not so much that you felt like you were watching some garbage like Scary Movie or Paranormal Whacktivity.
Plotwise, it didn't feel like it was hard to get lost but, in the mark of a true horror director, just when you think you have things figured out. BAM!! Plot twist came out of left field and slapped me in the face making me realize that I had no idea what was even right in the first place.
The acting was well done for the main cast but I feel the secondary cast could have been portrayed better or even with better people. It wasn't bad but the minor characters were so one dimensional and lacked any kind of personality that made me care about them for the short time they were on screen multiple times.
Overall, really great movie. I give it a 9 inky because nothing is perfect, but that was very well done and I look forward to Jordan Peele helming the reboot of The Twilight Zone series later this year. If it's anything like his last 2 movies, we're in for a treat.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Burning House in Books
May 22, 2019
It was a victimless crime...
Estate Agent Clara is struggling to make a sale. With her abusive ex-husband on the brink of finding where she's hiding, she needs to make a commission soon or lose her chance to escape.
Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness has remained unsold for years, and Clara is sure that an 'innocent' fire will force the price down. But the perfect crime soon turns into the perfect nightmare: there was a witness, a stranger in the village, and he's not going to let Clara get away with it that easily...
This is a very creepy read indeed, which features old secrets, black magic and also a story line which deals with domestic violence, and stalking, set very much in the real world. This combination of crimes we can understand, and empathize with, alongside the supernatural, works very well.
I didn't realize until the end that he had taken the story of the real Boleskin House and weaved the story around it. Boleskin sounds an absolutely fascinating place, owned by Alistair Crowley and Jimmy Page and reputedly incredibly haunted and the site of some odd rituals and occurrences. Spring explains in a footnote that a mysterious fire did really happen, do unfortunately you can't exactly visit the real place.
It is hard to write too much about this novel, without giving away the plot and I have no wish to do that.
This was a tense and chilling read that was!! From the start you are thrown into quite a chain of shocking events and the consequences of these are felt throughout the book, and leads to some very dark places for some of the characters!
Great plot that will grip you and not let you go at all. The characters were well written and some are very unsavory and that adds to the dark story line. The action never seems to let up and I found myself holding my breath in anticipation.
Definitely a superb psychological thriller with a twist and I thought it was brilliant.
Highly recommend reading!!!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Estate Agent Clara is struggling to make a sale. With her abusive ex-husband on the brink of finding where she's hiding, she needs to make a commission soon or lose her chance to escape.
Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness has remained unsold for years, and Clara is sure that an 'innocent' fire will force the price down. But the perfect crime soon turns into the perfect nightmare: there was a witness, a stranger in the village, and he's not going to let Clara get away with it that easily...
This is a very creepy read indeed, which features old secrets, black magic and also a story line which deals with domestic violence, and stalking, set very much in the real world. This combination of crimes we can understand, and empathize with, alongside the supernatural, works very well.
I didn't realize until the end that he had taken the story of the real Boleskin House and weaved the story around it. Boleskin sounds an absolutely fascinating place, owned by Alistair Crowley and Jimmy Page and reputedly incredibly haunted and the site of some odd rituals and occurrences. Spring explains in a footnote that a mysterious fire did really happen, do unfortunately you can't exactly visit the real place.
It is hard to write too much about this novel, without giving away the plot and I have no wish to do that.
This was a tense and chilling read that was!! From the start you are thrown into quite a chain of shocking events and the consequences of these are felt throughout the book, and leads to some very dark places for some of the characters!
Great plot that will grip you and not let you go at all. The characters were well written and some are very unsavory and that adds to the dark story line. The action never seems to let up and I found myself holding my breath in anticipation.
Definitely a superb psychological thriller with a twist and I thought it was brilliant.
Highly recommend reading!!!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1) in Books
May 22, 2019
Gore heavy police procedural
This is the first book in the Rizzoli and Isles thriller series, apparently there is a TV series based off this but I’ve never seen it so went into this blind. Isles does not appear as a character in this book and even RIzzoli is more of a secondary character.
Catherine Cordell is a skilled surgeon working in Boston where she fled to following a horrific attack two years ago. Although she killed her attacker her exterior confidence hides the continued fear the trauma has instilled in her everyday life. When the impossible seems to occur and the killer returns to stalk her, Detective Moore is determined to protect along with fellow officer Rizzoli.
The villain and what he does is full on terrifying and creepy as hell (just the way I like them.) However if you are in any way squeamish and don’t like a lot of blood and gore you should probably avoid this book. There is a lot of graphic descriptions of injuries of people coming into an emergency room, surgery and torture. Rape is also a central theme and again descriptions can be disturbing so be warned.
This felt like a very solid police procedural book. The style will be familiar with Criminal Minds fans in that you get to see a bit behind the curtain. I didn’t feel there was a lot of puzzling mystery, but you were swept along in the investigation to find the unsub.
My main hope with this series is Rizzoli becomes a bit more human, in this book I just wanted to slap her for being such a cow to both victims and colleagues. Her constant internal moaning about how bad she is treated because she’s a woman made me laugh, it seemed more to be just because she isn’t a very nice person. She doesn't come across as a very good cop at all, poor at doing interviews, following procedure, working as a team. Meanwhile Moore was a much more sympathetic character.
Looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.
Catherine Cordell is a skilled surgeon working in Boston where she fled to following a horrific attack two years ago. Although she killed her attacker her exterior confidence hides the continued fear the trauma has instilled in her everyday life. When the impossible seems to occur and the killer returns to stalk her, Detective Moore is determined to protect along with fellow officer Rizzoli.
The villain and what he does is full on terrifying and creepy as hell (just the way I like them.) However if you are in any way squeamish and don’t like a lot of blood and gore you should probably avoid this book. There is a lot of graphic descriptions of injuries of people coming into an emergency room, surgery and torture. Rape is also a central theme and again descriptions can be disturbing so be warned.
This felt like a very solid police procedural book. The style will be familiar with Criminal Minds fans in that you get to see a bit behind the curtain. I didn’t feel there was a lot of puzzling mystery, but you were swept along in the investigation to find the unsub.
My main hope with this series is Rizzoli becomes a bit more human, in this book I just wanted to slap her for being such a cow to both victims and colleagues. Her constant internal moaning about how bad she is treated because she’s a woman made me laugh, it seemed more to be just because she isn’t a very nice person. She doesn't come across as a very good cop at all, poor at doing interviews, following procedure, working as a team. Meanwhile Moore was a much more sympathetic character.
Looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.