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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated This is Home in Books

Sep 26, 2019

Libby lives with her father, Bentley (Bent to nearly everyone) and their oversized, lazy dog Rooster Cogburn. And then there's also her Aunts Lucy and Desiree, who live in the apartment above them. And now there's Quinn. Quinn's husband John and Bent served together in Iraq. Bent invites Quinn to live in the basement apartment after John goes missing, suffering from PTSD. Libby feels the place is crowded enough already. And Quinn's not too thrilled to be there either. But, before either of them realize it, they are thrust together and slowly become friends.

This is one of those quiet, unassuming books that sneaks up on you, pulling you in with its beautiful writing and wonderful characters. There's no wild plot, insane mystery, or major twist--just elegant prose, a troubled cast, and some real and raw moments that will stick with you long after you finish the last page. Lisa Duffy is an excellent writer, and I so enjoyed her book.

"He'd come home from from the war a different person. A stranger to her. Someone she moved around carefully, gently, as if he were a bomb, ready to explode."

There is a lot going on here--the aftermath of war; family issues; a budding teen romance; marriage problems--but it all works. Libby and Quinn each tell their own story, and as their lives begin to intertwine, it's very heartwarming to watch each come into their own a bit. They each have their own unique voice, and it's hard not to fall for both of them. Libby, especially, tugged at my heart. (But I loved Quinn, too!)

There is, of course, darkness here. This novel offers a very thoughtful exploration of the aftermath of war, not only on the soldiers, but those who love them. It's not always an easy read, but I think it's a valuable one. It gives a very unwavering look at the PTSD these men and women face and how it can not only can ruin them, but their families as well.

Overall, I found this to be an excellent and poignant read, and I'm sorry I let it sit on my Kindle so long. Easily 4+ stars.

Kudos

Lee (2222 KP) rated Crawl (2019) in Movies

Aug 24, 2019

Crawl (2019)

2019 | Horror, Thriller

6.5

(38 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Florida is preparing itself for the arrival of a category five hurricane. As competitive swimmer Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) changes after a session in the pool, she takes a video call from her sister, concerned that she can't get through to their father (Barry Pepper) by phone. Dad still lives in their old hometown, right in the path of the incoming storm, and Haley agrees to go check on him.

As she approaches the town, the authorities try to turn her back as everyone is currently being evacuated from their homes. But Haley slips through via a side road, determined to check on dad, and when she does find him, he's in a spot of trouble - injured and in the crawl space beneath their house. Turns out dad wasn't alone though and a couple of gators, having found their way in with the storm, are preventing Haley and Dad from getting out. As the storm intensifies and the flood waters rise, the father and daughter must outwit the predators and try to escape to safety before they either drown or get eaten.

And that is pretty much it. At just 87 minutes long, Crawl wastes no time in getting to the action and manages to keep the suspense and thrills going right to the very end. The gators are terrifyingly realistic, as are the flood and hurricane effects, and I was just on the edge of my seat throughout.

Apart from the occasional human showing up to provide the gators with something to munch on, Haley and her dad are pretty much the only characters in the movie, with Haley making good use of her swimming skills and proving herself to be a real badass. The family dog is also on hand, getting himself into the odd scrape too. Spoiler alert: the doggy survives, so don't worry.

I absolutely loved this movie. It had me gripped throughout, with a real gut wrenching intensity, and I love it when a movie does that to me. Crawl is definitely in my top 5 movies this year.