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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Sculptor (Sam Markham, #1) in Books

Jan 15, 2018

I found Funaro quite by accident when his second book (The Impaler) was a free book on Barnes & Noble. So I actually read that first. I enjoyed it so much I had to get the first Sam Markham book. This one is about a serial killer who murders & then poses his victims to look like sculptures by Michaelangelo. I didn't like this book quite as much as The Impaler, but it was still a good, suspensful read. I think my biggest "complaint" with this book is that at times the plot would drag when Markham and Cathy would start talking about the art in great detail. Yes, it helped the story, but at times seemed heavy handed.
But with all that being said, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Kudos

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Girl of Nightmares (Anna, #2) in Books

Jun 7, 2018

I was a bit disappointed in this book. I expected it to be as good as the first, and I was let down. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it didn't leave me feeling all warm & fuzzy like I usually do when I read a good book.

I felt the pacing was a bit slow. There was too much wording and not enough action like there was in the first book.

The characters seemed fairly dull in this book. Anna was hardly in this book which I also didn't like. The only character I really liked was Jestine.

It was a good idea for a plot but it wasn't executed well enough in my opinion. The story seemed to drag in a lot of places.

However, the ending is pretty good, as are the last few characters.

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated Thor: The Dark World (2013) in Movies

Jun 9, 2018 (Updated Jun 9, 2018)

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

2013 | Action, Sci-Fi

6.4

(67 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Marvel's second Thor movie is a not especially well-judged mixture of somewhat leaden epic fantasy and cutesy, kooky rom-com. Looks spiffy throughout, but it doesn't half drag in places: you can see why they decided to shake things up so thoroughly in the third one.

The thing about the Marvel Studios films is that they are routinely so good that when one is merely a fairly competent blockbuster, as is the case here, it does feel unreasonably disappointing. Apart from the sluggish pace and mishandled humour, the main problem here is that the script doesn't feel particularly well-focused or engaging, with the new villains eclipsed by Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and a reliance on lavish spectacle over characters you actually care about. Still not much worse than many a successful blockbuster, but one of the more dispensable Marvel movies nevertheless.

Kudos

Sarah (7799 KP) rated The Alchemist in Books

Jul 3, 2018

The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho | 1993 | Fiction & Poetry

7.2

(35 Ratings)

Book Rating

Overrated

I had high hopes for this book based on general hype and reviews, and sadly it didn’t quite live up to it.

It isn’t a bad book, not at all, it’s just very short and simple. It’s trying to be something very profound and inspirational, but for me it wasn’t. It has a nice message around following your dreams, but it comes across as a little cheesy and unbelievable. There was an odd quote in here that I actually really liked, but nothing much else to make me feel inspired. The characters too didn’t seem particularly well developed or interesting. The one bonus is that it is very short, so you can get through it fairly quickly without it starting to drag.

It’s an alright read, but not one I’d ever recommend as a “must read”.

Kudos

Kirsten Myra Edwards (303 KP) rated The Girl on the Train in Books

Feb 2, 2020

The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins | 2016 | Mystery, Thriller

7.6

(173 Ratings)

Book Rating

Loved the book it it kept me hooked for the entirety.

I loved the way you saw the story from everyone's point of view. Each chapter opened a new door on the memories that Rachel couldn't quite remember, even if the chapter wasn't hers.

Throughout you hope that things didn't end the way they do.

The only bad bit I found was the ending due to the suspense throughout once you worked out the killer it had a bit of a drag. It also had such a dull end which is a shame as a whole the book is fantastic and kept me gripped. This is my personal opinion on the ending as I have spoken to others who loved it so maybe it's like marmite: you either love it or hate it.

Still minus the end it's a five star thriller.