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Jennifer Kirkland (1 KP) created a post

Jan 25, 2018

On age-appropriate reading and viewing..

There are two kinds in our household. I am not so concerned about Miss Abby; she's fifteen and has an innocent sort of sophistication that comes of understanding the theory of the realities of life, but not having experienced most of them for herself. So she can read dystopian novels and watch horror movies and so forth without much problem, though I like to be near her on first exposure to the scary or sexual or violent this she has not experienced before so she can ask questions.

Mix Liz is another story. She's ten, sensitive, scary-bright, and on the autism spectrum, so she has a bundle of insecurities. Also her father (Abby's stepfather) passed away about a year-and-a-half ago, so Lizzy is extra sensitive to stories where parents are dead or missing. You can, for instance, forget about Unfortunate Events, although Harry Potter seems to be fine as long as her momma is there to support her.

What she really seems to appreciate is middle school dramas; she's a huge fan of the Dork Diaries, for instance. They're aimed at ages nine to twelve, and although her reading level is higher than her age, her ability-to-cope level is at or below 10-and-in-fourth-grade. The GoddessGirls series is also a favorite; it's a slightly less scary (and more girl-power) kind of Percy Jackson. What I especially like about these books is that it's impossible for her to think of things like Hades as straight-up evil; in these stories he is the epitome of the Dark is Not Evil trope, the Goth kid from the wrong side of the River Styx. This gives her some perspective and nuanced understanding she doesn't get from watching, say, Disney's Hercules. (Whom she cannot call Hercules, as his name should be Heracles, and she knows it).

In any case, just wanted to share some interesting tidbits from a GamerMom with a sensitive kid. More later, peeps.

Kudos Comment

Cody Cook (8 KP) rated The Satanic Bible in Books

Jun 29, 2018

LaVey echoes a view of man's value and of non-materialist religion which can be easily found in the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche (especially Antichrist) and Ayn Rand. He is incredibly inconsistent on the subject of morality and shows only a cursory understanding of Christian history, doctrines, and the Bible.

LaVey does not view Satan as a person (nor does he view God that way), but as a representation of what man really is in his primal nature-- a violent and lustful nature which LaVey calls good, though he simultaneously argues that certain parts of it (that which would harm children or rape, for instance) are not good-- a dichotomy that he calls hypocritical in righthand path religions such as Christianity. Beyond this tension, he elsewhere seems to argue for moral relativism, creating a vicious circle of nonsense. Because good and evil are falsehoods and God and Satan are non-persons, the spells and rituals he creates are only symbols meant to harness our primal energies, sending them out to accomplish our goals (much like in the Hicks' Law of Attraction books or in The Secret).

A mix of equal parts tongue-in-cheek symbolism and outright charlatanism.

I suspect that this book's teachings would appeal primarily to two types of people: narcissists who want to seem edgy and angry people who have been harmed by institutional religion. In regard to the former, there are more thoughtful ways to be counter-cultural. In regard to the latter, an assessment of the intellectual weaknesses of this philosophy won't remove the hurt or pain they've been through, but hopefully an understanding that the kind of Christianity spoken of by LaVey is not genuine Christianity can remove some of the hatred they feel toward it due to the immoral actions performed by its claimed representatives.

Totally off-topic, but Lavey looks like a bald version of Evil Spock.

Kudos

MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Baby Teeth in Books

Sep 19, 2018 (Updated Sep 19, 2018)

Baby Teeth

Zoje Stage | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller

7.6

(20 Ratings)

Book Rating

Couldn't put it down!

Contains spoilers, click to show

** spoiler alert ** I could NOT put this book down. And when I was done with it, I couldn't stop talking about it. My husband's exact words: "that sounds like a f*cked up book you're reading." 100% true.

I'm not going to rehash the plot you've read about 10,000 times. You get it: evil kid, scared mother, oblivious dad-in-denial. It sounds like it could be a bad horror movie; instead it's a truly disturbing book. That's the thing about uncomfortable topics: if you're reading it, you create an image in your mind of what you perceive - rather than having the image given to you on a screen - and more often than not the image in my mind is far scarier.

The author has fleshed out the story in such a way that the reader is forced to really digest the terrible things. It's not one horrifying event on top of another; it's spaced out so that you truly think about what just happened and what it means...and what might be coming.

I was fascinated by the peek into the mind of a budding serial killer (because let's be real, that's what she'll be, with Mommy as first victim when she gets out of Marshes) and how she manipulates the world around her. There are a few moments here and there where for just a second, you feel bad for seven-year-old Hanna. But then she does something horrifying and the feeling passes, and you're #TeamSuzette once again.

I will say that Alex's willful ignorance of the situation and absolute indulgence of Hanna pissed me off - why would your wife lie to you about this, you idiot? - and I was SO HAPPY when he finally got with the program and they presented a united parental front against their evil little minion.

May I suggest you avoid this book if you have a precocious 7-year-old child? :)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read & review this ARE.

Kudos

BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Siren's Fury in Books

Jan 2, 2019

Siren's Fury

Mary Weber | 2017 | Children

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

**Please note that this is the second book in The Storm Siren Series. While I always strive to keep my reviews spoiler-FREE, if you have not read the first book, you MAY encounter unknown information in this review**

Mary Weber's unique world is completely incredible. Rich with colorful descriptions and details, I feel like this is a real place I would read about in my history books. Granted...the magical elements kind of give it away as being fiction.

One thing that I have come to appreciate in Young Adult Fiction is the use of symbolism. Reminds me a lot of Ted Dekker's circle trilogy. The evil and darkness vs. The good and pure. The struggle that can occur when we open ourselves to the darkness...And the power that it can have over us IF WE LET IT! Ahh! SO GOOD!!!! And this story just keeps getting more and more intense. This book has a much more steam punk feel to it vs the first book. Different country, different culture, different feel. I LOVE IT!

I do enjoy a book series that continues the story line because it gives the author a chance to develop the characters and thicken the plot. And also makes me glad that I usually wait till these books are all released before I dive into them...So I can, you know...BINGE READ!!!

As Nym continues on her journey of harnessing her powers and stopping a war before it starts...We meet a few new characters and a few old ones tag along. Forget everything you think you know.......And be prepared to be enchanted by this tale of good vs. evil. Make sure you have book 3 ready to go before you start this one...TRUST ME...You are going to want to keep reading.

I found Siren's Fury at my local library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.