Nationalism and the Imagination
Book
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak has distinguished herself as one of the foremost scholars of contemporary...
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Mayhem in Books
Aug 25, 2020
A YA feminist mash-up inspired by The Lost Boys and The Craft. That's the first line of the description of Mayhem by Estelle Laure, which meant it was a book I just had to read. It was later changed to describe it as The Lost Boys meets Wilder Girls. I am glad I saw the earlier description because I probably would not have been so eager to read it.
When Mayhem Brayburn and her mom flee from an abusive stepfather/husband and return to Roxy's family home, Mayhem hopes to discover her mother's secrets and more about herself. What she learns is magic runs through the female lineage in her family, and the Brayburn women are responsible for keeping the town safe. Now, it is her generation, Mayhem and the kids who live with the Brayburns, to find the serial killer responsible for the missing girls.
Many reviewers rated the book low because it resembles The Lost Boys. Mayhem does pay homage to it. The Frog brothers make an appearance, and a few famous lines from the movie are included. However, Mayhem stands on its own.
Mayhem contains adult themes including rape and should be read by older YA readers.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/15/20 and updated on 8/24/20.
Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft
8.5
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A young adult fiction anthology of 15 stories featuring contemporary, historical, and futuristic...
Autumn (3 KP) rated The Time Traveler's Wife in Books
Jan 18, 2018
unlike some other books where the author spouts off obscure literature and poetry and uses unrealistic prose this was very believable. their conversations, their actions, their passions. clare and henry felt like old friends. really amazing.
there was one tiny thing that bothered me though. it was niffenegger's religious comments. they weren't realistic. maybe to someone who grew up in the 60s but not in a post-feminist world. some didn't even make sense.
1. we have our own strengths. my husband would be furious if i knew how to get us un-lost and i didn't say anything.
2. maybe the problem is with FEELING and ACTING superior. instead of being completely silent and resenting his mistakes, ask him WHY he decided to do something the way he did. maybe it will turn out his way was better.
i honestly couldn't finish reading this. i don't know what kind of feminist this woman thinks she is but it's not the kind i relate to. this would be a good book for someone who has HUGE control and power issues but if you're just trying to tweak your marriage and relationship you'd do better somewhere else.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Molly's Game (2017) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018 (Updated Mar 5, 2018)
One of those films benefiting from having a very topical theme about how women are (or were) overlooked in the entertainment industry, with a strong performance from Chastain. Feminist credentials are let down a bit by the prominence given to her father (Costner); also by the prominence given to Chastain's cleavage (one probably shouldn't say this, but: wow). In the end the film is a bit too keen on beatifying someone who was essentially a drug-addicted crook, at least for part of her career, but the story is engaging and well-told.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Company of Wolves (1984) in Movies
Feb 23, 2018
One of those movies laden with a slightly ponderous symbolism; doesn't really make sense except as an allegory for something-or-other; quite what that is is a bit unclear. It's not that all men are wolves at heart, but something slightly more even-handed. Good cast, nice production values; some of the special effects have dated a bit, but not risibly so. In the end it is all quite impressive but at the same time wilfully oblique.
I'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie
8.0
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Pamela Des Barres was a regular on the Sunset Strip, where she knocked on rock stars' backstage...
A Utopia Like Any Other: Inside the Swedish Model
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A Utopia Like Any Other is an accessible and easy to understand guide to contemporary Sweden and its...
The One Hundred Nights of Hero
10.0
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"A feminist fairy-tale, which I recommend if you're looking for a Christmas present for a teenage...