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ArecRain (8 KP) rated The Frenzy in Books

Jan 18, 2018  
TF
The Frenzy
2
2.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the worst book I have read since Douglas's Wolf Tales. This book is just so terrible in so many ways that I can't even think of and good way to go about stating how much I didn't enjoy this novel.

I guess I should start with the writing style. Was there was nothing grammatically wrong with Block's style, it was about as interesting as watching mud dry. The novel is in first person narrative, which can always go downhill fast. I should have known from the first page that I wouldn't enjoy it. I think it would have been a lot better had it not been so choppy. However, it felt like half the novel was written as an aside to the real story.

The second would be the story line. It was annoying, uncreative, and so ridiculously obvious that I had the whole novel figured out only a few chapters in. I had mixed feelings about a lot of the topics going on like Pace committing suicide in concerns with Michael, Liv's relationship with her parents, and Victor wanting Liv as his bride. The entire novel felt shallow and superficial.

In all honesty, I felt terrible after reading this book. It put me in a dark mood for some many reasons, I feel that I can't even justify my emotions with words.
  
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SunnyD (6 KP) rated Lady Bird (2017) in Movies

Jun 19, 2018  
Lady Bird (2017)
Lady Bird (2017)
2017 | Comedy, Drama
Not extraordinary
If you love the starting actress, Saoirse Ronan, and indie films, then this is a fairly good watch. Lady Bird's relationship with her mother is the main theme here. The two continuously butt heads. At first, Lady Bird says that her mother is hard on her because she loves her so much, but it later gets harder for Lady Bird to accept their rough relationship as she questions whether her mother loves her because she has to or if she actually likes Lady Bird as a person. Her mother struggles to maintain their relationship while keeping their household afloat financially, especially after her father is laid off from his job.

I liked that, in addition to the mother-daughter theme, Lady Bird goes through a journey of selfdiscovery that starts when she dates her first crush at her Catholic high school. Lady Bird learns more about herself and those closest to her with every decision that she makes.

The quality of the ending might be up for some debate. If you're looking for real closure here, you won't be getting one. Ultimately, what happens after Lady Bird gets to college is up to your interpretation. The only thing that leaves your mind at some peace is that Lady Bird seems to learn to be grateful for what she has been given in life.
  
(Un)arranged Marriage
(Un)arranged Marriage
Bali Rai | 2001 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Humour, language (0 more)
Too easy to read (0 more)
This is a funny book
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is the first book I've read for pleasure since I completed my 3rd year at university. This is the type of book I enjoy and I wasn't disappointed.
The story is written in first person from the point of view of a young English Indian boy. It begins on his wedding day and his nervousness and anger at being forced into an arranged marriage. The author then writes the book in retrospect, and takes the reader back three years. The story explores the difficulty of the protagonist who struggles to adhere to his family's traditional views and religion. He endures years of beatings from his alcoholic father and emotional blackmail from his mother. He is beaten and ridiculed by his older brothers and his intimate narration allows the reader to discover his feelings of 'otherness'amongst his family whilst he attempts to live a normal life as an ordinary English boy. The author explores racism, poverty, domestic violence, neglect and love through the use of bildungsroman which concludes with the protagonist choosing his own path in life. It is by no means a happy ending, but it demonstrates determination and an understanding of a culture that the character is unable to comprehend.
Interesting and easy novel to read.
  
Lost Hills
Lost Hills
Lee Goldberg | 2020 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Eve’s First Big Case
Thanks to a well-time viral video, Eve Ronin has become the youngest person promoted to the homicide department of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Her new co-workers aren’t treating her with a lot of respect, so she knows she has to prove herself. That chance comes when she and her partner, Duncan Pavone, are called to the scene of a crime in Calabasas. A friend has called to report that Tanya Kenworth never showed up for work. The house where Tanya lives is covered in blood in every room, but there are no bodies. What could have happened to her?

Just as I expected, this book grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. There were plenty of clues and twists to keep me engaged until I reached the suspenseful climax. I did feel that Eve and her co-workers fell into genre clichés, but there are hints of more to them, and I hope we see that explored as the series progresses. This book describes the aftermath of the crime and has more language than the cozies I typically read, but I expected that going in, and it never got too excessive. There are some nice bits of humor to help lighten what is a mostly series story. I’m already looking forward to Eve’s next story.
  
#TagMe for Murder
#TagMe for Murder
Sarah E. Burr | 2023 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who Tagged Coco’s Neighbor for Murder?
Coco Cline has a new neighbor, unfortunately. Larry Dunmer is in town to conduct an audit, and he has his wife has proved to be horrible neighbors, complaining about anything and everything. Still, Coco knows he will only be in town a few months. So she is surprised when he is killed on the beach one morning. Worse yet, her friend is accused of the crime. Can Coco wade through the suspects to figure out what is really going on?

This book does include some minor spoilers for the first book (nothing like who the killer is), so keep that in mind. However, I love how part of the character development in this book is watching Coco deal with the aftermath of that first case. The set up for this mystery was familiar, but the book didn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on that, instead moving into a strong mystery that kept me guessing until the end. This was helped by strong suspects. I also love how Coco uses in person interactions and the internet to solve the case. A sub-plot with Coco’s boyfriend also kept me turning pages. If you are looking for a great mystery, you’ll want this book to trend to the top of your to be read pile.