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Serena (8 KP) rated just Jack in Books

Nov 22, 2017  
just Jack
just Jack
K.L. Shandwick | 2015 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jack and Lily were the best of friends from a young age and as they got older and realised that they were developing feelings for each other, they decided to have a little distance, that was the most miserable time of their lives. With Lily meeting Alfie, Jack know he will always be part of her life, but not as import and now it would be Just Jack, and he had to work out the missing half of him.
After breaking up with his ex, Rosie because he wasn’t in love with her, he meets a girl called Gini and feels a connection, but it doesn’t work out.
Deciding to take a break from everything Jack heads away for six months and when he returns after trying to reunite with Rosie with no success, Jack takes the opportunity to tour with Rick’s band.
Seeing a music technician that stirs feelings in him, Jack is surprised to find out that it’s Rick’s niece Mya, even more surprised when Rick tells her it’s up to her, he doesn’t tell her what she can and can’t do. With Mya and Jack slowly becoming closer friends and with a little push, one night after a accidently kiss, Jack feels like he never has before.
After they left the tour and returned home, Jack knew he had to work out things with Lily. Holidaying with Mya, he realises that life is too short for what if’s and on a day that they should be so happy Jack gets news that will change their lives.
I loved happily ever after ending and how Jack although he was still Jack, he ended up with more than he could have ever imagined and was more than Just Jack.
  
The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House
2018 | Horror
Fantastic thoughtul and moving horror
The much-hyped horror series, telling the story of the Craine family who lived in "Hill House" during an ill-advised renovation project until the mother died in mysterious circumstances. The story moves between the present day, when the 5 Craine children are all grown up, and the past when they lived in Hill House.
The bulk of each episode is more focused on the drama of the family, and less focused on the horror aspects. But in each episode there are moments of utter, heart-stopping terror - either through true unexpected jump scares (there are few of these, but when they come, they are effective) or just complete bone-chilling creepiness.
As is so often the case, the viewers reaction to the ghostly interactions relies heavily on it happening to a child, really hitting hard at times.
I'm not a fan of horror films going all metaphysical and time-travelly (Paranormal Activity for one) but it is reasonably well handled here and isn't a forced point.
The cast is decent, if not outstanding, especially the younger child actors who are fantastic. And there's still something about Carla Gugino that makes me feel all funny.
I got a little distracted looking for the hidden ghosts throughout the series (there are over 40 of them, some are pretty much impossible to spot, others catch your eye after a few seconds and totally creep you out).
The series is somewhat toned down horror, there is virtually no gore and the jump-scares are few but effective, with much more focus on the drama. For me this was a refreshing twist on the genre and made it a much more enjoyable series than if it were all-out horror. A nice alternative to American Horror Story.
  
SF
Spring for Susannah
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Okay. So. I got this in the mail and read it through completely the same day. That's got to be worth something.

I loved the premise of this book. It sounded so sweet, it sounded like it had a lot of potential. And I loved it: up until the halfway mark.

Halfway through, Susannah, seemingly out of nowhere, storms out of the house and tells her husband she's leaving. One minute she was fine, and she was beginning to love him, and the next minute, that horrible smelly house is just too much for her. It made no sense.

Also, their arguments were like that (what few of them they had.) on minute they were fine and the next minute they have a little bickering or frustration with each other, and he's like "if it's that bad for you, we'll get divorced." (not an exact quote, but it was something like that).

Then he left her. It was tolerable up until that point. But then he just snapped, and he left her. The locusts came back and he wouldn't listen to her, he just left and was like "I'll bring you home money because now I can't support you." He went all Edward Cullen on me just as I was really beginning to like him!

And then she found out she was pregnant.
And then he gets captured by Indians.
And then she thinks he's dead and two other guys say they'll marry her.

A little bit of plot overkill, maybe?

I was really disappointed. It would have been so much better if the conflicts were more realistic, and the plot consisted of less events that were more pointed towards the same thing.

Then there was her salvation. She wasn't really a christian before, and her faith didn't seem much improved by the end either. I was hoping for a heartbreaking realization or a sacrifice or a change, and all I saw was "huh I guess he's on to something, okay I'll pray too. God please give me back my husband."

Because of all that, near the end I found myself skimming and reading just the dialogue so I could get to the end. And the very end could have had so much more emotion, so much more response, but it just felt very dead.

I really wish I had loved this book because it sounded so adorable. If only it hadn't turned at that halfway point.

Recommended for ages 15+ for one scene in which the doctor gives some advice to the married couple