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Raven (Raven Series #1) [Audiobook]
7.0
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Book
Raven, loner and assassin-for-hire, finds her reputation tarnished when a rival steals her contracts...
True History of the Kelly Gang (2019)
4.0
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Movie Watch
A fictionalized re-telling of the life and crimes of infamous 19th-century Australian outlaw Ned...
IA: The Origin Novels (Books 1-3)
10.0
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Book
This compilation contains all three three IA novels as well as the new novella Invincible Assassin...
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Equalizer (2014) in Movies
Mar 9, 2019
Getting even is so much fun
Robert McCall is not what he seems. He works at the local home goods store seemingly living a quiet life when he meets a young call girl having a hard time. He befriends her then sees her beat up by the local Russian thugs/gangsters. He can't contain his inner rage enough not to help her in her situation taking the law into his own hands.
He quickly gets noticed by the underworld leadership and they seek him out to finish the war he started with violence and destruction. When the local gang members and crooked cops can't handle Robert, a heavyweight thug from Russia is brought in to find out who he is, who he is working for and take him out.
A role Denzel Washington being the "anti-hero" meaning solving his problems with violence and taking the law into his own hands was very fulfilling. Normally, his characters are the heroes and on the right side of the law (except Training Day I guess).
The film is exceptionally violent, so those who don't like their action taken to the extreme should pass on this one for sure. Denzel has such a commanding presence onscreen it is tough not to root for him even in this type of role.
I definitely was thoroughly entertained as he dispensed the baddies, so I am looking forward to the 2nd installment sometime very soon.
He quickly gets noticed by the underworld leadership and they seek him out to finish the war he started with violence and destruction. When the local gang members and crooked cops can't handle Robert, a heavyweight thug from Russia is brought in to find out who he is, who he is working for and take him out.
A role Denzel Washington being the "anti-hero" meaning solving his problems with violence and taking the law into his own hands was very fulfilling. Normally, his characters are the heroes and on the right side of the law (except Training Day I guess).
The film is exceptionally violent, so those who don't like their action taken to the extreme should pass on this one for sure. Denzel has such a commanding presence onscreen it is tough not to root for him even in this type of role.
I definitely was thoroughly entertained as he dispensed the baddies, so I am looking forward to the 2nd installment sometime very soon.
David McK (3422 KP) rated Wolverine: Old Man Logan in Books
Jan 30, 2019
(edit: the really-rather-good movie 'Logan' supposedly takes its inspiration from this one, and it's not hard to spot where, despite that movie also being it's own thing)
Well, that was unexpected.
I'd heard good things about this one, but had never got round to reading it until fairly recently.
And I have to say, that this one does live up to the hype.
It's also quite easy to spot some of the influences on this: set in the future (like The Dark Knight Returns), this sees Logan - who has given up violence and just wants to live a quiet life - travelling across America in the company of an ex-Avenger (Hawkeye), that has since fallen to the super-villains and been divided up amongst them, all to earn some cash so he can pay-off the gang-lords (descendants of Bruce Banner) of the sector in which he lives: a road-trip fairly reminiscent of Mad Max.
Reading it, I kinda want to learn more about what happened; about how did the world get into the state it is portrayed in (although there are brief snippets given throughout). Forswearing violence for the majority of the tale, it's only towards the end that he finally lets loose, in some rather graphic scenes and depictions - it's no wonder that this comes with a parental guidance! - before finally riding off into the sunset (Pale Rider? Unforgiven?) after he returns home to find tragedy has befallen his family while he was away.
Well, that was unexpected.
I'd heard good things about this one, but had never got round to reading it until fairly recently.
And I have to say, that this one does live up to the hype.
It's also quite easy to spot some of the influences on this: set in the future (like The Dark Knight Returns), this sees Logan - who has given up violence and just wants to live a quiet life - travelling across America in the company of an ex-Avenger (Hawkeye), that has since fallen to the super-villains and been divided up amongst them, all to earn some cash so he can pay-off the gang-lords (descendants of Bruce Banner) of the sector in which he lives: a road-trip fairly reminiscent of Mad Max.
Reading it, I kinda want to learn more about what happened; about how did the world get into the state it is portrayed in (although there are brief snippets given throughout). Forswearing violence for the majority of the tale, it's only towards the end that he finally lets loose, in some rather graphic scenes and depictions - it's no wonder that this comes with a parental guidance! - before finally riding off into the sunset (Pale Rider? Unforgiven?) after he returns home to find tragedy has befallen his family while he was away.
All Involved
Book
For six days, Los Angeles is a city ablaze. For six days, seventeen people are caught in the chaos....
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Saint Death in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
What must life be like living in a poor neighbourhood? Every night your sleep is disturbed by gunshots, the people you know slowly disappear each time a gang raids the town, you live in fear for your own life. This is the concept international award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick explores in his latest Young Adult novel. Set in Anapra, one of the poorest communities in Mexico, Sedgwick delivers a story of poverty, gang crime and greed.
A young man – presumably still in his teens – named Arturo is living in a falling down shack, surviving on the small amount he earns at the local garage. Having kept to himself for the past year in order to remain safe, he experiences mixed emotions when his long lost friend turns up on his door stop – if you can call it that – and asks him to win $1000 by gambling at cards to appease a brutal gang leader.
What follows is an intense game against dangerous criminals with only prayers to Santa Muerte – Saint Death – to help Arturo get by. However, in the same way that the gang leaders are obsessed with wealth, Arturo begins to be overcome with greed, putting both himself and his friend in mortal danger.
<i>Saint Death</i> is not a book to be <i>liked</i>, after all, who would be fond of death, pain and violence? Instead it is a story that introduces an alternative culture to the readers – presuming that most will be from the more typical western world. Sedgwick throws us right into the slums of Mexico where religion, superstition, law and safety have an entirely different meaning. We learn that life in these areas is mostly a war between power and poverty, with the wealthy naturally championing over the rest.
Unfortunately <i>Saint Death</i> is a difficult book to read. For a start, it is a little bit boring. Whilst the events may be realistic there is no thrill or enjoyment garnered from reading about them. Understandably, Sedgwick is trying to bring a sense of culture into his work, however there is barely anything that a Young Adult reader can relate to. We are never told Arturo’s age and only assume he his in his teens, however he acts like a much older adult. It is difficult to imagine and comprehend the poverty, gangs and violence when we have not been witness to it ourselves. Whilst attempting to shock, Sedgwick lacks on description making it a challenge to picture the scene in our heads.
Prior to this book, I had only read Sedgwick’s <i>My Sword Hand is Singing</i> (2006), therefore I was unsure what to expect with his latest novel. It was my understanding that he tends to write horror or paranormal novels, whereas <i>Saint Death</i> was a complete change of genre. Of course authors experiment with their writing style all the time; some are successful, others less so. In this instance I personally think Sedgwick fell short of his goal, trying too hard to copy other writers that had influenced him to make this conversion. Whether Sedgwick decides to continue along this theme or revert back to what he has already been successful with remains to be seen, but I am hoping for the latter.
What must life be like living in a poor neighbourhood? Every night your sleep is disturbed by gunshots, the people you know slowly disappear each time a gang raids the town, you live in fear for your own life. This is the concept international award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick explores in his latest Young Adult novel. Set in Anapra, one of the poorest communities in Mexico, Sedgwick delivers a story of poverty, gang crime and greed.
A young man – presumably still in his teens – named Arturo is living in a falling down shack, surviving on the small amount he earns at the local garage. Having kept to himself for the past year in order to remain safe, he experiences mixed emotions when his long lost friend turns up on his door stop – if you can call it that – and asks him to win $1000 by gambling at cards to appease a brutal gang leader.
What follows is an intense game against dangerous criminals with only prayers to Santa Muerte – Saint Death – to help Arturo get by. However, in the same way that the gang leaders are obsessed with wealth, Arturo begins to be overcome with greed, putting both himself and his friend in mortal danger.
<i>Saint Death</i> is not a book to be <i>liked</i>, after all, who would be fond of death, pain and violence? Instead it is a story that introduces an alternative culture to the readers – presuming that most will be from the more typical western world. Sedgwick throws us right into the slums of Mexico where religion, superstition, law and safety have an entirely different meaning. We learn that life in these areas is mostly a war between power and poverty, with the wealthy naturally championing over the rest.
Unfortunately <i>Saint Death</i> is a difficult book to read. For a start, it is a little bit boring. Whilst the events may be realistic there is no thrill or enjoyment garnered from reading about them. Understandably, Sedgwick is trying to bring a sense of culture into his work, however there is barely anything that a Young Adult reader can relate to. We are never told Arturo’s age and only assume he his in his teens, however he acts like a much older adult. It is difficult to imagine and comprehend the poverty, gangs and violence when we have not been witness to it ourselves. Whilst attempting to shock, Sedgwick lacks on description making it a challenge to picture the scene in our heads.
Prior to this book, I had only read Sedgwick’s <i>My Sword Hand is Singing</i> (2006), therefore I was unsure what to expect with his latest novel. It was my understanding that he tends to write horror or paranormal novels, whereas <i>Saint Death</i> was a complete change of genre. Of course authors experiment with their writing style all the time; some are successful, others less so. In this instance I personally think Sedgwick fell short of his goal, trying too hard to copy other writers that had influenced him to make this conversion. Whether Sedgwick decides to continue along this theme or revert back to what he has already been successful with remains to be seen, but I am hoping for the latter.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated The Outsiders in Books
Jun 20, 2021
A great read about a kid in Oklahoma who is just trying to understand life. Written in 1967 it follows Ponyboy, yes that's his real name, his two brothers, and thier 'gang' of greasers as they try to navigate a world where they are labeled little better than hoods and have to avoid getting jumped by the socs from the rich side of town.
It's a coming of age story that I have mixed feelings about waiting so long to have read. It talks about class structure and how the way you present yourself to the world isn't always a reflection of self.
There is a lot of heavy stuff in it that translates well even decades later. And yeah, there will be people who say there's a little more than friendship between a few of the characters and whether or not that's true is up to the reader.
The book is told by a 14 year olds pov. An old (kind of) soul. But even if he thinks he's in the know he's still 14.
There is triggering things with violence, abuse, alcohol, and smoking, it's worth the discussion (in my opinion).
It's a coming of age story that I have mixed feelings about waiting so long to have read. It talks about class structure and how the way you present yourself to the world isn't always a reflection of self.
There is a lot of heavy stuff in it that translates well even decades later. And yeah, there will be people who say there's a little more than friendship between a few of the characters and whether or not that's true is up to the reader.
The book is told by a 14 year olds pov. An old (kind of) soul. But even if he thinks he's in the know he's still 14.
There is triggering things with violence, abuse, alcohol, and smoking, it's worth the discussion (in my opinion).
Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars
Book
FIERCE FEMMES AND NOTORIOUS LIARS: A DANGEROUS TRANS GIRL'S CONFABULOUS MEMOIR is the highly...