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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) in Movies
Feb 23, 2022
The very concept of Leatherface not taking kindly to artisan bakeries and influencer inspired sushi bars is one that is absurdly tantalising, but it arrives at a point in this up-and-down franchise where no-one involved seems to be sure what they're trying to achieve.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a film that has been advertised as a true sequel to Tobe Hoopers groundbreaking original, ignoring all other sequels, prequels, and remakes that have come and gone over the years, similar to Halloween (2018) and Candyman (2021).
The main issue is then, of course, that it couldn't be further away from the original in terms of general tone if it tried. The claustrophobia, the implication of unspeakable violence that is never shown, the overall arthouse style, essential ingredients of '74, are nowhere to be found. Instead, we're presented with an unsubtle splatter flick that reeks of the unpleasantness of most mid-00s slashers. It's a far cry from what a lot of '74 fans love, but once this fact is accepted, there's a fair amount of fun to be found in what we've been given.
Let me be clear, I absolutely did not hate TCM. The writing is atrocious, the characters are almost exclusively unbearable, the return of the original films final girl is poorly handled and ultimately wasted, and it half arses attempts to tackle serious subjects such as gun violence and gentrification, but, some truly gorgeous cinematography, air tight pacing, and copious amounts of gore go someway in making up for its negatives.
Seriously, there is an ungodly amount of gore. As mentioned, it's light-years away from the originals subtlety, but I can respect it's ambition to go for the jugular. I mean, there is an actual, literal, chainsaw massacre, during a scene that made me say "Jesus Christ" out loud a couple of times.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is far different to what I, and I imagine plenty of other '74 fans, expected and wanted, but at the end of the day, it's an easy to watch, super gory, and fun slasher that is what it is. Leave your thinking cap at the door, and I'm sure you'll find it entertaining at the very least, and remember, the original still exists!
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a film that has been advertised as a true sequel to Tobe Hoopers groundbreaking original, ignoring all other sequels, prequels, and remakes that have come and gone over the years, similar to Halloween (2018) and Candyman (2021).
The main issue is then, of course, that it couldn't be further away from the original in terms of general tone if it tried. The claustrophobia, the implication of unspeakable violence that is never shown, the overall arthouse style, essential ingredients of '74, are nowhere to be found. Instead, we're presented with an unsubtle splatter flick that reeks of the unpleasantness of most mid-00s slashers. It's a far cry from what a lot of '74 fans love, but once this fact is accepted, there's a fair amount of fun to be found in what we've been given.
Let me be clear, I absolutely did not hate TCM. The writing is atrocious, the characters are almost exclusively unbearable, the return of the original films final girl is poorly handled and ultimately wasted, and it half arses attempts to tackle serious subjects such as gun violence and gentrification, but, some truly gorgeous cinematography, air tight pacing, and copious amounts of gore go someway in making up for its negatives.
Seriously, there is an ungodly amount of gore. As mentioned, it's light-years away from the originals subtlety, but I can respect it's ambition to go for the jugular. I mean, there is an actual, literal, chainsaw massacre, during a scene that made me say "Jesus Christ" out loud a couple of times.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is far different to what I, and I imagine plenty of other '74 fans, expected and wanted, but at the end of the day, it's an easy to watch, super gory, and fun slasher that is what it is. Leave your thinking cap at the door, and I'm sure you'll find it entertaining at the very least, and remember, the original still exists!
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Cellar in Books
Nov 20, 2022
This is a dark, disturbing and violent psychological thriller that pulls no punches and is highly descriptive which may be a bit much for some; I admit that I winced and drew breath a few times but kept going as I was gripped and already highly invested in the story.
The characters are excellent and feel real. Marcus Gove is a despicable person; I can't even bring myself to call him a human being he is that bad, he is a sad, twisted and demented individual who has absolutely no moral compass or redeeming qualities whatsoever - an absolutely brilliant character and one you love to hate.
Lucy is a young woman who is generally content apart from being in an unfulfilling relationship and her mum being diagnosed with cancer but things get a whole lot worse when she comes into the crosshairs of Marcus Gove and her world turns into the most horrendous nightmare.
Ray Lewis is the detective tasked with finding Lucy; not so easy when there are few clues and even less evidence and whilst he may be unfit, unhealthy and thought of as a dinosaur, he goes about his business in a methodical way with some much-needed humour.
Told from the points of view of each of the main characters and at a really good pace, this is a book that has you wanting to put down at times due to the graphic nature of what is being written and not put it down due to the gripping nature of the story ... not put it down won out with me.
This is the first book by John Nicholl I have read before and it certainly won't be the last especially if they are as addictive and compelling as this has been and I therefore have no hesitation in recommending it to others who love a gritty and dark thriller who don't mind graphic and disturbing details that have you wincing as you read.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Cellar.
The characters are excellent and feel real. Marcus Gove is a despicable person; I can't even bring myself to call him a human being he is that bad, he is a sad, twisted and demented individual who has absolutely no moral compass or redeeming qualities whatsoever - an absolutely brilliant character and one you love to hate.
Lucy is a young woman who is generally content apart from being in an unfulfilling relationship and her mum being diagnosed with cancer but things get a whole lot worse when she comes into the crosshairs of Marcus Gove and her world turns into the most horrendous nightmare.
Ray Lewis is the detective tasked with finding Lucy; not so easy when there are few clues and even less evidence and whilst he may be unfit, unhealthy and thought of as a dinosaur, he goes about his business in a methodical way with some much-needed humour.
Told from the points of view of each of the main characters and at a really good pace, this is a book that has you wanting to put down at times due to the graphic nature of what is being written and not put it down due to the gripping nature of the story ... not put it down won out with me.
This is the first book by John Nicholl I have read before and it certainly won't be the last especially if they are as addictive and compelling as this has been and I therefore have no hesitation in recommending it to others who love a gritty and dark thriller who don't mind graphic and disturbing details that have you wincing as you read.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Cellar.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Yellow in Books
Dec 13, 2023
đ Full on Trigger warnings for everything!! đ
WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
195 of 235
Kindle
Yellow
By Aron Beauregard
âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THEY TOOK EVERYTHING?
Oliver Fitch has a troubling issue; he lives in a state of constant terror. After purchasing a convenience store in a once civil society, the streets around him have rapidly devolved into utter lawlessness. They're now festering with sinister gutter scum that only live to harass and intimidate him. His pathetic profits are gouged under the threat of violence and there isn't a damn thing he can do about it. Because in a city with no rules, where the sun never shines, the authorities are no help. In fact, they're an equal part of the problem.
The relentless fear of confrontation is so obvious that even Oliver's wife Lydia has grown to resent his spineless existence. The absence of bravado opens the door to a horrific home invasion that leaves the miserable pair savagely maimed. From there, things only get worse until the criminal leeches have taken everything. Until there's nothing left inside but hate and the gnawing hunger for revenge. Until a switch finally flips and Oliver realizes that they all have to die.
First of all this comes with massive triggers in fact the whole book is one fat trigger warning so I donât recommend if you have a sensitive nature.
This is my first venture into this genre and wow it hit hard!
I just couldnât stop reading and Iâm not sure how when it was bloody brutal.
After 2 men break into his home and brutally attack him and his wife Oliver goes on a vengeful killing spree taking out those corrupt and down right evil. These people terrorise the neighbourhood and itâs not just criminals. This is not for the faint hearted. Itâs gore, graphic, horrific and just brutal (yes Iâve used that word a few times as I canât think of any other way to describe it).
WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
195 of 235
Kindle
Yellow
By Aron Beauregard
âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THEY TOOK EVERYTHING?
Oliver Fitch has a troubling issue; he lives in a state of constant terror. After purchasing a convenience store in a once civil society, the streets around him have rapidly devolved into utter lawlessness. They're now festering with sinister gutter scum that only live to harass and intimidate him. His pathetic profits are gouged under the threat of violence and there isn't a damn thing he can do about it. Because in a city with no rules, where the sun never shines, the authorities are no help. In fact, they're an equal part of the problem.
The relentless fear of confrontation is so obvious that even Oliver's wife Lydia has grown to resent his spineless existence. The absence of bravado opens the door to a horrific home invasion that leaves the miserable pair savagely maimed. From there, things only get worse until the criminal leeches have taken everything. Until there's nothing left inside but hate and the gnawing hunger for revenge. Until a switch finally flips and Oliver realizes that they all have to die.
First of all this comes with massive triggers in fact the whole book is one fat trigger warning so I donât recommend if you have a sensitive nature.
This is my first venture into this genre and wow it hit hard!
I just couldnât stop reading and Iâm not sure how when it was bloody brutal.
After 2 men break into his home and brutally attack him and his wife Oliver goes on a vengeful killing spree taking out those corrupt and down right evil. These people terrorise the neighbourhood and itâs not just criminals. This is not for the faint hearted. Itâs gore, graphic, horrific and just brutal (yes Iâve used that word a few times as I canât think of any other way to describe it).
WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
The Goldilocks Principle
6.0
Rate It
Book
One summer, two men chasing a fresh start, and three meddling Bears. What could go wrong? ELI ...
Fairytale Retelling MM Romance
Merissa (13278 KP) rated Green Hills and Daffodils (The Green Hills #1) in Books
Oct 24, 2023 (Updated Oct 24, 2023)
A book involving red and white dragons, set in Wales? Sign me up. Well, I did and what I got was different, very different from what I expected.
GREEN HILLS AND DAFFODILS starts with an American moving to a small village in Wales, wanting to put down roots. Jane is neurodivergent and has zero social filter. This leads to situations where she puts her foot in it. But honestly? I'm not surprised. That little village is a stirring pot of goodness knows what!
The main characters - Rhys, Jane, and Stewart - were all interesting. I did, however, get lost multiple times with just who was married to whom, and when, and who was who's father/mother. Honestly, talk about family saga! And, to be fair, I'm not even sure if it is relevant to the storyline yet!
This was a long book, giving plenty of background information on the characters, and their interactions with each other, being told by multiple perspectives on the same page. I now know more about sheep farming and ewes being in labour than I ever knew before. And once again, I'm not sure just how much was relevant.
There are a lot of stereotypes in here that I wish weren't. Wales is such a beautiful country and I hate to see it made fun of, even in a gentle way. I don't know if it was meant, or if it was a way of showing how Jane would put her foot in it, but still. Too much.
Saying that though, I found myself being hooked by the story. The whole book is slow, slow burn with our main 'love interests' not even meeting for the majority of the book. (It's literally in the epilogue for about two minutes!) I do feel involved in their story though, and want to see where it goes from here.
Definitely not what I expected and not really a romance, this is still a gripping story and recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 24, 2023
GREEN HILLS AND DAFFODILS starts with an American moving to a small village in Wales, wanting to put down roots. Jane is neurodivergent and has zero social filter. This leads to situations where she puts her foot in it. But honestly? I'm not surprised. That little village is a stirring pot of goodness knows what!
The main characters - Rhys, Jane, and Stewart - were all interesting. I did, however, get lost multiple times with just who was married to whom, and when, and who was who's father/mother. Honestly, talk about family saga! And, to be fair, I'm not even sure if it is relevant to the storyline yet!
This was a long book, giving plenty of background information on the characters, and their interactions with each other, being told by multiple perspectives on the same page. I now know more about sheep farming and ewes being in labour than I ever knew before. And once again, I'm not sure just how much was relevant.
There are a lot of stereotypes in here that I wish weren't. Wales is such a beautiful country and I hate to see it made fun of, even in a gentle way. I don't know if it was meant, or if it was a way of showing how Jane would put her foot in it, but still. Too much.
Saying that though, I found myself being hooked by the story. The whole book is slow, slow burn with our main 'love interests' not even meeting for the majority of the book. (It's literally in the epilogue for about two minutes!) I do feel involved in their story though, and want to see where it goes from here.
Definitely not what I expected and not really a romance, this is still a gripping story and recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 24, 2023
In Good Spirits: An MMMM Christmas Daddy Romance
9.0
Rate It
Book
Bah. Humbug. EVAN I didnât always hate Christmas. But where most people see joy and love, I...
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Last Dragon (1985) in Movies
Jun 7, 2019
So Bad You Just Might Like it
In his quest to find âThe Masterâ and expand his training, black martial arts expert Bruce Leroy (Taimak) has to square off against Shoânuff the Shogun of Harlem. With me, yet?
Acting: 10
The performances arenât what killed this movie. Julius Carry pulls off one of my all-time favorite roles as Sho-Nuff, playing a villain thatâs not hard to hate. His nemesis, hero Bruce Leroy is played with a sweet innocence by Taimak who harbors a fierce fighting style similar to his idol who is none other thanâŚwell, you guessed it, Bruce Lee. Sometimes a bit overdone, I thought overall the acting fit the movieâs overblown proportions as a whole.
Beginning: 3
Characters: 5
Again, the problem isnât the acting. Itâs the characters portrayed by the actors. They are as cardboard as they come, seemingly like caricatures of actual roles. This can be summed up by one role in particular: Eddie Arkadian (Chris Murney). Part business-owner, part gangster, you look at his mean scowl and listen to his horrible lines thinking, âWhy are they ruining this manâs career with this role? This is awful!â I can imagine there were a lot of career-ruining roles in this movie. I havenât even mentioned Eddieâs girlfriend, Angela whose voice alone gives me the urge to punt a baby. I can imagine director Michael Schultz walking up to Faith Prince saying, âGreat take! Now, could you do me a favor? Could you sound more like Miss Piggy in distress? Please and thank you!â
Cinematography/Visuals: 4
The style that Schultz tries to establish comes off as cheesy and overdone. He takes the phrase âA little dabâll do yaâ and decides to do the complete opposite. There is nothing special to see and too much to see at the same time. As confusing as that might sound, if you watch the movie, youâll get it. While there are glimpses of cool effects, even those are drowned by poor cinematic direction. There is one scene towards the end where Bruce Leroyâs hands starts to glow. He slowly moves them in a wavy pattern which creates a cool effectâŚ.until he starts doing it super fast and literally multiplies himself in some crazy funhouse type of way. Whomp whomp.
Conflict: 6
Because the movie struggles to find itâs way juggling back and forth between soundtrack-driven, drama, comedy, and action movie, the conflict suffers as a result. The fighting scenes arenât terrible when they happen but there is too much of everything else to really leave you satisfied with those scenes. I would have been happier with no attempted character or story development and just two pure hours of Bruce Leroy kicking peoplesâ teeth out. When I watched the last showdown between Leroy and Shoânuff, I thought they were really on to something. Unfortunately they got lost along the way.
Genre: 7
Memorability: 5
Love it or hate it (or both), youâll be hard-pressed leaving the movie not quoting at least a handful of lines. Itâs a movie that sticks to you whether you want it to or not. It does leave something of an impact, although not very lasting.
Pace: 3
Between Leroy searching for The Master and Eddie trying to get his girl a record deal, the movie really drags on in spots. I donât say this often, but a little more linearity in this case would have been just fine. The Last Dragon suffers from a severe case of Much Ado About Nothing. Just when you think something is about to pop off, the scene ends with a whimper.
Plot: 2
As a kid, I thought the storyline was funny. Now I think itâs just plain sad. I donât know how much thought went into that script, but reading through it should give any aspiring screenwriter hope that they too can make it big. Stories within ridiculous stories, a meh love story, and terrible motivations all around take a machete to the movie before it even had a chance.
Resolution: 7
Overall: 52
For my 100th review, I wanted to review a movie that had some kind of value to me. I grew up with The Last Dragon and, I have to say, it is a pretty damn fun movie. Fun, unfortunately, doesnât always equate to good. There is a reason it has an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes right now, though. No matter how you feel about it, there will come a point when youâre watching, even if itâs for five minutes, where you find yourself having an actual good time. Unfortunately itâs the other 103 minutes you have to worry about.
Acting: 10
The performances arenât what killed this movie. Julius Carry pulls off one of my all-time favorite roles as Sho-Nuff, playing a villain thatâs not hard to hate. His nemesis, hero Bruce Leroy is played with a sweet innocence by Taimak who harbors a fierce fighting style similar to his idol who is none other thanâŚwell, you guessed it, Bruce Lee. Sometimes a bit overdone, I thought overall the acting fit the movieâs overblown proportions as a whole.
Beginning: 3
Characters: 5
Again, the problem isnât the acting. Itâs the characters portrayed by the actors. They are as cardboard as they come, seemingly like caricatures of actual roles. This can be summed up by one role in particular: Eddie Arkadian (Chris Murney). Part business-owner, part gangster, you look at his mean scowl and listen to his horrible lines thinking, âWhy are they ruining this manâs career with this role? This is awful!â I can imagine there were a lot of career-ruining roles in this movie. I havenât even mentioned Eddieâs girlfriend, Angela whose voice alone gives me the urge to punt a baby. I can imagine director Michael Schultz walking up to Faith Prince saying, âGreat take! Now, could you do me a favor? Could you sound more like Miss Piggy in distress? Please and thank you!â
Cinematography/Visuals: 4
The style that Schultz tries to establish comes off as cheesy and overdone. He takes the phrase âA little dabâll do yaâ and decides to do the complete opposite. There is nothing special to see and too much to see at the same time. As confusing as that might sound, if you watch the movie, youâll get it. While there are glimpses of cool effects, even those are drowned by poor cinematic direction. There is one scene towards the end where Bruce Leroyâs hands starts to glow. He slowly moves them in a wavy pattern which creates a cool effectâŚ.until he starts doing it super fast and literally multiplies himself in some crazy funhouse type of way. Whomp whomp.
Conflict: 6
Because the movie struggles to find itâs way juggling back and forth between soundtrack-driven, drama, comedy, and action movie, the conflict suffers as a result. The fighting scenes arenât terrible when they happen but there is too much of everything else to really leave you satisfied with those scenes. I would have been happier with no attempted character or story development and just two pure hours of Bruce Leroy kicking peoplesâ teeth out. When I watched the last showdown between Leroy and Shoânuff, I thought they were really on to something. Unfortunately they got lost along the way.
Genre: 7
Memorability: 5
Love it or hate it (or both), youâll be hard-pressed leaving the movie not quoting at least a handful of lines. Itâs a movie that sticks to you whether you want it to or not. It does leave something of an impact, although not very lasting.
Pace: 3
Between Leroy searching for The Master and Eddie trying to get his girl a record deal, the movie really drags on in spots. I donât say this often, but a little more linearity in this case would have been just fine. The Last Dragon suffers from a severe case of Much Ado About Nothing. Just when you think something is about to pop off, the scene ends with a whimper.
Plot: 2
As a kid, I thought the storyline was funny. Now I think itâs just plain sad. I donât know how much thought went into that script, but reading through it should give any aspiring screenwriter hope that they too can make it big. Stories within ridiculous stories, a meh love story, and terrible motivations all around take a machete to the movie before it even had a chance.
Resolution: 7
Overall: 52
For my 100th review, I wanted to review a movie that had some kind of value to me. I grew up with The Last Dragon and, I have to say, it is a pretty damn fun movie. Fun, unfortunately, doesnât always equate to good. There is a reason it has an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes right now, though. No matter how you feel about it, there will come a point when youâre watching, even if itâs for five minutes, where you find yourself having an actual good time. Unfortunately itâs the other 103 minutes you have to worry about.
kitty ⥠(68 KP) rated Thirteen Reasons Why in Books
Feb 15, 2018
Unsettling. Troubling. Heart-breaking.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Thirteen Reasons Why is a heart-wrenching story of young tragedy and all of the ways a girl's death could have been prevented.
When I first read this book, I was 18 years old, and feeling exactly like how Hannah was feeling: depressed and alone. I could hardly get out of bed and drag myself to school, often times wishing I was dead. Despite constantly being around people, I didn't feel loved. I didn't feel like people really wanted me around. So, when I first read this book, I absolutely loved it because I felt exactly how she felt.
After being discontented with the series Netflix released in 2017, I decided to revisit this book, with the criticisms the Internet had given the show and book in mind. Those criticisms didn't make me hate the book or the concept, it just simply opened my mind to how harmful it may be, and it also helped me focus on the true intent of the book: to show people how their actions affect others.
I will agree that this book glamorizes suicide. It does. If you look at the surface of the premise, it basically reads as: "Girl kills herself and makes the tapes to get revenge on those who've hurt her and contributed to her pain. So, if you want to get back at your bullies, kill yourself and blame it on them." There's a lot of finger pointing happening in the book, even beyond the surface, but like I said, the intent of the book is to show people how their actions affect others, and it does. While it's not as explicit, since it was limited to Clay's point of view, there are little hints that show how the other characters, the other people on the tape, are affected. A character (Alex, I think?) was being pushed against a locker, Tyler's window was a target for people throwing rocks, Marcus going out and watching others target Tyler.
Clay Jensen is an incredibly realistic character, and Jay Asher's done a great job of writing his and Hannah's voice. Clay's the perfect in-between character because that's where he stands in school. Unpopular, but still known, he's welcomed at parties, yet he doesn't always go to them. A "nerdy" type but not entirely stuck with that label. What I love most about this book was Clay's part on the tapes, and how even Hannah claims he doesn't deserve this, that he doesn't belong on the list. But he's on it because she needs to tell the story fully.
When it comes to the potential of a Clay/Hannah romance, the most realistic quote is: "What if you weren't the person I hoped you were?" That particular quote resonated with me because I'm sure we've all felt the same at one point or another. We've all had these crushes for someone we don't know, and so we absorb the little information (most likely rumors) that float around about them, and hope that they're the person we come to think they are. I'm guilty of doing this, which made the Clay and Hannah relationship more painful. Because she wasn't like that, and he never got the chance.
There was something about the ending that got me. How Clay picked up on all of Skye's signs, and so after the tapes, he calls her name and he (from what we can presume) acts kindly toward her. He wants to be there for her so the same thing that happened to Hannah wouldn't happen to her. He feels hopeful that maybe he can help Skye, which is nice.
Overall, I did enjoy my revisit of this book. Jay Asher has created some of the most interesting characters, from Clay and Hannah, to Skye, Jessica, Justin, Sherry, Marcus, and Courtney. A lot of their actions are realistic, which is what is haunting about the book. I hate reading those criticisms talking about what they (the critics) would've done, because you don't know! You're not sure! While I do wish Hannah hadn't actually committed suicide, that there had been a plot twist, this book certainly resonated with me because I know exactly how Hannah felt. I may not have been bullied to such an extent, but the exhaustion, the desperate need to let go, I felt that.
P.s. Please don't say that this book or the Netflix series helped you to realize that you need to be nice to people. If you needed a book or a series to realize that, I hope you get the help you need.
When I first read this book, I was 18 years old, and feeling exactly like how Hannah was feeling: depressed and alone. I could hardly get out of bed and drag myself to school, often times wishing I was dead. Despite constantly being around people, I didn't feel loved. I didn't feel like people really wanted me around. So, when I first read this book, I absolutely loved it because I felt exactly how she felt.
After being discontented with the series Netflix released in 2017, I decided to revisit this book, with the criticisms the Internet had given the show and book in mind. Those criticisms didn't make me hate the book or the concept, it just simply opened my mind to how harmful it may be, and it also helped me focus on the true intent of the book: to show people how their actions affect others.
I will agree that this book glamorizes suicide. It does. If you look at the surface of the premise, it basically reads as: "Girl kills herself and makes the tapes to get revenge on those who've hurt her and contributed to her pain. So, if you want to get back at your bullies, kill yourself and blame it on them." There's a lot of finger pointing happening in the book, even beyond the surface, but like I said, the intent of the book is to show people how their actions affect others, and it does. While it's not as explicit, since it was limited to Clay's point of view, there are little hints that show how the other characters, the other people on the tape, are affected. A character (Alex, I think?) was being pushed against a locker, Tyler's window was a target for people throwing rocks, Marcus going out and watching others target Tyler.
Clay Jensen is an incredibly realistic character, and Jay Asher's done a great job of writing his and Hannah's voice. Clay's the perfect in-between character because that's where he stands in school. Unpopular, but still known, he's welcomed at parties, yet he doesn't always go to them. A "nerdy" type but not entirely stuck with that label. What I love most about this book was Clay's part on the tapes, and how even Hannah claims he doesn't deserve this, that he doesn't belong on the list. But he's on it because she needs to tell the story fully.
When it comes to the potential of a Clay/Hannah romance, the most realistic quote is: "What if you weren't the person I hoped you were?" That particular quote resonated with me because I'm sure we've all felt the same at one point or another. We've all had these crushes for someone we don't know, and so we absorb the little information (most likely rumors) that float around about them, and hope that they're the person we come to think they are. I'm guilty of doing this, which made the Clay and Hannah relationship more painful. Because she wasn't like that, and he never got the chance.
There was something about the ending that got me. How Clay picked up on all of Skye's signs, and so after the tapes, he calls her name and he (from what we can presume) acts kindly toward her. He wants to be there for her so the same thing that happened to Hannah wouldn't happen to her. He feels hopeful that maybe he can help Skye, which is nice.
Overall, I did enjoy my revisit of this book. Jay Asher has created some of the most interesting characters, from Clay and Hannah, to Skye, Jessica, Justin, Sherry, Marcus, and Courtney. A lot of their actions are realistic, which is what is haunting about the book. I hate reading those criticisms talking about what they (the critics) would've done, because you don't know! You're not sure! While I do wish Hannah hadn't actually committed suicide, that there had been a plot twist, this book certainly resonated with me because I know exactly how Hannah felt. I may not have been bullied to such an extent, but the exhaustion, the desperate need to let go, I felt that.
P.s. Please don't say that this book or the Netflix series helped you to realize that you need to be nice to people. If you needed a book or a series to realize that, I hope you get the help you need.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Cruel Prince in Books
Oct 25, 2018
The Cruel Prince - Holly Black [BOOK REVIEW]
I asked you guys on a Goodreads poll to decide what should be my next read. And a huge number of you have decided that The Cruel Prince should be the one! And here I am, one week later, saying THANK YOU, for giving me a reason to read this book now!
Now, before I say anything else, I want you to know that I donât have much experience living and reading about the Faerie world. I know fairies exist, and I know about that world, but I wasnât too involved when I grabbed this book.
And I am glad for that, becauseâŚ
The Cruel Prince is a great book to start your experience in this magical world. It starts with a great statement that there wonât be any fish sticks, or ketchup or TV Shows (believe me, that is Chapter 1), and it gives you a wonderful introduction to what turns out to be a beautiful place.
We follow the story through Judeâs eyes. Jude and her two sisters witness the murder of their parents. And not just that, but they also get dragged into the Faerie world because the person that kills their parents is the father of Judeâs oldest sister.
And living in the Faerie world as a human is not easy at all. At school, Jude and her sister Taryn are constantly being bullied, and the biggest bully of them all is Cardan. He is the prince, the last son of the king, and he is so evil and self-assured. *gasps* And I love him!
ââThe odd thing about ambition is this: You can acquire it like a fever, but it is not so easy to shed.ââ
While Taryn is calm and tries to avoid trouble, Jude is restless and keeps talking back to Cardan. She wonât let him win, and she wonât let him humiliate her. And that brings her a hell of a trouble.
And one day, she had enough. She decides to be even more fierceless and brutal, because that is the only way of survivalâŚ
ââIf I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.ââ
I love Jude, with all my heart. I loved her bravery and the way she never gives up, and keeps going for what she wants, even if people think she is being silly. I strongly agree with Jude - we should all strive towards our goals, no matter how difficult or ridiculous they may seem.
I also love Cardan. He is not a mean person,even though he is really cruel, but the background story is so harsh, and the reasons behind it are so strong. I could understand where he came from, but I am not in any way encouraging his bullying. I think thatâs not acceptable under any circumstances. He was amazingly described, and there is the fight between good and evil going inside him.
ââLove is a noble cause. How can anything done in the service of a noble cause be wrong?ââ
The love and hate between Jude and Cardan is something you need to read about. Only Holly Black is able to describe the way they are towards each other. But this is the best love-hate game I have read in a while.
When we enter this world, we also see it from the eyes of her sisters Taryn and Vivi, and what I loved was that we get told the proâs and conâs of the world, and why Taryn would decide to marry a faerie and get her place in the Court, or why Vivi would leave and go back to the human world. And sometimes, when you are a human in a world so beautiful, but so cruel, you realise that you canât live with it (all that have read the book will know exactly to which scene I am referring toâŚ).
If you havenât picked up this book yet, please do so. I could not recommend it enough! It is filled with a lovely scenery of an amazing world, great adventure, great characters and stories around them. I read it in almost one go, as I couldnât put it down!
A masterpiece, where faeries would give up their immortality to have this on their bookshelves, I am sure!
ââAnd no matter how eager you are for it, you cannot make the moon set nor rise any faster.ââ
Now, before I say anything else, I want you to know that I donât have much experience living and reading about the Faerie world. I know fairies exist, and I know about that world, but I wasnât too involved when I grabbed this book.
And I am glad for that, becauseâŚ
The Cruel Prince is a great book to start your experience in this magical world. It starts with a great statement that there wonât be any fish sticks, or ketchup or TV Shows (believe me, that is Chapter 1), and it gives you a wonderful introduction to what turns out to be a beautiful place.
We follow the story through Judeâs eyes. Jude and her two sisters witness the murder of their parents. And not just that, but they also get dragged into the Faerie world because the person that kills their parents is the father of Judeâs oldest sister.
And living in the Faerie world as a human is not easy at all. At school, Jude and her sister Taryn are constantly being bullied, and the biggest bully of them all is Cardan. He is the prince, the last son of the king, and he is so evil and self-assured. *gasps* And I love him!
ââThe odd thing about ambition is this: You can acquire it like a fever, but it is not so easy to shed.ââ
While Taryn is calm and tries to avoid trouble, Jude is restless and keeps talking back to Cardan. She wonât let him win, and she wonât let him humiliate her. And that brings her a hell of a trouble.
And one day, she had enough. She decides to be even more fierceless and brutal, because that is the only way of survivalâŚ
ââIf I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.ââ
I love Jude, with all my heart. I loved her bravery and the way she never gives up, and keeps going for what she wants, even if people think she is being silly. I strongly agree with Jude - we should all strive towards our goals, no matter how difficult or ridiculous they may seem.
I also love Cardan. He is not a mean person,even though he is really cruel, but the background story is so harsh, and the reasons behind it are so strong. I could understand where he came from, but I am not in any way encouraging his bullying. I think thatâs not acceptable under any circumstances. He was amazingly described, and there is the fight between good and evil going inside him.
ââLove is a noble cause. How can anything done in the service of a noble cause be wrong?ââ
The love and hate between Jude and Cardan is something you need to read about. Only Holly Black is able to describe the way they are towards each other. But this is the best love-hate game I have read in a while.
When we enter this world, we also see it from the eyes of her sisters Taryn and Vivi, and what I loved was that we get told the proâs and conâs of the world, and why Taryn would decide to marry a faerie and get her place in the Court, or why Vivi would leave and go back to the human world. And sometimes, when you are a human in a world so beautiful, but so cruel, you realise that you canât live with it (all that have read the book will know exactly to which scene I am referring toâŚ).
If you havenât picked up this book yet, please do so. I could not recommend it enough! It is filled with a lovely scenery of an amazing world, great adventure, great characters and stories around them. I read it in almost one go, as I couldnât put it down!
A masterpiece, where faeries would give up their immortality to have this on their bookshelves, I am sure!
ââAnd no matter how eager you are for it, you cannot make the moon set nor rise any faster.ââ
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated The Mistletoe Bride in Books
Sep 10, 2019
Sometimes we all need a little bit of a pick-me-up during the holiday season. Itâs supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year and all that, but itâs frickinâ stressful. Between the in-laws and the holiday shopping (not to mention the calories. Yikes!), December can quickly turn into a jolly nightmare. However, The Mistletoe Bride is perfect for getting into the holiday season.
You see, Eve is having her own trouble this Christmas season. Two weeks before Christmas, her fiance breaks everything off with her because he had been having an affair with his secretary and had gotten her pregnant. This leaves her single and with two tickets to paradise she had been going to surprise her husband with. And she plans to do something crazy. Instead of moping at home, or going on vacation by herself, she plans on asking a perfect stranger on going on vacation with her.
Nick Christmas is shocked when a beautiful and mysterious woman asks him to go on a trip with her, and heâs a little wary, too. But after talking with her for a few minutes in a coffee shop, heâs drawn to her. Heâs more than ready to go on vacation with Eve and help her forget her sorrows, but he knows thereâs more to everything than an innocent holiday when she starts hearing bells in his laugh. After all, Nick is destined to become the next Santa Clausâ and it looks like Eve is destined to be his bride.
First of all, âTwo Tickets to Paradiseâ by Eddie Money will get stuck in your head when youâre reading this. So if you know the song but hate it (but why would you hate it, unless youâre insane?), this might not be the best stress reliever. (I happen to like the song just fine, so no harm done to me.)
Like I said before, this is a great pick-me-up for the holiday season. And thatâs all it is: a pick me up to enjoy that will get you in the mood for Christmas. If you like made-for-TV Christmas romances, then youâll probably like The Mistletoe Bride. Itâs adorable. Eve is all innocent and vulnerable and kind, and Nick is all strong and protective and kind. He really wants to help Eve heal from the damage done from her last relationship, and he doesnât rush her even though he knows sheâs his mistletoe bride. Itâs incredibly sweet. And I really like how Scarlett Jade build the magic and myth of Santa Claus like she did. Inheriting the role of Santa, a magic suit that fits all Santas perfectly, the knowledge of everyone, as if heâs a godâŚ. itâs pretty awesome.
But the book isnât perfect. It was anticlimactic, honestly. Yes, there was a lot of suspense what with the Winter Elf trying to destroy Christmas and the race to the altar and everything, but it was rushed. The Winter Elf didnât even come in until later and probably just to add a little spice to the mainly bland aftermath of Eveâs and Nickâs betrothal. The big villain in the whole book just wanted to make toys for Santaâs workshop. Thatâs it. I mean really? Itâs a romance, not a thriller, I know, but we could have drawn it out a little bit more.
There also shouldnât have been any sex scenes in this book. I know, this is a really strange complaint for me. After all I love sex scenes and theyâre never a problem, right? (But hell is not freezing over right now because the Winter Elf is too effing busy making toys for Santa to cause some damn chaos!) The thing is, the love interest is Santa. Even if heâs young and about to marry his soul mate, he should not have sex appeal. Why? Because heâs Santa. He defined at least a third of my childhood (I really love Christmas) and heâs supposed to be a jolly gift-giver who loves cookies. Having a Santa Clause with sex appeal is like having a Mickey Mouse with sex appeal. Just. Donât. Do it.
Even Spock thinks a sexy Santa is weird.
Since I was in the right mood for this book when I read it, Iâm giving it four out of five stars. But most days I would probably only give it three.
You see, Eve is having her own trouble this Christmas season. Two weeks before Christmas, her fiance breaks everything off with her because he had been having an affair with his secretary and had gotten her pregnant. This leaves her single and with two tickets to paradise she had been going to surprise her husband with. And she plans to do something crazy. Instead of moping at home, or going on vacation by herself, she plans on asking a perfect stranger on going on vacation with her.
Nick Christmas is shocked when a beautiful and mysterious woman asks him to go on a trip with her, and heâs a little wary, too. But after talking with her for a few minutes in a coffee shop, heâs drawn to her. Heâs more than ready to go on vacation with Eve and help her forget her sorrows, but he knows thereâs more to everything than an innocent holiday when she starts hearing bells in his laugh. After all, Nick is destined to become the next Santa Clausâ and it looks like Eve is destined to be his bride.
First of all, âTwo Tickets to Paradiseâ by Eddie Money will get stuck in your head when youâre reading this. So if you know the song but hate it (but why would you hate it, unless youâre insane?), this might not be the best stress reliever. (I happen to like the song just fine, so no harm done to me.)
Like I said before, this is a great pick-me-up for the holiday season. And thatâs all it is: a pick me up to enjoy that will get you in the mood for Christmas. If you like made-for-TV Christmas romances, then youâll probably like The Mistletoe Bride. Itâs adorable. Eve is all innocent and vulnerable and kind, and Nick is all strong and protective and kind. He really wants to help Eve heal from the damage done from her last relationship, and he doesnât rush her even though he knows sheâs his mistletoe bride. Itâs incredibly sweet. And I really like how Scarlett Jade build the magic and myth of Santa Claus like she did. Inheriting the role of Santa, a magic suit that fits all Santas perfectly, the knowledge of everyone, as if heâs a godâŚ. itâs pretty awesome.
But the book isnât perfect. It was anticlimactic, honestly. Yes, there was a lot of suspense what with the Winter Elf trying to destroy Christmas and the race to the altar and everything, but it was rushed. The Winter Elf didnât even come in until later and probably just to add a little spice to the mainly bland aftermath of Eveâs and Nickâs betrothal. The big villain in the whole book just wanted to make toys for Santaâs workshop. Thatâs it. I mean really? Itâs a romance, not a thriller, I know, but we could have drawn it out a little bit more.
There also shouldnât have been any sex scenes in this book. I know, this is a really strange complaint for me. After all I love sex scenes and theyâre never a problem, right? (But hell is not freezing over right now because the Winter Elf is too effing busy making toys for Santa to cause some damn chaos!) The thing is, the love interest is Santa. Even if heâs young and about to marry his soul mate, he should not have sex appeal. Why? Because heâs Santa. He defined at least a third of my childhood (I really love Christmas) and heâs supposed to be a jolly gift-giver who loves cookies. Having a Santa Clause with sex appeal is like having a Mickey Mouse with sex appeal. Just. Donât. Do it.
Even Spock thinks a sexy Santa is weird.
Since I was in the right mood for this book when I read it, Iâm giving it four out of five stars. But most days I would probably only give it three.