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Dana (24 KP) rated The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, #2) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
So I am actually giving this book a 3.5 stars instead of just a three. There are going to be slight spoilers throughout the review, so read at your own peril.
This was a typical second book in a trilogy. It is there to get to the last plot point and explain some background stuff that will most likely be needed in the last book, but it was kinda milk-toast to me.
The relationship between Kestrel and Arin didn't really grow too much until the very last second, but even then it wasn't a huge change. They argue way too much in my opinion. Maybe I am just spoiled with other books, but I didn't feel much romantic tension between the two whenever they were together. I feel like the first book did a much better job at building up the romance, and then this one just crushed it completely. They are however, finally seeing each other's side of the story which is nice. I just wished it had happened sooner.
I hate the emperor, he is a major dick. So is Kestrel's father. I want both of them to suffer in the next book.
I understand that introducing the easterners was important for the conflict to come, but I didn't feel any attachment to the new characters. The queen and her brother were kinda boring and didn't leave much of an impression on me after I read their parts. Maybe they will get more interesting in the next book?
I hated what happened with Jess and Ronan. I understand it was significant in showing that Kestrel has to leave her old life behind and that her friends are not as welcome to change as she is, but it was still not cool what happened to them. I actually really liked Ronan in the first book, but he turned into such an ass.
I enjoyed the last twenty pages of the book more than the rest because I feel like it started to pick up more. There was the inklings of what the next book will focus on and I think it will be a really cool concept.
I know I am mostly harping on the book in this review, but I really did enjoy it. I just liked the first one more than I did this one. I think Kestrel getting a backbone and standing up to the emperor was cool. I loved her friendship with Verex, too. Though I don't think they're endgame, I like them as friends.
I need to read the next book to see what happens!!
This was a typical second book in a trilogy. It is there to get to the last plot point and explain some background stuff that will most likely be needed in the last book, but it was kinda milk-toast to me.
The relationship between Kestrel and Arin didn't really grow too much until the very last second, but even then it wasn't a huge change. They argue way too much in my opinion. Maybe I am just spoiled with other books, but I didn't feel much romantic tension between the two whenever they were together. I feel like the first book did a much better job at building up the romance, and then this one just crushed it completely. They are however, finally seeing each other's side of the story which is nice. I just wished it had happened sooner.
I hate the emperor, he is a major dick. So is Kestrel's father. I want both of them to suffer in the next book.
I understand that introducing the easterners was important for the conflict to come, but I didn't feel any attachment to the new characters. The queen and her brother were kinda boring and didn't leave much of an impression on me after I read their parts. Maybe they will get more interesting in the next book?
I hated what happened with Jess and Ronan. I understand it was significant in showing that Kestrel has to leave her old life behind and that her friends are not as welcome to change as she is, but it was still not cool what happened to them. I actually really liked Ronan in the first book, but he turned into such an ass.
I enjoyed the last twenty pages of the book more than the rest because I feel like it started to pick up more. There was the inklings of what the next book will focus on and I think it will be a really cool concept.
I know I am mostly harping on the book in this review, but I really did enjoy it. I just liked the first one more than I did this one. I think Kestrel getting a backbone and standing up to the emperor was cool. I loved her friendship with Verex, too. Though I don't think they're endgame, I like them as friends.
I need to read the next book to see what happens!!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated I'm Travelling Alone in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I read this novel as my BookBum Club book for November! Check out this page to find out more about my very own Book Club!
I had heard so many great things about this novel from family and online, it’s got a great average rating on Goodreads, so I thought I was going to really love it, unfortunately it didn’t do much for me. For me, this was nothing more than your standard police procedural, a sub-genre in crime that I’m not a huge fan of.
What drew me to this one other than the recommendations was the title. I really like how striking and eerie it is! This, obviously, lead me to read the synopsis and I definitely thought the plot was a unique one in a genre that’s so heavily populated. The storyline, in the end, didn’t live completely up to my expectations, but it was a great twisty and turny story. I did have my suspicions about the killer from quite early on, which turned out to be correct, so for that reason I can’t personally see why so many people are stunned by the conclusion. However, I didn’t have any theory as to why the killer was doing what they were doing so it was interesting to find out!
I liked the characters in this one, but sometimes they felt a little clunky and unbelievable, which might be down to translation issues or regional differences… I mean, do Norwegian people really wink at each other during every conversation? There was a lot of winking going on!
Personally, I felt more connected to Holger Munch in this one than I did with Mia Kruger. I understood her position in life, but sometimes I was sick of hearing how sorry for herself she felt. I really do hate the cliche police officer in these kinds of books and she really fit the part perfectly.
The writing for this one was good, but like I said earlier, maybe some of the thrill of it was lost in translation because I never got that heart-racing feeling I usually do with books about catching a killer. Some of the nail-biting conversations happening felt rushed and all bunched together at the end of a chapter which, for me, ruined any kind of atmosphere it was meant to have.
I seem to be swimming in a sea of mediocre books at the moment, and it sucks! I wish I had liked this one way more… my dad and nan will be disappointed when they see my review.
I had heard so many great things about this novel from family and online, it’s got a great average rating on Goodreads, so I thought I was going to really love it, unfortunately it didn’t do much for me. For me, this was nothing more than your standard police procedural, a sub-genre in crime that I’m not a huge fan of.
What drew me to this one other than the recommendations was the title. I really like how striking and eerie it is! This, obviously, lead me to read the synopsis and I definitely thought the plot was a unique one in a genre that’s so heavily populated. The storyline, in the end, didn’t live completely up to my expectations, but it was a great twisty and turny story. I did have my suspicions about the killer from quite early on, which turned out to be correct, so for that reason I can’t personally see why so many people are stunned by the conclusion. However, I didn’t have any theory as to why the killer was doing what they were doing so it was interesting to find out!
I liked the characters in this one, but sometimes they felt a little clunky and unbelievable, which might be down to translation issues or regional differences… I mean, do Norwegian people really wink at each other during every conversation? There was a lot of winking going on!
Personally, I felt more connected to Holger Munch in this one than I did with Mia Kruger. I understood her position in life, but sometimes I was sick of hearing how sorry for herself she felt. I really do hate the cliche police officer in these kinds of books and she really fit the part perfectly.
The writing for this one was good, but like I said earlier, maybe some of the thrill of it was lost in translation because I never got that heart-racing feeling I usually do with books about catching a killer. Some of the nail-biting conversations happening felt rushed and all bunched together at the end of a chapter which, for me, ruined any kind of atmosphere it was meant to have.
I seem to be swimming in a sea of mediocre books at the moment, and it sucks! I wish I had liked this one way more… my dad and nan will be disappointed when they see my review.
Jay Harris (1 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Fortnite in Video Games
Mar 30, 2018
I've only recently started playing Fortnite (the battle royal version), and I have a very love/hate relationship with it. Fortnite itself is a fairly balanced game, when Epic Games nerf some of the weapons (like the most recent guided missile launcher), and if you have friends to go into a squad or a duo with, then it's totally worth doing. Fortnite has proved it's reputation as it's managed to best PUBG, with the amount of players on it. Generally speaking I think that as long as Epic Games constantly update it, make sure to patch the bugs, and add new features (whether that's new maps, or items) it will stay a pretty popular game.
My personal opinion is that it's good at times and bad other times.
When you are in a game with a squad, and you finally get to the end, and win, it's the best feeling. It's so relieving to know that all your time put into that game has in the end managed to get you to win (especially when you win a solo match). However if you're not willing to dedicate your time learning the mechanics, and playing casually, these wins don't come as often as you'd like.
As I said before, Fortnite is a fairly balanced game, but there are some issues that always need fixing. For example, new weapons introduced often have to be nerfed. Whenever they release a new update, there's often bugs that follow, like building issues, inventory issues and various other problems. And the microtransactions.
In the game you can (optionally) buy the "battle pass", or various skins, or emotes, or pickaxes that the game has to offer.
And the game forcibly encourages you to do this. The battle pass gives you some sense of achievement in the game, by completing the challenges you are awarded with new skins, emotes etc.
But the late players of the game that buy the battle pass are unable to complete the challenges in time, in a ten week season, to be able to unlock everything.
On top of this, it feels almost redundant when you rank up the battle pass week by week, and someone pays like £40/£50, to unlock the last skin in the game.
Although these are totally optional, I feel without the battle pass I probably wouldn't play.
Overall I would say Fortnite will always be a popular game and has quite a large audience for a range of different people.
I do recommend playing it, if you have a spare couple of hours, and it's free to play so you don't have to pay for it.
My personal opinion is that it's good at times and bad other times.
When you are in a game with a squad, and you finally get to the end, and win, it's the best feeling. It's so relieving to know that all your time put into that game has in the end managed to get you to win (especially when you win a solo match). However if you're not willing to dedicate your time learning the mechanics, and playing casually, these wins don't come as often as you'd like.
As I said before, Fortnite is a fairly balanced game, but there are some issues that always need fixing. For example, new weapons introduced often have to be nerfed. Whenever they release a new update, there's often bugs that follow, like building issues, inventory issues and various other problems. And the microtransactions.
In the game you can (optionally) buy the "battle pass", or various skins, or emotes, or pickaxes that the game has to offer.
And the game forcibly encourages you to do this. The battle pass gives you some sense of achievement in the game, by completing the challenges you are awarded with new skins, emotes etc.
But the late players of the game that buy the battle pass are unable to complete the challenges in time, in a ten week season, to be able to unlock everything.
On top of this, it feels almost redundant when you rank up the battle pass week by week, and someone pays like £40/£50, to unlock the last skin in the game.
Although these are totally optional, I feel without the battle pass I probably wouldn't play.
Overall I would say Fortnite will always be a popular game and has quite a large audience for a range of different people.
I do recommend playing it, if you have a spare couple of hours, and it's free to play so you don't have to pay for it.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Creepy and Maud in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I wanted to love this book, I really did. The blurb made me think of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park. However, this book just fell a bit flat for me.
The title did catch my attention especially since it had the word Creepy in it.
I like the cover of the book. It's just so simple, yet interesting. I think it definitely fits in with the book since the two characters converse from their bedroom windows.
The world building was believable. Most of the story takes place within the confines of Creepy's window and sometimes from Maud's window. It's a very believable setting.
The pacing was really slow. I kept hoping it would pick up at some point, but it never did. At no point, did it pick up even a little bit.
I think the plot had the potential to be interesting. Creepy watches Maud from his bedroom window. Eventually, Maud notices, and they start writing notes to each other and put them in their bedroom window. Maud has a disorder where she pulls out the hair on her body. Creepy is just a strange teen. I just felt that their was no plot development. I kept waiting for some action or plot twist to happen, but nothing did. It's just two teens conversing from their windows.
I liked Maud and Creepy. They have their problems, but they are still likable enough. However, I felt there was no character development either. It would've been nice to have a bit more back story on both characters. All we're told is that Maud and Creepy's families hate each other. It is explained a little bit as to why at least.
Some of the wording is Australian phrasing which I had a hard time understanding. However, it only happens now and again, so the book is easy to understand for other cultures. There is some swearing, but nothing too bad. There is a little bit of violence but no sex or sexual references.
Overall, Creepy & Maud by Dianne Touchell just falls flat from lack of character and plot development. The writing itself wasn't bad though.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book unless it has some tweaking when it comes to the characters and the plot.
(I won this book from a competition. I was not required to write a review).
I wanted to love this book, I really did. The blurb made me think of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park. However, this book just fell a bit flat for me.
The title did catch my attention especially since it had the word Creepy in it.
I like the cover of the book. It's just so simple, yet interesting. I think it definitely fits in with the book since the two characters converse from their bedroom windows.
The world building was believable. Most of the story takes place within the confines of Creepy's window and sometimes from Maud's window. It's a very believable setting.
The pacing was really slow. I kept hoping it would pick up at some point, but it never did. At no point, did it pick up even a little bit.
I think the plot had the potential to be interesting. Creepy watches Maud from his bedroom window. Eventually, Maud notices, and they start writing notes to each other and put them in their bedroom window. Maud has a disorder where she pulls out the hair on her body. Creepy is just a strange teen. I just felt that their was no plot development. I kept waiting for some action or plot twist to happen, but nothing did. It's just two teens conversing from their windows.
I liked Maud and Creepy. They have their problems, but they are still likable enough. However, I felt there was no character development either. It would've been nice to have a bit more back story on both characters. All we're told is that Maud and Creepy's families hate each other. It is explained a little bit as to why at least.
Some of the wording is Australian phrasing which I had a hard time understanding. However, it only happens now and again, so the book is easy to understand for other cultures. There is some swearing, but nothing too bad. There is a little bit of violence but no sex or sexual references.
Overall, Creepy & Maud by Dianne Touchell just falls flat from lack of character and plot development. The writing itself wasn't bad though.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book unless it has some tweaking when it comes to the characters and the plot.
(I won this book from a competition. I was not required to write a review).
Louise (64 KP) rated The Raven Boys in Books
Jul 2, 2018
This book is quite a big deal in the book community at the moment, it appears everyone is reading it and loving it!.... apart from ME! So I don't hate this book and I don't love it..... it was just MEH! Here's why:
Blue was annoying, she has been told by her mother, aunts and other psychics that her first true love will die when she kisses him, to me the idea of this was like ummmm the mum is just saying this so she doesn't kiss any boys at all.
Throughout the whole book she is sort of starting a relationship with Adam the less privileged of the Raven boys although she has seen Gansey's future which is bleak you can tell she doesn't know who decide to fall in love with and it's just annoying, because she know's they will die if she does, it just gets a bit tedious.
Adam is the less privileged of the Raven boys, he is a local boy studying hard and paying his own way through private school and has a pretty rough time with an abusive father (I am starting to see a trend *rolls eyes*). He appears very genuine, not wanting hand outs and to make something of himself.
Ronan is a boy who has some issues, his father was killed on the doorstep of their house. Since then he is a very angry young man, who wants to vent his anger on his brother and not complete his studies, Ronan definitely grew on me by the end of it and has a softer side to him.
Gansey is the leader of the gang, with money, sophistication and an insatiable desire to find they Ley lines and wake the Raven king. He appears to act much older than his years, but a very mysterious character I don't know why but I can't explain him, his moods seem to change all the time.
The book was very slow to start with it was only the last third that it started getting interesting for me, the twist in the book did have my jaw on the floor......WTF!! that was the best bit.
There are fantasy elements to the book but not heavy. The world building in the book was well done and the character development was very strong. Stiefvater did a good job and her writing is very easy to read.
Do I continue with the series? Does it get better? Please tell me I am not the only one that had these thoughts.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5
Blue was annoying, she has been told by her mother, aunts and other psychics that her first true love will die when she kisses him, to me the idea of this was like ummmm the mum is just saying this so she doesn't kiss any boys at all.
Throughout the whole book she is sort of starting a relationship with Adam the less privileged of the Raven boys although she has seen Gansey's future which is bleak you can tell she doesn't know who decide to fall in love with and it's just annoying, because she know's they will die if she does, it just gets a bit tedious.
Adam is the less privileged of the Raven boys, he is a local boy studying hard and paying his own way through private school and has a pretty rough time with an abusive father (I am starting to see a trend *rolls eyes*). He appears very genuine, not wanting hand outs and to make something of himself.
Ronan is a boy who has some issues, his father was killed on the doorstep of their house. Since then he is a very angry young man, who wants to vent his anger on his brother and not complete his studies, Ronan definitely grew on me by the end of it and has a softer side to him.
Gansey is the leader of the gang, with money, sophistication and an insatiable desire to find they Ley lines and wake the Raven king. He appears to act much older than his years, but a very mysterious character I don't know why but I can't explain him, his moods seem to change all the time.
The book was very slow to start with it was only the last third that it started getting interesting for me, the twist in the book did have my jaw on the floor......WTF!! that was the best bit.
There are fantasy elements to the book but not heavy. The world building in the book was well done and the character development was very strong. Stiefvater did a good job and her writing is very easy to read.
Do I continue with the series? Does it get better? Please tell me I am not the only one that had these thoughts.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5
Alice (12 KP) rated Hanging Tree: The Sixth PC Grant Mystery in Books
Jul 3, 2018
What can I say about The Hanging Tree that isn’t good? It was a satisfying installment to the series but there was still something missing for me. It had the usual characters and the usual awkwardness with Peter Grant and the Met and the demi-monde which as always was written to the same standard.
However, there were a few parts of this book that bugged me which I’ll go through shortly.
The Hanging Tree is the sixth installment of the bestselling Peter Grant/Rivers of London series and finally there is some proper river action. This book centers around Tyburn or Lady Ty as she is affectionately known. Lady Ty for those of you who don’t know is an overwhelming bitch with a major Goddess complex – with good reason really.
This book follows Peter as he helps to investigate the murder of a teenager – don’t let this fool you, the principal suspect in the murder is one of the family Rivers. This kicks off simultaneous police investigations and Folly blow-ups abound.
First, the things I liked:
The reappearance of much loved characters such as Nightingale, Molly, Guleed, Stefanopaulos and even Seawoll.
The introduction of new characters
The familiar writing style
The monologuing of Peter Grant
The plot
The return of some characters I won’t name and
The revelations!!!
Now, I hate to do this really (and I despise using bullet points as a side note) but needs must.
Things I disliked:
The overuse of the term white to describe characters that had no context and almost no bearing on the story-line whatsoever – I’m almost positive I counted at least 15 uses of the word “white” in the first 30% of the book, sometimes more than once a page. The worst use of this – for me – was “a scary white waitress”, I don’t know about you, but the need to describe a character based solely on their skin tone is a big no no for me. It lacked context and bearing on the part of the story at hand.
The return of some characters I won’t name – what the actual fuck Ben? That’s wrong! They can’t be better than Peter!
Now despite my reservations and the things I disliked, I did enjoy this book. In the end. It took about 60% for this book to grab my attention with both hands which I suppose could be construed as a bad thing, however that first two thirds set up the ending in a great way. The culmination of multiple prolonged story arcs were a welcome wrap up to this installment and I look forward to the next.
However, there were a few parts of this book that bugged me which I’ll go through shortly.
The Hanging Tree is the sixth installment of the bestselling Peter Grant/Rivers of London series and finally there is some proper river action. This book centers around Tyburn or Lady Ty as she is affectionately known. Lady Ty for those of you who don’t know is an overwhelming bitch with a major Goddess complex – with good reason really.
This book follows Peter as he helps to investigate the murder of a teenager – don’t let this fool you, the principal suspect in the murder is one of the family Rivers. This kicks off simultaneous police investigations and Folly blow-ups abound.
First, the things I liked:
The reappearance of much loved characters such as Nightingale, Molly, Guleed, Stefanopaulos and even Seawoll.
The introduction of new characters
The familiar writing style
The monologuing of Peter Grant
The plot
The return of some characters I won’t name and
The revelations!!!
Now, I hate to do this really (and I despise using bullet points as a side note) but needs must.
Things I disliked:
The overuse of the term white to describe characters that had no context and almost no bearing on the story-line whatsoever – I’m almost positive I counted at least 15 uses of the word “white” in the first 30% of the book, sometimes more than once a page. The worst use of this – for me – was “a scary white waitress”, I don’t know about you, but the need to describe a character based solely on their skin tone is a big no no for me. It lacked context and bearing on the part of the story at hand.
The return of some characters I won’t name – what the actual fuck Ben? That’s wrong! They can’t be better than Peter!
Now despite my reservations and the things I disliked, I did enjoy this book. In the end. It took about 60% for this book to grab my attention with both hands which I suppose could be construed as a bad thing, however that first two thirds set up the ending in a great way. The culmination of multiple prolonged story arcs were a welcome wrap up to this installment and I look forward to the next.
Necole (36 KP) rated The Hospital: How I Survived the Secret Child Experiments at Aston Hall in Books
Aug 12, 2018
Wow … I had to keep putting this book down to wrap my head around the abuse and neglect that Barbara had to deal with at such a young age. It was a very emotionally read. My brain and heart didn't want to believe these events could happen to a child as I was reading it. I couldn't believe her real mom left her and left her in the care of her father.
When she was 5 with the emotional and physical abuse she endured from her father and the "mum" her father left her with. I couldn't believe her father would call her a dirty little tinker and belittle her like that and made her think she was nothing. And the "mum" she was left with, leaving her by herself, treating her the way she did, and using Barbara as a way to get money is such a disgrace.
And then when her dad had a son, to read how the two were treated completely differently all because of blood line, oh my heart went out for poor Barbara.
Unfortunately the abuse and turmoil continued after she was put in homes and then into the hospital. To read what happened in the hospital and what the Dr. did she Barbra and the other poor girls, I was in complete shock. Aston Hall was a complete nightmare and how any girl survived that is amazing in itself.
She finally was treated with dignity and love and kindness when she went to Blackbrook by some of the nuns, only to have that taken away and be mistreated yet again.
I commend Barbara for writing this story, to open our eyes to an event that occurred in 1971, and be brave enough to tell us her story. I praise the fact that she could over come all these obstacles in life and be how she is now. It is truly astonishing.
I just hate that she voiced what was going on to so many deaf ears and no one listened or believed her until she was in her teen years. I would hope in todays society that this would never happen and people are now more than ever willing to give children a voice, listen to them, and investigate. I wonder if this happened to Barbara now, would the abuse and neglect been stopped sooner.
I would so recommend this book but be prepared for a shocking, emotional and heart wrenching story. I hope Barbara knows now her own self worth and wish she would have known it her entire life.
When she was 5 with the emotional and physical abuse she endured from her father and the "mum" her father left her with. I couldn't believe her father would call her a dirty little tinker and belittle her like that and made her think she was nothing. And the "mum" she was left with, leaving her by herself, treating her the way she did, and using Barbara as a way to get money is such a disgrace.
And then when her dad had a son, to read how the two were treated completely differently all because of blood line, oh my heart went out for poor Barbara.
Unfortunately the abuse and turmoil continued after she was put in homes and then into the hospital. To read what happened in the hospital and what the Dr. did she Barbra and the other poor girls, I was in complete shock. Aston Hall was a complete nightmare and how any girl survived that is amazing in itself.
She finally was treated with dignity and love and kindness when she went to Blackbrook by some of the nuns, only to have that taken away and be mistreated yet again.
I commend Barbara for writing this story, to open our eyes to an event that occurred in 1971, and be brave enough to tell us her story. I praise the fact that she could over come all these obstacles in life and be how she is now. It is truly astonishing.
I just hate that she voiced what was going on to so many deaf ears and no one listened or believed her until she was in her teen years. I would hope in todays society that this would never happen and people are now more than ever willing to give children a voice, listen to them, and investigate. I wonder if this happened to Barbara now, would the abuse and neglect been stopped sooner.
I would so recommend this book but be prepared for a shocking, emotional and heart wrenching story. I hope Barbara knows now her own self worth and wish she would have known it her entire life.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies
Aug 13, 2018
"Watched #TheMeg. Suggest renaming it #TheMeh." This is what I posted on Twitter after coming out of the movie theater. How do you bland-ify a movie about a gigantic prehistoric shark? Well, you hire Jon Turteltaub as the director, and cast Jason Statham as the lead for starters. Then you methodically go through and remove everything that made the book work so well except for the giant shark. Because, really, who needs the human drama at all? Gigantic shark should carry it through, right? RIGHT?!
I mean just for starters, Jonas from the book, as just a regular old submersible pilot obviously wasn't cool enough. He needs to be a rescue diver. As soon as I realized that was one of the changes they made, I pretty much knew the movie was screwed. Jonas wasn't the only problem with the characters either. The little girl grated on my nerves because hey, every summer movie needs a cheeky kid with unrealistic dialogue in it, right? I could go on, but you get my point.
Anyways, I had paid for all three of us to see it, and we were watching it in 3D, so I figured I would still get some entertainment from it. I was definitely gonna have at least a few shots of the shark coming straight at me, right? They had to have planned to shoot this in 3D, knowing the amount of people like me that would want to see it. Nope. We get a ball flying at our face in one case, and one or two other instances where the 3D actually worked. That was it.
Being honest, there were some fun scenes. They were entirely predictable, but still fun. (The best scenes in the movie are shown in the trailer, by the way.) I jumped a few times, but I'm the type of person who would jump if I saw Elmo walk on unexpectedly on Sesame Street, so take that with a grain of salt.
Overall? The dialogue was cut-and-paste, the characters were almost completely lacking in any traits that made them not cliche characters. The shark was okay. The price I paid for 3D was completely not worth it. Rent the original Jaws. It's better. If you are craving some silliness, rent the original Deep Blue Sea. Its better too.
The Meg wasn't awful. I would have actually preferred to hate it, I think. It was just completely forgettable, and for a movie about a gigantic prehistoric shark, I think that's the worst possible feeling to be left with.
I mean just for starters, Jonas from the book, as just a regular old submersible pilot obviously wasn't cool enough. He needs to be a rescue diver. As soon as I realized that was one of the changes they made, I pretty much knew the movie was screwed. Jonas wasn't the only problem with the characters either. The little girl grated on my nerves because hey, every summer movie needs a cheeky kid with unrealistic dialogue in it, right? I could go on, but you get my point.
Anyways, I had paid for all three of us to see it, and we were watching it in 3D, so I figured I would still get some entertainment from it. I was definitely gonna have at least a few shots of the shark coming straight at me, right? They had to have planned to shoot this in 3D, knowing the amount of people like me that would want to see it. Nope. We get a ball flying at our face in one case, and one or two other instances where the 3D actually worked. That was it.
Being honest, there were some fun scenes. They were entirely predictable, but still fun. (The best scenes in the movie are shown in the trailer, by the way.) I jumped a few times, but I'm the type of person who would jump if I saw Elmo walk on unexpectedly on Sesame Street, so take that with a grain of salt.
Overall? The dialogue was cut-and-paste, the characters were almost completely lacking in any traits that made them not cliche characters. The shark was okay. The price I paid for 3D was completely not worth it. Rent the original Jaws. It's better. If you are craving some silliness, rent the original Deep Blue Sea. Its better too.
The Meg wasn't awful. I would have actually preferred to hate it, I think. It was just completely forgettable, and for a movie about a gigantic prehistoric shark, I think that's the worst possible feeling to be left with.
Meg (47 KP) rated The Cruel Prince in Books
Sep 11, 2018 (Updated Sep 11, 2018)
Characters (2 more)
Tropes
Romance
Good but not amazing
Contains spoilers, click to show
3.5/5 stars
So I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. It took a while to pick up and get properly into the plot line, the first 40% took me ages to get through but I ended up finishing the last 45% or so in one sitting. The book was fast paced and well written, however I found the language to be very basic in places, I would have liked a little more sophistication or development in the writing. For me it felt more like a children’s book than a young adult in terms of the writing style and vocabulary.
The plot was good, predictable in places which I expected considering I’ve read so many YA fantasy, many of the tropes and plot twists are similar. There was still an element of surprise when it was most important and I still found myself enjoying the book even when I knew what was coming.
I found some of the characters to be quite two dimensional and in all honesty I wasn’t fond of many of them and didn’t have the same attachment to the characters that I usually would in other books. I found it predictable that Cardan would not be a true villain and that Dain was not as he seems, the characterisation of Cardan is typical to that of YA fantasy; misunderstood, mysterious and handsome boy that is cruel but somehow every reader seems to love him. I couldn’t understand how Black could make the reader hate him to such a strong capacity and then completely turn it around within a few chapters. It seems unrealistic to me that Jude, who is such a strong minded and brutal character herself, would instantly forget all the pain and anger than Cardan put her through, as soon as she gets an indication that the only reason he did it is because he likes her. To me, that incredibly weakens her character and undermines her whole character development; I dislike when authors weaken their female protagonists with an unnecessary romance.
I would have liked a little more character development for Vivi and Oriana, both of whom I really liked by the end of the book.
All in all, I think I would continue with the rest of the series, but I hope that The Wicked King is a bit better written and we get more from the other characters.
So I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. It took a while to pick up and get properly into the plot line, the first 40% took me ages to get through but I ended up finishing the last 45% or so in one sitting. The book was fast paced and well written, however I found the language to be very basic in places, I would have liked a little more sophistication or development in the writing. For me it felt more like a children’s book than a young adult in terms of the writing style and vocabulary.
The plot was good, predictable in places which I expected considering I’ve read so many YA fantasy, many of the tropes and plot twists are similar. There was still an element of surprise when it was most important and I still found myself enjoying the book even when I knew what was coming.
I found some of the characters to be quite two dimensional and in all honesty I wasn’t fond of many of them and didn’t have the same attachment to the characters that I usually would in other books. I found it predictable that Cardan would not be a true villain and that Dain was not as he seems, the characterisation of Cardan is typical to that of YA fantasy; misunderstood, mysterious and handsome boy that is cruel but somehow every reader seems to love him. I couldn’t understand how Black could make the reader hate him to such a strong capacity and then completely turn it around within a few chapters. It seems unrealistic to me that Jude, who is such a strong minded and brutal character herself, would instantly forget all the pain and anger than Cardan put her through, as soon as she gets an indication that the only reason he did it is because he likes her. To me, that incredibly weakens her character and undermines her whole character development; I dislike when authors weaken their female protagonists with an unnecessary romance.
I would have liked a little more character development for Vivi and Oriana, both of whom I really liked by the end of the book.
All in all, I think I would continue with the rest of the series, but I hope that The Wicked King is a bit better written and we get more from the other characters.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Office Christmas Party (2016) in Movies
Oct 13, 2018
Fun Holiday Film
A Branch Manager of a struggling tech company looks to throw the mother of all parties to help recruit a major client. He has to do it under the nose of his jerk sister who is the CEO of the company.
Acting: 10
Stellar cast all around, each of them bringing a different type of hilarity to the film. Kate McKinnon is my personal favorite, playing the role of Office Manager Mary Winetoss. Her against-the-grain role makes you cringe and laugh at the same time.
Jennifer Aniston plays Carol Vanstone, the CEO you love to hate. Aniston, typically an innocent good girl, is actually quite good at being bad. One scene in particular has her squaring up with a little girl in a lounge and it’s easily one of the best parts of the film.
Beginning: 7
Pretty plain lift-off as you are introduced to the majority of the players in the film. It’s not the greatest start, but it still has its moments. Ten minutes was enough to make me want to see more.
Characters: 10
Office Christmas Party would fall short without hilarious characters like Vanstone and Winetoss. They keep the narrative interesting and the party entertaining. There’s random cameos, a crazy black DJ, and a nutty pimp. This film has it all!
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 4
Easily one of the film’s weak spots. The film’s goal is to throw a huge party for a potential client and hope the CEO doesn’t find out. When you think about it, there’s not too much room for conflict here, at least not enough to raise concern. If you go into the film with that in mind, you’ll have a much better time.
Genre: 8
Memorability: 6
There are quite a few fun moments that ultimately save the film. They don’t hit you like machine gun fire, rather they are more sporadic hence the lower score. I did walk away with some good quotable lines that cracked me up (“Something’s happening in my diaper"!).
Pace: 5
Plot: 8
Resolution: 6
Overall: 74
As I’m sitting here watching Olivia Munn and Jason Bateman do their dance routine in giant snowman costumes, I can’t help but think that a few tweaks here and there could have really made this film a classic. I enjoyed Office Christmas Party and have no problem adding it to my holiday rotation. If you’re looking to expand out of the feel good, innocent Christmas films of the year, this definitely one to check out.
Acting: 10
Stellar cast all around, each of them bringing a different type of hilarity to the film. Kate McKinnon is my personal favorite, playing the role of Office Manager Mary Winetoss. Her against-the-grain role makes you cringe and laugh at the same time.
Jennifer Aniston plays Carol Vanstone, the CEO you love to hate. Aniston, typically an innocent good girl, is actually quite good at being bad. One scene in particular has her squaring up with a little girl in a lounge and it’s easily one of the best parts of the film.
Beginning: 7
Pretty plain lift-off as you are introduced to the majority of the players in the film. It’s not the greatest start, but it still has its moments. Ten minutes was enough to make me want to see more.
Characters: 10
Office Christmas Party would fall short without hilarious characters like Vanstone and Winetoss. They keep the narrative interesting and the party entertaining. There’s random cameos, a crazy black DJ, and a nutty pimp. This film has it all!
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 4
Easily one of the film’s weak spots. The film’s goal is to throw a huge party for a potential client and hope the CEO doesn’t find out. When you think about it, there’s not too much room for conflict here, at least not enough to raise concern. If you go into the film with that in mind, you’ll have a much better time.
Genre: 8
Memorability: 6
There are quite a few fun moments that ultimately save the film. They don’t hit you like machine gun fire, rather they are more sporadic hence the lower score. I did walk away with some good quotable lines that cracked me up (“Something’s happening in my diaper"!).
Pace: 5
Plot: 8
Resolution: 6
Overall: 74
As I’m sitting here watching Olivia Munn and Jason Bateman do their dance routine in giant snowman costumes, I can’t help but think that a few tweaks here and there could have really made this film a classic. I enjoyed Office Christmas Party and have no problem adding it to my holiday rotation. If you’re looking to expand out of the feel good, innocent Christmas films of the year, this definitely one to check out.