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ClareR (6162 KP) rated Dear Child in Books
Feb 26, 2023
I felt emotionally drained after finishing this book. There are so many twists! Just when you think you know what’s happened and what’s going to happen, the rules change and something else happens! I couldn’t stop listening - even if I’d wanted to!
Lena disappeared 14 years ago - without a trace. But her parents haven’t given up on her. So when they hear about a woman who has been involved in a traffic accident, they rush to the hospital, hoping that it’s their daughter. She matches the description.
Lena has lived in a windowless shack for 14 years, following every order her husband demands. When to eat, when to sleep, when to use the toilet. Their two children have never left their home, kept safe, hidden away from the rest of the world.
Lena hopes that her nightmare will have ended now that she has escaped, but it seems there is no end in sight.
Dear Child is a tense, dark read. The violence isn’t gratuitous, I felt, and what violence there was moved the story on. What particularly stayed with me was a feeling of uncertainty. Even when Lena’s identity is determined, I was never quite sure if she was who she said she was, and I don’t think she knew either.
If you like a slower paced thriller with more than a hint of menace, this will be the book for you.
Lena disappeared 14 years ago - without a trace. But her parents haven’t given up on her. So when they hear about a woman who has been involved in a traffic accident, they rush to the hospital, hoping that it’s their daughter. She matches the description.
Lena has lived in a windowless shack for 14 years, following every order her husband demands. When to eat, when to sleep, when to use the toilet. Their two children have never left their home, kept safe, hidden away from the rest of the world.
Lena hopes that her nightmare will have ended now that she has escaped, but it seems there is no end in sight.
Dear Child is a tense, dark read. The violence isn’t gratuitous, I felt, and what violence there was moved the story on. What particularly stayed with me was a feeling of uncertainty. Even when Lena’s identity is determined, I was never quite sure if she was who she said she was, and I don’t think she knew either.
If you like a slower paced thriller with more than a hint of menace, this will be the book for you.
Loveborne
7.5
Rate It
Book
A first shot at love and a last chance at living. Ever since the Loveborne virus wiped out half...
Contemporary Science Fiction Post Apocalyptic MM Romance
ClareR (6162 KP) rated The Silence In Between in Books
Dec 2, 2024
The Silence In Between is a dual timeline story. In 1961, Lisette takes her sick baby to a West Berlin hospital for treatment. She returns to her home in the East of the city to wash, change clothes and have some sleep, and the next morning she wakes to find the Wall has been erected overnight. She can’t go back for her baby. This traumatic event causes her to lose her voice - which takes her back to the war and the last time she lost her voice.
Lisette lived in Berlin with her mother, and during the last days of WW2, she experienced what many women did at the hands of the Russians. This is brutal, and explains a lot about why Lisette is the mother she is to her daughter Elly.
Elly knows that the only way to make her mother happy is to get the baby back - no matter the cost. She’s a brave, resourceful young woman, who takes death defying risks for her mother.
There’s a lot of hope in this book of survival and loss. Elly is a symbol of determination - she never gives up, and her family is at the heart of all her actions.
The two female characters, mother and daughter, are exceptional women. The history behind their lives has been well researched and is believable, and their story has stayed with me well after finishing this book.
Highly recommended.
Lisette lived in Berlin with her mother, and during the last days of WW2, she experienced what many women did at the hands of the Russians. This is brutal, and explains a lot about why Lisette is the mother she is to her daughter Elly.
Elly knows that the only way to make her mother happy is to get the baby back - no matter the cost. She’s a brave, resourceful young woman, who takes death defying risks for her mother.
There’s a lot of hope in this book of survival and loss. Elly is a symbol of determination - she never gives up, and her family is at the heart of all her actions.
The two female characters, mother and daughter, are exceptional women. The history behind their lives has been well researched and is believable, and their story has stayed with me well after finishing this book.
Highly recommended.
The Dream Collector (Sabrine & Sigmund Freud #1)
Book
The Dream Collector immerses the reader into the exciting milieu of late 19th Century Paris when art...
Literary Fiction Historical Fiction
The Cameo Keeper (Tofana #4)
Book
Rome 1644: A Novel of Love, Power, and Poison Remember tonight... for it is the beginning of...
Historical Fiction Renaissance Giulia Tofana
Holiday Huddle (Appleton Falls #1)
8.0
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Book
Wow. I did not expect to run into Brooklyn Kings retired football star Harte McKinney in my hometown...
Contemporary MM Romance Seasonal
Little Harbour (Scandinavian Comfort #1)
Book
This is a story about life and death, because there was never anyone else for Jens. He had been with...
Contemporary MM Romance
Darren (1599 KP) rated 28 Days Later (2002) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Verdict: Modern Zombie Gem
Story: 28 Days Later starts by showing a group of activists breaking into a laboratory where chimps are forced to watch some of the most gruesome sites in human history. This was designed to create pure rage and when the chimps are released an epidemic starts. 28 Days Later (title drop) we meet Jim (Murphy) who wakes up in a hospital, alone he searches looking for help but the hospital, streets and everywhere is empty. Wonder around the empty London Jim finds a church filled with infected that chase him before getting save by Mark (Huntley) and Selena (Harris) who also fill in the blanks of what happened.
Jim finds out the harsh reality of the world now but meeting Frank (Gleeson) and his daughter Hannah (Burns) gives them a chance to go to a radio signal left by the military. The group soon find the military holding up in a mansion lead by Major Henry West (Eccleston) but not everything is as it seems.
28 Days Later brings the modern infected zombie film to life in one of the best story ideas we have seen. It is good to see a story that the infection can only be spread rather than you turn when you die which is big change to all we have seen. The journey itself is been there seen that but what we get is a revenge film with infected around once we meet the military. This shows us that the enemy could come from all direction and our characters are never going to be safe in the world now. This is easily one of the best zombie based films in recent years. (9/10)
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Actor Review
Cillian Murphy: Jim waking up alone in a hospital he wonders the empty city before being found by other survivors, with a group he heads to the military safe zone where he ends up having to fight to save the rest of his group from not only infected but the soldiers. Cillian gives a great performance and this put him on the map for bigger roles. (9/10)
jim
Naomie Harris: Selena the nonsense survivor who takes no prisoners which we see from the moment her fellow survivor gets infected. Naomie gives a good performance showing that she was always going to be in bigger films. (8/10)
Brendan Gleeson: Frank caring father who has waited for support before taking his daughter to a radio signal he has been hearing. This character may only be a supporting character but his final moments are one of the most memorable turns in this genre history. Brendan does a good job in what is just a supporting performance. (8/10)
Christopher Eccleston: Major Henry West who is running the military unit that has been calling for the survivors but his motives are not what they seem. Christopher gives a good performance in the role. (7/10)
Support Cast: 28 Days Later doesn’t have the biggest supporting cast we have a couple of other survivors as well as the soldiers in the military unit. They all help as they show us what the characters are capable off.
Director Review: Danny Boyle – Danny does a great job directing this zombie classic that is easily one of the best in the genre. (9/10)
Horror: 28 Days Later uses plenty of horror elements with survival horror shinning through. (10/10)
Music: 28 Days Later uses brilliant scores to build the tension up through the scenes. (9/10)
Settings: 28 Days Later uses the settings really well to show how empty busy places could be when the world comes to an end. (9/10)
Special Effects: 28 Days Later uses great special effects with the infected creation. (9/10)
Suggestion: 28 Days Later is one to watch for every horror fan out there. (Horror Fans Watch)
Best Part: Suspense building.
Worst Part: Nothing
Action Scene Of The Film: Jim breaks into the mansion
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Kill Of The Film: Frank
Scariest Scene: Jim’s returns home
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Has one sequel with talks of another always around.
Post Credits Scene: There is the alternative ending
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $82 Million
Budget: $8 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
Tagline: His fear began when he woke up alone. His terror began when he realised he wasn’t.
Trivia: The scene where Jim and Selena celebrate with Frank and Hannah was shot on September 11, 2001. Danny Boyle said it felt extremely strange to shoot a celebratory scene on that particular day.
Overall: Brilliant Infected Film
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/03/14/28-days-later-2002/
Story: 28 Days Later starts by showing a group of activists breaking into a laboratory where chimps are forced to watch some of the most gruesome sites in human history. This was designed to create pure rage and when the chimps are released an epidemic starts. 28 Days Later (title drop) we meet Jim (Murphy) who wakes up in a hospital, alone he searches looking for help but the hospital, streets and everywhere is empty. Wonder around the empty London Jim finds a church filled with infected that chase him before getting save by Mark (Huntley) and Selena (Harris) who also fill in the blanks of what happened.
Jim finds out the harsh reality of the world now but meeting Frank (Gleeson) and his daughter Hannah (Burns) gives them a chance to go to a radio signal left by the military. The group soon find the military holding up in a mansion lead by Major Henry West (Eccleston) but not everything is as it seems.
28 Days Later brings the modern infected zombie film to life in one of the best story ideas we have seen. It is good to see a story that the infection can only be spread rather than you turn when you die which is big change to all we have seen. The journey itself is been there seen that but what we get is a revenge film with infected around once we meet the military. This shows us that the enemy could come from all direction and our characters are never going to be safe in the world now. This is easily one of the best zombie based films in recent years. (9/10)
REPORT THIS AD
Actor Review
Cillian Murphy: Jim waking up alone in a hospital he wonders the empty city before being found by other survivors, with a group he heads to the military safe zone where he ends up having to fight to save the rest of his group from not only infected but the soldiers. Cillian gives a great performance and this put him on the map for bigger roles. (9/10)
jim
Naomie Harris: Selena the nonsense survivor who takes no prisoners which we see from the moment her fellow survivor gets infected. Naomie gives a good performance showing that she was always going to be in bigger films. (8/10)
Brendan Gleeson: Frank caring father who has waited for support before taking his daughter to a radio signal he has been hearing. This character may only be a supporting character but his final moments are one of the most memorable turns in this genre history. Brendan does a good job in what is just a supporting performance. (8/10)
Christopher Eccleston: Major Henry West who is running the military unit that has been calling for the survivors but his motives are not what they seem. Christopher gives a good performance in the role. (7/10)
Support Cast: 28 Days Later doesn’t have the biggest supporting cast we have a couple of other survivors as well as the soldiers in the military unit. They all help as they show us what the characters are capable off.
Director Review: Danny Boyle – Danny does a great job directing this zombie classic that is easily one of the best in the genre. (9/10)
Horror: 28 Days Later uses plenty of horror elements with survival horror shinning through. (10/10)
Music: 28 Days Later uses brilliant scores to build the tension up through the scenes. (9/10)
Settings: 28 Days Later uses the settings really well to show how empty busy places could be when the world comes to an end. (9/10)
Special Effects: 28 Days Later uses great special effects with the infected creation. (9/10)
Suggestion: 28 Days Later is one to watch for every horror fan out there. (Horror Fans Watch)
Best Part: Suspense building.
Worst Part: Nothing
Action Scene Of The Film: Jim breaks into the mansion
REPORT THIS AD
Kill Of The Film: Frank
Scariest Scene: Jim’s returns home
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Has one sequel with talks of another always around.
Post Credits Scene: There is the alternative ending
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $82 Million
Budget: $8 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
Tagline: His fear began when he woke up alone. His terror began when he realised he wasn’t.
Trivia: The scene where Jim and Selena celebrate with Frank and Hannah was shot on September 11, 2001. Danny Boyle said it felt extremely strange to shoot a celebratory scene on that particular day.
Overall: Brilliant Infected Film
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/03/14/28-days-later-2002/
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Night Olivia Fell in Books
Mar 1, 2019
Not just a typical "mom seeks the truth about what happened to her daughter" book.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald could have just been a typical "mom seeks the truth about what happened to her daughter" book except it was not. Christina McDonald's writing makes you connect with the characters, root for Abi, a single mom whose entire life revolved around her daughter, Olivia, and makes it a "cannot put down" book.
Abi wakes in the middle of the night to hear every mother worst fear - her studious, sensible daughter had an accident. At the hospital she learns Olivia fell off a bridge, is braindead, and, oh yeah, she is pregnant. Abi's word turns upside down and she will not stop at anything to find out what happened that night on the bridge.
Using flashbacks McDonald flips back and forth between the present and the months leading up to Olivia's fall. This technique lets us see how in just a few months a person can change by keeping secrets and not letting others in.
I was not sure until the end of the story what really happened to Olivia. This is a suspenseful mystery that sucks you in from the very beginning.
I have added Christina McDonald to my "authors to read" list.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 3/1/19.
The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald could have just been a typical "mom seeks the truth about what happened to her daughter" book except it was not. Christina McDonald's writing makes you connect with the characters, root for Abi, a single mom whose entire life revolved around her daughter, Olivia, and makes it a "cannot put down" book.
Abi wakes in the middle of the night to hear every mother worst fear - her studious, sensible daughter had an accident. At the hospital she learns Olivia fell off a bridge, is braindead, and, oh yeah, she is pregnant. Abi's word turns upside down and she will not stop at anything to find out what happened that night on the bridge.
Using flashbacks McDonald flips back and forth between the present and the months leading up to Olivia's fall. This technique lets us see how in just a few months a person can change by keeping secrets and not letting others in.
I was not sure until the end of the story what really happened to Olivia. This is a suspenseful mystery that sucks you in from the very beginning.
I have added Christina McDonald to my "authors to read" list.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 3/1/19.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2544 KP) rated The First Rule (Elvis Cole, #13; Joe Pike, #2) in Books
Dec 13, 2018
Revenge – Pike Style
There have been a string of home invasions in Los Angeles, but the latest target was Frank Meyer. He and his family have been found murdered in the aftermath, and their nanny has been rushed to the hospital, barely clinging to life. However, this time, the gang behind the crimes has made a big mistake. Frank was one of Joe Pike's men from his days as a mercenary. Even though the two haven't spoken in years, Pike still feels that loyalty and sets out to avenge his friend. Can he figure out why they were targeted and who is responsible?
I tend to think of Joe Pike as the strong, silent type, probably because he famously doesn't like to talk. The plot of this book shows us a different side of the character. He's still not a talker, but he is much more active and driven in his quest to avenge his friend. Unfortunately, the result didn't quite work for me. Part of it is me since I'm not a fan of revenge stories in general. The book is dark and violent, even for this series, and the twists weren't as good, some of them feeling forced into the story. Since it was the next in the series for me to read, I'm not sorry I read it, but it isn't author Robert Crais at this best. I suspect the fans who love the character of Joe Pike will enjoy this book more than I did.
I tend to think of Joe Pike as the strong, silent type, probably because he famously doesn't like to talk. The plot of this book shows us a different side of the character. He's still not a talker, but he is much more active and driven in his quest to avenge his friend. Unfortunately, the result didn't quite work for me. Part of it is me since I'm not a fan of revenge stories in general. The book is dark and violent, even for this series, and the twists weren't as good, some of them feeling forced into the story. Since it was the next in the series for me to read, I'm not sorry I read it, but it isn't author Robert Crais at this best. I suspect the fans who love the character of Joe Pike will enjoy this book more than I did.