Lovestruck Choose Your Romance
Games, Entertainment and Stickers
App
Lovestruck is your portal to the greatest interactive romance stories! Your happily ever after may...
Vegas Slots - Farm, Fruit, Casino, Pirates, Egypt, etc!
Games and Entertainment
App
The #1 Video Slot Machine available on the App Store. Spin the Reels on your very own set of Vegas...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Cousins in Books
Dec 21, 2020
Mildred Story cut ties with all of her children twenty-four years prior. All of her children swear they have no idea what they did to be cut off. However, when Mildred's grandchild receive a letter from Mildred inviting them to stay and work on her island, her grandchildren are a little suspicious but end up going. However, when they decide to try to figure out the mystery, things take a dangerous turn.
The plot really reeled me in. I love a good mystery, so The Cousins was right up my alley. While the story did flow together really well, I felt that the pacing was a bit on the slow side. It wasn't painfully slow, but it made it where The Cousins wasn't one of those books where you can't put it down. I guess I was just hoping for more action. There were a few plot twists which were a bit unpredictable which was enjoyable. The setting and world building were done nicely. It was easy to feel like I was on the island with everything that was going on. I enjoyed the flashbacks from Mildred's children - Adam, Anders, Archer, and Allison. I felt like there were no cliff hangers and that all my questions were answered by the end of the book. I suppose McManus could make a sequel from this book, but I think that this book would be better left as a standalone.
The characters in The Cousins were written decently enough although I never really cared too much for any one character. I just had a hard time relating to any of the characters, so it was hard to really care for them. Milly came across as being too standoffish and stuck up a lot of the time. While I liked that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, sometimes I felt like she went a bit overboard. Jonah was an alright character, but I felt like he lacked enough depth to really like him. I just felt like there was something missing with his backstory. Aubrey was an okay character too, but I felt like she wasn't much of a main character. I would have liked to see more of Aubrey because I felt like she didn't really add anything to the story and that her character was kind of pointless. Aubrey's character felt more like a filler in the book. I would have also liked to see more scenes with Mildred as she isn't in many. Knowing the whole story, I can see why she wasn't as present, but it would have been nice to at least have her in the book a bit more.
Trigger warnings for The Cousins include swearing, murder, death, minor violence, drinking (including underage), miscarriage, and teenage pregnancy,
Overall, The Cousins does have an interesting plot despite the execution. The world building is done fantastically, and the plot twists are plentiful. I would recommend The Cousins by Karen M. McManus to those aged 15+ that like mysteries.
Marine Navigation - Canada - Offline Gps Nautical Charts for Fishing, Sailing and Boating
Navigation and Travel
App
GPS Marine Charts App offers access to charts covering Canada (derived from CHS data). Only marine...
VoiceMap: GPS Audio Tours with Offline Maps
Travel and Entertainment
App
Experience the magic of GPS audio walks, cycles, drives and even boat rides with VoiceMap tours in...
Cupcakes For All
Food & Drink and Entertainment
App
A collection of 109 brilliant cookery lesson videos on how to make great Ciupcakes Lessons include:...
Dr Dystopian (526 KP) rated The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in Video Games
Jan 8, 2018
The main storyline is engaging and takes a fair amount of time to accomplish however it is the build quests, the minor missions and the sheer number of caves, buildings, dungeons and so forth that can be found all across the map which is where this game truly shines.
The combat mechanics are great, not overly simplistic and not too challenging but a decent happy medium. The graphics for the game, for the time, were about as good as they get.
True to Bethesda the game is not without its issues, bizarre graphical glitches, dragons flying backwards in game breaking mechanics can sometimes lead to frustration especially if you've played for several hours without saving!
The skill tree has also been completely altered from Oblivions game and whilst some may feel it is overly simplistic it does allow newbies to get to grips with the game much easier than its predecessor.
All in all its a game that is hard to put down once you start and with dlc that provides additional content, including a whole new island, this is one of those games worth every single penny.
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) in Movies
Feb 11, 2019
It follows the lives of Hiccup and his dragon Toothless. When the dragons and Hiccup's clan start to outgrow their island, they start the search for a new place.
A villain, out to destroy dragons, sets a plan and trap to capture Toothless.
In escaping and foiling the villain they discover they are growing up and moving on. Do the two go their separate ways and do they find what they are ultimately looking for?
I loved this colourful film. The CGI is so good I questioned it wasn't just a live film in a real setting!
The characters are loveable, even some that you might like to give a good shake too!
I have to admit, in the last quarter of an hour I lost count of the number of times and ways I cried - with sadness, with relief and from happiness.
I love how it shows you sometimes have to do something that feels difficult if you know it's the right thing to do and makes someone else happy. I loved how it depicted a disabled boy but that didn't stop him from achieving what he set his heart to. I love how it shows that everyone effectually has to grow up, it isn't necessarily easy, but you do come out a stronger and well rounded person for it.
A lovely family film well worth a watch, even if you haven't seen the other films in the series. The story kept my attention throughout and I really rooted for them and I loved the ending!
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated While You Sleep in Books
May 20, 2019
Set on a small island off the coast of Scotland, Merritt immediately creates an atmospherically gloomy environment. The main character, Zoe Adams, is an introverted artist who’s taking some much needed time away from her family in a lovely Victorian Era house in a town where she knows no one. Unbeknownst to her, the house has a reputation. Soon, things start to get a little rough, and the vacation turns into a nightmare. The question is, is there a phantom lending truth to the house’s status, or is there more than meets the eye?
When it comes to characters, Merritt’s ability to write dynamic and three-dimensional characters is spot on. I found myself becoming attached to a few while loathing others. The small town feel is replicated in the behaviors and actions of several characters, which tends to be something I’m wary of, being from a small town myself.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s one I’d like to own, and one I’ll definitely recommend to fellow horror fiends. I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
http://theghastlygrimoire.com/2019/05/10/book-review-while-you-sleep-by-stephanie-merritt/
I actually received this book via a Goodreads giveaway, which was super cool!!
Back to the review. Even though the concept was interesting, I found it difficult to get attached to either the story line or even any of the characters. They did things that may have seemed motivated to certain people, but I didn't really get why.
I wish there was more of an in depth history as to why all of these things were happening. I found myself asking: Why does the day and night last so long? Why did the people come to the island of Bliss? Why is it called Bliss? How does the world even work? Why do the islanders only go to the dessert during the night time? Does the desert have night? Why are there people who stay in the desert, but not everyone?
I feel like a lot of these answers could have been explored more in the story, but were either only slightly glanced on only to have the characters brush it off or were not considered at all.
I have a lot of mixed feelings because even though it was a quick read with an interesting concept, it didn't leave me feeling anything. And though I may remember some of the plot points, they didn't strike me as particularly memorable in any way.
I enjoyed this book as I was reading it, which is good. I just wish we had gotten more of the why of everything that was happening.