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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated American Idiot by Green Day in Music
Nov 2, 2017
Soda Pop & Ritalin
For some reason people like to slag Green Day, they are the butt of a lot of punk music jokes and to be honest I do get why. I understand why people see their use of makeup and their whole zany persona as a farce and don’t take them seriously, but no matter what you think of them in general, it is hard to deny that their seventh album, ‘American Idiot,’ perfectly captured the zeitgeist at the time, especially in the US. The album was an unexpected maturation of any of the band’s previous efforts and capitalised on their potential. When Billie Joe Armstrong wrote the album, he chose to channel his feelings into a cast of various characters and use a concept album format to display the emotions he and his peers felt at the time. I would argue the fact that American Idiot is definitively a concept album, as it doesn’t actually tell a cohesive story with a beginning, middle and end, instead opting for the approach of latching on to a certain feeling, whether it be rage or love and assigning that to a specific character and then throwing all of these characters into the mixing pot together. We hear the album from the perspective of the protagonist in the story, Jesus Of Suburbia, a young man who is sick of a broken system and feels disillusioned and uninspired by everything that he sees around him. The reason that so many people felt this way at the time of this album’s release, 2004, was due to the Bush administration’s misguidance and outright lies and due to the fallout from the 9/11 terrorists attacks that has never really gone away in America since the incident occurred. So, fed up of his suburban, dead end town Jesus leaves home and begins a quest of self discovery that involves a great deal of substance abuse, which ends up leading to the creation of an alter ego residing in Jesus’ mind who calls himself Saint Jimmy. Think Tyler Durden in fight club, but if he had a Mohican and ear stretchers. Jimmy leads Jesus on the thinly veiled path to revolution, which simply turns out to be a path to self destruction and eventually when Jesus hits rock bottom, (just like Fight Club,) he forces Jimmy to commit suicide and rids his mind of him. At the end of the album though Jesus’ fate is left ambiguous, but what is clear is that his journey has taken its toll on him, which is signified by the fact that he forgets the name of the girl that he fell in and out of love with during his spiritual quest. This album perfectly captured the mindset of a generation of kids forgotten by the system that was put in place to help them grow. American Idiot gives the man on the street a well informed, unified voice and actually injects some form of leadership into the political and social landscape at the time, even if it probably isn’t the form of leadership that your parents had in mind, or the government had put in place for you. A wake up call that is essential and still relevant today, this album and its story and character carries the important message that we shouldn’t settle for any less than what we deserve and what we deserve is often a lot better than what we end up getting. This album is pretty much the American version of Never Mind The Bollocks.
Jamie (131 KP) rated Red Sister in Books
May 18, 2017
Excellent writing style (2 more)
Well developed characters
Fascinating world and magic system
A fun dark fantasy with an interesting world
Nona has a natural ability to fight and at nine years old she’s already convicted of murder. She finds herself whisked away to a special covenant that trains young girls to become assassins, and herein lies the base of the plot and all I can say is WOW. I was absolutely blown away by Red Sister.
The world building in this book is phenomenal and I want to know so much more about it. The sun is dying, the planet is slowly being enclosed in ice and with it humanity is changing, becoming desperate and looking to prophecies. There is a focus on the four races, each with unique talents in combat. The magic system is complex and is split between two schools of magic, and there is a plethora of diverse specializations for both.
On top of the detailed world, the book also nailed atmosphere. I felt a sense of wonder as Nona learned not just about fighting, but about magic and the world around her through her classes. It gave me a nostalgic feeling about a certain school of magic that I had also enjoyed in the past. I actually liked Nona a great deal. Even though she is a tiny little ass kicker she’s also extremely flawed and has a difficult time dealing with interpersonal relationships. Having a heroine who wasn’t perfect in every way was really rather refreshing. Experiencing her school days as she befriended other girls at the covenant was just plain fun and I liked most of the characters.
As Nona’s opinions of certain friends fluctuates as the story goes along, I found my opinions of those same characters changing as well. Does Nona hate this girl because she’s truly awful? Or is it because of petty jealousy and pressure from friends that her view of this other girl is distorted? I found these subtle details about Nona’s change of heart to be clever – it really shows how her character develops over the course of the story while also making me as a reader realize just how invested I was in the character.
Oh and of course, this book is full of action. Lawrence truly has a gift with words and reading descriptions of action sequences was exhilarating. The fights are extremely violent and rather brutal. I love the way this author writes. I couldn’t get enough of it!
I think the only thing that I found frustrating was how slow the characters were to seek help when faced with danger much larger than themselves. There were several points where it was obvious certain characters were up to no good, but no one ever went to the abbess or the other sisters with information. I’m talking about the kind of danger that can get someone killed. Even worse, several characters even mention to Nona that she should tell someone and she never does. I can kind of forgive the characters because all of them are young but it’s just frustrating because it feels intentional in order to draw out the story.
Overall, Red Sister has become both one of my favorite reads of the year and now one of my favorite fantasy books. I’m excited for the rest of the series and I’m very interested in exploring more of Lawrence’s work. I may have a new favorite author!
The world building in this book is phenomenal and I want to know so much more about it. The sun is dying, the planet is slowly being enclosed in ice and with it humanity is changing, becoming desperate and looking to prophecies. There is a focus on the four races, each with unique talents in combat. The magic system is complex and is split between two schools of magic, and there is a plethora of diverse specializations for both.
On top of the detailed world, the book also nailed atmosphere. I felt a sense of wonder as Nona learned not just about fighting, but about magic and the world around her through her classes. It gave me a nostalgic feeling about a certain school of magic that I had also enjoyed in the past. I actually liked Nona a great deal. Even though she is a tiny little ass kicker she’s also extremely flawed and has a difficult time dealing with interpersonal relationships. Having a heroine who wasn’t perfect in every way was really rather refreshing. Experiencing her school days as she befriended other girls at the covenant was just plain fun and I liked most of the characters.
As Nona’s opinions of certain friends fluctuates as the story goes along, I found my opinions of those same characters changing as well. Does Nona hate this girl because she’s truly awful? Or is it because of petty jealousy and pressure from friends that her view of this other girl is distorted? I found these subtle details about Nona’s change of heart to be clever – it really shows how her character develops over the course of the story while also making me as a reader realize just how invested I was in the character.
Oh and of course, this book is full of action. Lawrence truly has a gift with words and reading descriptions of action sequences was exhilarating. The fights are extremely violent and rather brutal. I love the way this author writes. I couldn’t get enough of it!
I think the only thing that I found frustrating was how slow the characters were to seek help when faced with danger much larger than themselves. There were several points where it was obvious certain characters were up to no good, but no one ever went to the abbess or the other sisters with information. I’m talking about the kind of danger that can get someone killed. Even worse, several characters even mention to Nona that she should tell someone and she never does. I can kind of forgive the characters because all of them are young but it’s just frustrating because it feels intentional in order to draw out the story.
Overall, Red Sister has become both one of my favorite reads of the year and now one of my favorite fantasy books. I’m excited for the rest of the series and I’m very interested in exploring more of Lawrence’s work. I may have a new favorite author!
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated The Marsh King's Daughter in Books
Aug 2, 2017
Originally reviewed on http://www.frommybookshelf.com
Helena Pelletier's life is more or less exactly what she wants: a husband and two daughters she loves deeply, a home business that keeps her busy during the days, her past a secret that she keeps hidden from everyone. Helena has worked hard for these things and she prides herself in her accomplishments, until the day her father escapes from prison and she immediately understands that her past is going to catch up to her, whether she wants it to or not. She also knows that the only way to keep her family safe and put her father back in prison is to find and deal with her father herself, since he was the one who trained her to live in the marshes of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he was keeping her mother captive after he had kidnapped her as a young girl.
With the main part of the story taking place over 24 hours "real time" with Helena tracking her father, the actual meat of the story all takes place in flashbacks as Helena thinks back on her childhood in the marshes of the UP and how her father treated her and her mother, who her father kidnapped as a young girl and made his wife. As she closes in on her father, she goes over various aspects of the only life she knew as a child, until her mother's past starts to catch up to her and Helena realizes that much of her life has been a lie perpetrated by both her father and mother and isn't exactly what they told her it was. As she grows older and finally starts to understand that even though this is the only life she's ever known, it may not be the life that either she or her mother deserves, and when she finally escapes her father's control she discovers that there is in fact an entire world she never knew about outside the marsh.
To be honest, the story of Helena's childhood is what really makes this book. Personally, I felt the entire portion of the book that is taking place in "real time" where Helena knows that she's the only one who can find her father, regardless of the large police force searching for him, and that she knows exactly where to look for him in the entire area surrounding her home and the prison he escaped from all seemed far to convenient, and only plausible in order to make this portion of the story move forward. Helena's memories of her childhood and the psychological aspects of being a child who has been raised in an extreme situation, but one that seems normal to her only because it's all that she knows, was fascinating. Her recollections of her father teaching her how to hunt and live in the wilderness, and her childhood idolization of him in this respect juxtaposed against her later feeling towards him as she starts to mature and gain some sense of adolescent independence, and her eventual discovery that her whole life has been based on lies and the kidnapping of her mother, was remarkable storytelling, and Karen Dionne delivers this entire sequence of events deftly and with sharp storytelling. While the "real time" story requires quite a hefty amount of suspension of disbelief, the background story well makes up for this and creates a truly mesmerizing and atmospheric story that will keep you up late into the night, turning the page for more.
Helena Pelletier's life is more or less exactly what she wants: a husband and two daughters she loves deeply, a home business that keeps her busy during the days, her past a secret that she keeps hidden from everyone. Helena has worked hard for these things and she prides herself in her accomplishments, until the day her father escapes from prison and she immediately understands that her past is going to catch up to her, whether she wants it to or not. She also knows that the only way to keep her family safe and put her father back in prison is to find and deal with her father herself, since he was the one who trained her to live in the marshes of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he was keeping her mother captive after he had kidnapped her as a young girl.
With the main part of the story taking place over 24 hours "real time" with Helena tracking her father, the actual meat of the story all takes place in flashbacks as Helena thinks back on her childhood in the marshes of the UP and how her father treated her and her mother, who her father kidnapped as a young girl and made his wife. As she closes in on her father, she goes over various aspects of the only life she knew as a child, until her mother's past starts to catch up to her and Helena realizes that much of her life has been a lie perpetrated by both her father and mother and isn't exactly what they told her it was. As she grows older and finally starts to understand that even though this is the only life she's ever known, it may not be the life that either she or her mother deserves, and when she finally escapes her father's control she discovers that there is in fact an entire world she never knew about outside the marsh.
To be honest, the story of Helena's childhood is what really makes this book. Personally, I felt the entire portion of the book that is taking place in "real time" where Helena knows that she's the only one who can find her father, regardless of the large police force searching for him, and that she knows exactly where to look for him in the entire area surrounding her home and the prison he escaped from all seemed far to convenient, and only plausible in order to make this portion of the story move forward. Helena's memories of her childhood and the psychological aspects of being a child who has been raised in an extreme situation, but one that seems normal to her only because it's all that she knows, was fascinating. Her recollections of her father teaching her how to hunt and live in the wilderness, and her childhood idolization of him in this respect juxtaposed against her later feeling towards him as she starts to mature and gain some sense of adolescent independence, and her eventual discovery that her whole life has been based on lies and the kidnapping of her mother, was remarkable storytelling, and Karen Dionne delivers this entire sequence of events deftly and with sharp storytelling. While the "real time" story requires quite a hefty amount of suspension of disbelief, the background story well makes up for this and creates a truly mesmerizing and atmospheric story that will keep you up late into the night, turning the page for more.
Synopsis: Learn to live, love, and lead courageously--as you boldly choose to trust God.
Whether you're facing struggles with singleness, the mounting challenges of marriage and motherhood, health issues, a financial crisis--God has equipped you to walk in freedom and confidence as you abide in Him, strengthened by His power and provision. Through the stories of eleven brave women of the Bible who made faith-filled choices that positioned them for success, LaTan Roland Murphy exhorts, encourages, and empowers women of all ages. With warmth and wit, she illustrates how you, like Deborah, Jael, Mary, and others, can look beyond your circumstances and lay hold of the courage needed to
· draw closer to Jesus when facing illness, isolation, or rejection;
· live and give generously, even amid financial hardship; and
· step out into faithful, fearless living as a wife, mother, friend or coworker--no matter the season of life or what lies ahead.
Thought-provoking study questions and an interactive journaling section will help take you even deeper in your quest for a more courageous, confident life, either on your own or with a group.
My Thoughts: What are you afraid of? Is it stepping out and doing what God has called you to do? Is it facing an illness, a death? Or maybe some other type of hardship or even a new venture in life. LaTan Roland Murphy has written an excellent book, using women of the Bible to help illustrate how we can overcome our fear and insecurities. In this study the reader will take a look into the lives of Deborah, The woman with the issue of blood, The widow with two coins, Jael, Abigail Bathsheba, just to name a couple.
This is a working book, the author takes you on a journey into each of these women's lives and has you search and see how they found the courage they needed to live their lives and accomplish what God intended for them to do.
I love the way she has written this book, You read a chapter, then the author has you read scripture and apply what you learned by answering questions at the end of each chapter. She has a style of writing that is easy to read and understand. You can follow along and immerse yourself in the book.
This can be a study you do alone, or in a group setting. I recommend this book for all Christian women to read, young or old, it will certainly draw you closer to God, and give you the courage to carry on.
LaTan Roland Murphy is an award-winning author and speaker with writing featured in HOAwomen magazine. She is the author of Becoming a Woman of Interior Elegance and coauthor of God's Provision in Tough Times. She is also the founder of The Colors of His Love Women's Conference. She and her husband, Joe, have three adult children and two delightful grandchildren. They live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Please visit her website at www.latanmurphy.com.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Whether you're facing struggles with singleness, the mounting challenges of marriage and motherhood, health issues, a financial crisis--God has equipped you to walk in freedom and confidence as you abide in Him, strengthened by His power and provision. Through the stories of eleven brave women of the Bible who made faith-filled choices that positioned them for success, LaTan Roland Murphy exhorts, encourages, and empowers women of all ages. With warmth and wit, she illustrates how you, like Deborah, Jael, Mary, and others, can look beyond your circumstances and lay hold of the courage needed to
· draw closer to Jesus when facing illness, isolation, or rejection;
· live and give generously, even amid financial hardship; and
· step out into faithful, fearless living as a wife, mother, friend or coworker--no matter the season of life or what lies ahead.
Thought-provoking study questions and an interactive journaling section will help take you even deeper in your quest for a more courageous, confident life, either on your own or with a group.
My Thoughts: What are you afraid of? Is it stepping out and doing what God has called you to do? Is it facing an illness, a death? Or maybe some other type of hardship or even a new venture in life. LaTan Roland Murphy has written an excellent book, using women of the Bible to help illustrate how we can overcome our fear and insecurities. In this study the reader will take a look into the lives of Deborah, The woman with the issue of blood, The widow with two coins, Jael, Abigail Bathsheba, just to name a couple.
This is a working book, the author takes you on a journey into each of these women's lives and has you search and see how they found the courage they needed to live their lives and accomplish what God intended for them to do.
I love the way she has written this book, You read a chapter, then the author has you read scripture and apply what you learned by answering questions at the end of each chapter. She has a style of writing that is easy to read and understand. You can follow along and immerse yourself in the book.
This can be a study you do alone, or in a group setting. I recommend this book for all Christian women to read, young or old, it will certainly draw you closer to God, and give you the courage to carry on.
LaTan Roland Murphy is an award-winning author and speaker with writing featured in HOAwomen magazine. She is the author of Becoming a Woman of Interior Elegance and coauthor of God's Provision in Tough Times. She is also the founder of The Colors of His Love Women's Conference. She and her husband, Joe, have three adult children and two delightful grandchildren. They live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Please visit her website at www.latanmurphy.com.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated You Should Have Left in Books
Jun 5, 2019
by author Daniel Kehlmann is imaginatively written in such a way that you’re reading a scriptwriter’s notes from his notebook, as he is writing them. The main character bares his soul about his life, his thoughts and dreams. Much of it is mundane everyday stuff, until you realise that what is being said actually has a very different meaning. Darker and more horrific than it at first may seem.
Writing his screenplay, and lying to his boss about his progress, the screenwriter takes his family, wife Susanna, and four-year old Esther to what he wants to be a writer’s retreat. Yeah, it does sound rather like The Shining. But even though there’s less of it, there’s even more to it… Stick with me. I’ll explain.
Things are not going as planned, for this unnamed writer. His marriage is on the rocks and his screenplay is failing. On top of that there are a lot of strange goings on he cannot explain. Odd things are happening in the house he’s renting via Airbnb. Maybe it’s haunted, or just tricks of light are playing with his mind giving him that illusion. Either way, it’s a slow descent into darkness that the author of the notebook does not seem to notice himself. Not straight away.
But as the reader I get to see that every now and then there’s things hidden in the text the writer seems not to be aware of. He’s spiralling downhill I’m wondering about his mental state, or if the house itself, or something in it — something supernatural — is playing with his mind.
How long can he hold it together? He’s got responsibilities to look after his kid, but he can hardly look after himself. He’s already forgetting which lies he’s told and mixing his dreams (and nightmares) with reality. Even he doesn’t know how it will end, and starts to think about leaving his notebook behind in order for it to be found… and it has been, I’m reading it now…
Several of the notes in his book get to the end of the page and are never finished, which to my mind, is in keeping with the distracted, confused voice of this note taker and adds to the setting’s dark, oppressive atmosphere.
Clever, surreal, with a kind of rhythmic writing, akin to memories of sitting in the back of the car and being rocked to sleep. The only difference would be the rude awakening. The slamming of the brakes. When the harshness of reality jolts you awake.
Yep, this unsettling, nightmarish journey, had me glued to the pages, even though at first I was not entirely sure I understood what I’d read… It’s a short novella sized book, and I must admit I had to read it again to fully appreciate this awesome piece of writing. It’s not your average horror, I can tell you! Nope, there’s nothing average about this at all. Incidentally, it’s translated from German and that fact may be why I thought it worked even better. No words are wasted. There’s a certain style to this book that makes me feel like he’s got something bigger, and maybe even better to come. I can see, however, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I personally wish I’d got to this one sooner.
Stark, sparse, and totally different to anything I’ve read in a long time. I loved it. An alternative read without a doubt. A very short read, in fact. What’s more, this review took longer to write about it, than it did to read. Twice.
Writing his screenplay, and lying to his boss about his progress, the screenwriter takes his family, wife Susanna, and four-year old Esther to what he wants to be a writer’s retreat. Yeah, it does sound rather like The Shining. But even though there’s less of it, there’s even more to it… Stick with me. I’ll explain.
Things are not going as planned, for this unnamed writer. His marriage is on the rocks and his screenplay is failing. On top of that there are a lot of strange goings on he cannot explain. Odd things are happening in the house he’s renting via Airbnb. Maybe it’s haunted, or just tricks of light are playing with his mind giving him that illusion. Either way, it’s a slow descent into darkness that the author of the notebook does not seem to notice himself. Not straight away.
But as the reader I get to see that every now and then there’s things hidden in the text the writer seems not to be aware of. He’s spiralling downhill I’m wondering about his mental state, or if the house itself, or something in it — something supernatural — is playing with his mind.
How long can he hold it together? He’s got responsibilities to look after his kid, but he can hardly look after himself. He’s already forgetting which lies he’s told and mixing his dreams (and nightmares) with reality. Even he doesn’t know how it will end, and starts to think about leaving his notebook behind in order for it to be found… and it has been, I’m reading it now…
Several of the notes in his book get to the end of the page and are never finished, which to my mind, is in keeping with the distracted, confused voice of this note taker and adds to the setting’s dark, oppressive atmosphere.
Clever, surreal, with a kind of rhythmic writing, akin to memories of sitting in the back of the car and being rocked to sleep. The only difference would be the rude awakening. The slamming of the brakes. When the harshness of reality jolts you awake.
Yep, this unsettling, nightmarish journey, had me glued to the pages, even though at first I was not entirely sure I understood what I’d read… It’s a short novella sized book, and I must admit I had to read it again to fully appreciate this awesome piece of writing. It’s not your average horror, I can tell you! Nope, there’s nothing average about this at all. Incidentally, it’s translated from German and that fact may be why I thought it worked even better. No words are wasted. There’s a certain style to this book that makes me feel like he’s got something bigger, and maybe even better to come. I can see, however, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I personally wish I’d got to this one sooner.
Stark, sparse, and totally different to anything I’ve read in a long time. I loved it. An alternative read without a doubt. A very short read, in fact. What’s more, this review took longer to write about it, than it did to read. Twice.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Art of Hiding in Books
Jun 5, 2019
The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse is a solid story highlighting one family’s struggle to cope with a life changing event that not only turned their lives upside down in a blink of an eye, but forced them re-evaluate what was important to them. No easy feat, I can tell you!
Nina has it all, great house, loving husband, and two well-looked after kids who could literally have anything they wanted should they ask. But after tragedy strikes, and her husband Finn is killed in car accident, suddenly Nina is left with a mountain of debt and two ‘posh’ kids who do not know how to cope in the real world when everything they know is drastically all taken away from them.
I loved the fact that her husband was maybe not the good guy in all this either, I mean, how could he amount so much debt and not tell his own wife? What was he thinking? Yes, that’s right, he wasn’t! This also means that because of his past actions she now has to stick up for her husband when talking about him to her kids for their sake. He was their dad, after all. Difficult, though. Especially when deep down she’s angry about the secrets he’s been keeping from her when he was alive, and the impact it’s going to have on them all now he’s gone and left them with a mess to cope with.
What’s worse is there is absolutely nothing she can do to change that now. Life has to go on, and deal with this situation they must. If only he had talked to her they wouldn’t have been in this mess, but in all honesty, no one could foresee the accident. Isn’t that always the way? Makes you think, doesn’t it? Life can be taken away from you just like that *snaps fingers*.
I enjoyed seeing Nina’s character grow from strength to strength. Not only was she forced to turn her own life around and face the harsh reality of what her husband had done, she also had to help her kids through their struggles of losing their dad, their home, their school, friends, and everything they ever thought was their life, as they knew it. I can’t imagine living such an affluent life only to have it all taken away like that, but I can imagine it to be a realistic issue that could happen to someone very easily. This is exactly why I enjoyed this book immensely. The emotional depth and self discovery that Nina and her kids went through was a treat to read! (Oh, that sounds rather sadistic of me!) In fact, It was so good I even shed a tear. You know, the sad but happy, mixed feelings kind?
In a way this is not the physiological thriller I expected, but more of a family drama.
If you haven’t got your hands on this compelling book yet, don’t delay any longer! If it SOUNDS like something you’d like, it will most likely BE something you’d LOVE! Amanda Prowse knows how to tell a realistic story that tugs on your heartstrings, and really makes you think. A well written story of love, lies and one’s determination to do whatever it takes to protect her family during a time of crisis and disarray.
Thank you to the author, and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion. Actually, I also won this paperback version in a Goodreads contest.
Nina has it all, great house, loving husband, and two well-looked after kids who could literally have anything they wanted should they ask. But after tragedy strikes, and her husband Finn is killed in car accident, suddenly Nina is left with a mountain of debt and two ‘posh’ kids who do not know how to cope in the real world when everything they know is drastically all taken away from them.
I loved the fact that her husband was maybe not the good guy in all this either, I mean, how could he amount so much debt and not tell his own wife? What was he thinking? Yes, that’s right, he wasn’t! This also means that because of his past actions she now has to stick up for her husband when talking about him to her kids for their sake. He was their dad, after all. Difficult, though. Especially when deep down she’s angry about the secrets he’s been keeping from her when he was alive, and the impact it’s going to have on them all now he’s gone and left them with a mess to cope with.
What’s worse is there is absolutely nothing she can do to change that now. Life has to go on, and deal with this situation they must. If only he had talked to her they wouldn’t have been in this mess, but in all honesty, no one could foresee the accident. Isn’t that always the way? Makes you think, doesn’t it? Life can be taken away from you just like that *snaps fingers*.
I enjoyed seeing Nina’s character grow from strength to strength. Not only was she forced to turn her own life around and face the harsh reality of what her husband had done, she also had to help her kids through their struggles of losing their dad, their home, their school, friends, and everything they ever thought was their life, as they knew it. I can’t imagine living such an affluent life only to have it all taken away like that, but I can imagine it to be a realistic issue that could happen to someone very easily. This is exactly why I enjoyed this book immensely. The emotional depth and self discovery that Nina and her kids went through was a treat to read! (Oh, that sounds rather sadistic of me!) In fact, It was so good I even shed a tear. You know, the sad but happy, mixed feelings kind?
In a way this is not the physiological thriller I expected, but more of a family drama.
If you haven’t got your hands on this compelling book yet, don’t delay any longer! If it SOUNDS like something you’d like, it will most likely BE something you’d LOVE! Amanda Prowse knows how to tell a realistic story that tugs on your heartstrings, and really makes you think. A well written story of love, lies and one’s determination to do whatever it takes to protect her family during a time of crisis and disarray.
Thank you to the author, and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion. Actually, I also won this paperback version in a Goodreads contest.
postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated The Cruel Prince in Books
Mar 12, 2018
Underwhelming sadly
I’m feeling a little underwhelmed if I’m honest, I have never read a Holly Black book before and with the hype surrounding this I fully felt I would be blown away, I was left with a gentle simmer. I have to say I really didn’t enjoy the characters and I’m finding it hard to think of one that was particularly likeable. Jude and her sister Tarryn are now living as wards of the man who brutally murdered their parents when they were very young, yet they seem to embrace him and throughout it doesn’t appear to be any thirst for revenge against him that fuels her, instead it seems to be focused on the torment and bullying she receives from the “cruel” prince Carden and getting back at him and his posse. I say “cruel” because it’s actually quite ambiguous, there are plenty of princes who are truly cruel in this story, more so than Carden who is just a by product of his experiences. I certainly wouldn’t agree with the blurb that he is the “wickedest of the Kings sons.” All the male characters are written without much in the way of redeeming features and most of the girls are scheming. Sadly, I didn’t really care about Jude and I found the situations she found herself in slowly more and more ludicrous almost as if it was ultimately forgotten that she was human playing fae.
However, after the first 8 chapters the story moves from High School drama to something more fantasy based, Jude finds herself tasked with an unusual role which she hopes will find her favour within the court (Tarryn gets reduced to wanting to be a good little wife to a high lord – urgh) and ultimately secure her a role in which she will win respect. Jude must learn to become tough, to learn secrets and to ultimately become a pawn in a much larger game for power. Despite my reservations Holly Black worked some magic on me that led me to not want to put the book down, there were twists and turns, truths and lies, and a plot that left me reeling, if not a little confused sometimes. It’s a book that feels like it is trying to be many things, there is one scene that feels particularly Game of Thrones esq, but it does for the most part mange to keep it’s own identity.
I have struggled to write this review and I did hover between 2 and 3 stars for a long time, I have decided on 3 as for about 2/3 I did actually enjoy the underlying story, if not the characters themselves. I found it richly woven with plenty to keep me thinking ahead and an intriguing back story. There are a number of games in play and lots of clues of being dotted around, unfortunately Jude is too caught up to put the pieces together properly which isn’t surprising as even I was struggling to keep up with all the things going on! Despite myself, I will probably read book 2 as for some reason that I can’t entirely fathom I really want to know what happens next, perhaps it’s a glamour from the pages themselves…….
However, after the first 8 chapters the story moves from High School drama to something more fantasy based, Jude finds herself tasked with an unusual role which she hopes will find her favour within the court (Tarryn gets reduced to wanting to be a good little wife to a high lord – urgh) and ultimately secure her a role in which she will win respect. Jude must learn to become tough, to learn secrets and to ultimately become a pawn in a much larger game for power. Despite my reservations Holly Black worked some magic on me that led me to not want to put the book down, there were twists and turns, truths and lies, and a plot that left me reeling, if not a little confused sometimes. It’s a book that feels like it is trying to be many things, there is one scene that feels particularly Game of Thrones esq, but it does for the most part mange to keep it’s own identity.
I have struggled to write this review and I did hover between 2 and 3 stars for a long time, I have decided on 3 as for about 2/3 I did actually enjoy the underlying story, if not the characters themselves. I found it richly woven with plenty to keep me thinking ahead and an intriguing back story. There are a number of games in play and lots of clues of being dotted around, unfortunately Jude is too caught up to put the pieces together properly which isn’t surprising as even I was struggling to keep up with all the things going on! Despite myself, I will probably read book 2 as for some reason that I can’t entirely fathom I really want to know what happens next, perhaps it’s a glamour from the pages themselves…….
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Ridge in Books
Mar 15, 2018
When I saw John Rector had another novel coming out I was really excited. I read a previous book of his, <i>Ruthless</i>, which I really enjoyed, so I was sure I was going to like this one, but it didn't live up to my expectations.
This book sounds like it's going to be about a creepy neighbourhood, and while it is, it also isn't. Sure, our characters live in a Stepford Wives feeling place, but we actually only meet 2 or 3 extra characters who live in the neighbourhood, so when the synopsis says something about "exposing the community's pretty lies", there didn't feel like there was much of that. It was far more about a woman digging up secrets on an institute that happens to have all its employees living in one area. This isn't particularly a bad thing, it's just something to note. It's not quite as Stepford Wives as you might think!
This book is 90% conversation and 10% description, so if you're the kind of person who likes descriptive, poetic reads, this certainly won't be for you, but for me, all the speech wasn't an issue, it was sometimes what was being said that I had an issue with. Lots of the time I felt conversation was a little bland, stiff and unrealistic. In terms of descriptive writing, about the neighbourhood or a person, there was nothing special to note. There was also a rehashing of several particular phrases that began to grate on me quite soon into the book.
To begin with, I did really like this novel, I found myself rushing through it, intrigued to know what was going on. It was subtle but it was creepy. Towards the middle, my interest began to dip a bit. I had started to guess what was happening, as well as there being a not-so-exciting reveal. Some parts of the story also started to feel amiss, such as the roses bushes outside of Rachel's being described as "in full bloom" after the scene of her hacking away at them... continuity was sometimes a little shady.
What really let this novel down for me was the characters and the immaturity of them all. None of them felt real, so it was difficult picturing them in situations. Particularly our MC, Megan, who was really juvenile and melodramatic. And naive. Oh so very, stupidly, unrealistically naive. It was so easy to become annoyed by her rash decision making and all the different ways she handled situations. What really got me, was her revealing conversation with Mercer about midway through the book. I couldn't wrap my head around how she could turn around and call him "crazy" after everything she had been through. It felt totally off kilter!
I liked and I didn't like this book. I think it could have been so much creepier and mysterious than it was. I felt there was too much time being spent on Megan's thoughts of Chicago and her marriage to fully appreciate the weirdness of the community she lived in. Ultimately, this book was too simple. It all worked out too well and everything slot perfectly into place, which totally isn't my kind of thriller story.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
This book sounds like it's going to be about a creepy neighbourhood, and while it is, it also isn't. Sure, our characters live in a Stepford Wives feeling place, but we actually only meet 2 or 3 extra characters who live in the neighbourhood, so when the synopsis says something about "exposing the community's pretty lies", there didn't feel like there was much of that. It was far more about a woman digging up secrets on an institute that happens to have all its employees living in one area. This isn't particularly a bad thing, it's just something to note. It's not quite as Stepford Wives as you might think!
This book is 90% conversation and 10% description, so if you're the kind of person who likes descriptive, poetic reads, this certainly won't be for you, but for me, all the speech wasn't an issue, it was sometimes what was being said that I had an issue with. Lots of the time I felt conversation was a little bland, stiff and unrealistic. In terms of descriptive writing, about the neighbourhood or a person, there was nothing special to note. There was also a rehashing of several particular phrases that began to grate on me quite soon into the book.
To begin with, I did really like this novel, I found myself rushing through it, intrigued to know what was going on. It was subtle but it was creepy. Towards the middle, my interest began to dip a bit. I had started to guess what was happening, as well as there being a not-so-exciting reveal. Some parts of the story also started to feel amiss, such as the roses bushes outside of Rachel's being described as "in full bloom" after the scene of her hacking away at them... continuity was sometimes a little shady.
What really let this novel down for me was the characters and the immaturity of them all. None of them felt real, so it was difficult picturing them in situations. Particularly our MC, Megan, who was really juvenile and melodramatic. And naive. Oh so very, stupidly, unrealistically naive. It was so easy to become annoyed by her rash decision making and all the different ways she handled situations. What really got me, was her revealing conversation with Mercer about midway through the book. I couldn't wrap my head around how she could turn around and call him "crazy" after everything she had been through. It felt totally off kilter!
I liked and I didn't like this book. I think it could have been so much creepier and mysterious than it was. I felt there was too much time being spent on Megan's thoughts of Chicago and her marriage to fully appreciate the weirdness of the community she lived in. Ultimately, this book was too simple. It all worked out too well and everything slot perfectly into place, which totally isn't my kind of thriller story.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Behind Closed Doors in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also find my review here: http://bit.ly/28KzCFf
<b><i>Fear," he whispered. "There is nothing quite like it. I love how it looks, I love how it feels, I love how it smells. And I especially love the sound of it." I felt his tongue on my cheek. "I even love the taste of it.</i></b>
Welcome to Jack and Grace's perfect life and perfect marriage. Jack's an amazing, handsome and successful lawyer for battered woman and Grace is the gorgeous put-together house wife... or so it seems. But what if Grace were to tell she wasn't a house wife, she was in fact a prisoner locked up by her own husband who craves nothing more than seeing and feeling another person's fear? Would you believe her?
I loved all the twists and turns and edge of the seat moments within this novel. It was an excellent thriller that Im sure thousands have and will continue to enjoy. Im definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for any more novels from Paris as I loved her style of writing and felt her story telling flowed perfectly.
The characters were very well developed and you really got a good insight into their lives, thoughts and feelings. Paris did an excellent job at making two very unique characters. Without trying to give too much away, Jack is a very different kind of sadistic captor. Hes so terrifying because he could definitely be real. He could be your neighbour, your boss, your friend even. Hes just a seemingly normal guy but what lies underneath is far from normal.
Grace can be a little stupid and doesnt often act quick enough, its no use for her to try anyway as Jack is always one step ahead. Shes trapped and she knows it, therefore shes an interesting character to see progress through the novel as we see her seemingly give up against her captor, but really, underneath, shes cunning and planning the whole time.
If it wasnt for the fact that you could easily guess how this was going to end once the idea was placed in front of you, it might have even got a 5 star rating. Though the end was predictable there was still some element of shock to it, especially the last heart breaking / lifting scene. <spoiler>The final scene shared between Grace and Esther was such a wonderful way to end this book, it rounded this book off so well. The perfect ending!</spoiler>
The weird thing is, the whole time I read this I thought how far fetched and silly it was, though I was enjoying it, but when you think about it, its not <i>that</i> far fetched. You hear all these terrible stories about women kidnapped and held against their will who are given the freedom to go outside but theyre so paralysed by fear of what could happen, they never say a thing to anyone. Jaycee Lee Dugard, for example, was kidnapped and kept hidden for 18 years! Keeping someone captive isnt that uncommon and Im sure there are actually some terrified women out there that are living a life something very similar to this. So when you put it into that perspective this becomes a very chilling horror story rather than just a fast paced thriller.
<b><i>Fear," he whispered. "There is nothing quite like it. I love how it looks, I love how it feels, I love how it smells. And I especially love the sound of it." I felt his tongue on my cheek. "I even love the taste of it.</i></b>
Welcome to Jack and Grace's perfect life and perfect marriage. Jack's an amazing, handsome and successful lawyer for battered woman and Grace is the gorgeous put-together house wife... or so it seems. But what if Grace were to tell she wasn't a house wife, she was in fact a prisoner locked up by her own husband who craves nothing more than seeing and feeling another person's fear? Would you believe her?
I loved all the twists and turns and edge of the seat moments within this novel. It was an excellent thriller that Im sure thousands have and will continue to enjoy. Im definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for any more novels from Paris as I loved her style of writing and felt her story telling flowed perfectly.
The characters were very well developed and you really got a good insight into their lives, thoughts and feelings. Paris did an excellent job at making two very unique characters. Without trying to give too much away, Jack is a very different kind of sadistic captor. Hes so terrifying because he could definitely be real. He could be your neighbour, your boss, your friend even. Hes just a seemingly normal guy but what lies underneath is far from normal.
Grace can be a little stupid and doesnt often act quick enough, its no use for her to try anyway as Jack is always one step ahead. Shes trapped and she knows it, therefore shes an interesting character to see progress through the novel as we see her seemingly give up against her captor, but really, underneath, shes cunning and planning the whole time.
If it wasnt for the fact that you could easily guess how this was going to end once the idea was placed in front of you, it might have even got a 5 star rating. Though the end was predictable there was still some element of shock to it, especially the last heart breaking / lifting scene. <spoiler>The final scene shared between Grace and Esther was such a wonderful way to end this book, it rounded this book off so well. The perfect ending!</spoiler>
The weird thing is, the whole time I read this I thought how far fetched and silly it was, though I was enjoying it, but when you think about it, its not <i>that</i> far fetched. You hear all these terrible stories about women kidnapped and held against their will who are given the freedom to go outside but theyre so paralysed by fear of what could happen, they never say a thing to anyone. Jaycee Lee Dugard, for example, was kidnapped and kept hidden for 18 years! Keeping someone captive isnt that uncommon and Im sure there are actually some terrified women out there that are living a life something very similar to this. So when you put it into that perspective this becomes a very chilling horror story rather than just a fast paced thriller.
Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated King of Thieves (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
A Surprisingly Disappointing Heist Film
Upon seeing King of Thieves listed as a Limitless preview screening, I immediately snapped up the opportunity to see it because I had been looking forward to it since the first trailer I saw. With a well-known cast, an iconic real life heist story, and a classic ‘British crime’ aura, I was anticipating something great. I really can’t understand how they managed to mess that combo up, but here we are. Out of all the reviews I’ve ever written, this one is probably the hardest because of how disappointed I feel. As a film fan it’s difficult when you get yourself hyped up, only to be let down by the finished result.
For me, King of Thieves started off promising then rapidly declined into a bit of a mess. If it weren’t for a few redeeming features, I would’ve rated it even lower. One of the positives to come out of this film is the performances; it’s no surprise to any of you that these are actors at the top of their game, and I believe they worked as hard as they could with what they had. I don’t have a problem with any of the actors, my main problem lies with how utterly awful and cringe-worthy the screenplay was. They had an opportunity to work with some brilliant talent, but even they couldn’t save this film.
I appreciate the script was trying to encapsulate the ‘tough, working class London’ stereotype through these characters, but for me there was too much swearing and casual racism/homophobia than actual exposition. We learn barely anything about these characters, with the exception of Michael Caine’s, so all we see for almost two hours is a bunch of old men arguing and swearing constantly. We aren’t encouraged to connect or sympathise with any of them, none of them are particularly three dimensional, so you find yourself hating everyone on screen. Even a little emotional moment here and there would’ve been nice. With no chemistry between characters, the heist becomes very dull indeed.
If the weak script wasn’t bad enough, I wasn’t impressed with the cinematography either. The film seems confused throughout, not really sure what visual styles it wants to settle on so it jumps about here and there. As a result, this is very jarring and I found it hard to watch. The camera is all over the place, it doesn’t seem to have any fixed techniques, and it becomes a nuisance more than anything. That being said, the heist scenes themselves were very well-shot which is even more frustrating for me. How can you shoot certain things brilliantly, then mess up others? It doesn’t make any sense. If anything, it’s proven that the people involved did have the potential to create something great, but somehow managed to throw it all away.
King of Thieves feels a lot like a straight-to-DVD crime film that you might watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon when you’re a bit tired or hungover. It’s certainly not the kind of cinematic, high-quality film I would expect to see on the big screen. It’s mildly entertaining and delivered a few laughs, but ultimately it’s forgettable. My advice for this film would be: don’t let them rob you of a ticket, catch it on TV instead.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/09/08/king-of-thieves-a-surprisingly-disappointing-heist-film/
For me, King of Thieves started off promising then rapidly declined into a bit of a mess. If it weren’t for a few redeeming features, I would’ve rated it even lower. One of the positives to come out of this film is the performances; it’s no surprise to any of you that these are actors at the top of their game, and I believe they worked as hard as they could with what they had. I don’t have a problem with any of the actors, my main problem lies with how utterly awful and cringe-worthy the screenplay was. They had an opportunity to work with some brilliant talent, but even they couldn’t save this film.
I appreciate the script was trying to encapsulate the ‘tough, working class London’ stereotype through these characters, but for me there was too much swearing and casual racism/homophobia than actual exposition. We learn barely anything about these characters, with the exception of Michael Caine’s, so all we see for almost two hours is a bunch of old men arguing and swearing constantly. We aren’t encouraged to connect or sympathise with any of them, none of them are particularly three dimensional, so you find yourself hating everyone on screen. Even a little emotional moment here and there would’ve been nice. With no chemistry between characters, the heist becomes very dull indeed.
If the weak script wasn’t bad enough, I wasn’t impressed with the cinematography either. The film seems confused throughout, not really sure what visual styles it wants to settle on so it jumps about here and there. As a result, this is very jarring and I found it hard to watch. The camera is all over the place, it doesn’t seem to have any fixed techniques, and it becomes a nuisance more than anything. That being said, the heist scenes themselves were very well-shot which is even more frustrating for me. How can you shoot certain things brilliantly, then mess up others? It doesn’t make any sense. If anything, it’s proven that the people involved did have the potential to create something great, but somehow managed to throw it all away.
King of Thieves feels a lot like a straight-to-DVD crime film that you might watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon when you’re a bit tired or hungover. It’s certainly not the kind of cinematic, high-quality film I would expect to see on the big screen. It’s mildly entertaining and delivered a few laughs, but ultimately it’s forgettable. My advice for this film would be: don’t let them rob you of a ticket, catch it on TV instead.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/09/08/king-of-thieves-a-surprisingly-disappointing-heist-film/