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The Walking Dead  - Season 1
The Walking Dead - Season 1
2010 | Drama
Gripping story (2 more)
Casting for the main characters was good
Dixon brothers are a great addition to the story
Bad special effects (2 more)
Characters actions sometimes don't make a lot of sense
A lot of filler characters and plot lines
Zombies in Atlanta
As a long time fan of The Walking Dead, including the comics, the books, and the video games, the television series did alright. I liked the casting for the main characters, much of the main story was kept loyal to the source material, and there were a few new characters and surprises added to the show.

There are a lot of new characters added to the story, the highlights being Daryl and Merle Dixon. The rest were easily forgettable and felt like filler characters to feed to the meat grinder to get a reaction out of audiences. This was sort of a negative to me because I would hardly have a chance to like or care about these new characters before they were killed off. This makes character deaths in the series have a little less impact.


The story deviates from the comics in both good and bad ways. I liked that a few character arcs were switched around to keep the story fresh for folks that have already read the comics. I liked that one of my least favorite characters from the comics, Carol, was changed in a way that makes her character more compelling.

My only other complaint would be the filler. It seemed like the story kept getting off track and moving away from the main conflict (Rick and Shane) pretty often, which makes the story feel sloppy. I don't know if it's just me, but I just didn't like the story arc with the CDC. It was promising and was interesting at first, but it became predictable pretty quickly and everything about it was just too ridiculous to me. The special effects were bad and it just made little to no sense the way it happened.


I wanted to like this first season more and be blown away but overall it was okay/good to me. I think it sets things up well and piqued my interest enough to continue to the next season. For zombie fans, it's definitely a series worth checking out. For those already well acquainted with the story via the comics, don't expect a faithful adaptation and be prepared for the usual tv tropes and silly plot filler.
  
TE
The Eternal Hourglass (Magickeepers, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Series Review:

I really enjoyed the Magickeeper series! It's written for ages 8-14, but even I got really into it and enjoyed it a lot.

The stories were both woven well, with plenty of mystery and suspense to keep you reading. Once I started to read, it was hard to put it down. I never knew what to expect and was always surprised. It was like walking through a fun-house: you never knew what was going to be around the corner.

My favorite characters had to be Nick and Isabella, followed closely by Isabella's pet tiger, Sascha. Sascha was just a really cool tiger. Vladimir, the hedgehog, was pretty cool, too. It was fun to watch Nick and Isabella together: they balanced each other well and would be fun people to be around. I wish they were real so we could hang out. Haley why would you want to hang out with thirteen-year-olds? Because they're magician thirteen-year-olds who can disappear and fly and look into crystal balls, and have more adventure in a day that I have in a month.

The writing was good and easy to read and easy to follow, but some of the structure was a little confusing at times. It didn't take away form the action and adventure, though.

I really liked the Russian culture incorporated into the stories. It wasn't overdone, but it was really fun to read the descriptions of the foods and the clothes and the decorations, and learn about some of the traditions. In the second book, The Pyramid of Souls, there was a lot of other cultures incorporated into it as well, because there were Magickeepers from Egypt and Nigeria and a Parisian clan, and Australians… so there were a lot of cool things that went on that we wouldn't normally think about—even in the world of magic.

I look forward to the next book in the Magickeeper series! The Eternal Hourglass came out in paperback on March 31, 2010 and The Pyramid of Souls was just published in hardback on May 1st, 2010.

Content/Recommendation: clean, and suitable for ages 8-16(-ish). I'm 18 and I enjoyed it, and parents would enjoy reading the books out loud to their kids as well!
  
TP
The Pyramid of Souls (Magickeepers, #2)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Series Review:

I really enjoyed the Magickeeper series! It's written for ages 8-14, but even I got really into it and enjoyed it a lot.

The stories were both woven well, with plenty of mystery and suspense to keep you reading. Once I started to read, it was hard to put it down. I never knew what to expect and was always surprised. It was like walking through a fun-house: you never knew what was going to be around the corner.

My favorite characters had to be Nick and Isabella, followed closely by Isabella's pet tiger, Sascha. Sascha was just a really cool tiger. Vladimir, the hedgehog, was pretty cool, too. It was fun to watch Nick and Isabella together: they balanced each other well and would be fun people to be around. I wish they were real so we could hang out. Haley why would you want to hang out with thirteen-year-olds? Because they're magician thirteen-year-olds who can disappear and fly and look into crystal balls, and have more adventure in a day that I have in a month.

The writing was good and easy to read and easy to follow, but some of the structure was a little confusing at times. It didn't take away form the action and adventure, though.

I really liked the Russian culture incorporated into the stories. It wasn't overdone, but it was really fun to read the descriptions of the foods and the clothes and the decorations, and learn about some of the traditions. In the second book, The Pyramid of Souls, there was a lot of other cultures incorporated into it as well, because there were Magickeepers from Egypt and Nigeria and a Parisian clan, and Australians… so there were a lot of cool things that went on that we wouldn't normally think about—even in the world of magic.

I look forward to the next book in the Magickeeper series! The Eternal Hourglass came out in paperback on March 31, 2010 and The Pyramid of Souls was just published in hardback on May 1st, 2010.

Content/Recommendation: clean, and suitable for ages 8-16(-ish). I'm 18 and I enjoyed it, and parents would enjoy reading the books out loud to their kids as well!
  
Line of Duty - Season 5
Line of Duty - Season 5
2019 | Crime, Thriller
Gripping and thrilling
What can I say, Line of Duty have done it again with another hugely gripping series with twists, turns and a stellar cast. Again I won’t say too much at the risk of giving away any spoilers, but this series continues the investigation into the mysterious ‘H’ and they really do pack a lot of intrigue and twists and turns. It’s good to see the wonderful Stephen Graham in this, I couldn’t imagine anyone else more fitting for the role of Clayton and it’s also good to see a bit more of Adrian Dunbar who has been slightly sidelined in past series in favour of the characters of Arnott and Fleming. The plot itself is action packed with a lot of twists you just wouldn’t see coming. Of course unsurprisingly the series ends with a bit of a bang but also doesn’t quite wrap everything up neatly, leaving me screaming for another that I’ll now have to wait for. Damn you BBC.

My only criticism about this show, other than the fact that some plot lines have been left hanging until the ends series, is a bit of a back handed compliment. From working in a police environment I cannot stress to you how realistic a lot of aspects of this show are. Yes they’ve obviously made the storylines thrilling and action packed and made up, but the little nuances and parts of daily ordinary police life are very realistic. Whilst I really love they’ve made it this realistic, there’s one part I find very irritating and that’s mainly because it annoys me on a daily basis at work. I can’t stand the dated way police officers refer to those of a higher rank as ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’, it seems very outdated in a world where we’re all meant to be equal, except when you’re a higher police rank then you can’t be called by your first name by a lower rank... Doesn’t seem right to me, and you certainly wouldn’t catch me doing that at work - calling someone by name doesn’t mean you don’t respect their position any less. So I do get a little irritated with this hierarchical nonsense sometimes on the show, especially with Kate and Steve. But very realistic to say the least! Rant over ?
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Best Day Ever in Books

Jan 21, 2018  
Best Day Ever
Best Day Ever
Kaira Rouda | 2017 | Mystery, Thriller
7
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Creepy, eerie narration (2 more)
Unreliable narrator
Tense and terrifying writing
Slow at times (0 more)
Creepy, twisted tale
Paul Strom has the perfect life. He's a successful, wealthy advertising executive with a gorgeous wife, Mia, and two young sons. They live happily in a beautiful house and all is well. Paul is even taking Mia away for a romantic weekend to the couple's lake home--just to celebrate how good they have it. But the day starts off poorly--they are delayed when Paul takes a phone call, seemingly annoying Mia, and it's clear there is tension between the perfect couple. As they drive toward the lake, it appears as if nothing as is good and wonderful as it seems.

I'd heard a lot of good things about this book and was excited to receive it for Christmas. I have to say that Rouda definitely nails the unreliable narrator. The book is told entirely from Paul's perspective, and the result is an eerie, creepy tale. At first he seems like a slightly overbearing husband whose focus is on providing for his family. But as the story progresses, Paul drops a lot of clues that something (perhaps a lot of somethings) is off and more and more comes to light as the story unfolds that all is not as it seems with Paul and Mia.

As for Mia, we basically see her only from Paul's point of view, which is interesting. Is she truly this obedient wife, submitting to her husband's every whim? And is Paul truly fooling Mia as much as he thinks he is? We're along for the ride, subject to Paul's arrogance and forced to read between the lines as he tells us his tale.

In a way, not much happens in this novel, which basically covers one day--Paul and Mia's "best day ever" away at their lake house--and it can get slow at times. I kept waiting for some explosive surprise or reveal, but that never really materialized. Instead, the strength here is in the tense and terrifying writing and the characterization of Paul, which was beyond superb. As the hours tick by, you'll be on the edge of your seat and sucked into Paul's delusions. I sort of loved his machinations and was totally drawn into his sick little world. He reminded me a bit of Joe from You - just a great, albeit sick, character.
  
This nonfiction book really made me think about the immigration crisis for Central America. It also connected a lot with the current Syrian refugee crisis.

When I was younger, my family and I never had to think about immigration. Yeah, we lived in a town where there were a lot immigrants, but we still didn't really think about it. It was more of a passing thought about them being here, not what it actually took for them to get here.

This book opened my eyes about how horrible these people have it when they are making the journey north to America. They see this land of opportunity where it is supposed to be safer for them to live, but instead, they are hounded at every step of the journey and are even deported when they get here.

It is very disheartening to see how much crap these people have to put up with. Not only do they hop on and off of trains that can either kill or maim them, they also have to deal with gangs trying to kill them, police forces who want them gone by whatever means necessary, and the migration officials who have no cares in the world if these people, yes, fellow human beings, are okay or safe.

This nonfiction mainly follows a sixteen year old boy named Enrique as he travels from Honduras to America. It shows a lot of the grittier parts of the journey that no other news outlet or book that I have seen shows. It gives the reader an inside view into the people who have to go through this instead of only showing the numbers that equate to it, though there are still parts of this book that have that aspect.

One thing that I wasn't too fond of while reading this were the very dry parts where there was only information shown. It felt like a very journalistic piece (the author is a journalist, but still). I wanted to read more about these people instead of showing the figures like there are in the other journalist pieces I have read.

Overall, if you want to learn about the migration crisis, pick this book up. If you think you know everything there is to know about migration, still pick this up, you may learn something new.
  
The Calling (Endgame #1)
The Calling (Endgame #1)
James Frey | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
4
7.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

The result of collaboration between James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton is this first book in a dystopian series, <i>Endgame: The Calling</i>. Twelve teenage descendants of ancient cultures from across the world have been trained to represent humanity in a game that will determine the future of the world. The only way to win is to discover three keys and be the last player left alive. These young people are not just playing for their own lives for if they die their entire family line will be wiped out.

<i>Endgame: The Calling</i> focuses on discovering the first key, Earth Key. After meeting each other in China, each of the twelve is given a clue to solve that will help lead them in the right direction. Although there can only be one winner, a couple of the player decide to help each other out, but is there really anyone who can be trusted?

<i>Endgame</i> reminds me of <i>The Hunger Games</i> by Suzanne Collins but on a much larger scale, and also a more adult version. The entire planet is the games’ arena, which does not bode well for a lot of the world’s inhabitants. That is one of the things I disliked about this book, the unnecessary deaths of innocents. There was a lot of gruesome murder, which admittedly is the point of <i>Endgame</i>, but some of it was uncalled-for.

I did not particularly care for the writing style and formatting of the text. It was often confusing to work out who was saying or doing what. Another thing I did not like was that there was not an obvious protagonist. It is hard to know whether there is a particular character we should be rooting for or whether they should all be regarded as equal.

For a science fiction, dystopian novel <i>Endgame</i> is an interesting idea, fast paced and full of action. Unfortunately the events, names and puzzles leave the reader feeling bewildered, and the gruesome scenes rather disgusted.

Overall I think this book would appeal to an audience who loves a lot of brutal action and solving things. It requires the reader to be able to think rather than sit back and enjoy. Personally, I am not bothered about reading the next in the series.
  
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018)
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Stan Lee cameo (1 more)
Marvel / Disney Princess moments
Dragged (1 more)
Clumsy Product Placement
None of the charm of the original
I loved Wreck It Ralph, two misfits finding and helping each other to overcome their issues and find themselves. Full of charm, flawed but pure of heart characters looking out for each other, nice little video game references and clever world building.
Here so much of that is lost. There is far too much effort on trying to shoe-horn internet references in for comedy effect, which doesn't work. When Ralph and Venellope arrive in the internet we are treated to a full three minutes of staring at website logos. While this has an overall feel of Inside Out, with a make-believe world being put over something we can't really understand, at the time it was quite nauseating.
I enjoyed the moments interacting with the Marvel and Star Wars worlds (most notably when Vanellope bumps in to the avatar of certain old, moustachioed gentleman known for making cameos) and the Disney Princess moments were enjoyable.
Ralph and Vanellope are looking to buy a replacement part for Sugar Rush to avoid it being unplugged forever, and end up needing to raise a lot of money to buy it on eBay. The issue I have with this, is it gives kids the idea they can make a lot of money online in a short amount of time (either gaming or buy uploading videos in the hope of going viral), therefore why bother learning anything or going to school/work?! In this day and age where every child thinks "YouTuber" is a valid career to aspire to, I found this unnecessarily poor form from Disney.
The film eventually finds its feet and through Ralph and Vanellope's strained friendship it finds a plot with a bit more peril than simply needing some money.
The world of the arcade was completely left behind as soon as we entered the internet, I would have liked to see more of Fix-it Felix and Calhoun's time with the brats from Sugar Rush, if only as brief respite from website logos.
All in all I was massively disappointed in the film and feel a lot of the charm was case aside at the expense of advertising revenue.
  
The Walking Dead  - Season 6
The Walking Dead - Season 6
2015 | Drama
Rinse and Repeat
Contains spoilers, click to show
Season 6 of The Walking Dead is really not too dissimilar from season 5, once again presenting us with a couple of amazing episodes, a handful of good ones, and then a whole lot of filler.

Once again a season of two halves - the first half of season 6 is mostly about a stupidly massive hoarse of zombies moving towards the Alexandria safe zone, and the groups efforts to herd them away.
For the most part, it's pretty good and where the strength of season 6 mainly lies.
An early highlight comes 2 episodes in, where Alexandria is attacked by a group called The Wolves. It's a sucker punch to the face, and the action is tense and the stakes feels high, proving that TWD can still pack a punch when it wants to.
Another highlight is the mid season finale 'No Way Out', another tense episode with some shocking and unexpected moments. The amount of work that's clearly gone into the huge zombie horde is impressive for sure.
However this episode also marks an important negative point for me - the relative ease in which the horde is dispatched is the moment where the walkers no longer felt like a threat, and from here on out, they've seem like more of an inconvenience.

The second half of the season slowly introduces us to The Saviours and teases their leader throughout, the now infamous Negan - a much loved villain straight from the comics.
This second half is once again, fairly boring, as the characters slog from one place to the next.
TWDs insistence on character focused episodes rarely push the right buttons. (There's an episode fairly near the beginning that focuses on Morgan that just switched me right off).

Negan arrives properly in the closing moments of the season, and leaves an immediate impression, although the finale ends on a cliffhanger (a lot of fans were pissed), giving us no time at all to see much of him (but don't worry, the show completely over compensates for this during seasons 7 and 8...)
Season 6 is also where the infamous 'Glenn fake out death' happens, which also rubbed a lot of viewers up the wrong way.

Overall, my thoughts on season 6 are mostly positive, but maybe that's because TWD is about to enter it's most testing seasons...
  
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Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Thirteen Reasons Why in Books

Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 31, 2020)  
Thirteen Reasons Why
Thirteen Reasons Why
Jay Asher | 2009 | Children
10
8.4 (49 Ratings)
Book Rating
I first read this novel almost 7 years ago, I think. Maybe 8. Either way, it's been a decent amount of time since I last read this book and to be honest, I've been really nervous to revisit it. I know that there is a lot of controversy about it, and even more when it comes to the show, and ever since I first read the book, I've always been very protective of this story, these characters, this novel, all of it.

I find it incredibly amusing to read reviews of the show and the book of people that hate it and don't understand Hannah and think she just blamed everyone else and never took responsibility for her actions, and I partially understand. I can see why they think that but I think what makes this book so special and this story so special is how relatable it is. I think that unless you've been in Hannah's shoes, in her mindset, in that place than you can't understand. I think what people are most afraid to admit is that when someone dies by suicide, they do it for a culmination of reasons, and a lot of them are because of people - what they said, what they did or didn't do, what they say behind another person's back, etc. You hear stories in the news all the time about kids dying by suicide because they were bullied or because a bunch of people told them too, over and over and over again. People are mean and cruel and they do things that affect other people and it resonates. Each of the 13 people on her tapes all played a part. You can say she was blaming them or whatever you so please, but each of their actions created the circumstances for her to feel like she had nowhere else to go.

Again, I love this book. I love these characters, I love this plot, I love how real it is. I love the show, I love everything about it. I'm sure there are people who disagree with me. I'm sure there are people who vehemently protest this novel and its corresponding series, but I think this is a book that I will forever love, reread, and protect.

In a lot of ways, I am Hannah Baker. I think everyone is a little bit.