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BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Price of Privilege (Price of Privilege, #3) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
**If you have not read the first two books, please be aware of spoilers**
Julia Elliston is about to face her Goliath and her entire world is crumbling in front of her eyes. Her dream of living happily ever after with Edward is snatched away almost the moment it begins. Julia and Edward are forced to return to Lord Pierson as news of the scandalous vicar has reached the village where Edward served. But before they can even begin to settle into their new life, Macy has returned to “collect his wife”. Using his notorious skills of manipulation, Macy has set in motion the charges that will destroy the entire Pierson family, and return Julia to his safe keeping. Lord Dalry brings forth his old school friend Mr. Whitney to fight her case. We meet another friend in this book, Jameson, the fetching butler. Edward offers Jameson a job after his father decides to replace him. Jameson adds some much needed humor to this story. As she prepares for her court date, Julia comes to hate herself for the mistakes that she has made. But with Isaac’s help, in the most touching and tragic way possible, she comes to see herself as God sees her and loves her. She becomes a new person walking in the love and acceptance of the Father. A place that I hope we can all achieve. As tensions grow and truths are revealed, everyone has very severe choices that must be made. How will Lord Pierson protect his daughter? Will Edward be charged with crimes he didn’t commit? Is there anyway Isaac can free Julia from this monster? Has Macy paid off everyone so he will walk free and claim his wife? But most importantly, will Julia’s faith stand firm throughout the trials and the hardships?
I have had completely mixed emotions about the entire story in general. I have come to realize, however, that it is because I prefer a more lighthearted book. The conclusion of the Price of Privilege Trilogy went above and beyond my expectations. It was also hard for me to relate with Julia in a lot of ways. Her decisions and reactions in specific situations are the complete opposite of how I would think to react (Although I don’t have a blood thirsty husband, who could at any moment snatch me away). I also remain uncomfortable with the portrayal of some of the romantic scenes. They are brief and few, but I feel as if they were a little too provocative without being graphic. That being said, as our story concluded, I was moved to tears. The emotions I was reading were very easy to grasp onto. The series as a whole is very dark and depressing, too much for my own emotional health to handle in 2 ½ weeks. (I need about a week just to process everything now.) I wasn’t sure about the books at first, but I am glad I stuck with it. My congratulations to Jessica Dotta on her first series, I look forward to reading any future works!
I received a free copy of Price of Privilege (Price of Privilege Trilogy Book 3) from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Wolf by Wolf (Wolf by Wolf, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
What if the Nazis won the war? That is the setting for this captivating alternative historical novel by Ryan Graudin. In the newly named land of Germania it is 1956, more than a decade has passed since the Nazis won. The world is still not safe, especially for those who do not fit the Aryan race description. Seventeen-year-old Yael is about to set out on her first ever mission on behalf of the secret resistance group, but it will not be easy to fulfill her duty: to kill Hitler.
Yael was a Jewish prisoner in the death camps during the war. To most Nazi officials she was known as Experiment 85, and was undergoing melanin manipulation. What the doctors did not bargain on was that these experimentations would result in the ability to change physical appearance at will. Yael discovered she could change her skin tone, facial features, hair colour, height or even impersonate someone else, purely by concentrating really hard. It is this strange power that is going to help Yael on her quest to defeat Hitler.
In order to succeed, Yael needs to get as close as possible to the Fuhrer and the only way the resistance believe she will be able to do this is be impersonating Adele Wolfe, a motorbike racer, in the Axis tour: an epic long race from Berlin to Tokyo. However it is not as simple as changing skins and winning the race. Yael needs to convince the contestants that she is Adele and avoid all the dangerous tactics of the other racers so that she can get to the finish line.
<i>Wolf by Wolf</i> is an action-packed, exciting novel aimed at young adult readers interested in history and science fiction. Since it is taught in schools, most people are aware of the Holocaust and have an idea of the horrors Jews faced. But what if that did not stop at the end of the war? This is the idea explored within this novel amongst the exhilaration of the motorcycle race. No one would be completely happy under Hitler’s rule, and we can be thankful that this is only a ‘what if?’ scenario rather than our reality.
The science-fiction element was an interesting twist to the storyline. It does, however, detract from the seriousness of the Nazi rule. Without reminders of the time period, it could almost be a dystopian novel set in the future where a tyrant controls the world.
What I personally liked about <i>Wolf by Wolf</i> is that whilst the main storyline is playing out, we learn more about Yael’s life. She may have lost her true identity but there are several people who have impacted on who Yael is inside. These people are represent by five wolves tattooed onto her arm, and with the memories of each individual fresh in her mind, Yael has the courage and strength to do what she needs to do.
Although not one of the easiest topics to read about – a lot of unnecessary death – I highly recommend <i>Wolf by Wolf </i>to all young adult readers regardless of gender or reading preferences. This book covers such a wide range of genres that it is bound to cater to all tastes. If you love this book you will be pleased to know that it is the first in a series meaning that the story does not end here!
Becs (244 KP) rated Marrow Charm in Books
Dec 20, 2019
I was honestly surprised that I ended up loving this novel as much as I did. I had extremely high expectations for it and IT. DELIVERED. When I first picked it up, it took a good minute to actually get into the story. But once it clicked into place, I was devouring Marrow Charm with a thirst. It is heart-wrenching, action packed, enemies to lovers (kinda, a girl can dream), dark and oh so magical!
Marrow Charm follows a morally gray heroine, Azzy Brimvine in a world destroyed by magic. The magic plaguing the lands caused humans to retreat underground. But every so often, magical borne plagues will wipe out masses of human cities. These plagues create aberrations by striking those with magic. When Azzy’s brother is infected, she sets out with her mentor to the Above determined to save him. But, the world in the Above is not all gum drops and unicorns. It is plagued with monsters and humans, wild and cunning. Azzy must brave the perils that litter the Above to reach her brother before the Gate is opened.
Marrow Charm is a bit slow in the begin, but as you continue on it does pick up quite quickly. Once you hit that sweet spot though, your attention is gripped to the point where you don’t even want to put the book down because you are just enthralled in the complex world and characters. I would say the book starts picking up a few chapters in. This could also be a me only thing as I was slumping a bit when I started Marrow Charm, and we all know how slumps can ruin a book!
I was enthralled with not only the characters and their stories, but also the world. Kristin’s writing style is eloquent and breathtaking, and they included a couple of different themes throughout the story! Such as, family and friendship. It was really nice to see both of these take place when the main character had such a life of hardship. And don’t get me started on the complexity of the characters and world!
The characters are written in a way that draws the reader to them but they are also realistic in a way where their actions and thoughts are extremely relatable. This was really interesting to experience when reading, as I was not expecting to enjoy the characters as much as I did. The complexity of the world was also something that surprised me! There was no clear “good-side” or “bad-side” and the descriptions of everything was extremely well-done! You can tell that there is a higher, dark presence that is interwoven into the world but what it is, is unknown. Even at the ending of the novel. This was kind of a bummer, as I wanted to know what that presence was. But it also set it up nicely for book two: Skin Curse.
I can’t gush about Marrow Charm enough! It’s seriously one of my top books of the year and I can’t stop recommending it to everyone. If you are a fan of dark tales with fantasy and magical elements but also a hint of realism, then this is the book for you! But be warned, it does read ‘heavy.’ In the end though, the ‘heavy’ presence makes sense.
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated MARY: The Summoning (Bloody Mary, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
The first in the Bloody Mary series follows Shauna O'Brien, who decides to join with her 3 friends, Jess, Anna and Kitty to summon Bloody Mary, a legend that has been around since the 1960s with rumors that the person is someone who died near the end of the Civil War by the name of Mary Worth. As a result of summoning Bloody Mary, the spirit manages to go free from its rightful place within the boundaries of a mirror and begins to haunt the 4 girls, Shauna being her main victim.
Possibly what Mary so scary is the very fact she pops out everywhere almost and locks doors/windows. As the author so puts it in a sentence...
<blockquote>Mary was appearing without a summoning, manipulating objects, haunting glass, and skipping from surface to surface.</blockquote>
I did have a problem with Mary's abilities though. While it certainly puts a wow to the scare factor, Mary seems a little... too powerful. Reflective object manipulation? That's almost everything if you ask me. Computer/Tablet screens, washers/dryers, refrigerators, windows, doorknobs, lambs, flash drives, scissors, transportation, sinks, etc. So not only does the haunted have to live in isolation to protect everyone they love, but s/he have to live smelling like poo and crap for the rest of their lives because they can't take a decent shower?
<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nfP1y5PZpOs/U49rNV8em4I/AAAAAAAADZo/XHTD2iwNTxs/s1600/giphy.gif"; border="0">
Somehow, I don't think Mary qualifies as a ghost now. More like a demon in my humble opinion. While that may scare readers at first, eventually some will catch on and Mary won't be as scary.
The Summoning is basically the ultimate friendship test for the main characters – Jess, Anna, Kitty and Shauna have been best friends for quite awhile, so when Shauna begins to see Mary everywhere, they have to try to work together to get rid of the ghost. <spoiler>Apparently this test failed, because Anna gets taken. Once you're gone, you're technically gone. It's not like doing anything would have brought Anna back. Although I did like her, so it was actually sad to see her get taken through the mirror by a ghost.</spoiler>
So the ultimate question from the beginning: how well can Hillary Monahan scare me? Quite well, but I managed to sleep very well. While I'll certainly applaud on what a chilling twist on an urban legend The Summoning was, Mary needs to be toned down a bit to make her more believable.
----------------
Advanced Review copy provided by Disney Hyperion for review
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/arc-review-mary-the-summoning-by-hillary-monahan.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
Filmed in Canada, and starring New Zealand actors Karl Urban and American Gothic’s Antony Starr, this violent and very adult take on the costumed hero mythology is enough removed from standard American sensibilities to allow it to explore itself boldly and largely uncensored. It is definitely not a show for kids!
From the opening scenes it is evident that The Boys is not afraid to use gallons of blood and gore, nudity and colourful language to emphasise its point of a world corrupt, corporate and cruel, where the falacy of the powerful being there to protect you is shown up as pure money-spinning political and media manipulation.
We follow Jack Quaid’s naive victim Hughie Cambell, as he comes to realise the true nature of the self-centred and entirely flawed “heroes” that make up The Seven – an elite collection of super-powered “freaks”, led by Starr’s superbly vain and ego-maniachal Homelander; yet ultimately controlled by the Vought corporation and its unethical CEO Madelyn Stillwell, played with nervy relish by Elizabeth Shue.
There is Translucent, who can turn his skin invisible, but has to be naked to do so, and uses it largely to lurk in women’s bathrooms… The Deep, who can speak to sea creatures, but manifests a poisonous macho air, driven by massive insecurity… and A-Train, the world’s fastest man, who is a self-serving junkie with big issues.
Into the mix comes, the newest member of The Seven, Erin Moriaty, as Annie January, aka Starlight. Who may or may not have what it takes to join the ranks of well publicised fame, if she can turn a blind eye to the sinister workings of Vought and fit in.
Meanwhile, Hughie, looking for justice and perhaps revenge, meets Will Butcher (Urban), a man with a shady past, a terrible London accent (hilariously brought to attention whenever possible), and a reason to despise and hunt The Seven to extinction. The narrative progresses through this hunt, and the revelation of many secrets, into a cat and mouse game between the powerful “heroes” and the mere mortals determined to stop them.
Arch humour presides; nothing is handled with any sense of realism, favouring spectacle over believability. The tongue is firmly in cheek throughout, and the fun comes from the inventive ways the “Supes” use and misuse their powers, versus the resourcefulness of the essentially powerless methods employed by The Boys to chase them down and bring them to justice.
There are moments when the idea overshadows the actual script, for sure. Other times when the density of characters becomes confusing and unfocused. Without spoilers, it does all go in some very interesting directions, and by the end of episode 8 and the season finale it reaches a point suggesting a tactic many new shows seem to favour. Namely, to leaves things open enough, and on a cliff edge enough, to lead it anywhere it wants to go in a second series.
I have to admit, I wasn’t always comfortable with the tone of it… but, perhaps, that is the point. I did, however, find it very entertaining, fascinatingly post-modern and allegorical. As with many of the “Supes” it could have the ability to fly… but isn’t quite there yet!
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note, this application is for PiXL school members only and you will need to get your school id from your teacher if your school is a member of the PiXL club. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The PiXL Maths App (PMA) is a skills based assessment program. The app successfully highlights your strengths and your areas to develop. This is a very useful and accurate tool to use prior to any test to help rank which revision topics are of the most importance. The app is setup in such a way to guide you through a wide range of Mathematical topics. The PMA assesses generic skill based Mathematical knowledge; it therefore suitably matches the AQA, Edexcel or OCR schemes of learning. INSTRUCTIONS: After installation, you are presented with a login screen. You will need to create your own account following the on screen instructions. Keep your login details safe as all future results will be stored under your account. This incredibly powerful tool then helps you to start identifying areas you need to revise. By answering each of the online questions, the app highlights the objectives you have successfully completed and which ones you will need to work on. After some targeted revision, you can then return back to the app to see if you have improved. With each access, the questions are refreshed so you can assess yourself with a similar problem but with different numbers. To aid with closing the gap, therapy videos can be found within in question to help target specific skills. Take a challenge - select your target grade and you will be given a bespoke program of questions to help you achieve it. CONTENTS: The app covers the following range of topics: Statistics and Number - 1) Mean, mode, median and range 2) Pictogram and tally tables 3) Bar charts 4) Probability 5) Stem and leaf 6) Two-way tables 7) Scatter diagrams 8) Percentages and ratio 9) Pie charts 10) Frequency polygons 11) Cumulative frequency tables and graphs 12) Box plots 13) Histograms 14) Upper and lower bounds Number and Algebra - 1) Operating with integers, decimals and directed numbers (negatives) 2) Place value, BIDMAS and rounding 3) Factors, multiples, HCF and LCM 4) Indices and standard index form 5) Surds 6) Ratio and proportion 7) Fractions, decimals and percentages 8) Equations and simultaneous equations 9) Quadratics - factorising and completing the square 10) Sequences - inc. understanding of nth term rules 11) Linear graphs - y = mx + c 12) Real life graphs - speed, distance and time calculations 13) Inequalities - inc. interpretation of graphical inequalitites 14) Substituting into formulae 15) Changing the subject / rearranging a formula Geometry and Algebra - 1) Properties of shapes - inc. angles on parallel lines, interior and exterior angles 2) Circle theorems 3) Congruence and similarity 4) Area and perimeter 5) Volume and surface area 6) Transformations 7) Vectors 8) Direct and inverse proportion 9) Bearings and measure - inc. approximations and metric/imperial conversions 10) Algebraic manipulation and equations 11) Pythagoras' theorem 12) Trigonometry 13) Trial and improvement 14) Graph transformations 15) Dimensional analysis 16) Ratio and similarity 17) Loci 18) Nets, plans and elevations 19) Real life graphs SUPPORT: Before rating the app, please let me know of any suggestions you might have on how I might improve the app. Any topics you think I may have missed or you happen to perhaps find some glaring glitches, then please email me first at mrwslab@gmail.com. The app has taken a considerable amount of my personal time to develop so please give it 5 stars to say "thank you".