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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Wonder Park (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Wonder or blunder?
#wonderpark is multilayered #kids film that offers goofy humor mixed with some at times rather heavy & extreamly mature themes. Today we took my sisters little ones to see Wonder Park (a film i was at first i was struggling to stay awake for if I'm honest) & with an fairly generic start i was struggling to see where it was headed. Then bam after about 20 minutes i found myself hit hard with an #emotional punch of a plot twist that comes completely out of nowhere. After this heavy scene the film continues to ride onwards dealing with many #adult themes such as #depression, battling inner #demons, dealing with grief/loss, maturing/growing up, balancing/suppressing & dealing with #emotions such as anger guilt frustration & sadness. Me & my #mum found all these themes extremely prominent & in your face but from a kids point of view they just seemed to go straight over their heads as there was more than enough bright/loud & colourfully explosive set pieces/characters distracting them from the heavy overtones. Visually its a great looking film but i couldn't help notice a dusty wash over everything tainting & muting the colour pallet. This made the overall tone feel bleak to me & made the films ideas seem conflicted especially when you already have a mix of deep adult themes & really #silly #humor there too. Set pieces are actually quite #fun/#creative & stakes are high at times too which really got the kids feeling tense & excited. #Musical numbers are also catchy & both the #boys came out #dancing, #smiling & #singing which was nice to see. Overall its nothing really that you've not seen a million times before but it at least tries to tell a more mature story in a way both kids & adults can enjoy so for that i commend it. Short & #sweet, happy & bleak a perfectly ok experience. #odeon #odeonlimitless #filmbuff #filmcritic #halfterm #schoolholidays #animals #kenjeong #kenanthompson #milakunis #fantasy #themepark
TheBookMother (105 KP) rated Why Mummy Swears in Books
May 31, 2019
A sweary sequel
I had quickly devoured the previous Why Mummy Drinks and finished this even quicker in less than a day.
It was very similar to the previous book in the series but I was a tad disappointed.
Whilst the first book had a loose story line running through it, this book didn't seem to really go anywhere and there wasn't really anything it led to.
If you hadn't read the first book I think you would struggle to realize who everyone was (they were introduced in first book) and get all of the jokes that had come from the first.
It's set a few years after the first book and Ellen is still juggling family, home, work and Judgy Dog (my fav character!)
The humour was as good as ever but again I found some of it hard to relate to like being able to afford an au pair!
I felt we didn't really go anywhere with Ellen unlike the previous book where she designed and launched a successful app and began to find herself away from her 'mother role' and address the balance issues of work/family.
Again the book deals with some darker topics of parenting most of us know only too well. Judgement and treatment of mothers in the workplace, how society views mother's Vs father's in the workplace and the pressures of being a working mum. It also saw how much strain relationships come under when both spouses are working and raising a young family.
It was a good read but I was slightly disappointed and felt it wasn't as good as the first and was perhaps a bit stagnant.
It was very similar to the previous book in the series but I was a tad disappointed.
Whilst the first book had a loose story line running through it, this book didn't seem to really go anywhere and there wasn't really anything it led to.
If you hadn't read the first book I think you would struggle to realize who everyone was (they were introduced in first book) and get all of the jokes that had come from the first.
It's set a few years after the first book and Ellen is still juggling family, home, work and Judgy Dog (my fav character!)
The humour was as good as ever but again I found some of it hard to relate to like being able to afford an au pair!
I felt we didn't really go anywhere with Ellen unlike the previous book where she designed and launched a successful app and began to find herself away from her 'mother role' and address the balance issues of work/family.
Again the book deals with some darker topics of parenting most of us know only too well. Judgement and treatment of mothers in the workplace, how society views mother's Vs father's in the workplace and the pressures of being a working mum. It also saw how much strain relationships come under when both spouses are working and raising a young family.
It was a good read but I was slightly disappointed and felt it wasn't as good as the first and was perhaps a bit stagnant.
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated Big Little Lies in Books
Aug 25, 2018
So much more than I expected
This was my first read by Liane Moriarty and I'm fairly blown away by this book. BIG LITTLE LIES takes the ridiculousness of a bunch of mainly elitist mums surrounding their kids' kindergarten class. Oh and there's husbands too. It was a witty painting of cliques, bitchiness, friendships strong and true and tragedy.
"Jane, nice to meet you! I'm Amabella's mum, and I have Jackson in Year 2. That's Amabella by the way, not Annabella. It's French. We didn't make it up."
"We're a bit too white bread here in the peninsula. We like to think we're terribly diverse but it's only our bank accounts that vary."
There are three friends in this book, each carrying secrets but these three really did care for one another. I liked each flawed woman in this threesome, Madeline, Celeste and Jane. There were characters to love, like, hate and those that redeemed themselves.
Bullying and more is a thread in this book and I felt sick, heart-sick, at times in terms of the nature of these issues. There is also some gut wrenching heart ache and I felt each emotion in full technicolor.
"She'd always known that her reaction to this night had been too big, or perhaps too small. She hadn't ever cried. She hadn't told anyone. She'd swallowed it while and pretended it meant nothing, and therefore it had come to mean everything."
At the heart of BIG LITTLE LIES is a tale of suspense. The seeds are placed right at the beginning and I spent the whole book guessing, re-guessing and second-guessing all my suspicions. Liane Moriarty is a truly talented writer, I enjoyed the light, the witty quips and dialogue, alongside the dark and sad. I'm definitely eager to read more by her.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.
"Jane, nice to meet you! I'm Amabella's mum, and I have Jackson in Year 2. That's Amabella by the way, not Annabella. It's French. We didn't make it up."
"We're a bit too white bread here in the peninsula. We like to think we're terribly diverse but it's only our bank accounts that vary."
There are three friends in this book, each carrying secrets but these three really did care for one another. I liked each flawed woman in this threesome, Madeline, Celeste and Jane. There were characters to love, like, hate and those that redeemed themselves.
Bullying and more is a thread in this book and I felt sick, heart-sick, at times in terms of the nature of these issues. There is also some gut wrenching heart ache and I felt each emotion in full technicolor.
"She'd always known that her reaction to this night had been too big, or perhaps too small. She hadn't ever cried. She hadn't told anyone. She'd swallowed it while and pretended it meant nothing, and therefore it had come to mean everything."
At the heart of BIG LITTLE LIES is a tale of suspense. The seeds are placed right at the beginning and I spent the whole book guessing, re-guessing and second-guessing all my suspicions. Liane Moriarty is a truly talented writer, I enjoyed the light, the witty quips and dialogue, alongside the dark and sad. I'm definitely eager to read more by her.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.
Merissa (13242 KP) rated Wicked Whiskey Love (The Whiskeys #4) in Books
Nov 7, 2018
Wicked Whiskey Love (The Whiskeys #4) by Melissa Foster
Wicked Whiskey Love is the fourth book in The Whiskeys series, but each book can be read as a standalone. In this one, we meet Sarah, a single mum of two with one on the way. Now she hasn't had it easy, but we don't find out the whole story all at once. Bones is the brother who plans, the one who checks out his options before making a move... until it came to Sarah and her children. Then he was all in from the get go.
This is an emotional book, both good and bad ones, that will have you laughing out loud and reaching for the kleenex too. Sarah's story is a hard one, but Bones is there for her every step of the way, even when she tries to push him away. With cameo appearances from the rest of the family, this book not only managed to give me what I wanted for Bones, but also has left me hanging on for more. There are so many more characters I want stories for. The brothers are done, but what about Dixie? And Josie, and Quincey? Do I need to go on?
This really was an exceptional read, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The pacing was smooth, and the characters fully rounded and diverse. I thought Tru Blue was my favourite, but now I'm hedging my bets with this one. Absolutely loved it, and can I say, that cover? Yum! There is a warning at the beginning of the book about an ovary explosion when Bones gets going. Heed the warning, girls, because he makes my heart melt!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is an emotional book, both good and bad ones, that will have you laughing out loud and reaching for the kleenex too. Sarah's story is a hard one, but Bones is there for her every step of the way, even when she tries to push him away. With cameo appearances from the rest of the family, this book not only managed to give me what I wanted for Bones, but also has left me hanging on for more. There are so many more characters I want stories for. The brothers are done, but what about Dixie? And Josie, and Quincey? Do I need to go on?
This really was an exceptional read, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The pacing was smooth, and the characters fully rounded and diverse. I thought Tru Blue was my favourite, but now I'm hedging my bets with this one. Absolutely loved it, and can I say, that cover? Yum! There is a warning at the beginning of the book about an ovary explosion when Bones gets going. Heed the warning, girls, because he makes my heart melt!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated On the Origin of Findo Gask in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Sick, twisted, blasphemous, wrong and very, very funny.” That is how this book, <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i> by David McCreight, is described on the back cover. But how accurate is it? “Blasphemous”? Most definitely. “Very, very funny”? Not so much. Although it is obvious that there is an attempt a humour, it is too “sick” and “twisted” for it to be anywhere near hilarious.
Findo Gask is a rather unattractive sixteen-year-old living in the Scottish Highlands. The narrative, recounted from his point of view, alternates between present day and an account of past events. Findo was once a child prodigy until he began questioning religion openly in church. In order to get back at the Christians, who thought he was possessed by demons, he establishes the Darwin Terrorist Organisation along with Cousin Dan. This, however, eventually gets rather out of hand. Now Findo is living with his Gran and his Mum is in hospital with a mysterious illness. He also believes he has sold the universe.
The fact that Findo is a stereotypical, Scottish, working class teenager makes the amount of bad language almost acceptable; although, to tell the complete truth, it did border on excessive.
At first there did not seem to be much of a plot, but once the past and present join up it is possible to connect all the events included in the story, which results in a considerably explosive ending.
As everyone’s take on humour is different there will undoubtedly be people who love this book. It would not be fair to deliberately put people off from reading <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i>, yet at the same time it is not recommended for the easily offended readers, particularly those with strict religious principles and a dislike for foul language.
“Sick, twisted, blasphemous, wrong and very, very funny.” That is how this book, <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i> by David McCreight, is described on the back cover. But how accurate is it? “Blasphemous”? Most definitely. “Very, very funny”? Not so much. Although it is obvious that there is an attempt a humour, it is too “sick” and “twisted” for it to be anywhere near hilarious.
Findo Gask is a rather unattractive sixteen-year-old living in the Scottish Highlands. The narrative, recounted from his point of view, alternates between present day and an account of past events. Findo was once a child prodigy until he began questioning religion openly in church. In order to get back at the Christians, who thought he was possessed by demons, he establishes the Darwin Terrorist Organisation along with Cousin Dan. This, however, eventually gets rather out of hand. Now Findo is living with his Gran and his Mum is in hospital with a mysterious illness. He also believes he has sold the universe.
The fact that Findo is a stereotypical, Scottish, working class teenager makes the amount of bad language almost acceptable; although, to tell the complete truth, it did border on excessive.
At first there did not seem to be much of a plot, but once the past and present join up it is possible to connect all the events included in the story, which results in a considerably explosive ending.
As everyone’s take on humour is different there will undoubtedly be people who love this book. It would not be fair to deliberately put people off from reading <i>On the Origin of Findo Gask</i>, yet at the same time it is not recommended for the easily offended readers, particularly those with strict religious principles and a dislike for foul language.
Leigh J (71 KP) rated The loved ones (2009) in Movies
Nov 8, 2019 (Updated Nov 8, 2019)
Put my faith back in Horror
Contains spoilers, click to show
For a period of time the other year, I had truly lost faith in Horror. Every Movie I was watching was like another nail in the Horror Coffin and I had got to the point where I didn't even want to watch Horror anymore. I. Was. Done. But one day whilst in a store, a Movie I had been meaning to check out was there (and reasonably priced!) I picked it up, flopped pessimisticly onto my Sofa and got ready to watch... The Loved Ones was the Movie, and it blew me away. It was the spark that reignited my Horror love, and it injected something fresh back into a Genre that I felt was getting tired.
So, The Loved Ones is about a young guy called Brent who is in a downward spiral due to the untimely death of his Father. An accident that Brent, himself, was involved in and feels guilty about as he was driving the Car and swerved at the last minute to avoid a dazed and injured boy in the Road. At School he is asked to Prom by a seemingly innocent looking girl called Lola, who he turns down as he already has a Girlfriend. Lola does not take this well (especially when she finds Brent in a steamy tangle with his Girlfriend in a car) and enlists the help of her equally psychotic Dad to kidnap Brent for a Prom Night that he'll never forget...
I really, really enjoyed The Loved Ones, and each time I watch it is a pleasure. It had some great creepy details (SPOILERS: such as the very unsettling relationship between Lola and her Dad, Lola's jealousy and pettiness towards her "Mum"; who has pretty much been lobotomized, the "others" twist that you never see coming) and it all ties together in a neat, possibly Pink, definitely Bloodstained Bow! It's a Movie that definitely deserves a watch, and even merits a few watches to pick up on all the awesome details. Amazing.
So, The Loved Ones is about a young guy called Brent who is in a downward spiral due to the untimely death of his Father. An accident that Brent, himself, was involved in and feels guilty about as he was driving the Car and swerved at the last minute to avoid a dazed and injured boy in the Road. At School he is asked to Prom by a seemingly innocent looking girl called Lola, who he turns down as he already has a Girlfriend. Lola does not take this well (especially when she finds Brent in a steamy tangle with his Girlfriend in a car) and enlists the help of her equally psychotic Dad to kidnap Brent for a Prom Night that he'll never forget...
I really, really enjoyed The Loved Ones, and each time I watch it is a pleasure. It had some great creepy details (SPOILERS: such as the very unsettling relationship between Lola and her Dad, Lola's jealousy and pettiness towards her "Mum"; who has pretty much been lobotomized, the "others" twist that you never see coming) and it all ties together in a neat, possibly Pink, definitely Bloodstained Bow! It's a Movie that definitely deserves a watch, and even merits a few watches to pick up on all the awesome details. Amazing.
Pine tells the story of 10 year old Lauren and her father Niall, who live in a small Scottish village. Lauren’s mum, Christine, disappeared when Lauren was small, and Niall has never recovered. No one knows where she is. Lauren is bullied at school by a girl who lives in her village because of her mother, because of the way she looks and dresses, and because she can.
Lauren keeps seeing a strange woman around the village, a woman that everyone else forgets they’ve seen immediately after they’ve seen her. Lauren remembers the woman though.
Lauren wants to remember her mother - she wants to learn more about her, but Niall just can’t bring himself to talk about her. He has been badly affected by their apparent abandonment: he drinks too much, stays out late and expects the neighbours to look after, and often feed, Lauren.
There is an undercurrent of dread throughout this novel. I was never sure if it was going to turn into a full-blown horror-fest, and I don’t think I would’ve been disappointed if it had. All the ingredients are there: a child left alone in a farmhouse away from everyone else; a still, dark forest; a constantly dimly lit farmhouse with strange smells and noises; a strange figure moving in the trees and around the local houses, that everyone sees and no-one rememberers.
I loved the atmosphere of this book. I had to remember to actually breathe, and the tension was set at just the right level to achieve this for pretty much the entire book.
I won’t say anything else about what happens in the story, in the hope that it’ll encourage someone to read it. It definitely WON’T be time wasted! This is one of my highlights of my January reading!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review.
Lauren keeps seeing a strange woman around the village, a woman that everyone else forgets they’ve seen immediately after they’ve seen her. Lauren remembers the woman though.
Lauren wants to remember her mother - she wants to learn more about her, but Niall just can’t bring himself to talk about her. He has been badly affected by their apparent abandonment: he drinks too much, stays out late and expects the neighbours to look after, and often feed, Lauren.
There is an undercurrent of dread throughout this novel. I was never sure if it was going to turn into a full-blown horror-fest, and I don’t think I would’ve been disappointed if it had. All the ingredients are there: a child left alone in a farmhouse away from everyone else; a still, dark forest; a constantly dimly lit farmhouse with strange smells and noises; a strange figure moving in the trees and around the local houses, that everyone sees and no-one rememberers.
I loved the atmosphere of this book. I had to remember to actually breathe, and the tension was set at just the right level to achieve this for pretty much the entire book.
I won’t say anything else about what happens in the story, in the hope that it’ll encourage someone to read it. It definitely WON’T be time wasted! This is one of my highlights of my January reading!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review.
The Rhyming Diary of Jason Smith: At the End of His Key Stage 2 Career
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Jason Smith is a typical eleven-year-old boy - except for one thing. He enjoys keeping a diary of...
Billy and Me
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**ZOELLA BOOK CLUB 2016 TITLE** A gorgeously romantic novel about fame, friendship and falling in...
