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Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Deviants in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The Deviants</i> by British author C. J. Skuse is an addictive, shocking young adult thriller about friendship, secrets and revenge. Set in a seaside town in the South West of England five friends are reunited through getting revenge on people causing difficulties in their lives. However some people are holding back secrets from the others, ones that cause more problems than not revealing them protects.
Ella has been with her boyfriend Max for five years but cracks are beginning to show in their relationship. Max is desperate to take their relationship to the next level, however Ella seems reluctant, if not scared, to do so. It is clear that something happened in Ella’s past that she refuses to acknowledge, relying on brutal training for the Commonwealth Games as a way of releasing her feelings. When circumstances cause Ella and Max to reconnect with schoolmates Fallon and Corey, Ella is quick to plot revenge on the people antagonizing them, using this as a new method of dealing with her past.
Through interactions with other characters, readers piece together the secret Ella has buried inside herself. By withholding these horrible experiences from everyone, Ella is slowly destroying herself. She believes she is protecting the people she loves, but is soon to realize that she is causing others to jump to dangerous conclusions.
Ella tells the story as if she is looking back on what has happened during the summer break from school. It is evident that she is opening up to an anonymous person, whom readers may initially presume to be a therapist. It is not until the shocking, heart-breaking conclusion that we eventually learn this character’s identity.
From the beginning it is not clear what the storyline of <i>The Deviants</i> is. For a very long time it is impossible to guess where the author is going with the narrative, however that does not stop it from being enjoyable. Ella’s account is occasionally amusing with realistic situations teenagers may find themselves in, although perhaps not all in one friendship circle: romantic relationships, pregnancy, exams, bullying, physical disability, homosexuality… As a result of the wishy-washy plot line, the ending is all the more shocking.
It is easy to relate to all of the main characters – although not necessarily like them all. Each represents a different set of feelings and personalities that all young adult readers will be familiar with, thus <i>The Deviants</i> is a book everyone can relate to.
I honestly did not know what to expect when I began this novel, however I easily got into the narrative and enjoyed reading about Ella and her friends. There are a few topics that are difficult to read about, so some readers may feel uncomfortable especially if they have ever been <b>*SPOILER*</b> abused. <i>The Deviants</i> is a book that fans of contemporary young adult readers should enjoy, and has the potential to become quite popular.
The Deviants</i> by British author C. J. Skuse is an addictive, shocking young adult thriller about friendship, secrets and revenge. Set in a seaside town in the South West of England five friends are reunited through getting revenge on people causing difficulties in their lives. However some people are holding back secrets from the others, ones that cause more problems than not revealing them protects.
Ella has been with her boyfriend Max for five years but cracks are beginning to show in their relationship. Max is desperate to take their relationship to the next level, however Ella seems reluctant, if not scared, to do so. It is clear that something happened in Ella’s past that she refuses to acknowledge, relying on brutal training for the Commonwealth Games as a way of releasing her feelings. When circumstances cause Ella and Max to reconnect with schoolmates Fallon and Corey, Ella is quick to plot revenge on the people antagonizing them, using this as a new method of dealing with her past.
Through interactions with other characters, readers piece together the secret Ella has buried inside herself. By withholding these horrible experiences from everyone, Ella is slowly destroying herself. She believes she is protecting the people she loves, but is soon to realize that she is causing others to jump to dangerous conclusions.
Ella tells the story as if she is looking back on what has happened during the summer break from school. It is evident that she is opening up to an anonymous person, whom readers may initially presume to be a therapist. It is not until the shocking, heart-breaking conclusion that we eventually learn this character’s identity.
From the beginning it is not clear what the storyline of <i>The Deviants</i> is. For a very long time it is impossible to guess where the author is going with the narrative, however that does not stop it from being enjoyable. Ella’s account is occasionally amusing with realistic situations teenagers may find themselves in, although perhaps not all in one friendship circle: romantic relationships, pregnancy, exams, bullying, physical disability, homosexuality… As a result of the wishy-washy plot line, the ending is all the more shocking.
It is easy to relate to all of the main characters – although not necessarily like them all. Each represents a different set of feelings and personalities that all young adult readers will be familiar with, thus <i>The Deviants</i> is a book everyone can relate to.
I honestly did not know what to expect when I began this novel, however I easily got into the narrative and enjoyed reading about Ella and her friends. There are a few topics that are difficult to read about, so some readers may feel uncomfortable especially if they have ever been <b>*SPOILER*</b> abused. <i>The Deviants</i> is a book that fans of contemporary young adult readers should enjoy, and has the potential to become quite popular.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Other Side of the Looking Glass in Books
Feb 29, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Other Side of the Looking Glass by Kathleen Harryman is an amazing and well-written story. It focuses on some very hard topics (that I discuss in the final paragraph) and readers need to be prepared for that. The frequent reader will probably figure out the plot early like I did.
Kate is married to a very wealthy man, Liam, who believes appearances are everything. Liam spends thousands on clothing for Kate to keep her looking what he considers to be appropriate. The only time they really spend any time together is at events when Liam wants or feels the need to show Kate off. However, Kate is very unhappy with this arrangement and ends up falling in love with one of her doctors. Kate knows Liam will never let her go, so with the help of her doctor they create an elaborate plan to make Liam believe Kate is going to die of cancer and send her away to a clinic.
Even in severe sickness Liam refuses to give up Kate, but her current state of “illness” is unacceptable to him so he does exactly as she expects and sends her away. What he does after she is gone is even more of a problem. With that being said Liam creates his own plan. He will replace the “sick” Kate with a healthy look-a-like. The only problem is that he must change the look-a-like’s memories and behaviors to match that of the original Kate. Too bad for Liam memories have a way of coming back, that and because he is a perfectionist a look-a-like will not do it for him. No, he needs someone identical to Kate. Now, where can he find an identical match to his wife?
The emotions the book provoked were very strong and very real. The writing was well done to the point that while reading it was possible to feel everything the characters go through. It is impressive when writing can provoke real emotions. What I did not like was that the plot is given away way too early into the book. The book ended up being externally predictive because of it. There really wasn’t much in the lines of surprising twist either, which was disappointing.
An adult book for sure. Some very mature high school students should be able to handle it, but I would not recommend it for anyone under 16. Foul language, abuse both physical and mental, and rape run rampant in this book, not to mention pregnancy death and kidnapping. You have been warned. I rate this book 2 out of 4. I really enjoyed this book but the fact that I had the ending figured out three chapters in was disappointing. It can really ruin a well written, emotional book when the entire plot is exposed way to early.
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Kate is married to a very wealthy man, Liam, who believes appearances are everything. Liam spends thousands on clothing for Kate to keep her looking what he considers to be appropriate. The only time they really spend any time together is at events when Liam wants or feels the need to show Kate off. However, Kate is very unhappy with this arrangement and ends up falling in love with one of her doctors. Kate knows Liam will never let her go, so with the help of her doctor they create an elaborate plan to make Liam believe Kate is going to die of cancer and send her away to a clinic.
Even in severe sickness Liam refuses to give up Kate, but her current state of “illness” is unacceptable to him so he does exactly as she expects and sends her away. What he does after she is gone is even more of a problem. With that being said Liam creates his own plan. He will replace the “sick” Kate with a healthy look-a-like. The only problem is that he must change the look-a-like’s memories and behaviors to match that of the original Kate. Too bad for Liam memories have a way of coming back, that and because he is a perfectionist a look-a-like will not do it for him. No, he needs someone identical to Kate. Now, where can he find an identical match to his wife?
The emotions the book provoked were very strong and very real. The writing was well done to the point that while reading it was possible to feel everything the characters go through. It is impressive when writing can provoke real emotions. What I did not like was that the plot is given away way too early into the book. The book ended up being externally predictive because of it. There really wasn’t much in the lines of surprising twist either, which was disappointing.
An adult book for sure. Some very mature high school students should be able to handle it, but I would not recommend it for anyone under 16. Foul language, abuse both physical and mental, and rape run rampant in this book, not to mention pregnancy death and kidnapping. You have been warned. I rate this book 2 out of 4. I really enjoyed this book but the fact that I had the ending figured out three chapters in was disappointing. It can really ruin a well written, emotional book when the entire plot is exposed way to early.
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Last Summer in Books
Jul 24, 2019
I first heard about Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale when I was browsing the giveaway section of Goodreads. I'm a stickler for books that deal with memory loss and trying to regain memories, so Last Summer definitely caught my eye. I was thrilled when I received an email from Goodreads saying I had won the eBook for Last Summer. After reading this novel, I'm glad I didn't pay for it. While it wasn't a great read, it was just lackluster.
Ella , a journalist, is in the hospital after a car accident that killed her unborn child. However, after being there for a few days, she suddenly loses her memory about being being pregnant and what happened right before she became pregnant and during her pregnancy. Desperate to remember her child, she does whatever she can to remember. When she is assigned to get an exclusive story about Nathan, a former celebrity whose son has just died, he lets her know that he knows some of things she forgot. However, some memories are best left forgotten.
The plot sounded for Last Summer like it would be promising. I felt like this book would be more about the mystery of Ella's memories. However, it seemed more like a romance novel than anything else which was a disappointment for me. It was more about Ella loving Nathan (not a spoiler, don't worry) but also loving her husband and her feeling guilty about it. At times, the plot seemed a bit muddled as well as predictable. There are a couple of plot twists I didn't see coming. The dialogue and writing seemed realistic as did the plot, so there's that. One thing that did bother me was how much sex was mentioned in the book. There were times I felt as if sex was mentioned just for the sake of mentioning it. I felt like sometimes it would have been implied or not mentioned at all.
The characters were just so so as well. I wanted to like them more, but I just had trouble. I don't think they were written poorly for the most part. I just couldn't feel a connection. There was something I didn't really like about Damien, Ella's husband, starting from the beginning of the book. He started off as being a bit mean and a bit smarmy at times. I kept wanting Ella to just run away from him because I did not like the guy! Ella sometimes felt a little too one dimensional for my liking. I felt like she was missing some depth to her, and there were many times she felt shallow. I did like Nathan, and I felt really bad for him. The hand he was given was a bad one. He was the only one character that felt the most sincere. I just wanted to hug him so many times.
The pacing for Last Summer was slow in some places, but it wasn't too bad. It did hold my attention throughout, and I found myself wanting to read more each time I had a spare minute. The story does flow well.
Trigger warnings for Last Summer include child loss, profanity, drinking, marital cheating, sex (although only slightly graphic), and lying.
All in all, Last Summer is a just an okay read. There's nothing that special about it where I would actually remember reading it a few months down the line. Saying that, I would recommend Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale simply because I feel like it would make a good book to read while on vacation.
Ella , a journalist, is in the hospital after a car accident that killed her unborn child. However, after being there for a few days, she suddenly loses her memory about being being pregnant and what happened right before she became pregnant and during her pregnancy. Desperate to remember her child, she does whatever she can to remember. When she is assigned to get an exclusive story about Nathan, a former celebrity whose son has just died, he lets her know that he knows some of things she forgot. However, some memories are best left forgotten.
The plot sounded for Last Summer like it would be promising. I felt like this book would be more about the mystery of Ella's memories. However, it seemed more like a romance novel than anything else which was a disappointment for me. It was more about Ella loving Nathan (not a spoiler, don't worry) but also loving her husband and her feeling guilty about it. At times, the plot seemed a bit muddled as well as predictable. There are a couple of plot twists I didn't see coming. The dialogue and writing seemed realistic as did the plot, so there's that. One thing that did bother me was how much sex was mentioned in the book. There were times I felt as if sex was mentioned just for the sake of mentioning it. I felt like sometimes it would have been implied or not mentioned at all.
The characters were just so so as well. I wanted to like them more, but I just had trouble. I don't think they were written poorly for the most part. I just couldn't feel a connection. There was something I didn't really like about Damien, Ella's husband, starting from the beginning of the book. He started off as being a bit mean and a bit smarmy at times. I kept wanting Ella to just run away from him because I did not like the guy! Ella sometimes felt a little too one dimensional for my liking. I felt like she was missing some depth to her, and there were many times she felt shallow. I did like Nathan, and I felt really bad for him. The hand he was given was a bad one. He was the only one character that felt the most sincere. I just wanted to hug him so many times.
The pacing for Last Summer was slow in some places, but it wasn't too bad. It did hold my attention throughout, and I found myself wanting to read more each time I had a spare minute. The story does flow well.
Trigger warnings for Last Summer include child loss, profanity, drinking, marital cheating, sex (although only slightly graphic), and lying.
All in all, Last Summer is a just an okay read. There's nothing that special about it where I would actually remember reading it a few months down the line. Saying that, I would recommend Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale simply because I feel like it would make a good book to read while on vacation.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Gatecrash (2021) in Movies
Feb 19, 2021
Enjoyably strange
Gatecrash is a 2021 psychological thriller from Lawrence Gough, based on a play by Terry Hughes. It opens with a rather beautiful and picturesque shot of the English countryside at dusk, when a speeding car disturbs the peace and alongside a prominent score, promises us a rather tense and thrilling start to the film.
And in this aspect it doesn’t disappoint. Gatecrash disposes with any preamble and pitches us straight into the action. A couple return to a rather maze-like and futuristically styled home in the middle of an argument, but what at first seems like a domestic argument is in fact much more serious: the husband, Steve (Ben Cura), has just committed a hit and run. He’s drunk, abusive and wants his wife, Nicole (Olivia Bonamy), to take the blame. And it wasn’t just an innocent accident as Steve not only knocked someone over, he drove over them again in his rush to flee.
The first 15 minutes follows this argument and then as it ends as Nicole and Steve separate inside the house; him to clean up any evidence from the accident and her to discretely take a pregnancy test. This soon begins to drag, and fortunately we’re saved by a sinister phone call from the landline, that appears to be coming from Steve’s mobile, that he hasn’t seen since the hit and run. This soon escalates into something verging on horror territory as we follow Nicole around their now claustrophobic house.
It’s this middle act that I enjoyed the most as Gatecrash turns into a tense and almost terrifying thriller, as Nicole and Steve have to face off against a mysterious and menacing police officer (Samuel West) who arrives on their doorstep. West is possibly my favourite part of this film, his character is completely over the top and ridiculous yet still portrays this strange, ominous air. It’s strange to find a character who is immensely fun to watch yet still manages to terrify you. He’s further helped by his character’s unexplained and questionable motives that give this thriller an intriguing air of mystery.
Following on from the aftermath of the hit and run, the film jumps to a later time after Nicole has had her baby and again the couple are visited by another mysterious stranger, this one called Sid (Anton Lesser). At first Sid seems like a kind, lovely old man but his unusual air and conversation soon unveil yet more hidden and sinister motives that culminate in a tense finale.
It’s this final act that I was least keen on. At first the dialogue between Sid, Nicole and Steve is gripping but it seems to drag on and keep going round in circles before it finally gets to some dramatic piece of action. This dragging dialogue is definitely Gatecrash’s biggest flaw, and this is in no doubt down to it’s theatre origins. On the stage I can see dialogue like this working well, but as a film it needs a lot more oomph to keep our attention. The cast do well to keep us entertained though, Olivia Bonamy puts in a very understated performance as Nicole and Ben Cura was delightful to watch as Steve purely because the character is a rather despicable excuse for a man. And fortunately Gough’s cinematography works well with the few action scenes to try and make up for the slumps in the dialogue heavy earlier scenes.
Overall Gatecrash is a fairly enjoyable thriller and is worth watching purely for its general air of mystery and the tense and exciting second act.
And in this aspect it doesn’t disappoint. Gatecrash disposes with any preamble and pitches us straight into the action. A couple return to a rather maze-like and futuristically styled home in the middle of an argument, but what at first seems like a domestic argument is in fact much more serious: the husband, Steve (Ben Cura), has just committed a hit and run. He’s drunk, abusive and wants his wife, Nicole (Olivia Bonamy), to take the blame. And it wasn’t just an innocent accident as Steve not only knocked someone over, he drove over them again in his rush to flee.
The first 15 minutes follows this argument and then as it ends as Nicole and Steve separate inside the house; him to clean up any evidence from the accident and her to discretely take a pregnancy test. This soon begins to drag, and fortunately we’re saved by a sinister phone call from the landline, that appears to be coming from Steve’s mobile, that he hasn’t seen since the hit and run. This soon escalates into something verging on horror territory as we follow Nicole around their now claustrophobic house.
It’s this middle act that I enjoyed the most as Gatecrash turns into a tense and almost terrifying thriller, as Nicole and Steve have to face off against a mysterious and menacing police officer (Samuel West) who arrives on their doorstep. West is possibly my favourite part of this film, his character is completely over the top and ridiculous yet still portrays this strange, ominous air. It’s strange to find a character who is immensely fun to watch yet still manages to terrify you. He’s further helped by his character’s unexplained and questionable motives that give this thriller an intriguing air of mystery.
Following on from the aftermath of the hit and run, the film jumps to a later time after Nicole has had her baby and again the couple are visited by another mysterious stranger, this one called Sid (Anton Lesser). At first Sid seems like a kind, lovely old man but his unusual air and conversation soon unveil yet more hidden and sinister motives that culminate in a tense finale.
It’s this final act that I was least keen on. At first the dialogue between Sid, Nicole and Steve is gripping but it seems to drag on and keep going round in circles before it finally gets to some dramatic piece of action. This dragging dialogue is definitely Gatecrash’s biggest flaw, and this is in no doubt down to it’s theatre origins. On the stage I can see dialogue like this working well, but as a film it needs a lot more oomph to keep our attention. The cast do well to keep us entertained though, Olivia Bonamy puts in a very understated performance as Nicole and Ben Cura was delightful to watch as Steve purely because the character is a rather despicable excuse for a man. And fortunately Gough’s cinematography works well with the few action scenes to try and make up for the slumps in the dialogue heavy earlier scenes.
Overall Gatecrash is a fairly enjoyable thriller and is worth watching purely for its general air of mystery and the tense and exciting second act.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Cousins in Books
Dec 21, 2020
Whenever Karen McManus releases a book, I feel obligated to read it since I loved her first book, One of Us Is Lying. I also read the sequel, Two Can Keep a Secret. When The Cousins was released, it was one of those books that I had to read. While it wasn't as good of a read as her first two books, it was still a decent book.
Mildred Story cut ties with all of her children twenty-four years prior. All of her children swear they have no idea what they did to be cut off. However, when Mildred's grandchild receive a letter from Mildred inviting them to stay and work on her island, her grandchildren are a little suspicious but end up going. However, when they decide to try to figure out the mystery, things take a dangerous turn.
The plot really reeled me in. I love a good mystery, so The Cousins was right up my alley. While the story did flow together really well, I felt that the pacing was a bit on the slow side. It wasn't painfully slow, but it made it where The Cousins wasn't one of those books where you can't put it down. I guess I was just hoping for more action. There were a few plot twists which were a bit unpredictable which was enjoyable. The setting and world building were done nicely. It was easy to feel like I was on the island with everything that was going on. I enjoyed the flashbacks from Mildred's children - Adam, Anders, Archer, and Allison. I felt like there were no cliff hangers and that all my questions were answered by the end of the book. I suppose McManus could make a sequel from this book, but I think that this book would be better left as a standalone.
The characters in The Cousins were written decently enough although I never really cared too much for any one character. I just had a hard time relating to any of the characters, so it was hard to really care for them. Milly came across as being too standoffish and stuck up a lot of the time. While I liked that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, sometimes I felt like she went a bit overboard. Jonah was an alright character, but I felt like he lacked enough depth to really like him. I just felt like there was something missing with his backstory. Aubrey was an okay character too, but I felt like she wasn't much of a main character. I would have liked to see more of Aubrey because I felt like she didn't really add anything to the story and that her character was kind of pointless. Aubrey's character felt more like a filler in the book. I would have also liked to see more scenes with Mildred as she isn't in many. Knowing the whole story, I can see why she wasn't as present, but it would have been nice to at least have her in the book a bit more.
Trigger warnings for The Cousins include swearing, murder, death, minor violence, drinking (including underage), miscarriage, and teenage pregnancy,
Overall, The Cousins does have an interesting plot despite the execution. The world building is done fantastically, and the plot twists are plentiful. I would recommend The Cousins by Karen M. McManus to those aged 15+ that like mysteries.
Mildred Story cut ties with all of her children twenty-four years prior. All of her children swear they have no idea what they did to be cut off. However, when Mildred's grandchild receive a letter from Mildred inviting them to stay and work on her island, her grandchildren are a little suspicious but end up going. However, when they decide to try to figure out the mystery, things take a dangerous turn.
The plot really reeled me in. I love a good mystery, so The Cousins was right up my alley. While the story did flow together really well, I felt that the pacing was a bit on the slow side. It wasn't painfully slow, but it made it where The Cousins wasn't one of those books where you can't put it down. I guess I was just hoping for more action. There were a few plot twists which were a bit unpredictable which was enjoyable. The setting and world building were done nicely. It was easy to feel like I was on the island with everything that was going on. I enjoyed the flashbacks from Mildred's children - Adam, Anders, Archer, and Allison. I felt like there were no cliff hangers and that all my questions were answered by the end of the book. I suppose McManus could make a sequel from this book, but I think that this book would be better left as a standalone.
The characters in The Cousins were written decently enough although I never really cared too much for any one character. I just had a hard time relating to any of the characters, so it was hard to really care for them. Milly came across as being too standoffish and stuck up a lot of the time. While I liked that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, sometimes I felt like she went a bit overboard. Jonah was an alright character, but I felt like he lacked enough depth to really like him. I just felt like there was something missing with his backstory. Aubrey was an okay character too, but I felt like she wasn't much of a main character. I would have liked to see more of Aubrey because I felt like she didn't really add anything to the story and that her character was kind of pointless. Aubrey's character felt more like a filler in the book. I would have also liked to see more scenes with Mildred as she isn't in many. Knowing the whole story, I can see why she wasn't as present, but it would have been nice to at least have her in the book a bit more.
Trigger warnings for The Cousins include swearing, murder, death, minor violence, drinking (including underage), miscarriage, and teenage pregnancy,
Overall, The Cousins does have an interesting plot despite the execution. The world building is done fantastically, and the plot twists are plentiful. I would recommend The Cousins by Karen M. McManus to those aged 15+ that like mysteries.
Darren (1599 KP) rated St. Agatha (2018) in Movies
Oct 2, 2019
Characters – Mary is a pregnant young lady with a tragic past which saw her running from her abusive father, she seeks refuge to have her child, which sees her in a convent, only for this to be a worse hell than her previous life, she is stuck with the abusive religious nuns that want her baby, even renaming her Agatha. Mother Superior runs the convent, she has strict rules and expects the women to follow these rules or face punishment, she does however want the children to be born, which means the punishments won’t put the babies at risks, she has women under her control, but when it comes to Mary she must go to new extremes to keep her position of power in place. Catherine is one of the few women that offers Mary any help within the walls, she is also pregnant further along than Mary, meaning the two teaming up would mean more risk for her. We do have other girls that are under different levels of control, while we also have other nuns who are trying to prove their level of strictness to the Mother Superior.
Performances – Sabrina Kern in the leading role is great to watch, she brings the broken figure and shows us just how determined she is to make the most out of her life with her child. Carolyn Hennessy does bring us the strict figure required for her role which will show how capable to she to take control of the scenes through the film. the rest of the cast do a solid job throughout, they each get their moment to shine in the film’s story too.
Story – The story follows a young woman who seeks refuge in a convent to help her have her child only to find the convent is being controlled by nuns that don’t always follow the bible when it comes to helping the young women that come to them for help. With this story we do get to give until the personal life of Mary that does have a tragic past and does show how far she has had to go to fix the problems in her life. The main focus is on the convent which does keep us guessing to what the Mother Superior will do next because they want the babies and can’t risk damaging them, but do need to punish the women. We do get elements of the theme around the idea of cults which does play an important factor in just where the film ends up going. We also have women at different stages of pregnancy which shows us and Mary just what will happen to her if she stays.
Horror – The horror in the film follows the events in the convent, we get a mix of hauntings and torture, which are only making Mary look like she is losing her mind.
Settings – The film is set in the convent, we get to see how the locked doors keep people in and just how they are going to be forcing the woman to follow the rules.
Special Effects – The effects in this film are used to show the injuries which aren’t as graphic as they could have been, though they imply horrific injuries given.
Scene of the Movie – The baby is coming.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It could have gone a lot darker that is does go.
Final Thoughts – This is a solid enough horror that uses the themes of religious cults to make the horror seem more realistic and shocking.
Overall: Religious Cult 101
Performances – Sabrina Kern in the leading role is great to watch, she brings the broken figure and shows us just how determined she is to make the most out of her life with her child. Carolyn Hennessy does bring us the strict figure required for her role which will show how capable to she to take control of the scenes through the film. the rest of the cast do a solid job throughout, they each get their moment to shine in the film’s story too.
Story – The story follows a young woman who seeks refuge in a convent to help her have her child only to find the convent is being controlled by nuns that don’t always follow the bible when it comes to helping the young women that come to them for help. With this story we do get to give until the personal life of Mary that does have a tragic past and does show how far she has had to go to fix the problems in her life. The main focus is on the convent which does keep us guessing to what the Mother Superior will do next because they want the babies and can’t risk damaging them, but do need to punish the women. We do get elements of the theme around the idea of cults which does play an important factor in just where the film ends up going. We also have women at different stages of pregnancy which shows us and Mary just what will happen to her if she stays.
Horror – The horror in the film follows the events in the convent, we get a mix of hauntings and torture, which are only making Mary look like she is losing her mind.
Settings – The film is set in the convent, we get to see how the locked doors keep people in and just how they are going to be forcing the woman to follow the rules.
Special Effects – The effects in this film are used to show the injuries which aren’t as graphic as they could have been, though they imply horrific injuries given.
Scene of the Movie – The baby is coming.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It could have gone a lot darker that is does go.
Final Thoughts – This is a solid enough horror that uses the themes of religious cults to make the horror seem more realistic and shocking.
Overall: Religious Cult 101
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Making Waves (League of 7, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
As a first erotic novel, I believe this was a great choice. I bought this book years ago when I was still young and terrified about my parents finding out. I was just a freshman in high school looking for something that normal romance novels couldnt give me. I was so tired of all the sugary innuendoes. If I am going to read about people having sex, I want clear descriptions about what is going on or nothing at all. Innuendoes that compare a ladys part to food just grosses me out; and comparing an orgasm to an explosion of stars is just silly. Of course, I thought all this before I lost my
virginity at the ripe old age of 19 (yay for beating teen pregnancy?) And, I still think this today.
But I digress. This book is actually an anthology of two stories by different authors, both stories water related. Thus, the title.
The first story is titled Liquid Dreams by Cathryn Fox. From the very first page, Fox jumps right into the sex. When I first read it, I felt so scandalous that I knew my cheeks were red from embarrassment. Now, looking back, I realize how silly I was considering I have read much more graphic scenes since. Liquid Dreams does not want of sex scene. In fact, I am pretty sure that 85% of the novel is about the main characters partaking in foreplay. Another 10% is devoted to sex.
The plot consists of a young woman, Katrina, who keeps having dreams about a man that comes to her out of the sea. He pleases her, she pleases him. And then, by swallowing his semen, she starts regaining memories from a past life. Eventually, she figures out that the man, Ranek, is her lover from that. She also gradually realizes that she has been horribly miserable with her life because it is not her true life. The only problem is Raneks brother is hell-bent on seeing them both suffer.
A pretty straight forward plot with no twists or surprises and plenty of steamy sex scenes to call it erotic. The only problem I had with this novel was the way she covered her memories. Everything else was pretty believable for a fantasy erotic novel except that. In fact, it was pretty weird.
The second novel is called Dolphins Playground by Jaci Burton. At first, I was a little hesitant to read it just because of the title, but I sucked it up and read on. Unlike Fox, Burton is more about the plot-line than sex. This short story is about a marine biologist, Jasmine, who would rather spend her time with dolphins than people, especially her big wig boss who cares more about than living things. When she finds some sick dolphins, she decides to take them in much to the chagrin of her soon to be lover, Triton. Triton just so happens to be able to turn into a dolphin and is able to communicate with them. In fact, the dolphins that are now in Jasmines custody actually belong to Triton, who is also trying to find a cure with the diseased dolphins.
Since he cant get the dolphins out of the facility, Triton decides to use it, and Jasmine, to his advantage in his search for the cure. They, of course, hook up during this search and do end up having a happy ending.
The writing was pretty simple in terms of vocabulary and biology terms. However, I really enjoyed Triton and Jasmines witty banter and that the you could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife. It was the characters that made this story, honestly.
virginity at the ripe old age of 19 (yay for beating teen pregnancy?) And, I still think this today.
But I digress. This book is actually an anthology of two stories by different authors, both stories water related. Thus, the title.
The first story is titled Liquid Dreams by Cathryn Fox. From the very first page, Fox jumps right into the sex. When I first read it, I felt so scandalous that I knew my cheeks were red from embarrassment. Now, looking back, I realize how silly I was considering I have read much more graphic scenes since. Liquid Dreams does not want of sex scene. In fact, I am pretty sure that 85% of the novel is about the main characters partaking in foreplay. Another 10% is devoted to sex.
The plot consists of a young woman, Katrina, who keeps having dreams about a man that comes to her out of the sea. He pleases her, she pleases him. And then, by swallowing his semen, she starts regaining memories from a past life. Eventually, she figures out that the man, Ranek, is her lover from that. She also gradually realizes that she has been horribly miserable with her life because it is not her true life. The only problem is Raneks brother is hell-bent on seeing them both suffer.
A pretty straight forward plot with no twists or surprises and plenty of steamy sex scenes to call it erotic. The only problem I had with this novel was the way she covered her memories. Everything else was pretty believable for a fantasy erotic novel except that. In fact, it was pretty weird.
The second novel is called Dolphins Playground by Jaci Burton. At first, I was a little hesitant to read it just because of the title, but I sucked it up and read on. Unlike Fox, Burton is more about the plot-line than sex. This short story is about a marine biologist, Jasmine, who would rather spend her time with dolphins than people, especially her big wig boss who cares more about than living things. When she finds some sick dolphins, she decides to take them in much to the chagrin of her soon to be lover, Triton. Triton just so happens to be able to turn into a dolphin and is able to communicate with them. In fact, the dolphins that are now in Jasmines custody actually belong to Triton, who is also trying to find a cure with the diseased dolphins.
Since he cant get the dolphins out of the facility, Triton decides to use it, and Jasmine, to his advantage in his search for the cure. They, of course, hook up during this search and do end up having a happy ending.
The writing was pretty simple in terms of vocabulary and biology terms. However, I really enjoyed Triton and Jasmines witty banter and that the you could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife. It was the characters that made this story, honestly.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Day 21 (The Hundred, #2) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
This is going to be much shorter as I've already reviewed the first book (plus this isn't out yet). Also, fair warning there will be spoilers in this one as its difficult to talk about without giving away any plot points or the development of relationships. I will attempt to reveal as little as I can.
While I am not well versed in the side affects and speed of oxygen deprivation, I suspect the portrayal of it is utterly inaccurate. What I do know is that a person can experience deadly CO (carbon monoxide) levels in less than a day when locked in an airtight room. Obviously, these people are not in an airtight room, but their spaceship is leaking the only oxygen that they do have at an alarming rate. One could calculate the time, but as I do not know the number of people in Walden or Arcadia, nor do I know the size of those two areas of the ship.
There is a <a href="http://kimberlymoynahan.com/2012/04/friday-fiction-facts-trapped-in-an-airtight-room/">great article</a> for fiction writers that allows you to calculate the amount of time that your character would be able to survive in an airtight room. It also describes some of the effects that they would experience. While I do not expect the oxygen deprivation/carbon monoxide poisoning to be perfectly explained and accurate - I do expect there to be some degree of <i>believability</i>. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Immediately upon the sealing of the craft, the author makes the reader believe that the people are already being affected. What makes the situation worse is that people begin to panic, using up the precious oxygen they need to rid their bodies of the carbon monoxide. In case you weren't aware, you take in oxygen so that it will bond with the carbon monoxide and be expelled from your body as carbon dioxide. (Obviously this is a very simple explanation, but I'm just trying to get the general idea across.) As they lose the oxygen around them, more and more carbon monoxide builds up in their lungs. With the number of people on the ship, I expect that after a few hours and certainly after a day they will have (if not run out) be dangerously low on oxygen. Yet, later on two of the characters have spent a number of nights together and the lack of oxygen hasn't caused them to fall unconscious.
With the size and population being what it is, it seems unlikely that there would be oxygen left (as it's steadily leaking out.) And if there was any that there would still be enough to breathe relatively normally. This is what immediately made the pseudo-scientist in me question how much research was done. Honestly, it doesn't take much to make it marginally realistic.
The characters are not as well thought out as they should be. Although flaws are to be expected, contradicting actions/personality aspects just make the reader confused. As obsessed as one character is with his sister, her well being, and at times her location - he seems to quickly thrust her aside when the new girl gives him attention. Just as before, the relationships are like roller coasters. One act tears them apart, then in the next moment all is well. Such an emotionally tiresome existence.
The first book had shadowy allusions to prostitution, a case of teen pregnancy, and the most emotionally indecisive characters that I have ever had the privilege to read about. This book has Stockholm Syndrome, inaccurate science, and trigger happy humans. As with the other book, it is enjoyable enough as a silly, simple read. Don't expect it to be more than that or you will be disappointed.
While I am not well versed in the side affects and speed of oxygen deprivation, I suspect the portrayal of it is utterly inaccurate. What I do know is that a person can experience deadly CO (carbon monoxide) levels in less than a day when locked in an airtight room. Obviously, these people are not in an airtight room, but their spaceship is leaking the only oxygen that they do have at an alarming rate. One could calculate the time, but as I do not know the number of people in Walden or Arcadia, nor do I know the size of those two areas of the ship.
There is a <a href="http://kimberlymoynahan.com/2012/04/friday-fiction-facts-trapped-in-an-airtight-room/">great article</a> for fiction writers that allows you to calculate the amount of time that your character would be able to survive in an airtight room. It also describes some of the effects that they would experience. While I do not expect the oxygen deprivation/carbon monoxide poisoning to be perfectly explained and accurate - I do expect there to be some degree of <i>believability</i>. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Immediately upon the sealing of the craft, the author makes the reader believe that the people are already being affected. What makes the situation worse is that people begin to panic, using up the precious oxygen they need to rid their bodies of the carbon monoxide. In case you weren't aware, you take in oxygen so that it will bond with the carbon monoxide and be expelled from your body as carbon dioxide. (Obviously this is a very simple explanation, but I'm just trying to get the general idea across.) As they lose the oxygen around them, more and more carbon monoxide builds up in their lungs. With the number of people on the ship, I expect that after a few hours and certainly after a day they will have (if not run out) be dangerously low on oxygen. Yet, later on two of the characters have spent a number of nights together and the lack of oxygen hasn't caused them to fall unconscious.
With the size and population being what it is, it seems unlikely that there would be oxygen left (as it's steadily leaking out.) And if there was any that there would still be enough to breathe relatively normally. This is what immediately made the pseudo-scientist in me question how much research was done. Honestly, it doesn't take much to make it marginally realistic.
The characters are not as well thought out as they should be. Although flaws are to be expected, contradicting actions/personality aspects just make the reader confused. As obsessed as one character is with his sister, her well being, and at times her location - he seems to quickly thrust her aside when the new girl gives him attention. Just as before, the relationships are like roller coasters. One act tears them apart, then in the next moment all is well. Such an emotionally tiresome existence.
The first book had shadowy allusions to prostitution, a case of teen pregnancy, and the most emotionally indecisive characters that I have ever had the privilege to read about. This book has Stockholm Syndrome, inaccurate science, and trigger happy humans. As with the other book, it is enjoyable enough as a silly, simple read. Don't expect it to be more than that or you will be disappointed.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Final Notice: A Political Thriller in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Final Notice by Van Flesher was a very conflicting book for me. I was excited to read this book after I read over the description but found myself to be extremely disappointed. The concept was good but the way the book was written completely lost my interest. I debated a few different times about putting the book down but felt that I owed it to the author to give the book a chance. That being said, just because I did not like it does not mean that other readers would not find it enjoyable.
A company creates a watch called the VT2 and it can monitor a person's health with surprising accuracy. It also has the capability of giving a person a Final Notice when it detect a change that will ultimately lead to death. At the same time the NRA started offering a discount to senior citizens to buy guns in order to defend themselves in their families. On top of these two events, many states are being pushed to have loser laws that will make it easier for people to get guns. These three factors together line up to create a series of horrible events.
The Final Notice feature was intended to give people a chance to get their affairs in order. However, for some once they get their notice they realize with having nothing to lose they can get revenge on people who have wronged them in the past. Some seniors lash out at others, specifically younger people who insulted them in some way. Other people go after political figures that they do not agree with. People who work for the company that created VT2 even joke about how if they knew they were going to die they had a list of people that they would try to take with them. The company ends up working with the FBI and a journalist to offset the negative impact of the VT2 and market it to the public in a positive light.
Many books did not include specifics about religion but that's one does. I found that to be a nice change as it made some of the characters feel more authentic. It also tackled some hard issues, not just the gun laws but also refugees and immigration focusing on those from Syria. With how anti-gun and anti-NRA this book is I was surprised at how casually other issues are mentioned. I would think topic such as underage drinking, fake IDs, and teen pregnancy would also be shown in a more negative light and not just as a passing memory. There were also a few attempt at humor towards the end of the book that just felt weird, in fact I am not even completely sure if it was supposed to be humor. The author says " the author feel sorry..." and " the author was tempted..." and as these are the only time this writing style is used it feels out of place. Morals are also called into question a three different times over the course of this book. It makes the reader question just because you can make money off of something and it is legal does that automatically make it alright?
The target readers for this book would be adult to our supporters of gun control. High school teachers might find this book interesting to teach with topics for group discussion by the students. Also people who are against the NRA in general would probably find this books topics to be enjoyable. After much the bay I have decided to give this book a 2 out of 4. Originally, I was only going to give the book a 1 but the concept of the watch is too interesting. Many chapters or paragraph felt repetitive of previous statements and I think that was largely what turned me away from this book.
A company creates a watch called the VT2 and it can monitor a person's health with surprising accuracy. It also has the capability of giving a person a Final Notice when it detect a change that will ultimately lead to death. At the same time the NRA started offering a discount to senior citizens to buy guns in order to defend themselves in their families. On top of these two events, many states are being pushed to have loser laws that will make it easier for people to get guns. These three factors together line up to create a series of horrible events.
The Final Notice feature was intended to give people a chance to get their affairs in order. However, for some once they get their notice they realize with having nothing to lose they can get revenge on people who have wronged them in the past. Some seniors lash out at others, specifically younger people who insulted them in some way. Other people go after political figures that they do not agree with. People who work for the company that created VT2 even joke about how if they knew they were going to die they had a list of people that they would try to take with them. The company ends up working with the FBI and a journalist to offset the negative impact of the VT2 and market it to the public in a positive light.
Many books did not include specifics about religion but that's one does. I found that to be a nice change as it made some of the characters feel more authentic. It also tackled some hard issues, not just the gun laws but also refugees and immigration focusing on those from Syria. With how anti-gun and anti-NRA this book is I was surprised at how casually other issues are mentioned. I would think topic such as underage drinking, fake IDs, and teen pregnancy would also be shown in a more negative light and not just as a passing memory. There were also a few attempt at humor towards the end of the book that just felt weird, in fact I am not even completely sure if it was supposed to be humor. The author says " the author feel sorry..." and " the author was tempted..." and as these are the only time this writing style is used it feels out of place. Morals are also called into question a three different times over the course of this book. It makes the reader question just because you can make money off of something and it is legal does that automatically make it alright?
The target readers for this book would be adult to our supporters of gun control. High school teachers might find this book interesting to teach with topics for group discussion by the students. Also people who are against the NRA in general would probably find this books topics to be enjoyable. After much the bay I have decided to give this book a 2 out of 4. Originally, I was only going to give the book a 1 but the concept of the watch is too interesting. Many chapters or paragraph felt repetitive of previous statements and I think that was largely what turned me away from this book.
Amanda (96 KP) rated Little Fires Everywhere in Books
Mar 21, 2019
I was so close to putting this book on my DNF list. The beginning of it was SO slow that I found myself spacing out and then remembering that I was listening to a book.
Obviously, I'm writing a review on it, so of course, I DID NOT put it on my DNF list. It took quite a few chapters (roughly five I think) to really get into the story and by then, I was completely hooked.
There are several stories going on.
The Richardsons rent out a house to a single mother, Mia Warren with her daughter Pearl. The Richardsons are friends with another family who are in the process of adopting a Chinese-American baby, but the process is paused when the mother comes forward wanting her daughter back. The husband, Mr. Richardson, is a lawyer representing the family who want to keep the baby and Mrs. Richardson basically tries to do some investigating of her own, including finding out things about her tenants past and what she has done to cause this drama for her best friends.
The theme of it all centers around a baby. Not just one baby, but that's the whole premise of the story.
One family wants to adopt the Chinese baby they renamed Mirabelle (I'm sorry, but I really don't like that name, or the reason WHY they changed it) and then the mother coming forward wanting her baby back. Now, the mother left her baby at a fire house cause she was not the right state to take care of her. If someone hadn't tipped her off as to where her baby was, then maybe this whole thing could have been avoided.
I struggled with not yelling at when the woman says the family is stealing her baby. No, they are not. They adopted her when she was left at a fire house. That is a thing that women in her state CAN do. If they cannot afford resources available (cost wise) they can leave their baby with a hospital or a fire house no questions asked. That also means that you give up parental rights. Granted, there should be some sort of grace period, but you cannot say this family stole your baby, because they didn't!
One teenager in the story finds out she's pregnant from her boyfriend and I just cannot fathom her snobby naivete attitude. She swoons over Mirabelle because she's so cute. I'll give you that, babies are cute. But then she starts to fantasize that her and her also teenage boyfriend could work it out and their parents would take care of the baby while at college. Yeah, okay! Reality does hit her hard though, but I won't say how, but it does and I almost feel bad for her, but not quite.
Then there's someone who agreed to be a surrogate and winds up stealing the baby before it was born. Now, technically, that woman did steal a baby. Granted, it's biologically yours, but she agreed, verbally and legally, to be this couple's surrogate. I'm not entirely sure I could do it, cause I really don't want to go through the whole pregnancy, but I can't speak for other women who go into the surrogacy and then start to regret it later. I don't know.
I'm now just babbling. Despite the slow beginning, I can definitely see why this book had as much hype as it did when it was published. It really gets you thinking about different perspectives of motherhood, biological or not. The story is told as if someone was indeed telling a story to a group of people. Almost like when someone is narrating a play and you're watching it as it unfolds before your eyes.
I do look forward to seeing about Celeste Ng's previous novels. This story may be sensitive to some people who have gone through any of these scenarios because I think some things that happen later, could very well get emotional. The story is great, but also keep that in mind if you are at all familiar with these kinds of stories.
Obviously, I'm writing a review on it, so of course, I DID NOT put it on my DNF list. It took quite a few chapters (roughly five I think) to really get into the story and by then, I was completely hooked.
There are several stories going on.
The Richardsons rent out a house to a single mother, Mia Warren with her daughter Pearl. The Richardsons are friends with another family who are in the process of adopting a Chinese-American baby, but the process is paused when the mother comes forward wanting her daughter back. The husband, Mr. Richardson, is a lawyer representing the family who want to keep the baby and Mrs. Richardson basically tries to do some investigating of her own, including finding out things about her tenants past and what she has done to cause this drama for her best friends.
The theme of it all centers around a baby. Not just one baby, but that's the whole premise of the story.
One family wants to adopt the Chinese baby they renamed Mirabelle (I'm sorry, but I really don't like that name, or the reason WHY they changed it) and then the mother coming forward wanting her baby back. Now, the mother left her baby at a fire house cause she was not the right state to take care of her. If someone hadn't tipped her off as to where her baby was, then maybe this whole thing could have been avoided.
I struggled with not yelling at when the woman says the family is stealing her baby. No, they are not. They adopted her when she was left at a fire house. That is a thing that women in her state CAN do. If they cannot afford resources available (cost wise) they can leave their baby with a hospital or a fire house no questions asked. That also means that you give up parental rights. Granted, there should be some sort of grace period, but you cannot say this family stole your baby, because they didn't!
One teenager in the story finds out she's pregnant from her boyfriend and I just cannot fathom her snobby naivete attitude. She swoons over Mirabelle because she's so cute. I'll give you that, babies are cute. But then she starts to fantasize that her and her also teenage boyfriend could work it out and their parents would take care of the baby while at college. Yeah, okay! Reality does hit her hard though, but I won't say how, but it does and I almost feel bad for her, but not quite.
Then there's someone who agreed to be a surrogate and winds up stealing the baby before it was born. Now, technically, that woman did steal a baby. Granted, it's biologically yours, but she agreed, verbally and legally, to be this couple's surrogate. I'm not entirely sure I could do it, cause I really don't want to go through the whole pregnancy, but I can't speak for other women who go into the surrogacy and then start to regret it later. I don't know.
I'm now just babbling. Despite the slow beginning, I can definitely see why this book had as much hype as it did when it was published. It really gets you thinking about different perspectives of motherhood, biological or not. The story is told as if someone was indeed telling a story to a group of people. Almost like when someone is narrating a play and you're watching it as it unfolds before your eyes.
I do look forward to seeing about Celeste Ng's previous novels. This story may be sensitive to some people who have gone through any of these scenarios because I think some things that happen later, could very well get emotional. The story is great, but also keep that in mind if you are at all familiar with these kinds of stories.