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The Woman in the Window
The Woman in the Window
A.J. Finn | 2018 | Thriller
6
8.0 (42 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Woman in the Window ended on a high and unexpected note. The surprise ending pushed it from a 2.5 to a 3, really. On and off, the story became boring, then interesting, so on and so forth. It took me quite a while to read it because of this switch off, but the moments it became interesting kept me going all the way until the end - and I'm glad I persevered. Anna was dealing with so many things: the separation from her husband, agoraphobia, multiple medications, and alcoholism. As I berated her for swallowing another glass of wine, I also felt bad for her and the unimaginable situation she lived in. Every part of me empathized with her as each introduced character found a way to discredit what she believed she had seen; I was continuously wagging a figurative finger at the empty bottles of wine in her kitchen. I waited for her to realize just how much damage the alcohol was causing, how mixing it with her medications (especially the one with hallucinations as a side effect) was causing her to spiral out of control. Even still, I wanted to believe her - she was so adamant, so sure of herself, you can't help but wish she weren't drunk and doped on meds all the time. It was fun watching each piece of the puzzle shift, fitting in multiple places or not fitting in at all, to suddenly adding up to a whole picture. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would look forward to seeing this one on the big screen, if it were to happen.
  
Puzzle (2018)
Puzzle (2018)
2018 | Drama
Goldilocks... It's the only way I can think to describe this film. It's not too short or too long, it's just right. It's a simple tale and yet thought provoking. Everything about it is just right.

A movie review isn't really the right place to go into those thought provoking moments, but everything is done so well that you really do identify with Agnes and what is happening in her life.

The one thing I didn't like about this film was the ending... it's not even really that I didn't like it, it's just not where I wanted the film to go. It was still a perfect conclusion to the film.

Both Kelly Macdonald and Irrfan Khan are excellent in Puzzle. Seeing them develop throughout the film was a pleasure to watch.

I very much enjoyed this film, even though I'm fully aware that my limited comments don't exactly suggest that, but this one stayed with me for quite a while after I left the cinema and I'm not really sure how to properly express that in words.

What should you do?

This one is a double edged sword. It is great and I really feel like you should see it. But at the same time, if you're prone to thinking about your own personal situation and possibly not in the best frame of mind then it might not be for you at this time. Maybe wait until it's streaming and then you can just walk away if you need to.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

The shop full of jigsaw puzzles.
  
40x40

ClareR (5726 KP) rated Rewind in Books

Aug 26, 2019 (Updated Oct 16, 2019)  
Rewind
Rewind
Catherine Ryan Howard | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
7
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A murder in reverse
This is a thriller that begins with a murder. We are left with the puzzle of solving why Natalie, an Instagram star, is murdered and by whom. The style can be a little confusing at times, and the title gives some indication as to why: Rewind. The book plays out along the lines of a recording, where chapters are titled ‘Rewind’, ‘Pause’ and ‘Play’. Once I got into the swing of things, it became clearer as to what was going on.

It’s a clever book, actually. I was never quite sure who had committed the murder, even when it seemed obvious. There are some disturbing characters who could all have been responsible- and I liked that we couldn’t be sure. I liked the contrast of Natalie’s seemingly perfect life against that of the other characters, and I did like the very capable Gardaì (Irish Police) - so often, police are portrayed as incompetent. I didn’t really trust myself to guess who had committed the murder, so many of the characters could have - I should say that I’m not really one of those readers who start a thriller thinking they’ll solve the mystery. I just like to read along for the ride - and this is certainly an interestingly twisty, turny ride!

I liked the ending from the journalist very much. It summed everything up really well (and helped to explain everything that I was left questioning at the end). I don’t think I’ve seen this approach before, especially the chapters named Rewind, Pause, Play.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book. I really enjoyed it.