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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Rabbit Hole in Books
Jul 20, 2021
The title of this book is absolutely perfect and after having read it, I feel like I went down a Rabbit Hole and am only just beginning to emerge!
I am a huge fan of Mark Billingham's work, particularly his Tom Thorne Series, but this is a standalone psychological thriller that explores the fractured mind of Alice Armitage and her quest to find a killer whilst an in-patient on an acute psychiatric unit.
I said I felt like I went down a Rabbit Hole and that's because the reader is immersed totally within Alice's mind; the whole of the book is written from her perspective and focusses on her trying to solve a murder whilst dealing with the mental health difficulties she and those around her are experiencing but from her point of view rather than a clinical one, i.e. simplistic, but with a bit of humour so it's not all dark and heavy going.
Alice is an unreliable narrator which had me scratching my head wondering what was actually real and what was only real from Alice's perspective. This, I think, was genius as it provided plenty of opportunities for distractions and mis-directions which worked well but mashed my head a little!
This wasn't an easy book to read and I have a feeling it won't appeal to everyone but if you want to read something a bit different, I would recommend but be prepared to join Alice in the Rabbit Hole.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.
I am a huge fan of Mark Billingham's work, particularly his Tom Thorne Series, but this is a standalone psychological thriller that explores the fractured mind of Alice Armitage and her quest to find a killer whilst an in-patient on an acute psychiatric unit.
I said I felt like I went down a Rabbit Hole and that's because the reader is immersed totally within Alice's mind; the whole of the book is written from her perspective and focusses on her trying to solve a murder whilst dealing with the mental health difficulties she and those around her are experiencing but from her point of view rather than a clinical one, i.e. simplistic, but with a bit of humour so it's not all dark and heavy going.
Alice is an unreliable narrator which had me scratching my head wondering what was actually real and what was only real from Alice's perspective. This, I think, was genius as it provided plenty of opportunities for distractions and mis-directions which worked well but mashed my head a little!
This wasn't an easy book to read and I have a feeling it won't appeal to everyone but if you want to read something a bit different, I would recommend but be prepared to join Alice in the Rabbit Hole.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius (30 for 30) in TV
Nov 25, 2020
I love ESPN's 30 for 30 series (the Tonya Harding documentary is one of my favorite sports docs). When I saw that they had done a series about Oscar Pistorius, I was all in.
This series consists of 4 episodes, that are nearly 2 hours each. To clarify, these TV shows with really long eps are not the norm in the USA, like they are elsewhere.
I had watched the Dateline ep on the Pistorious murder a few weeks before I watched this series. Of course, the narrative is of that one was skewed towards the story of domestic violence, and justice for Reeva. This is the story that's peddled all over the world. Not that it's wrong, I'm a supporter of women in domestic situations, but it's always struck me as extremely biased.
This doc did focus on Oscar, his upbringing, and his quest to complete in the able-bodied (sheesh - that's awful) Olympics. His side of the story is highly plausible, and his actions were a product of his upbringing. The documentary films really shed like on the social situation in South Africa at the time. Honestly, I only took one history class that dealt with continent in general, so there wasn't really a focus on the country itself. Seriously, the only things that stood out in my mind regarding South Africa were their incredibly odd accents, Mandela, and District 9. So, I found the additional information extremely interesting.
Overall, I found it to be far more balanced than anything I had seen in the past regarding the case, which was refreshing.
This series consists of 4 episodes, that are nearly 2 hours each. To clarify, these TV shows with really long eps are not the norm in the USA, like they are elsewhere.
I had watched the Dateline ep on the Pistorious murder a few weeks before I watched this series. Of course, the narrative is of that one was skewed towards the story of domestic violence, and justice for Reeva. This is the story that's peddled all over the world. Not that it's wrong, I'm a supporter of women in domestic situations, but it's always struck me as extremely biased.
This doc did focus on Oscar, his upbringing, and his quest to complete in the able-bodied (sheesh - that's awful) Olympics. His side of the story is highly plausible, and his actions were a product of his upbringing. The documentary films really shed like on the social situation in South Africa at the time. Honestly, I only took one history class that dealt with continent in general, so there wasn't really a focus on the country itself. Seriously, the only things that stood out in my mind regarding South Africa were their incredibly odd accents, Mandela, and District 9. So, I found the additional information extremely interesting.
Overall, I found it to be far more balanced than anything I had seen in the past regarding the case, which was refreshing.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated American Assassin (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
Traumatic events affect people differently. Some avoid anything that resembles that moment or triggers memories of it. Others are impacted so deeply that they must take action. American Assassin, based on the Vince Flynn books, features Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner) as Mitch Rapp who wants to avenge the killing of his girlfriend in a terrorist attack. Upon his attempt to track down the men responsible, he is recruited by the CIA to help them track down the perpetrator of several attacks on civilian and military targets.
The film is ambitious in its approach to entering the realm of spy thrillers. There is no real depth to the film or moments that make the audience truly invested in the characters onscreen. At times, the story feels rushed, repetitive, and confusing. The actions scenes, however, are engrossing and give the audience the sense of chaos that would be felt if they were a part of it. The most interesting aspect of the film is not the story, but Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Stan Hurley, who leads Rapp on their international quest to find a rogue agent and prevent a nuclear detonation. Keaton’s character seems to be a combination of some of his more iconic roles allowing for much more depth, connection to be made between him and the other characters, despite the lack of chemistry between them collectively.
American Assassin is a good action film for those looking for an escape in the theaters, but for those looking for something that will rival any of the Bourne films, or the James Bond series, they are going to be sorely disappointed.
The film is ambitious in its approach to entering the realm of spy thrillers. There is no real depth to the film or moments that make the audience truly invested in the characters onscreen. At times, the story feels rushed, repetitive, and confusing. The actions scenes, however, are engrossing and give the audience the sense of chaos that would be felt if they were a part of it. The most interesting aspect of the film is not the story, but Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Stan Hurley, who leads Rapp on their international quest to find a rogue agent and prevent a nuclear detonation. Keaton’s character seems to be a combination of some of his more iconic roles allowing for much more depth, connection to be made between him and the other characters, despite the lack of chemistry between them collectively.
American Assassin is a good action film for those looking for an escape in the theaters, but for those looking for something that will rival any of the Bourne films, or the James Bond series, they are going to be sorely disappointed.
ClareR (6256 KP) rated The Wolf in the Whale in Books
Aug 18, 2019
I think I inhaled The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky, I read it in only two sittings!
Omat lives in 1000AD, a young Inuit Shaman, and neither male nor female (actually, she took on her fathers soul at birth and is raised as a boy - a hunter and a shaman). There is loads of detail about how life was lived by the Inuit at the beginning of the last century(and I loved this detail), and I learnt so much about their spiritual lives, their Gods and the expectations of men and women. When Omat menstruates for the first time, it heralds the end of her life as a man and a shaman. She is married off to another Inuit who is passing through and promises to help her tribe. The thing is, he has two other wives, and he’s just not a nice person. When a group of Vikings wipe out the group of Inuit that she has married in to, Omat survives and realises that they have captured her cousin. She vows to find and free him. On her journey, she rescues three wolfdogs and saves the life of a Viking who reluctantly joins her on her quest.
I was so immersed in this wonderful story. I loved the style it was written in, I loved Omat’s voice. The magic and beliefs were fascinating, and my heart was in my mouth during the hunting scenes (men catching and killing huge Caribou and whales using flint weapons!). And the ending was just right.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this wonderful book to read and review honestly.
Omat lives in 1000AD, a young Inuit Shaman, and neither male nor female (actually, she took on her fathers soul at birth and is raised as a boy - a hunter and a shaman). There is loads of detail about how life was lived by the Inuit at the beginning of the last century(and I loved this detail), and I learnt so much about their spiritual lives, their Gods and the expectations of men and women. When Omat menstruates for the first time, it heralds the end of her life as a man and a shaman. She is married off to another Inuit who is passing through and promises to help her tribe. The thing is, he has two other wives, and he’s just not a nice person. When a group of Vikings wipe out the group of Inuit that she has married in to, Omat survives and realises that they have captured her cousin. She vows to find and free him. On her journey, she rescues three wolfdogs and saves the life of a Viking who reluctantly joins her on her quest.
I was so immersed in this wonderful story. I loved the style it was written in, I loved Omat’s voice. The magic and beliefs were fascinating, and my heart was in my mouth during the hunting scenes (men catching and killing huge Caribou and whales using flint weapons!). And the ending was just right.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this wonderful book to read and review honestly.
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