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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Marriage Act in Books

Jan 22, 2023  
The Marriage Act
The Marriage Act
John Marrs | 2023 | Dystopia, Thriller
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Set in a time not too far away, this is a dark and rather creepy tale that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Would you 'upgrade' your marriage if it meant getting preferential treatment ... the best jobs, the best houses, better health care, education, etc., etc., etc.? But then what if that meant artificial intelligence was listening in to snap shots of your conversations and then analysing them to make sure you are keeping to the terms of your marriage? And if not, a scale of interventions would be put into action. Would you still do it? Well, The Marriage Act will probably make you think again!

Mr Marrs certainly gets you thinking and poses really interesting questions and dilemmas in this well plotted, perfectly paced book told from the viewpoints of his well created characters and with some great twists and turns.

Thoroughly enjoyable and quite an unsettling book that actually doesn't feel that far from becoming a reality! How many have an Alexa, Siri or similar digital voice assistant in the home or on your wrist that just sits there? I'm not a conspiracy theorist, however I imagine it wouldn't take much for a law to be passed in the name of improving the economy or society in some way, then a switch is flicked and the process would start ... definitely not beyond the realms of reality and very scary!

This is the second of Mr Marrs' books I have enjoyed and I will definitely read more in the future and thanks must go to Pan Macmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Marriage Act.
  
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Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The Shelf in Books

May 12, 2022  
The Shelf
The Shelf
Helly Acton | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who would have thought that a book about being on a reality TV show after being dumped on TV would be such an interesting book topic?
I love that Helly Acton dreamt up an entire Tv show around a devastating moment in life and turned it around to something positive. Having seven women in a house at a low point in their lives could have gone completely horribly, but the characters that Helly wrote gelled together so well that there wasn’t a lot of drama but you still rooted for each and every woman in The Shelf house.
I loved how she integrated social media and technology into the house with The Wall and The Tracker, and used them to show how they would be interacted with if they were included in a real reality TV show.
I didn’t want to put this book down, and didn’t know who I wanted to be evicted each time there was an eviction as I loved each one of the characters. I also liked how at the end of the book, everyone’s happiness wasn’t measured by whether they were in a relationship or not, it was whether they had met their goals. And I also love that the theme throughout this book wasn’t that you need to be in a relationship to be happy, but that you need to love yourself first to be happy and don’t rush into being with someone who ultimately isn’t right for you just because you think that you’re running out of time.
I can’t wait to read Helly’s next book now.
  
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Taryn K (441 KP) rated Sing (2016) in Movies

Dec 9, 2017  
Sing (2016)
Sing (2016)
2016 | Animation, Comedy, Musical
Gunter totally makes this movie for me. I love the humor in it over all, and most of the characters are fun, but Gunter rocks! (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
It was a bit slow starting out, and I was wondering how we would make it to a good ending; but then after everything, including the theater, fell apart, it all came together.

The music is fun, although there is only one original song, "Set It All Free", which Ash the Porcupine delivers with authority.

Possibly, if I didn't enjoy watching so many musical reality shows, I might not have liked this as much; but I do, and I did, and it's just fun to see how the characters interact and grow over the course of the movie. The running gags don't hurt either.

I'd definitely recommend this movie.
  
Into the Jungle
Into the Jungle
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Erica Ferencik does it again! In a much more subtle and nuanced way she gives us just as much anticipation, excitement and uncertainty as in her debut. This novel is much more complex in its research, dynamics and characters. While it may seem slow in some spots, you later realize that, much like the Amazon, it is just a brief, and later appreciated, respite from the almost constant anxiety and slow burn of trepidation and exaltation that the rest of the novel delivers. The end felt a bit rushed and, in my opinion, could have easily benefited from another fifty pages but, even so, it was a wonderful foray into a reality that most of us will never live and even fewer would survive. A definite must read!
  
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! (2018)
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Musical
Great to see Donna's backstory (3 more)
The songs merged well with the storyline
There was more comic value than the first one
Cher still has it.
Was more melancholy than the first one, not quite the same happy, get up and dance vibe. (0 more)
Abba fabba.
Contains spoilers, click to show
This was a great film and a good sequel and prequel to the first film. It rolled along quite nicely and the laughs were good. But I found overall this movie was more reality based than the first one and left me feeling a little reminded by my own mortality, which I was totally not expecting.
The acting was great as per usual and cher totally rocked her song (though I am a fan). I think I prefer the first one though for the feels.