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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Uglies (Uglies, #1) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The style of writing reminded me a bit of the Twilight saga, fast-paced, with lots of teenager-style lingo mixed in. I loved all the the little details that created the world of "post-Rusties," such as the groups of people - Uglies; New, Middle, and Late Pretties; Special Circumstances; Smokies and New Smokies - as well as the shortened version of names - Tally, Ellie, Sol, Croy, Shay, Peris, Astrix, etc. The way that our world is portrayed in comparison to the world in the book is also interesting in various details such as telling the difference between roller coasters and railroads, Tally's reactions to eating meat and making clothing from animal skins, David still referring to his parents as "Mom" and "Dad", and Tally finding David's name odd. The reader sees the negative aspect of the way we presently live, as well as the positive and negative aspects to living in the extreme opposite of "Rusty". It seems that neither extreme is the answer, but rather finding the "happy medium," which is rarely ever easy. This post-apocalyptic world fits right in with works such as 1984, Anthem, and Brave New World. I look forward to continuing the series with the next book, Pretties.
Film and stuff (30 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) in Movies
May 15, 2019
Better than prequels. Not so much the originals.
Starring: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver and Harrison Ford.
With the weight of the entire franchise and fans who have been burnt once before, Abrams had a monumental task to achieve in revitalising the Star Wars saga. Having had a huge amount of success with Star Trek, Abrams was the obvious choice for Disney.
With elements from all three of the original films and completely ignoring the second trilogy in every way it could, it would appear that 'The force Awakens' knew what it was doing, with enough nostalgia to take anyone back to the 70's.
Unfortunately that's where things go wrong.
The film shifts tone with such regularity it just seems confused and panicked as to what needs to be done. Instead of moments of humour and clever nods to the previous films, it vomits bucket loads of both which is more distracting than entertaining.
This is possibly the closest you can get to a remake without calling it a remake, where the ethos just seems to be "make it the same but bigger."
Instead of a continuation of the story, we are offered a setting up film. Don't we have six of those?
With the weight of the entire franchise and fans who have been burnt once before, Abrams had a monumental task to achieve in revitalising the Star Wars saga. Having had a huge amount of success with Star Trek, Abrams was the obvious choice for Disney.
With elements from all three of the original films and completely ignoring the second trilogy in every way it could, it would appear that 'The force Awakens' knew what it was doing, with enough nostalgia to take anyone back to the 70's.
Unfortunately that's where things go wrong.
The film shifts tone with such regularity it just seems confused and panicked as to what needs to be done. Instead of moments of humour and clever nods to the previous films, it vomits bucket loads of both which is more distracting than entertaining.
This is possibly the closest you can get to a remake without calling it a remake, where the ethos just seems to be "make it the same but bigger."
Instead of a continuation of the story, we are offered a setting up film. Don't we have six of those?
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Red Rising in Books
Nov 14, 2018
"Red Rising" is the first book in the "Red Rising Saga" by Pierce Brown. I read this book switching between a printed copy, an E-book and, when in the car, listened to the audio book. While this story is not a new concept the story is engaging and a quick read. At the start of the book, Darrow, a member of the lowest caste is full of hate and rage toward the dominant Gold caste. (SPOILERS FOLLOW) Throughout the story, and even toward the end, Darrow is surprised to learn he likes, and has become friends with, some of the Golds. He learned not all members of a group are the same. At the end of the novel, he is still full of rage and hate but it's now directed mainly at specific people, not just all members of the ruling Gold caste. I would like to see this story added to required reading lists for students. This book is a subtle way to teach tolerance. I will read the rest of the series but at this time. I had read twice. The 1st read (in 2015) was for me. The 2nd read (in 2018) was for a book club.
Lenard (726 KP) rated X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) in Movies
Jul 4, 2019
The producers behind the X-Men series once again rush to tell one of their best storylines from the comic series. Unfortunately, The Dark Phoenix Saga does not lend itself to a one-off movie. Once again, the people with the money are too afraid to gamble on breaking the story into two or three movies. Imagine It, The Lord of the Rings, or Infinity Gauntlet as just film. You can't because all of them were split up into two or three films and they all made huge profits. Dark Phoenix needed the same care and guidance. Jean Grey was not introduced in this timeline until Apocalypse. We the audience did not have time to get to know her and her backstory so we have no sympathy for her when she is taken over by an alien force or any understanding why she is able to battle within herself. There is no real tension in the relationship between Scott and Jean since they have only been together in our minds for 1 movie even if the movie was set ten years ago. We have not experienced those ten years along side them. Every detail is cobbled together in an effort to jam this story which lasted ten issues in the graphic serial.
Rebecca Billcliff (2409 KP) rated How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) in Movies
Nov 11, 2019
A great conclusion!
I fell in love with this franchise when I saw the first film in the cinema. I had a pass at the time, so watched it three times that week.
The second instalment tugged my heartstrings, and I was nervous to see what the third would do. Would it suffer from classic third fizzle syndrome? Will it have a satisfying conclusion? Will I like it? No, yes, and YES!
They managed to capture all the essence of the original, but made it enough of an evolution to realy show progress. So much character development and to come up with an end that says "Yes, this story is done" but also that they live on and it is the start of new things.
As someone who started in her late (very late) teens, watching a young Hiccup finding his feet, to grow with him and Toothless has been magical. I now have my own baby, and can not wait to share these films with him.
This trilogy is, I feel, the best thing to come out of DreamWorks, and while neither sequel is quite as strong as the first, they stand up as sone of the best in cinema!.
The second instalment tugged my heartstrings, and I was nervous to see what the third would do. Would it suffer from classic third fizzle syndrome? Will it have a satisfying conclusion? Will I like it? No, yes, and YES!
They managed to capture all the essence of the original, but made it enough of an evolution to realy show progress. So much character development and to come up with an end that says "Yes, this story is done" but also that they live on and it is the start of new things.
As someone who started in her late (very late) teens, watching a young Hiccup finding his feet, to grow with him and Toothless has been magical. I now have my own baby, and can not wait to share these films with him.
This trilogy is, I feel, the best thing to come out of DreamWorks, and while neither sequel is quite as strong as the first, they stand up as sone of the best in cinema!.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Smoke and Mirrors & White Lies (Grey Areas #4) in Books
Nov 26, 2019
The epic saga of the events set in motion by Barrett Grayson fleeing a murder investigation comes to a head in this final installment. This doesn't let the series down.
Barrett is wondering what to do with the secret his dying father told him. Claire is wondering if her future is with Barrett. Della De Marco's life hangs in the balance while her FBI agent brother is seeking to find out the truth about Sergeant Jackson's involvement with the drugs cartel.
The number of threads and number of characters that need to be covered are enormous but nothing is left out. All are given time and all the stories come to a conclusion. It is hard to imagine how much time Carl spent plotting everything that is going on but it all ties up very nicely and at a pace which means nothing is rushed despite the amount of ground that has to be covered.
Once again we have everything from romance to a gunfire laden confrontation in a warehouse. The whole of life is here and the author shows us the frailties and strengths of human nature in all its forms.
A fantastic conclusion to the series that started so long ago with a stranger appearing in Gable, Iowa
Barrett is wondering what to do with the secret his dying father told him. Claire is wondering if her future is with Barrett. Della De Marco's life hangs in the balance while her FBI agent brother is seeking to find out the truth about Sergeant Jackson's involvement with the drugs cartel.
The number of threads and number of characters that need to be covered are enormous but nothing is left out. All are given time and all the stories come to a conclusion. It is hard to imagine how much time Carl spent plotting everything that is going on but it all ties up very nicely and at a pace which means nothing is rushed despite the amount of ground that has to be covered.
Once again we have everything from romance to a gunfire laden confrontation in a warehouse. The whole of life is here and the author shows us the frailties and strengths of human nature in all its forms.
A fantastic conclusion to the series that started so long ago with a stranger appearing in Gable, Iowa
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Ricochet (The Wolfborne Saga #2) in Books
Jan 2, 2020
Ricochet is the second book in The Wolfborne Saga and we return to Zev and Alia, plus family. As the blurb says, Zev knows that fighting back one wave of wolves isn't the end of it, and his view becomes fact when the wolf he let go before shows back up, with dire warnings to Zev and his newfound family and friends.
This really is a great take on wolves and vampires. I know I've said it before, and no doubt, I'll say it again, but it is! As the book moves on you find out about different types of vampire. And the wolves start to make a pack, something they had been denied.
There is one scene - I'll call it the spaghetti and naming scene - that really stood out to me. So many different parts to it, all fantastically written. And can I just say? Naming something and then it dying is NOT good!! LOL
A brilliant addition to the series and I really can't wait to see where it goes next. I just hope Zev finds someone for himself!
* 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 really is a great take on wolves and vampires. I know I've said it before, and no doubt, I'll say it again, but it is! As the book moves on you find out about different types of vampire. And the wolves start to make a pack, something they had been denied.
There is one scene - I'll call it the spaghetti and naming scene - that really stood out to me. So many different parts to it, all fantastically written. And can I just say? Naming something and then it dying is NOT good!! LOL
A brilliant addition to the series and I really can't wait to see where it goes next. I just hope Zev finds someone for himself!
* 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!
Ross (3284 KP) rated Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) in Movies
Jul 8, 2020
Decent comedy, though some real liberties taken with Edinburgh's geography
This is a decent comedy following the events leading up to mediocre Icelandic pop duo Fire Saga heading to represent their country at the Eurovision semi-finals. The portrayal of Icelandic people as being quite stupid and backwards and still believing in fairies was maybe a little offensive but added some of the best comedy, and with a silly film like this anyone taking that seriously would have real problems.
The setting of the contest in Edinburgh was a nice touch, as with Infinity War it is always good to see the end product from the annoying road closures. However it didn't make sense, given the hosts were not British and Britain didn't win the contest, but again lets not take this too seriously. The car chase was a mess though, with the car one minute heading one way along a street and shortly appearing at a roundabout at the end behind them. Also, the Glasgow SSE Hydro arena being at the end of George IV Bridge was just all sorts of wrong.
The geographical inconsistencies aside, this is a nice silly little comedy that drags on a little too long with a fairly cliche'd plot.
The setting of the contest in Edinburgh was a nice touch, as with Infinity War it is always good to see the end product from the annoying road closures. However it didn't make sense, given the hosts were not British and Britain didn't win the contest, but again lets not take this too seriously. The car chase was a mess though, with the car one minute heading one way along a street and shortly appearing at a roundabout at the end behind them. Also, the Glasgow SSE Hydro arena being at the end of George IV Bridge was just all sorts of wrong.
The geographical inconsistencies aside, this is a nice silly little comedy that drags on a little too long with a fairly cliche'd plot.
David McK (3369 KP) rated Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in Books
May 22, 2020
Novelisation of the final entry in 'The Skywalker Saga', that seeks to add context and rationale behind some of the decisions made in that movie.
And, for the most part, it works.
It's just a pity that the film needed this added to it …
It's here we learn that Palpatine (in the movie) is a failing clone body inhabited by the spirit of the 'original' Palpatine, and that Lando's daughter was kidnapped and raised by The First Order (giving greater context to his decision at the end of the movie to go off with Jannah). We also get a bit more insight into Rey (and her 'Dark Rey' vision) although, bafflingly, there's still no explanation of how she can be so powerful in the Force.
The biggest problem, to me, with the sequel trilogy is that it is clear there was no guiding hand, making The Rise of Skywalker feel like a massive retcon after Rian Johnson through out all of the good work in The Force Awakens with his The Last Jedi - even a hint that Palpatine had been pulling the strings the entire time in either of those two earlier movies would have helped somewhat! It's here that Rae Carson attempts to tie the narrative into a coherent whole, with mixed results.
And, for the most part, it works.
It's just a pity that the film needed this added to it …
It's here we learn that Palpatine (in the movie) is a failing clone body inhabited by the spirit of the 'original' Palpatine, and that Lando's daughter was kidnapped and raised by The First Order (giving greater context to his decision at the end of the movie to go off with Jannah). We also get a bit more insight into Rey (and her 'Dark Rey' vision) although, bafflingly, there's still no explanation of how she can be so powerful in the Force.
The biggest problem, to me, with the sequel trilogy is that it is clear there was no guiding hand, making The Rise of Skywalker feel like a massive retcon after Rian Johnson through out all of the good work in The Force Awakens with his The Last Jedi - even a hint that Palpatine had been pulling the strings the entire time in either of those two earlier movies would have helped somewhat! It's here that Rae Carson attempts to tie the narrative into a coherent whole, with mixed results.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated The Shimmer in Books
Mar 16, 2023 (Updated Mar 16, 2023)
Danger Shimmering into Disney Parks
In the near future, Eli Whitman is living in EPCOT, which has been designed to fulfill Walt Disney’s original vision for a community. His thirteenth birthday coincides with a solar eclipse, but it’s what happens at his party that is really strange. The video game he and his friends are playing comes to life, and someone jumps out from it, kidnapping him. Can his friends find him? Where is he?
When Ridley Pearson announced he was going to write about the kids of the Kingdom Keepers, I knew I had to find out what he was going to do next. I loved the advances in technology we get with the future setting. There’s plenty of action to keep us turning pages, and I’m curious to see where this saga is going to go next. I did have a little trouble keeping all the characters straight early on, but the important ones quickly emerge as the action starts. And yes, the original Kingdom Keepers we know and love are here, and they have a slightly larger roll than I was expecting, which was wonderful. I’m already anxious to see where the characters are going to find themselves next.
When Ridley Pearson announced he was going to write about the kids of the Kingdom Keepers, I knew I had to find out what he was going to do next. I loved the advances in technology we get with the future setting. There’s plenty of action to keep us turning pages, and I’m curious to see where this saga is going to go next. I did have a little trouble keeping all the characters straight early on, but the important ones quickly emerge as the action starts. And yes, the original Kingdom Keepers we know and love are here, and they have a slightly larger roll than I was expecting, which was wonderful. I’m already anxious to see where the characters are going to find themselves next.
