Search
Search results
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Photo Traveler in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Originally posted on <a title="'The Photo Traveler by Arthur J. Gonzalez"' href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/05/blog-tour-the-photo-traveler-by-arthur-j-gonzalez-review-and-giveaway.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste (includes picture lost as well)
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> I received this book from the author for free to review for the blog tour. My review is not influenced in any way.</i>
Seventeen-year-old Gavin Hillstone has been in foster care with an abusive father since his parents died in a fire at a young age. The only thing that lets him escape the torturous life is taking photos. Just when he thinks that he's going to be miserable for the rest of his life, he finds out that his dad's parents are still alive and enters the dangerous world of a small group of people called Photo Travelers.
I honest to goodness hate his adoptive family, except for maybe Dina and Leyla. What a nasty temper his adoptive father has. I'm so glad Gavin found his grandparents, because if I could, I would probably say good riddance to Jet (of course, if I actually said it... it would probably get pretty... ugly). Then there's Gavin's adoptive sister. Mel. I was thinking she at least changed a bit when she went after him after he left. I mean, I can see why she would act like that, but still... I'm sad to say I'm disappointed in her. :(
I guess that shows manipulative the villain is. 2 simple words with very simple (and good, if you look in the dictionary...) meanings... yet totally against what the other Photo Travelers are thinking of. It's kind of ironic what they mean to do for the good of mankind in the future, yet they can still break rules of all kinds.
Gavin is a pretty likable character in broad terms. He's loyal and protective when his family and friends are threatened by others. Though when it comes to some of his actions, I sometimes just want to give him a facepalm and ask, Why, Gavin, whyyy?
I love how The Photo Traveler started. My very first thought after reading the prologue was, Oh boy, this is going to a great 'ride!' I also love how Gonzalez was very accurate (at least in historical facts) when it came to Gavin's trips to places such as the Salem Witch Trials and the Great Depression. What's a bit aggravating about the book, however, is the dialogue. The characters, including Gavin himself, just seem so... happy, excited or yelling all the time. There just seems to be a bit of overuse in exclamation marks. :/
Then there's the ending. There's always that dreadful last few sentences at the end of the book where you hit the end and it seems to say right back, The End. With a lovely little cliffhanger. Somehow, you just want to say, But... but... it was just beginning to get really interesting! Despite the little mini protests, no one's going to hear me, so I'll hide in a cozy little corner, sip something nice and cold, and read on (after all, it's summer and time to... chillax). *unhappy face* I'm so glad cliffhangers don't have the ability to laugh at me... otherwise I'll be laughed at often. >_<
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste (includes picture lost as well)
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> I received this book from the author for free to review for the blog tour. My review is not influenced in any way.</i>
Seventeen-year-old Gavin Hillstone has been in foster care with an abusive father since his parents died in a fire at a young age. The only thing that lets him escape the torturous life is taking photos. Just when he thinks that he's going to be miserable for the rest of his life, he finds out that his dad's parents are still alive and enters the dangerous world of a small group of people called Photo Travelers.
I honest to goodness hate his adoptive family, except for maybe Dina and Leyla. What a nasty temper his adoptive father has. I'm so glad Gavin found his grandparents, because if I could, I would probably say good riddance to Jet (of course, if I actually said it... it would probably get pretty... ugly). Then there's Gavin's adoptive sister. Mel. I was thinking she at least changed a bit when she went after him after he left. I mean, I can see why she would act like that, but still... I'm sad to say I'm disappointed in her. :(
I guess that shows manipulative the villain is. 2 simple words with very simple (and good, if you look in the dictionary...) meanings... yet totally against what the other Photo Travelers are thinking of. It's kind of ironic what they mean to do for the good of mankind in the future, yet they can still break rules of all kinds.
Gavin is a pretty likable character in broad terms. He's loyal and protective when his family and friends are threatened by others. Though when it comes to some of his actions, I sometimes just want to give him a facepalm and ask, Why, Gavin, whyyy?
I love how The Photo Traveler started. My very first thought after reading the prologue was, Oh boy, this is going to a great 'ride!' I also love how Gonzalez was very accurate (at least in historical facts) when it came to Gavin's trips to places such as the Salem Witch Trials and the Great Depression. What's a bit aggravating about the book, however, is the dialogue. The characters, including Gavin himself, just seem so... happy, excited or yelling all the time. There just seems to be a bit of overuse in exclamation marks. :/
Then there's the ending. There's always that dreadful last few sentences at the end of the book where you hit the end and it seems to say right back, The End. With a lovely little cliffhanger. Somehow, you just want to say, But... but... it was just beginning to get really interesting! Despite the little mini protests, no one's going to hear me, so I'll hide in a cozy little corner, sip something nice and cold, and read on (after all, it's summer and time to... chillax). *unhappy face* I'm so glad cliffhangers don't have the ability to laugh at me... otherwise I'll be laughed at often. >_<
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Hullmetal Girls in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<em>Hullmetal Girls</em> was both painful and fun to read, with machinery and body modification in space. Skrutskie's latest novel is quite different for those who have read her <em><a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/mini-reviews-part-1-emily-skrutskie-marie-lu-and-others/">The Abyss Surrounds Us</a></em> duology, but just as good.
No cute sea monsters though. 😞
<h2><strong>What can you expect from <em>Hullmetal Girls</em> then?</strong></h2>
Because that's what you're really here for. (That, and well, prime book shoving from one of your favorite book dragons.)
<h3>Space and machinery</h3>
<em>Hullmetal Girls</em> is kind of cyborgs in space but not exactly cyborgs as Scela are people who are enhanced with machinery to be stronger and better. There's a huge price to pay, but also rewarding for those who make it to the top. I found it interesting to see how the Scela worked both during the process of becoming one and training.
<h3>Very painful beginning</h3>
Skrutskie introduces us to Aisha, a girl who decides to undergo surgery to become Scela, an enhanced soldier who is stripped of humanity to protect the Fleet ruled by the General Body. We're in the process of the surgery with her, and it'll be a painful read as she is being taken apart and put back together.
<h3>Strong sense of family</h3>
Family is a huge theme from the beginning of the book until the end. Aisha risks her life to become Scela to provide a better life for her remaining family and to give her younger brother the best care for his sickness. Throughout the book, we see this as her motivation to get through basic training and to be a part of the best Scela, even though she probably doesn't care or want to be there. She's not the only one though, as one of her teammates undergoes the procedure to help her sister become the best researcher she can possibly be. If anything happens to the people they love, they're in a void of nothing, trying to figure out what their meaning of life is.
<h3>Friendship and teamwork</h3>
After Scela survive their procedure, they are placed into squads who they will be with from training and into their careers as the Fleet's protective body. From early on, Aisha and her squadmates: Key, Wooj and Praava are all thrown together and have to figure how they can work together as a team. They learn that if they all want to accomplish their goals, they'll have to meet somewhere in the middle. It's not something they get ahold of easily and without some challenges, though, but they get there eventually.
<h3>Open-ended ending</h3>
<em>Hullmetal Girls</em> has an open ending but brings everything together to a satisfying closure that leaves some imagination to the readers of what could happen to the characters after the book ends.
<h2><strong><em>Hullmetal Girls</em> is different from Skrutskie's debut novels, but just as amazing with the technology in space, the friendship that develops and the sibling relationship that drives some of the characters.</strong></h2>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/hullmetal-girls-by-emily-skrutskie/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<em>Hullmetal Girls</em> was both painful and fun to read, with machinery and body modification in space. Skrutskie's latest novel is quite different for those who have read her <em><a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/mini-reviews-part-1-emily-skrutskie-marie-lu-and-others/">The Abyss Surrounds Us</a></em> duology, but just as good.
No cute sea monsters though. 😞
<h2><strong>What can you expect from <em>Hullmetal Girls</em> then?</strong></h2>
Because that's what you're really here for. (That, and well, prime book shoving from one of your favorite book dragons.)
<h3>Space and machinery</h3>
<em>Hullmetal Girls</em> is kind of cyborgs in space but not exactly cyborgs as Scela are people who are enhanced with machinery to be stronger and better. There's a huge price to pay, but also rewarding for those who make it to the top. I found it interesting to see how the Scela worked both during the process of becoming one and training.
<h3>Very painful beginning</h3>
Skrutskie introduces us to Aisha, a girl who decides to undergo surgery to become Scela, an enhanced soldier who is stripped of humanity to protect the Fleet ruled by the General Body. We're in the process of the surgery with her, and it'll be a painful read as she is being taken apart and put back together.
<h3>Strong sense of family</h3>
Family is a huge theme from the beginning of the book until the end. Aisha risks her life to become Scela to provide a better life for her remaining family and to give her younger brother the best care for his sickness. Throughout the book, we see this as her motivation to get through basic training and to be a part of the best Scela, even though she probably doesn't care or want to be there. She's not the only one though, as one of her teammates undergoes the procedure to help her sister become the best researcher she can possibly be. If anything happens to the people they love, they're in a void of nothing, trying to figure out what their meaning of life is.
<h3>Friendship and teamwork</h3>
After Scela survive their procedure, they are placed into squads who they will be with from training and into their careers as the Fleet's protective body. From early on, Aisha and her squadmates: Key, Wooj and Praava are all thrown together and have to figure how they can work together as a team. They learn that if they all want to accomplish their goals, they'll have to meet somewhere in the middle. It's not something they get ahold of easily and without some challenges, though, but they get there eventually.
<h3>Open-ended ending</h3>
<em>Hullmetal Girls</em> has an open ending but brings everything together to a satisfying closure that leaves some imagination to the readers of what could happen to the characters after the book ends.
<h2><strong><em>Hullmetal Girls</em> is different from Skrutskie's debut novels, but just as amazing with the technology in space, the friendship that develops and the sibling relationship that drives some of the characters.</strong></h2>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/hullmetal-girls-by-emily-skrutskie/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated A Faerie's Revenge in Books
Jan 23, 2020
ARC provided by the author.
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5
This review and more can be found at <a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/2015/11/arc-review-a-faeries-revenge-by-rachel-morgan.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
All formatting is lost.
The fifth book in Rachel Morgan's Creepy Hollow series just further proves books four and beyond (however long this one will last) are so much better than the first three books. After the daytime drama-like ending Morgan leaves us back in A Faerie's Secret, we're brought straight back to Creepy Hollow to find Calla Larkenwood in a pretty miserable and "I don't give a care but I'm going to act like I do" state.
My mother watches too much Days of Our Lives (and Dateline). Lupe and I say it just makes her more overprotective because she thinks it's based off of real events. (Dateline is. Days of Our Lives probably is, but it's most likely exaggerated.)
However, by the end of the book, I find I like Calla as a character far more than I ever liked Violet. Calla is like Violet in a lot of ways (have I mentioned this when I reviewed the fourth book?) she's ambitious and kicks faerie butt, but I feel she's more well-rounded than Violet (not that Violet wasn't well-rounded). Calla's afraid of a little thing like claustrophobia, while Violet is completely fearless. To be honest, I don't think I even remember Violet ever being afraid of anything (aside from losing her loved ones), and here's Calla, squeaking over narrow spaces. More things, bad things, happen to Calla, and I absolutely love it.
I know. You must be worried about me now. You'll have to line up behind my mom and Lupe and a few other people who know me very well, which turns out to be very few.
I also find that I miss Oryn so much from the first three books because he just goes straight to the point (and he made things entertaining).
<blockquote>The awkward moment in which I discover that both my wife and my sister have made out with the same guy.</blockquote>
Of course, by books four and five, most of the characters from the first three are pretty much just starting their future with sparkling baby faeries (I imagine them to be much more adorable). Meanwhile, Calla is still getting treated poorly by her trainer (who is really just playing favoritism possibly due to jealousy) and getting flashbacks/nightmares in the midst of dreams from Gaius trying to tell her something.
And murder. Lovely, lovely murder where Calla gets framed and accused for it. It's also by this point where Calla is confronted with the question, as Oryn so fabulously points out, "Why did you really want to join the guild? The guild, or the representation?" (See? He gets straight to the point.)
But in a nutshell, A Faerie's Revenge is really just revenge of the past something that happened ten years ago and that person wants everyone to pay. How that person will do it (and how Calla is connected) is currently unknown, but it's official: you'll definitely want to read the first three books or you'll be spoiled and possibly lost.
<blockquote>Maybe theres no such thing as good guys and bad guys after all. Not when the good guys fail to see whats wrong, and the bad guys are the ones who end up helping you.</blockquote>
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5
This review and more can be found at <a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/2015/11/arc-review-a-faeries-revenge-by-rachel-morgan.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
All formatting is lost.
The fifth book in Rachel Morgan's Creepy Hollow series just further proves books four and beyond (however long this one will last) are so much better than the first three books. After the daytime drama-like ending Morgan leaves us back in A Faerie's Secret, we're brought straight back to Creepy Hollow to find Calla Larkenwood in a pretty miserable and "I don't give a care but I'm going to act like I do" state.
My mother watches too much Days of Our Lives (and Dateline). Lupe and I say it just makes her more overprotective because she thinks it's based off of real events. (Dateline is. Days of Our Lives probably is, but it's most likely exaggerated.)
However, by the end of the book, I find I like Calla as a character far more than I ever liked Violet. Calla is like Violet in a lot of ways (have I mentioned this when I reviewed the fourth book?) she's ambitious and kicks faerie butt, but I feel she's more well-rounded than Violet (not that Violet wasn't well-rounded). Calla's afraid of a little thing like claustrophobia, while Violet is completely fearless. To be honest, I don't think I even remember Violet ever being afraid of anything (aside from losing her loved ones), and here's Calla, squeaking over narrow spaces. More things, bad things, happen to Calla, and I absolutely love it.
I know. You must be worried about me now. You'll have to line up behind my mom and Lupe and a few other people who know me very well, which turns out to be very few.
I also find that I miss Oryn so much from the first three books because he just goes straight to the point (and he made things entertaining).
<blockquote>The awkward moment in which I discover that both my wife and my sister have made out with the same guy.</blockquote>
Of course, by books four and five, most of the characters from the first three are pretty much just starting their future with sparkling baby faeries (I imagine them to be much more adorable). Meanwhile, Calla is still getting treated poorly by her trainer (who is really just playing favoritism possibly due to jealousy) and getting flashbacks/nightmares in the midst of dreams from Gaius trying to tell her something.
And murder. Lovely, lovely murder where Calla gets framed and accused for it. It's also by this point where Calla is confronted with the question, as Oryn so fabulously points out, "Why did you really want to join the guild? The guild, or the representation?" (See? He gets straight to the point.)
But in a nutshell, A Faerie's Revenge is really just revenge of the past something that happened ten years ago and that person wants everyone to pay. How that person will do it (and how Calla is connected) is currently unknown, but it's official: you'll definitely want to read the first three books or you'll be spoiled and possibly lost.
<blockquote>Maybe theres no such thing as good guys and bad guys after all. Not when the good guys fail to see whats wrong, and the bad guys are the ones who end up helping you.</blockquote>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated A Faerie's Secret (Creepy Hollow, #4) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
The fourth novel to the <i>Creepy Hollow</i> series pretty much made me realize that <b>there were actually some loose ends left untied in the third book</b> I'm not sure if I mentioned it felt like an almost abrupt ending (I probably did).
Anyways, <i>A Faerie's Secret</i> is <b>set approximately ten years after the events in <i><a title="The Faerie War by Rachel Morgan" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-war-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Faerie War</a></i></b>. Rachel introduces us to a <b>new main character Calla Larkenwood, Ryn's little sister</b> who made a few appearances in the first three novels when Violet is the main character.
<b>Calla is definitely different from Violet she's just as kick-ass, adorable, and doesn't actually follow orders from others.</b> She's a bit bratty sometimes (within reason) and a seemingly hopeless romantic who longs for companionship. She <b>desires to be a guardian and actually trains in private</b> before something happens and her parents approve of her joining a guild. She <b>gets a crash course of all four years in a month</b> before starting as a fifth-year guardian, where a lot of her peers and her mentor believe she doesn't belong. She's <b>determined to prove everyone wrong and show that she definitely belongs with the guild.</b>
Rachel seems to have focused more on giving the series more action, which doesn't really work out too well. <b>There's an entirely different faerie world that we are introduced to, and it's different from <a title="The Faerie Prince by Rachel Morgan" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-prince-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">when Violet was a guardian</a></b> not just with time, but with everything that happened in the third book. The <b>author does a pretty good job with easing us into the new guild,</b> but I'm a little curious on what the new guild looks like now that everything seems to be nice and dandy.
<b>I have very little idea on what the past characters are up to a decade later.</b> I'm very up to date with what happened to Ryn and some of the characters, but I don't really know what happened to Violet, Raven, and Flint. <b>There's some cryptic dialogue that tells me something, but it's not sure.</b> (It's not exactly safe to assume.) I know they survived, and they're still good friends. I don't know if they retired from the guardian life and pursued another career or something else entirely.
I may have enjoyed <i>A Faerie's Secret</i> more than the last two books <b>there are more dangers and adventures with Calla as our new heroine.</b> I don't really know what will happen in the next book <b>I'm left with an open ending where I have some questions that I hope to be answered in the sequel.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-a-faeries-secret-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
The fourth novel to the <i>Creepy Hollow</i> series pretty much made me realize that <b>there were actually some loose ends left untied in the third book</b> I'm not sure if I mentioned it felt like an almost abrupt ending (I probably did).
Anyways, <i>A Faerie's Secret</i> is <b>set approximately ten years after the events in <i><a title="The Faerie War by Rachel Morgan" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-war-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Faerie War</a></i></b>. Rachel introduces us to a <b>new main character Calla Larkenwood, Ryn's little sister</b> who made a few appearances in the first three novels when Violet is the main character.
<b>Calla is definitely different from Violet she's just as kick-ass, adorable, and doesn't actually follow orders from others.</b> She's a bit bratty sometimes (within reason) and a seemingly hopeless romantic who longs for companionship. She <b>desires to be a guardian and actually trains in private</b> before something happens and her parents approve of her joining a guild. She <b>gets a crash course of all four years in a month</b> before starting as a fifth-year guardian, where a lot of her peers and her mentor believe she doesn't belong. She's <b>determined to prove everyone wrong and show that she definitely belongs with the guild.</b>
Rachel seems to have focused more on giving the series more action, which doesn't really work out too well. <b>There's an entirely different faerie world that we are introduced to, and it's different from <a title="The Faerie Prince by Rachel Morgan" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-prince-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">when Violet was a guardian</a></b> not just with time, but with everything that happened in the third book. The <b>author does a pretty good job with easing us into the new guild,</b> but I'm a little curious on what the new guild looks like now that everything seems to be nice and dandy.
<b>I have very little idea on what the past characters are up to a decade later.</b> I'm very up to date with what happened to Ryn and some of the characters, but I don't really know what happened to Violet, Raven, and Flint. <b>There's some cryptic dialogue that tells me something, but it's not sure.</b> (It's not exactly safe to assume.) I know they survived, and they're still good friends. I don't know if they retired from the guardian life and pursued another career or something else entirely.
I may have enjoyed <i>A Faerie's Secret</i> more than the last two books <b>there are more dangers and adventures with Calla as our new heroine.</b> I don't really know what will happen in the next book <b>I'm left with an open ending where I have some questions that I hope to be answered in the sequel.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-a-faeries-secret-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Falls the Shadow in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Falls the Shadow: By far, the most predictable book I've ever read. Fun Fact: I figured out the entire plot by 6% of the book, which, in my humble opinion, figuring out the plot very early on in the book is bad. VERY bad, because where's the fun in knowing the big plan?!
It's not fun at all. In fact, it's like Hansel and Gretel, only those bread crumbs? They're like me placing them from school to home. It's pretty boring if you ask me unless you're hungry of course, but has anyone heard of the word germs? and that's precisely how I felt about Gaither's debut novel. There's a great idea: a society who recently came out of war not too long ago where the population is dwindling as generations continue. To save humanity, a scientific experiment company? by the name of Huxley comes up with a genius idea of cloning, in which if accidents happen, because they do, and the universe is sometimes cruel families can continue on with their lives as though nothing has changed. And that's the case with Catelyn Benson's sister, Violet. At least until Violet mysteriously disappears.
I only stuck around because I was at work early and was sitting at a table with sucky wifi, so I couldn't download any books. Not that downloading books is necessary because I'm that person who's prepared for situations like DNF or finishing books. I've got quite a few at my disposal, but it never hurts to entertain Lupe from Catching Bookz about renaming Kahlan's Zeitoun essay to Essay to Murder on my hard drive (I really did. For a reason) when the wifi actually does work.
Mainly I stuck around reading Falls the Shadow because I was hoping Gaither would surprise me. I was hoping that she would later fling said bread crumbs hopefully kindly at me in a way that I'll be shocked and amazed. I was not hoping, however, for me to be led from school to home and vice versa, with said bread crumbs already laid about, perfectly planned as though I was part of the plot planning (which I wasn't).
I think I also stuck around because there's something about Falls the Shadow. Perhaps it's the way the story is written, how Cate has to be watchful of her classmates who once treated her like furniture but as soon as "new Violet" comes around, she begins to get attacked. Or maybe it's how Cate seems to be really neutral until she finds out what Huxley's real plans are and she finally chooses a side.
Just when I lost hope though, something surprising happens! Near the end! But then it was a roller coaster ride for the rest of the book. Too bad that roller coaster ride sometimes resulted in disappointment. And now someone's bound to smack me upside the head for waiting that long.
Falls the Shadow is a novel with a heroine who acts strong but doesn't feel the same way and has a unique concept, however predictable it may be. Oh, and the clones? They're creepy. It's worse than cameras watching your every move, because it actually is. Only it's a chip.
---------------------
Advanced review copy provided by Simon & Schuster for review
Original Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/09/arc-review-falls-the-shadow-by-stefanie-gaither.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
It's not fun at all. In fact, it's like Hansel and Gretel, only those bread crumbs? They're like me placing them from school to home. It's pretty boring if you ask me unless you're hungry of course, but has anyone heard of the word germs? and that's precisely how I felt about Gaither's debut novel. There's a great idea: a society who recently came out of war not too long ago where the population is dwindling as generations continue. To save humanity, a scientific experiment company? by the name of Huxley comes up with a genius idea of cloning, in which if accidents happen, because they do, and the universe is sometimes cruel families can continue on with their lives as though nothing has changed. And that's the case with Catelyn Benson's sister, Violet. At least until Violet mysteriously disappears.
I only stuck around because I was at work early and was sitting at a table with sucky wifi, so I couldn't download any books. Not that downloading books is necessary because I'm that person who's prepared for situations like DNF or finishing books. I've got quite a few at my disposal, but it never hurts to entertain Lupe from Catching Bookz about renaming Kahlan's Zeitoun essay to Essay to Murder on my hard drive (I really did. For a reason) when the wifi actually does work.
Mainly I stuck around reading Falls the Shadow because I was hoping Gaither would surprise me. I was hoping that she would later fling said bread crumbs hopefully kindly at me in a way that I'll be shocked and amazed. I was not hoping, however, for me to be led from school to home and vice versa, with said bread crumbs already laid about, perfectly planned as though I was part of the plot planning (which I wasn't).
I think I also stuck around because there's something about Falls the Shadow. Perhaps it's the way the story is written, how Cate has to be watchful of her classmates who once treated her like furniture but as soon as "new Violet" comes around, she begins to get attacked. Or maybe it's how Cate seems to be really neutral until she finds out what Huxley's real plans are and she finally chooses a side.
Just when I lost hope though, something surprising happens! Near the end! But then it was a roller coaster ride for the rest of the book. Too bad that roller coaster ride sometimes resulted in disappointment. And now someone's bound to smack me upside the head for waiting that long.
Falls the Shadow is a novel with a heroine who acts strong but doesn't feel the same way and has a unique concept, however predictable it may be. Oh, and the clones? They're creepy. It's worse than cameras watching your every move, because it actually is. Only it's a chip.
---------------------
Advanced review copy provided by Simon & Schuster for review
Original Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/09/arc-review-falls-the-shadow-by-stefanie-gaither.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Thousandth Floor (The Thousandth Floor #1) in Books
Feb 3, 2020
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2886472405">The Thousandth Floor</a> - ★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2960873818">The Dazzling Heights</a> - Not Read Yet
#3 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2961335913">The Towering Sky</a> - Not Read Yet
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Book-Review-Banner-4.png?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1"/>;
</i>In the year 2118, in New York City there’s a thousand-story tower. It has everything you could imagine inside, and there is no need for you to ever get out.</i>
The floor you live on represents your status. The higher you live, the more money you have, which means you become more popular. The rich people don’t necessarily hang around with the poor, and gossips spread faster than lightning. The thousandth floor is the top!
<B><I>But then one night, at a party, one girl falls down from the rooftop of the tower, and the mystery remains – what exactly happened that night? </i></b>
Despite all the mixed reviews I’ve seen for this book, I actually really enjoyed it! The world is futuristic and I loved reading about all the different cool items and gadgets that the author was writing about.
The main character that we have is Avery Fuller, who lives on the thousandth floor of the tower. She has been genetically designed to only have the best genes from her parents, and is, therefore, perfect. But then – SPOILER ALERT – <spoiler> she is in love with her brother, who is actually adopted, so not her brother. And as weird as it might seem, they are not related in any way, and the romance was beautifully written. And a lot of you people have been giving this book a bad review because of this reason, but some of you also happen to love ”City of Bones” by Cassandra Clare, who features Clary and Jace, who started with the same background?</spoiler>
Apart from Avery, there were many other characters as well, all of them different and all of them unique at the same time. A girl that works as a main in a rich boy’s house, a girl who is best friends with Avery but doesn’t feel she belongs there, a girl that suddenly finds out she is not rich anymore and has to move onto the lower floors of the tower, a hacker who wants to earn money, no matter the what… The book is written from all these character’s points of view, and I loved the variety and also how all these characters connect to each other in an interesting way. They all have goals, dreams, hopes, fears, and everything is surrounded in drama.
<b><i>If you love Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars or the TV Show Riverdale, I guarantee you will enjoy this one. It’s full of mystery, drama, romance, sci-fi and luxury.</i></b>
Thank you to my sister, for letting me read this book. I borrowed it from her and will unfortunately have to give it back soon…
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2886472405">The Thousandth Floor</a> - ★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2960873818">The Dazzling Heights</a> - Not Read Yet
#3 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2961335913">The Towering Sky</a> - Not Read Yet
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Book-Review-Banner-4.png?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1"/>;
</i>In the year 2118, in New York City there’s a thousand-story tower. It has everything you could imagine inside, and there is no need for you to ever get out.</i>
The floor you live on represents your status. The higher you live, the more money you have, which means you become more popular. The rich people don’t necessarily hang around with the poor, and gossips spread faster than lightning. The thousandth floor is the top!
<B><I>But then one night, at a party, one girl falls down from the rooftop of the tower, and the mystery remains – what exactly happened that night? </i></b>
Despite all the mixed reviews I’ve seen for this book, I actually really enjoyed it! The world is futuristic and I loved reading about all the different cool items and gadgets that the author was writing about.
The main character that we have is Avery Fuller, who lives on the thousandth floor of the tower. She has been genetically designed to only have the best genes from her parents, and is, therefore, perfect. But then – SPOILER ALERT – <spoiler> she is in love with her brother, who is actually adopted, so not her brother. And as weird as it might seem, they are not related in any way, and the romance was beautifully written. And a lot of you people have been giving this book a bad review because of this reason, but some of you also happen to love ”City of Bones” by Cassandra Clare, who features Clary and Jace, who started with the same background?</spoiler>
Apart from Avery, there were many other characters as well, all of them different and all of them unique at the same time. A girl that works as a main in a rich boy’s house, a girl who is best friends with Avery but doesn’t feel she belongs there, a girl that suddenly finds out she is not rich anymore and has to move onto the lower floors of the tower, a hacker who wants to earn money, no matter the what… The book is written from all these character’s points of view, and I loved the variety and also how all these characters connect to each other in an interesting way. They all have goals, dreams, hopes, fears, and everything is surrounded in drama.
<b><i>If you love Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars or the TV Show Riverdale, I guarantee you will enjoy this one. It’s full of mystery, drama, romance, sci-fi and luxury.</i></b>
Thank you to my sister, for letting me read this book. I borrowed it from her and will unfortunately have to give it back soon…
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Suicide Tree in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Suicide Tree by Shayla Raquel was a surprisingly good book. It was not quite what I expected but after reading it I am honestly not sure what I was expecting. Early on it talks about the Suicide Tree being a real tree and I could not help but look it up. What I found is that the Suicide Tree is actually a tree called Cerbera Odollam and is found in Asia and India. I find it interesting Knox uses this tree’s nickname for his tag because of the specific properties this tree has. I will leave it up to the interested reader to look up those properties for themselves. The story was so good that I am afraid to say too much without the risk of spoilers.
Trigger Warning: Although I don’t usually feel like I need to add these to my reviews I feel this may be an exception. The death of Knox’s parents is a tragedy and a large part of the story and is brought up very frequently.
Knox Kevel’s parents died in an explosion three years before the story begins. Knox, being almost a computer genius becomes a hacker known as The Suicide Tree while his parents are still alive. After their death, he works for people on the black market and attracts the attention of the FBI. The FBI gets ahold of him twice and he is facing prison time when Arlo Jenson pops in. Arlo wants Knox to work for him and if Knox agrees Arlo will call in a favor with the DA and have Knox’s charges dropped.
Knox ends up flying to Italy with Arlo, in hopes of finding the person who hurt Arlo as a child. Knox and Arlo stay with Norah, Arlo’s sister, and her daughter Jessa. The four of them team up and travel to many well-known cities in Italy trying to discover the truth. The truth about what? Well, you will just have to read The Suicide Tree to find out for yourself.
What I liked most about this book was the interwoven stories of Knox, Arlo, and the mysterious person who harmed Arlo. It was actually hard to find something that I didn’t really like about this book. After thinking about it I would say that the reasoning behind Arlo’s childhood assault (for lack of a better term) was a bit on the anti-climatic side. I was hoping for something a little more in-depth than what was offered.
In all honesty, I believe just about anyone could read this book. There is little in the lines on inappropriate material in this book. The book is also relatively short and does not require a lot of dedication making it perfect for the occasional reader. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 because the plot line was well thought out and there was very little that I questioned after finishing the book. The story was strong and extremely entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read.
Trigger Warning: Although I don’t usually feel like I need to add these to my reviews I feel this may be an exception. The death of Knox’s parents is a tragedy and a large part of the story and is brought up very frequently.
Knox Kevel’s parents died in an explosion three years before the story begins. Knox, being almost a computer genius becomes a hacker known as The Suicide Tree while his parents are still alive. After their death, he works for people on the black market and attracts the attention of the FBI. The FBI gets ahold of him twice and he is facing prison time when Arlo Jenson pops in. Arlo wants Knox to work for him and if Knox agrees Arlo will call in a favor with the DA and have Knox’s charges dropped.
Knox ends up flying to Italy with Arlo, in hopes of finding the person who hurt Arlo as a child. Knox and Arlo stay with Norah, Arlo’s sister, and her daughter Jessa. The four of them team up and travel to many well-known cities in Italy trying to discover the truth. The truth about what? Well, you will just have to read The Suicide Tree to find out for yourself.
What I liked most about this book was the interwoven stories of Knox, Arlo, and the mysterious person who harmed Arlo. It was actually hard to find something that I didn’t really like about this book. After thinking about it I would say that the reasoning behind Arlo’s childhood assault (for lack of a better term) was a bit on the anti-climatic side. I was hoping for something a little more in-depth than what was offered.
In all honesty, I believe just about anyone could read this book. There is little in the lines on inappropriate material in this book. The book is also relatively short and does not require a lot of dedication making it perfect for the occasional reader. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 because the plot line was well thought out and there was very little that I questioned after finishing the book. The story was strong and extremely entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Feb 9, 2020
It’s so metaphorical.
Everyone said “Go see Parasite”. Everyone said “The one rule about Parasite is that you don’t talk about Parasite”. So I went to see Parasite. So this is a review about Parasite without talking about Parasite.
Kim Ki-Woo (Woo-sik Choi) is a student living with his family in poverty in a sub-basement room, sponging off internet signals and scrounging a living, of sorts, by assembling pizza boxes. Opportunity presents itself when his best friend, the slightly older Min (Seo-joon Park), goes abroad to study. For Min is an English tutor to the up-market Park family’s school-age daughter Da-hye (Ji-so Jung). Not wanting his fellow ‘frat-boys’ to move in on future romance – he’s lined up Ki-Woo as his replacement.
Ki-woo knows he’s lucked in when he visits the swanky Park residence and manages to pull the wool over the eyes of Da-hye’s not too bright mother Yeon-kyo (Yeo-jeong Jo). But the influence of the family’s “lucky rock” doesn’t stop there. Ki-woo sees an opportunity to get jobs for his sister Kim (So-dam Park), his father Ki-taek (Kang-ho Song) and his mother Chung-sook (Hye-jin Jang). And gradually the poor Kim family start to encroach on the rich Park family’s lives.
You might think that’s the story. It’s not. Just when you think you know where the film is going – a gentle comic tale with farcical elements – the movie takes a sudden left turn into The Twilight Zone.
To say more, if you’ve not seen the film, would be cruelty beyond measure. It’s a truly astonishing script, by writer/director Bong Joon Ho, and my nomination for the Oscar for best original screenplay.
It’s the details that get to you. This will be a superb film to watch multiple times. There are fabulous details scattered throughout. You know how the more expensive the car the more “solid” the clunk is as you shut the door? Listen to the sound effect when the Park front door shuts! Look what happens to the “one of a kind” lucky rock!
As for one of my favourite films from last year – “The Farewell” – you very quickly get to accept and embrace the subtitles. YOU MUST NOT LET THIS PUT YOU OFF. This is a masterpiece of cinema, well-deserving of its multiple Oscar nominations and its Cannes Palme d’Or award. At 132 minutes, it’s not a short film, but seldom have two hours flown by faster. It’s totally gripping. At times hysterically funny; at times shocking. A class struggle movie of a calibre that Ken Loach would never have imagined!
Gripes? I had just one. An action near the end of the movie seems bizarrely out of character and was a “WTF” moment that I didn’t think the film needed. However, it did set up a wonderful story-telling finale that I will think about for many months.
It provoked that seldom found reaction in the cinema when the end-titles ran. A hubbub of chatter and appreciation.
It comes with a highly recommended from me.
For the full graphical review, check out https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/02/09/one-manns-movies-film-review-parasite-2020/.
Kim Ki-Woo (Woo-sik Choi) is a student living with his family in poverty in a sub-basement room, sponging off internet signals and scrounging a living, of sorts, by assembling pizza boxes. Opportunity presents itself when his best friend, the slightly older Min (Seo-joon Park), goes abroad to study. For Min is an English tutor to the up-market Park family’s school-age daughter Da-hye (Ji-so Jung). Not wanting his fellow ‘frat-boys’ to move in on future romance – he’s lined up Ki-Woo as his replacement.
Ki-woo knows he’s lucked in when he visits the swanky Park residence and manages to pull the wool over the eyes of Da-hye’s not too bright mother Yeon-kyo (Yeo-jeong Jo). But the influence of the family’s “lucky rock” doesn’t stop there. Ki-woo sees an opportunity to get jobs for his sister Kim (So-dam Park), his father Ki-taek (Kang-ho Song) and his mother Chung-sook (Hye-jin Jang). And gradually the poor Kim family start to encroach on the rich Park family’s lives.
You might think that’s the story. It’s not. Just when you think you know where the film is going – a gentle comic tale with farcical elements – the movie takes a sudden left turn into The Twilight Zone.
To say more, if you’ve not seen the film, would be cruelty beyond measure. It’s a truly astonishing script, by writer/director Bong Joon Ho, and my nomination for the Oscar for best original screenplay.
It’s the details that get to you. This will be a superb film to watch multiple times. There are fabulous details scattered throughout. You know how the more expensive the car the more “solid” the clunk is as you shut the door? Listen to the sound effect when the Park front door shuts! Look what happens to the “one of a kind” lucky rock!
As for one of my favourite films from last year – “The Farewell” – you very quickly get to accept and embrace the subtitles. YOU MUST NOT LET THIS PUT YOU OFF. This is a masterpiece of cinema, well-deserving of its multiple Oscar nominations and its Cannes Palme d’Or award. At 132 minutes, it’s not a short film, but seldom have two hours flown by faster. It’s totally gripping. At times hysterically funny; at times shocking. A class struggle movie of a calibre that Ken Loach would never have imagined!
Gripes? I had just one. An action near the end of the movie seems bizarrely out of character and was a “WTF” moment that I didn’t think the film needed. However, it did set up a wonderful story-telling finale that I will think about for many months.
It provoked that seldom found reaction in the cinema when the end-titles ran. A hubbub of chatter and appreciation.
It comes with a highly recommended from me.
For the full graphical review, check out https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/02/09/one-manns-movies-film-review-parasite-2020/.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Campfires, going to senior parties, and girls. That’s you would normally think about if you were a junior in high school still in scouts. Ben (Tye Sheridan), Carter (Logan Miller), and Augie (Joey Morgan) have been best friends for years since they first joined scouts. While Augie is getting his Condor Patch, the highest achievement a scout can get; Ben and Carter think it’s about time they leave scouts, since they are going into their junior year and don’t want to be seen as dorks. However after ditching Augie the two set out to find the secret senior party where Carter’s sister Kendall (Halston Sage) is at and Ben is all for it. However Ben begins to notice some abnormal things in town, like their scout master (David Koechner) not showing up for the campfire and the town being completely abandoned. The two make a pit stop and run into some trouble at a strip club, much to Carters delight due to the bouncer being mysteriously gone from the door. Unfortunately the two get a little more than a lap dance when they come face to face with the source of all the odd behavior, Zombies. Luckily they befriend Denise (Sarah Dumont) a cocktail waitress from the club and the three of them plus Augie set out on a mission to save Kendall before the government decides what to do to the zombie infested town.
From Christopher B. Landon comes Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. With Landon being most known for working on the Paranormal Activity franchise, this movie is a bit of a change from his usual work. Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse is exactly what you would want from a comedy horror movie obviously targeting young adults. It has witty lines, zombies, and attractive leads. While the movie sometimes boarders the lines of too campy, I feel it balances well. While the whole concept of the film is silly, it is executed in a brilliant way and thankfully they don’t rely heavily on dick jokes.
I was fortunate enough to be able to go the Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse Ultimate Fan Experience. They gave shirts to everyone who attended and the excitement could be felt while in the room with avid zombie film fanatics. However at the beginning of the film it showed a special piece of film just for the event, and it was awful. Ten minutes of Dillion Francis’s zombie cameo in a music video that never seemed to end. While some enjoyed it most of the audience sighed with relief when it was over. That has to be my only concern with the event, and thankfully it was for the fan experience and more than likely will not be in the actual film showings (General public you are saved). I would recommend this movie for people who enjoy campy horror films, since by all means this film is anything but serious. Also would not recommend of young children, there is some nudity.
I would give this film a 3.5/5 stars. While it was a fun film that kept me laughing for most of it; that fan experience clip definitely was a disaster. I would definitely watch the
From Christopher B. Landon comes Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. With Landon being most known for working on the Paranormal Activity franchise, this movie is a bit of a change from his usual work. Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse is exactly what you would want from a comedy horror movie obviously targeting young adults. It has witty lines, zombies, and attractive leads. While the movie sometimes boarders the lines of too campy, I feel it balances well. While the whole concept of the film is silly, it is executed in a brilliant way and thankfully they don’t rely heavily on dick jokes.
I was fortunate enough to be able to go the Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse Ultimate Fan Experience. They gave shirts to everyone who attended and the excitement could be felt while in the room with avid zombie film fanatics. However at the beginning of the film it showed a special piece of film just for the event, and it was awful. Ten minutes of Dillion Francis’s zombie cameo in a music video that never seemed to end. While some enjoyed it most of the audience sighed with relief when it was over. That has to be my only concern with the event, and thankfully it was for the fan experience and more than likely will not be in the actual film showings (General public you are saved). I would recommend this movie for people who enjoy campy horror films, since by all means this film is anything but serious. Also would not recommend of young children, there is some nudity.
I would give this film a 3.5/5 stars. While it was a fun film that kept me laughing for most of it; that fan experience clip definitely was a disaster. I would definitely watch the
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated We Bought a Zoo (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
From the director of Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe has brought us a great new film starring Mat Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Hadden Church and up and coming star Elle Fanning. Packed with amazing talent; “We Bought a Zoo” is a heartwarming true story of a man who wants to start over and in doing so, he provides a new life for his young family and his new friends.
Benjamin Mee (Mat Damon), a widowed father of two young children Dylan (Colin Ford) and Rosie (Magie Elizabeth Jones) are in need of a new start. Benjamin’s brother Duncan (Thomas Haden Church) has always provided Benjamin with useless and impractical advice. Only this time he strikes the nail on the head by telling his brother that he has to start over. He teams up with Mr. Stevens (J.B Smoove), a first time real estate agent and his daughter Rosie to find the perfect home to start there new future. When they come across the perfect house it comes with some big responsibilities. The Mee family have just become the new owners of a struggling Zoo (Rosemoore Wildlife Park). The Zoo is run by Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson) head zookeeper, Peter, Robin and her cousin Lily (Elle Fanning).They are in need of someone to take charge of the Zoo or it will close forever. With over forty seven animal species, the Zoo is in need of someone with lots of heart and determination to keep it from closing. Although everybody has doubts about Benjamin, even himself, he never gives up. Benjamin and his family are able to start fresh and after an argument here and there among father and son, are able to leave the past behind and look forward to the future.
“We Bought a Zoo” is such a heartwarming true story that will leave you with inspiration. The film is filled with vibrant colors, great cinematography, amazing actors and filled with such inspiration that I would be surprised if it is not in this years Oscar line up. Mat Damon surely delivers in his portrayal of Benjamin Mee. Most children actors don’t go far in the showbiz but great things come in small packages with Magie Elizabeth Jones. At her very young age of seven and her performance in this film I would be surprised if she doesn’t end up being a big star. Elle Fanning and Colin Ford make the perfect young couple and were perfectly paired up as the roles of Colin and Lily and like her sister Dakota Fanning she is becoming a great young actress. I wasn’t very impressed with Scarlett Johansson in this film as she always in my opinion plays the same sort of character in most of her movies with the exception of The Black Widow in the Iron Man films. Though having a somewhat small part in this film, Thomas Haden Church always seems to live up to the characters he portrays especially as Duncan.
This film is one that definitely can not be missed and is a perfect film to kick of the new year. If you love animals and are wanting to see a heartfelt film you will with out a doubt love this film and is definitely Oscar worthy. I left the theater feeling inspired and wanting to help animals that are going extinct. Big cats are disappearing at an alarming rate and with our help we can cause an uproar. To help go to causeanuproar.org to help.
Benjamin Mee (Mat Damon), a widowed father of two young children Dylan (Colin Ford) and Rosie (Magie Elizabeth Jones) are in need of a new start. Benjamin’s brother Duncan (Thomas Haden Church) has always provided Benjamin with useless and impractical advice. Only this time he strikes the nail on the head by telling his brother that he has to start over. He teams up with Mr. Stevens (J.B Smoove), a first time real estate agent and his daughter Rosie to find the perfect home to start there new future. When they come across the perfect house it comes with some big responsibilities. The Mee family have just become the new owners of a struggling Zoo (Rosemoore Wildlife Park). The Zoo is run by Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson) head zookeeper, Peter, Robin and her cousin Lily (Elle Fanning).They are in need of someone to take charge of the Zoo or it will close forever. With over forty seven animal species, the Zoo is in need of someone with lots of heart and determination to keep it from closing. Although everybody has doubts about Benjamin, even himself, he never gives up. Benjamin and his family are able to start fresh and after an argument here and there among father and son, are able to leave the past behind and look forward to the future.
“We Bought a Zoo” is such a heartwarming true story that will leave you with inspiration. The film is filled with vibrant colors, great cinematography, amazing actors and filled with such inspiration that I would be surprised if it is not in this years Oscar line up. Mat Damon surely delivers in his portrayal of Benjamin Mee. Most children actors don’t go far in the showbiz but great things come in small packages with Magie Elizabeth Jones. At her very young age of seven and her performance in this film I would be surprised if she doesn’t end up being a big star. Elle Fanning and Colin Ford make the perfect young couple and were perfectly paired up as the roles of Colin and Lily and like her sister Dakota Fanning she is becoming a great young actress. I wasn’t very impressed with Scarlett Johansson in this film as she always in my opinion plays the same sort of character in most of her movies with the exception of The Black Widow in the Iron Man films. Though having a somewhat small part in this film, Thomas Haden Church always seems to live up to the characters he portrays especially as Duncan.
This film is one that definitely can not be missed and is a perfect film to kick of the new year. If you love animals and are wanting to see a heartfelt film you will with out a doubt love this film and is definitely Oscar worthy. I left the theater feeling inspired and wanting to help animals that are going extinct. Big cats are disappearing at an alarming rate and with our help we can cause an uproar. To help go to causeanuproar.org to help.