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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2400 KP) rated Murder at a London Finishing School in Books

Jul 26, 2023 (Updated Jul 26, 2023)  
Murder at a London Finishing School
Murder at a London Finishing School
Jessica Ellicott | 2023 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Returning to Their Alma Mater Means Murder
Brit Edwina Davenport and American Beryl Helliwell first met at Miss DuPont’s Finishing School for Young Ladies and forged their decades long friendship there. But now they’ve been hired by Miss DuPont to find out what is going on at the school that is driving down enrollment. The duo aren’t getting far with their investigation when they stumble on a dead body. Have the pranks escalated to murder?

If you look for the dead body to drop early, you might be disappointed with this book. I wasn’t. Between the early investigation and meeting the new characters, there was plenty to keep me engaged. Of course, things kick up a notch when murder enters the story. The ending, while logical, did feel a little rushed, but that was a minor complaint. We don’t see much of the series regulars, although a couple do make cameos. The new characters more than make up for it, and I appreciate how complex they were by the end. Beryl and Edwina grow as a result of visiting some place from their past. The story is set in the 1920’s, and things going on in society infuse the book. If you enjoy historical mysteries or mysteries set in England, you’ll be glad you picked this up.
  
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Cori June (3033 KP) rated Prudence (The Custard Protocol, #1) in Books

Dec 12, 2021  
Prudence (The Custard Protocol, #1)
Prudence (The Custard Protocol, #1)
Gail Carriger | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Banter between characters (1 more)
Vocabulary
Too much description on fashion esp Dresses (2 more)
Hardly any plot
Hardly any character growth
If I didn't read this in an overdramatic unserious way, I would have hated this book. Prudence has the ability to get on the nerves and has very little character development. There is great banter between all the characters, and that was enjoyable.
If you took out all the descriptions of the dresses (and other outfits) you'd have 1/3 of a book. It was during these points where I questioned where the plot went cause it had a tendency to disappear.
I wouldn't say it was a puff and fluff book cause I don't want to disrespect those books but if it wasn't for the vocabulary and banter I'd probably would have DNF the book. I was disappointed that there wasn't as much steam-punk elements as expected and more supernatural elements then I realized. (My own fault for not properly reading the book blurb.)
I think that the author dropped the ball on some of the boundary pushing elements such as: talking about the colonization of Inda, pushing the boundaries of women in British society and social class. All in all I was amused if a bit bored at times and not sure if it's worth a second read through or to continue on in the series.
  
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Forever Purge (2021) in Movies

Jul 6, 2022  
The Forever Purge (2021)
The Forever Purge (2021)
2021 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
6
6.0 (12 Ratings)
Movie Rating
At this point, we all know what we're getting when a new Purge film shuffles it's way into the harsh light of day. Lots of shooting, CGI blood spatters, characters looking super serious as their protective shutters roll over the windows and doors of their houses, and some vague message about society and the state of America. All of this is present and correct for the latest installment of this ever popular franchise, and to be quite honest, it's entertaining as hell. It may be predictable, it may be on the nose with what it's trying to say, but it pulls off some genuinely tense action scenes (there's one extended long shot in particular, later on in the runtime, that looks incredible), shakes up the formula by showing us what a Purge night may look like from the viewpoint of immigrants, and delivers a film that not only portrays America descending into absolute chaos, but does a good job at making it feel legit.
The Forever Purge is hardly breaking new ground, but still manages to feel somewhat fresh in a horror series that is 5 films deep. It's also a decent recovery after the last film seriously stumbled. All in all, a popcorn movie that will surely be a bucket of bloody fun if you leave your brain at the door.
  
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ClareR (5955 KP) rated The Mars House in Books

Oct 1, 2024  
The Mars House
The Mars House
Natasha Pulley | 2024 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Can I just say that I loved a book and leave it at that? Because this is one of those books.
Ok, a short summary:
January Sterling is a climate refugee, escaping the floods and intense heat for the Mars colony of Tharsis. Life as an Earthstronger on Mars isn’t ideal. He and the other Earthstrongers are seen as a danger to the native Martians: they are much stronger because of the weaker gravity, even though they’re much smaller. January and his fellow Earthstrongers are discriminated against and given the worst manual labour jobs.

January meets a Martian politician who is staunchly anti-Earth stronger, an somehow ends up in a sham-marriage. Of course, it’s a slow-burn romance with lots of peril, lies and climate change politics.

My only complaint, is that in trying to make the characters asexual, they all read as being very male. Perhaps it was just the way I read it.

The Mars House has a lot to say about climate change and its refugees - and the predictable refugee-haters. Instead of boats, they arrive in space ships, and the inhabitants of Mars are as scared of, and enraged by, these people, as some elements in our own society today.

I really enjoyed this book, and I loved how different it was to Natasha Pulley’s previous books. Whatever will she write next? I’ll be waiting!