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Briannabrown1019 (799 KP) rated Love Letters to the Dead in Books

Nov 9, 2020

Love Letters to the Dead

Ava Dellaira | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)

6.8

(6 Ratings)

Book Rating

Great for fans of Perks of Being a Wallflower!

Contains spoilers, click to show

Trigger warning. This book deals with some deep stuff.

This was a super interesting idea. The story was deep, and it was the first book I've ever come across that told its story through letters to dead celebrities. So bonus points there for sure!
The overall story reminded me a lot of Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is one of my all time favorites.

I did not LOVE the POV/writing of the book but that wasn't because the author didn't do well. In fact I'd say that means she did amazing given the book is told from the POV of a teenage girl. She's young, and the writing reflects that. So while it wasn't my personal cup of tea, it made sense for the book. Bear that in mind when going into this one.

We follow Laurel venting to dead celebrities about her life and the loss of her sister. How did she die? Why does Laurel feel guilty? Why isn't her mom around anymore? Through letters to her idols she reminisces and vents, and we get to see her navigate life and relationships without her big sister.

*Potential trigger warnings for domestic abuse, rape, molestation, drug/alcohol use, and suicide.

Kudos

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Apr 2, 2021

Sneak a peek at the Christian romantic suspense novel HER EVERY MOVE by Kelly Irvin, Author on my blog, and enter the giveaway to win a signed copy of the book - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/04/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-her-every.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
He’s a cop trying to stop a serial bomber. And she’ll stop at nothing to clear her own name.

When a deadly bomb goes off during a climate change debate, librarian and event coordinator Jackie Santoro becomes the prime suspect. Her motive, according to Detective Avery Wick: to avenge the suicide of her prominent father, who was accused of crimes by a city councilman attending the event.

Though Avery has doubts about Jackie’s guilt, he can’t exonerate her even after an extremist group takes responsibility for the bombing and continues to attack San Antonio’s treasured public spaces.

As Jackie tries to hold her shattered family together, she has no choice but to proceed with plans for the Caterina Ball, the library system’s biggest annual fundraiser. But she also fears the event provides the perfect opportunity for the bomber to strike again.

Despite their mistrust, Jackie and Avery join forces to unmask the truth—before the death toll mounts even higher.

Kudos Comment

Lenard (726 KP) rated Good Joe Bell (2020) in Movies

Aug 1, 2021

Good Joe Bell (2020)

2020 | Biography, Drama

3.0

(1 Ratings)

Movie Rating

The film has a great premise. An alpha male walks from his home in La Grange, Oregon to New York to tell the story of his gay son who was bullied so badly he committed suicide. Sounds interesting until you realize that it is nearly impossible to adapt into a cinematic story. It is one man traveling on the road. He is not rich; he is stubborn; he is kind of a jerk to other people. Mark Wahlberg is good as Joe Bell, but there is not much of a character to play. So you have to give him the spirit of his son, but the son would be his version of the son and not the real son so the actor playing him would need to distinguish the two versions. This never happens. Another huge problem is the ending. It comes too quickly and is extremely shocking (and not in a way a filmmaker would want). Yes, the event is foreshadowed in the first act and it would fit with the character, but there needed to be more story in order to achieve the desired effect of the event. The whole film has a problem by staying true to life instead of adding texture to the characters and story.

Kudos

Charlotte (184 KP) rated Three Divisions (Crescentwood #1) in Books

Feb 15, 2021

Three Divisions (Crescentwood #1)

R.A. Smyth | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Holy fluff balls, what an amazing start to this series!

Although based around seventeen year old Sophie this is anything but a typical teen book. This is most definitely an adult read with some hard hitting topics like abuse, suicide and bullying to name a few.
Nothing phases Sophie for long, she's an awesome character, with a strong survival instinct, a smart mouth and feisty kick ass personality. She has a kind of sex appeal that calls like a siren song to not one but four men (a girl can dream!!)

The four men all have an outward persona that isn't endearing but beneath the surface lies a hot mess......They go from mean and moody to a girl's wet dream and back again. Like Sophie they all have a hard past driving them, things that bleed into their current lives, each fighting their own demons.

There isn't anything that I don't like as the bits that make me uncomfortable are crucial foundations for the story. They add depth to the characters and create a more three dimensional look at all the key players.

A good strong start to what promises to be an amazing, gripping series....... **Taps fingers impatiently waiting for the next book**

Kudos

ClareR (5950 KP) rated Platform Seven in Books

Sep 1, 2019 (Updated Sep 2, 2019)

Platform Seven

Louise Doughty | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery

6.0

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

A beautiful, sad story.

If I could give more than 10/10 for Platform Seven, I would. The main character, and I’m giving nothing away here, is a ghost. She doesn’t know her name or why she’s there, but she knows that she’s dead, and she knows that she can’t leave the confines of Peterborough train station. However, two things trigger the return of her memories: a suicide on Platform Seven, and the appearance of a (living) young man in the station. We then learn her name, and the sequence of events that resulted in her death and afterlife at Peterborough train station.

This was a beautifully told story, and I’ll warn you now that you’ll need to read it with tissues at hand. I cried, and I cried quite a lot! This isn’t an action packed thriller. It’s thoughtful, emotional, and at times it’s frustrating. It’s easy to read a story and say to yourself that you won’t make the same mistakes as the lead character, that that character should have made different choices, but this book explains so well a manipulative, emotionally abusive relationship.

I would recommend this story - it really is well worth reading.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this outstanding book.