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Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Last Girl in Books
Dec 11, 2017
A good first part
This is a very intriguing idea for a story, although bleak dystopian futures appear to be all the rage at the moment. Set in the near future where women have virtually stopped giving birth to girls, where a group of young women are being held in a centre called the ARC - it starts off well and centres around Zoey in her daily routine. This first part is interesting, as you learn about life in the ARC and it keeps you hooked as you try and figure out with Zoey what’s going on. For me this is the best part of the book, as it goes a little downhill from there.
The second half is believable, but potentially far fetched depending solely on survival instinct of someone who has been institutionalised her entire life. Not bad, but I had to allow for a little embellishment and didn’t quite believe 100%. Shame as it’s a very well written and enjoyable book.
The characters themselves are all fairly interesting, although I did wish to see more of certain characters who sadly haven’t made it to the next book. Zoey herself is a strong female lead, obviously taking its lead from the Hunger Games etc. The whole book reminds me a lot of the Wool trilogy, and of Joe Hill’s The Fireman too.
In all, a very good enjoyable first part, and am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
The second half is believable, but potentially far fetched depending solely on survival instinct of someone who has been institutionalised her entire life. Not bad, but I had to allow for a little embellishment and didn’t quite believe 100%. Shame as it’s a very well written and enjoyable book.
The characters themselves are all fairly interesting, although I did wish to see more of certain characters who sadly haven’t made it to the next book. Zoey herself is a strong female lead, obviously taking its lead from the Hunger Games etc. The whole book reminds me a lot of the Wool trilogy, and of Joe Hill’s The Fireman too.
In all, a very good enjoyable first part, and am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated The Hunger Games in Books
Feb 7, 2019 (Updated Feb 7, 2019)
Unexpected inspiring read
I really didn't know what to expect of this novel. It seemed very much like a teen/young adult novel but I actually found myself gripped in the twists and turns of the story and unable to put the book down as a thirty-something-year-old!
I felt an instant connection to Katniss and could almost picture myself as her.
She may be young and not the biggest or strongest character but she made up for that in guts and brains.
She is a selfless young woman who put the needs of her family in front of everything else. She listened and learned and that gave her survival skills. She was smart and figured out the game and what would keep her alive.
It's refreshing to find a novel where the lead female character wasn't just a stupid and vacant girly girl but actually strong and intelligent. This is the type of role that should be featured more to inspire and motivate more women. To show you don't have to just like the material things in life and you don't need a man to get you out of a tricky situation. In fact, you end up saving the guy and are the heroine of the tale.
I can't wait to read the other two books in the series! I'm just waiting on the postman to deliver them!
I felt an instant connection to Katniss and could almost picture myself as her.
She may be young and not the biggest or strongest character but she made up for that in guts and brains.
She is a selfless young woman who put the needs of her family in front of everything else. She listened and learned and that gave her survival skills. She was smart and figured out the game and what would keep her alive.
It's refreshing to find a novel where the lead female character wasn't just a stupid and vacant girly girl but actually strong and intelligent. This is the type of role that should be featured more to inspire and motivate more women. To show you don't have to just like the material things in life and you don't need a man to get you out of a tricky situation. In fact, you end up saving the guy and are the heroine of the tale.
I can't wait to read the other two books in the series! I'm just waiting on the postman to deliver them!
Lenard (726 KP) rated Tolkien (2019) in Movies
May 19, 2019
Tolkien is a biopic of author/professor JRR Tolkien, the writer of The Hobbit and other fantasy novels. The only reason it was greenlit was to ensnare fans of the LOTR. The film opens with Ronald in the trenches of Belgium during WWI suffering from trench fever. He is overcome with a need to find his friend who he learns is nearby and in dire trouble. We then flashback to his country childhood home located in a village reminiscent of The Shire from his novels. His father has died and left the family with little hope of survival. The church has found a new home for the Tolkiens in Lake-town, I mean Birmingham. Soon, his mother is dead, Ronald and his brother become wards of the Catholic Church and are moved into the home of elderly woman who already cares for a young female pianist. Tolkien earns scholarship to a local private school where he accidentally becomes friends with other artistically inclined young men. One of whom, the poet, is secretly in love with Tolkien. Thus, with a kiss, I die in the trenches of Belgium fron poison gas. The whole film spends so much time finding connections to his famous novels, it never really gets to know the writer himself. Plus, Nicholas Hoult does not help much playing the writer like a Hugh Grant rom-com character. He even does the squinting quirk multiple times to romance his boarding house companion.
Rhubarbio (27 KP) rated Escape From Sunset Island in Tabletop Games
May 26, 2019
Co-operative survival game (3 more)
Hidden traitor mechanic, which plays well against the impetus to work together
Challenging gameplay
Players who are turned into zones can continue to play as zombies, rather than being eliminated
Artwork is basic (1 more)
Longevity of gameplay will depend heavily on your group
A decent enough zombie game
I have very fond memories playing this game, based primarily on the enthusiasm of my gaming group to play this 2/3 times a night, approximately twice a week, for a year! This game places a group of people on an island, with zombies that are about to awaken and chase you down to turn you. Each player has a special action and may pick up a weapon along their travels across the island, whilst on search of fuel and water, both of which are needed to leave the island. The catch? Carrying these items slows you down, so you have to work together to get to one of two points on the island to get away and win...but if the zombies turn players, there are more after the survivors, and there is also the potential for a traitor in your midst, so who can you trust? This is a difficult game to win, but is the more enjoyable for it. That said, it includes basic mechanics and therefore the strength of the game will depend heavily on the enthusiasm of your gaming group.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Hostile (2017) in Movies
Nov 7, 2018
Claustraphobic (1 more)
Good ramping up of tension
Here in my car, I feel safest of all...
An interesting if not overly original premise, Hostile tells the post apocalyptic tale of a woman in the desert, trapped and injured under her overturned vehicle, whilst being stalked by a mutant creature.
It does a decent job of creating a world and setting for a modest budget, and though its attempts to avoid showing too much for financial reasons are a little transparent at times.
The film oscillates between the post apocalyptic and the pre-catastrophe, and the performances of the main cast are good enough to maintain interest even when going though the largely melodramatic character building of the contemporary setting.
It is ultimately reminiscent of movies like open water, 47 feet under, and even some episodes of the Walking Dead, with the stranded survivor having to survive whilst essentially trapped in one location.
It is a slow burn movie, and very character based, so you spend a lot of time with our protagonist, who was a little cliched, and hard to like most of the time, but a decent enough performance that you can get through the more dialogue heavy parts.
A decent film, and at only 80 minutes, not a huge investment of your time, so might be worth a look if you like your survival movies a bit wasteland-y.
It does a decent job of creating a world and setting for a modest budget, and though its attempts to avoid showing too much for financial reasons are a little transparent at times.
The film oscillates between the post apocalyptic and the pre-catastrophe, and the performances of the main cast are good enough to maintain interest even when going though the largely melodramatic character building of the contemporary setting.
It is ultimately reminiscent of movies like open water, 47 feet under, and even some episodes of the Walking Dead, with the stranded survivor having to survive whilst essentially trapped in one location.
It is a slow burn movie, and very character based, so you spend a lot of time with our protagonist, who was a little cliched, and hard to like most of the time, but a decent enough performance that you can get through the more dialogue heavy parts.
A decent film, and at only 80 minutes, not a huge investment of your time, so might be worth a look if you like your survival movies a bit wasteland-y.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Reclaimed in Books
Jul 5, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Hell is not a place, but an experience, one that Kisa just can't seem to escape.
Fate is fickle, after all...
You can't fight fate
With the prophecy barreling towards them, Kisa and Dolor must fight against heaven itself for their survival. But can she trust him enough to work by his side? The more she learns about Dolor, the less certain she becomes about her feelings and her future, but time isn't a luxury they can afford.
As they track down the lost Fates, pieces of the puzzle begin to line up. Love and deception. Secrets and truth. Lust and acceptance.
One thing is certain, though--Kisa and Dolor will do everything in their power to stop the destruction that seems inevitable.
New friends and old will come together, and tragedy and hope will collide in the epic conclusion of the Slivered Souls Trilogy.
Tried so hard not to devour this book in hours. I had a few wtf moments and lots of laugh out loud moments actually woke my hubby a few times! It was a hot and heavy in lots of places and written so well! After spending time in Kandis Facebook group I really felt her all through the book and one phrase stood out and made me laugh “Oh my Hagrid on a hippogriff.” Just brilliant!
Thank you Kandi so looking forward to reading your next project.
Fate is fickle, after all...
You can't fight fate
With the prophecy barreling towards them, Kisa and Dolor must fight against heaven itself for their survival. But can she trust him enough to work by his side? The more she learns about Dolor, the less certain she becomes about her feelings and her future, but time isn't a luxury they can afford.
As they track down the lost Fates, pieces of the puzzle begin to line up. Love and deception. Secrets and truth. Lust and acceptance.
One thing is certain, though--Kisa and Dolor will do everything in their power to stop the destruction that seems inevitable.
New friends and old will come together, and tragedy and hope will collide in the epic conclusion of the Slivered Souls Trilogy.
Tried so hard not to devour this book in hours. I had a few wtf moments and lots of laugh out loud moments actually woke my hubby a few times! It was a hot and heavy in lots of places and written so well! After spending time in Kandis Facebook group I really felt her all through the book and one phrase stood out and made me laugh “Oh my Hagrid on a hippogriff.” Just brilliant!
Thank you Kandi so looking forward to reading your next project.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated 100 Hours in Books
Feb 10, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
A decadent spring break beach getaway becomes a terrifying survival story when six Miami teens are kidnapped.
Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.
While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.
But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.
Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t thwart their captors’ plan, no one will make it out alive.
At first I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book but it turned out to be pretty good! I did think I was going to like Genesis at all but she was the best thing about it! The hostages manage to thwart the plans of the enemies but at the cost of Genesis and her supposedly dead uncle! Love the twists and turns at the end and definitely looking forward to book 2
Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.
While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.
But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.
Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t thwart their captors’ plan, no one will make it out alive.
At first I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book but it turned out to be pretty good! I did think I was going to like Genesis at all but she was the best thing about it! The hostages manage to thwart the plans of the enemies but at the cost of Genesis and her supposedly dead uncle! Love the twists and turns at the end and definitely looking forward to book 2
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Knight and Day (2010) in Movies
Apr 13, 2020 (Updated Apr 14, 2020)
The Running of the Bulls
Knight and Day- is a good action, comedy film but its repeating alot of comedy action films, it feels like i have seen or watched this film before/a dozen times. Let me know if you heard of this before.
Two charcters who dont know each other, one is a spy and one is some unknkown. The spy gets into the unknown person life, and now their on the run because the spy betrayed someone or many people before him. The spy is also trying to save/protect a person and valveable that a evil bad guy wants to destory something/the world. Hmm sounds like i watched the before, thats because you have. This is just a repeat of that.
The plot: June Havens (Cameron Diaz) chats up her charming seatmate on a flight out of Kansas, but she doesn't realize that she will soon land in the middle of an international adventure. The fellow passenger, Roy Miller (Tom Cruise), is a covert operative who claims he has been set up to take a fall. Now his reluctant partner, June must dodge bullets in Boston, leap rooftops in Austria and evade bulls in Spain, while she and Roy learn that trust is the most important survival skill.
I like that chemistry between Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, its really good and the action and comedy is good. Other than that though its just a repeat of other comedy action films.
Two charcters who dont know each other, one is a spy and one is some unknkown. The spy gets into the unknown person life, and now their on the run because the spy betrayed someone or many people before him. The spy is also trying to save/protect a person and valveable that a evil bad guy wants to destory something/the world. Hmm sounds like i watched the before, thats because you have. This is just a repeat of that.
The plot: June Havens (Cameron Diaz) chats up her charming seatmate on a flight out of Kansas, but she doesn't realize that she will soon land in the middle of an international adventure. The fellow passenger, Roy Miller (Tom Cruise), is a covert operative who claims he has been set up to take a fall. Now his reluctant partner, June must dodge bullets in Boston, leap rooftops in Austria and evade bulls in Spain, while she and Roy learn that trust is the most important survival skill.
I like that chemistry between Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, its really good and the action and comedy is good. Other than that though its just a repeat of other comedy action films.
Your Voice in My Head
Book
Emma Forrest, an English journalist, was twenty-two and living in America when she realised that her...