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Power Rangers (2017)
Power Rangers (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
Gordon and Rita (0 more)
Most everything else (0 more)
Nostalgia goes a long way
Starring:
Elizabeth Banks, Bill Cranston, Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin and Becky G.

Director: Dean Israelite

Plot: Five troubled teens get super powers. Join forces with an interdimensional being and living robot to battle an enemy called Rita

Result:
A huge amount of fun and nostalgia for those who grew up with the TV show.
Whilst the film overall is on the scale of "not as bad as you might expect," it is a tremendous amount of fun and I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Low expectations and a disengaged brain will help a great deal with this.
  
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Marvel keeps getting better and better can they top them with this movie in my opinion yes they did. Will Thanos complete his master plan???? The makeup for Thanos was a little off putting at first. Chris helmswoth, Chris Evans (with a beard), and Chris Pratt just those three alone how could you go wrong. The cliffhanger left us hanging in a good way but at the same time you go wtf. Preteen or teen Groot whatever you want to go by was a little off putting to me, but as a parent of teens it was like looking in a mirror. Definitely another homerun for marvel. Can't wait until the sequel
  
The Visit (2015)
The Visit (2015)
2015 | Horror, Mystery
This was an "ok" movie. The acting was a little weak. The cinematography was mediocre. The story was interesting, though. Shot in a "home video" style, which isn't unique, but the story itself was. A couple of teens go visit their grandparents they've never met and a lot of weird stuff happens during that week. There's a good twist to the movie you get about 2/3 into it. Not bad. The ending though, was... off. Like it went from being a "serious" creepy movie to being comedic just for the very last scene. Not sure what they were doing there, but whatever. If you're bored and you have nothing better to do, this one could entertain.
  
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Christine A. (965 KP) Jan 13, 2019

I agree. It isn't one I'd rewatch. My son and I usually have great conversations about movies. For this, all he said was "Meh".

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Returning cast with a twist (0 more)
Felt like key points were missing (0 more)
More and less of the same
Jumanji 2 (or 3 depending on how you look at it) continues where the previous instalment left off.

Bored of the way things are one of the teens decides to return to Jumanji....eventually followed by his friends on a rescue mission, followed by two grumpy, senile old men (Danny devito & danny glover) who's characters not only change the the pace of the movie but add a fresh batch of humour.

The movie was quite solid and was much better than I expected although felt like some plot was missing at times. But plenty of entertainment & laughs.
  
RM
Read Me Like a Book
8
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ashleigh Walker's life is crumbling around her. Her parents are fighting constantly, she's not doing well in school, and her boyfriend, Dylan, doesn't exactly make her heart sing. Suddenly, the one bright spot in Ash's life becomes her new English teacher, Miss Murray. Young and hip, Miss Murray engages Ash in a way she's never felt before. She's even joined the debate club, for pete's sake, and started working hard on her English submissions. But there's more to it than that. Miss Murray makes Ash feel something else. If she really admits it, Miss Murray makes Ash feel what Dylan (and other boys) should. Is something wrong with Ash? And more importantly, Ash starts to think... does Miss Murray feel the same way?

This is a lovely gem of a book. It's the perfect blend of heartbreaking and funny. Kessler, who, as I mentioned, has previously written a series of books for young teens, expertly captures the older teen voice in this novel (which was actually her first book, finally published and updated for the more modern, digital era). She creates a picture as she writes, allowing you to vividly imagine her multi-faceted and complicated characters. Ash is no one-dimensional teen: she's intricate and her own person. As she deals with the agony of her parents' own issues, plus her own inner angst about her love life, your heart goes out to the girl.

Kessler easily paints the angst one feels when in love with a teacher, especially if LGBT - coupled with the delusion that comes with youth, no matter your sexual orientation. Ash's feelings are so real, so strong, and she seems so alone. It's an excellent portrayal of what young teens go through as they wrestle with their sexuality (believe me, I know; it took me back to some tough times in high school).

If anything, some of the resolution is a little too easy, a bit quick and forced at times, but it really doesn't diminish from the force of the book. Watching Ash grow up before our eyes is rather magical. There are some excellent comedic portions from the novel to balance out the heaviness, coupled with a great supporting cast of characters, including Ash's best friend, Cat, and some other youth she meets via school, family, and friends. The novel is perfect for teens struggling with their own sexuality, or needing to see someone "like them" in print, and those looking to support a LGBT best friend, but should also be given to parents of those teens -- as Ash's parents play a role in the story as well.

Overall, I found myself completely wrapped in Ash's coming of age (and coming out) tale. Books with a true to life, multi-dimensional lesbian heroine are still sadly hard to come by, it seems, but Kessler's novel certainly tries to change that.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review - thank you!

<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
  
Like Water
Like Water
Rebecca Podos | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm always interested in queer young adult books, and this one especially caught my eye with its mention of "performing mermaids." Because y'all know I love my mermaid books! So Savannah isn't a real mermaid, she just plays one at a water park. But it was enough to make me pick up the book, and it's a good book. Young adult books about discovering your identity are always needed, and this book is about Savannah realizing she's bisexual.

Much of the angst in this book comes from Savannah not knowing if she has the same disease her father does, and she's not sure if she wants to know. Altogether, in this book we have chronic illness, hispanic teens, bisexual, lesbian, and genderqueer teens, small-town angst....there's really a LOT of demographics covered in this book.

I like Savannah, but I don't like her love interest, Leigh, very much. Leigh does NOT have her shit together, and between drinking and doing drugs, all while underage, she poses a very real threat to Savannah's well-being.

I'm a little nonplussed by the ending of the book. It leaves a few questions unanswered, but not in a cliff-hanger-y way. It's more of a possibilities-left-open kind of way. Which makes sense for a "first love" romance. It's not necessarily a "true love" story. It reminds me of John Green novels in that way.

So - it's a great book for representation, but don't expect a tidy, wrapped-up ending. You won't find that here.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
Beholden (The Fairest Maiden #1)
Beholden (The Fairest Maiden #1)
Jody Hedlund | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Are you looking for a good clean romance for your teens or young adults? Well, Beholden is good for them. It deals with princes and knights. It also has a sweet story about beauty. What a way to have action and adventures. The heroes have to work together.

I enjoyed learning about the gem mines and the slaves. We get a bit of an evil queen and slavery. It seems it is a modern-day fairy tale of Cinderella. Jody does well with the plot and storyline. What a way to pull into the story. It keeps you wanting to turn the pages once the action starts to pick up.

The adventures begin to heighten up once Gabriella is released from the mines. Who will win? The princes are to do testing to see if they are worth the kingship. The princes are given a phrase that is different for each prince.

I wonder what each means and for that prince. Slave for all what can that mean. You will be trying to figure it out along with Vilmar. What is Gabriella's plan? Can Vilmar find the true meaning to Slave to all and find help from the slaves and Gabriella?

My rating for this book is 4.5 stars (Moons) on my rating system. Which make my rating system will have it marked 4 stars (Moons). This book good for teens and young adults. It got romance and fantasy. If your teen or young adult enjoy fairy tales, this book has it and more.
  
The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger | 2016 | Essays
10
6.8 (85 Ratings)
Book Rating
It has a lot of nostalgia (0 more)
More schools need to require this reading but do not (0 more)
High school read
I first read this in High school as required reading. It was on the banned book list. No one seems to know that even existed today. Well it did. and this book was on there. But I had a great English teacher who made us read it and my mom whole heartedly approved. Good ol' mom and my teacher. This is a timeless classic, with a lot of childhood nostalgia. Make your teens read it, read it with them, and do a book review at home. This will help your kids understand the English language, give insight into reading comprehension, and is very interesting actually.
  
I think I first read this book in the mid 90s when I was in my mid teens, pre-GCSEs.

Flash forward about 20 years, and I think I picked it up again when it was on offer on Kindle. As I didn't really remember all that much about it - save that it detailed a plot to kill Charles de Gaulle, and that there's a film starring Bruce Willis based on it - I thought I would give it a re-read.

While there's no doubting the technical proficiency in it, and the (almost) insane amount of detail, if I'm honest I actually found this to be rather plodding; rather pedestrian. I get it: most police work is such, but (IMO) that doesn't really make an engaging read.
  
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Roxanne (13 KP) rated Oh My Goth in Books

Nov 9, 2018  
OM
Oh My Goth
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Eventhough this book was pure fluff I still really enjoyed it. A really light, easy read, with a simple plot and some likeable characters. This sends a good message to teens that it's what's on the inside that counts not the outside. My reason for removing a star was that I found in some places it contradicted itself and the whole popularity struggle got a bit annoying. Jade wants to be recognised as an individual whilst hating on the 'Barbies' but says she's just a normal person with feelings... then why hate? That goes for all of you...if you're all so good and want fair treatment...why hate? Apart from that...I liked it and the quotes at the beginning of each chapter were great.