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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Wicked and the Just in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<i>The Wicked and the Just</i> doesn't have much in the way of a plot, it more focuses on the everyday lives of two very different girls in 13th century Wales, one who's English and lives inside the walls of Caernarvon, the other a Welsh servant, who lives outside the walls, than on any particular focal point. This changes in the latter part of the book when an event that has been gnawing at the fringes suddenly erupts.
My first impression of Cecily is that she's a colossal brat. She's English, thinks she's better than the Welsh (while also fearing they're going to kill her) and her so-called "betters" as well, pouts and connives to get her father to do as she wants, complains...a lot, and doesn't seem to like anyone other than the friends she was forced to leave behind, her father (sometimes), and her dog. But can you blame her if that's how she was raised and didn't know any better? My feelings about her ran the gamut, as did her behavior, it had its ups and downs as does just about anyone. She can be quite funny with her sly remarks or thoughts, but she can also be cruel, kind, loathsome, understanding, and pathetic. Everytime I thought I was about to like her, she'd do something terrible and I thought her lower than dirt, then she'd have her eyes opened to see her surroundings and then she didn't seem so bad. It went like that quite a lot, and by the end, I felt quite bad for her. Gwinny, on the other hand, though while I didn't like her exactly, I understood her right away and sympathized with her position. She is one angry and vengeful person, who through sheer willpower, somehow manages to hold most of it back. The sections told through her eyes are usually shorter than Cecily's, but they get right to the point and have enough information that I didn't feel anything necessary was excluded. The interactions between the two girls are fraught with dislike, loathing, and begrudging understanding, before it all starts over again. Until the last section the characters are the main plot, where after that point the story really explodes into a fast-paced, suspenseful read, which I'll not spoil if you're not familiar with that part of history (I wasn't). You couldn't tear this book from my hands during these last sixty pages if you tried, I was absolutely riveted. The emotions were high, the situations scary, and more than anything it made me grateful. Grateful to have a roof over my head, grateful for the food I can afford to eat, just grateful all around that I don't have to live as the Welsh did, as many others did in the course of history. A word of warning, as with changing circumstances in life there is no concrete ending to the story, which suits the book well. It ends while just beginning and I can't think of a more fitting finish to the story. A good, solid, thought-provoking novel that has a possible crossover appeal to both history-loving teens and adults.
Originally reviewed: September 10
Received: Amazon Vine
My first impression of Cecily is that she's a colossal brat. She's English, thinks she's better than the Welsh (while also fearing they're going to kill her) and her so-called "betters" as well, pouts and connives to get her father to do as she wants, complains...a lot, and doesn't seem to like anyone other than the friends she was forced to leave behind, her father (sometimes), and her dog. But can you blame her if that's how she was raised and didn't know any better? My feelings about her ran the gamut, as did her behavior, it had its ups and downs as does just about anyone. She can be quite funny with her sly remarks or thoughts, but she can also be cruel, kind, loathsome, understanding, and pathetic. Everytime I thought I was about to like her, she'd do something terrible and I thought her lower than dirt, then she'd have her eyes opened to see her surroundings and then she didn't seem so bad. It went like that quite a lot, and by the end, I felt quite bad for her. Gwinny, on the other hand, though while I didn't like her exactly, I understood her right away and sympathized with her position. She is one angry and vengeful person, who through sheer willpower, somehow manages to hold most of it back. The sections told through her eyes are usually shorter than Cecily's, but they get right to the point and have enough information that I didn't feel anything necessary was excluded. The interactions between the two girls are fraught with dislike, loathing, and begrudging understanding, before it all starts over again. Until the last section the characters are the main plot, where after that point the story really explodes into a fast-paced, suspenseful read, which I'll not spoil if you're not familiar with that part of history (I wasn't). You couldn't tear this book from my hands during these last sixty pages if you tried, I was absolutely riveted. The emotions were high, the situations scary, and more than anything it made me grateful. Grateful to have a roof over my head, grateful for the food I can afford to eat, just grateful all around that I don't have to live as the Welsh did, as many others did in the course of history. A word of warning, as with changing circumstances in life there is no concrete ending to the story, which suits the book well. It ends while just beginning and I can't think of a more fitting finish to the story. A good, solid, thought-provoking novel that has a possible crossover appeal to both history-loving teens and adults.
Originally reviewed: September 10
Received: Amazon Vine
Wild, creepy & a little stressful
When Joe Lynch and his young son, William, spot his wife's car while out driving, they decide to surprise her. Instead they see his wife, Melissa, fighting with a friend, Ben. Joe knows he should help Melissa, but when he goes to confront Ben, it goes horribly wrong. The two fight and after Ben hits him, Joe pushes him back and Ben falls and hits his head. At the same time, his son has an asthma attack--and realizing he doesn't have William's inhaler--Joe has to make a choice: race home for the inhaler or stay and make sure Ben is okay. He chooses his son, setting off a chain of crazy events that will forever alter the course of his life.
"I put the car in gear. Made a spur-of-the-moment decision that would change my life. 'Let's go and surprise Mummy.'"
This was an odd book that messes with your head as much as all the insane events seem to do to Joe's. It got off to a slow start for me, and I almost didn't keep reading, but I have a terrible time putting any book in a "DNF" pile, and of course, this one picked up and got pretty exciting about halfway through. (This only adds to my inability to ever not finish a book.)
The main shtick with this one is sort of an unreliable narrator/unreliable plot, as you really don't know who or what to believe as you read. Hence the title, obviously. As it all happens we have Joe, who sort of bumbles along, our hapless narrator, who seems to think he's in control, but really, just no. Poor guy, he's certainly not the brightest--just this clueless guy whom I had a tough time rooting for, hence my inability to really get into the book.
Yes, most of the cast of characters around him are lying to him in some fashion, but still. After Joe leaves Ben in the parking garage to save William, he finds some weird and cryptic posts on his Facebook page, because (of course) he lost his (unlocked) cell phone during his altercation with (obviously tech-savvy) Ben who runs (wait for it) a technology firm. Then Melissa reveals to him that the wealthy Ben has been pining after her for ages, despite that fact that Ben's wife, Beth, is Melissa's best friend. Things unravel from there. I'll admit that they don't necessarily happen predictably, but they do happen in a crazy fashion, so be prepared to suspend a lot of your disbelief.
The book is kind of wild, a little creepy, and there's a good twist at the end, which bumped my rating up a half bomb. This wasn't a particularly fun read for me--it sort of stressed me out--and I didn't really like any of the characters, but once it picked it up, it was at least interesting.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
"I put the car in gear. Made a spur-of-the-moment decision that would change my life. 'Let's go and surprise Mummy.'"
This was an odd book that messes with your head as much as all the insane events seem to do to Joe's. It got off to a slow start for me, and I almost didn't keep reading, but I have a terrible time putting any book in a "DNF" pile, and of course, this one picked up and got pretty exciting about halfway through. (This only adds to my inability to ever not finish a book.)
The main shtick with this one is sort of an unreliable narrator/unreliable plot, as you really don't know who or what to believe as you read. Hence the title, obviously. As it all happens we have Joe, who sort of bumbles along, our hapless narrator, who seems to think he's in control, but really, just no. Poor guy, he's certainly not the brightest--just this clueless guy whom I had a tough time rooting for, hence my inability to really get into the book.
Yes, most of the cast of characters around him are lying to him in some fashion, but still. After Joe leaves Ben in the parking garage to save William, he finds some weird and cryptic posts on his Facebook page, because (of course) he lost his (unlocked) cell phone during his altercation with (obviously tech-savvy) Ben who runs (wait for it) a technology firm. Then Melissa reveals to him that the wealthy Ben has been pining after her for ages, despite that fact that Ben's wife, Beth, is Melissa's best friend. Things unravel from there. I'll admit that they don't necessarily happen predictably, but they do happen in a crazy fashion, so be prepared to suspend a lot of your disbelief.
The book is kind of wild, a little creepy, and there's a good twist at the end, which bumped my rating up a half bomb. This wasn't a particularly fun read for me--it sort of stressed me out--and I didn't really like any of the characters, but once it picked it up, it was at least interesting.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Lowen Ashleigh's life is basically falling apart. She's a broke writer who hasn't left her home in days, maybe weeks. Her mom had been living with her while sick with colon cancer, including hospice for the last three months. Now Lowen's mom has passed away, and Lowen is emerging back into the real world--financially broke and somewhat emotionally broken. Her agent calls her to a meeting, where she's asked to ghost write the final books in a series for the popular author Verity Crawford. Verity--who has been seriously injured in a car wreck--is unable to complete her books, and her husband, Jeremy, wants to hire Lowen. Lowen needs the money, so she agrees. She also finds Jeremy attractive and interesting, and she arrives at the Crawford home to go through Verity's office and manuscripts. There she finds an unfinished autobiography of Verity's--one that sheds light on how her twin daughters passed away, her relationship with Jeremy, and more. Lowen finds its chapters horrifying and hides it, but as her feelings for Jeremy grow, she wonders if he should see its contents. And she wonders if Verity is as truly injured as she seems.
"I'm not looking for my fifteen minutes of fame. I'm looking for a paycheck."
So I've never read anything by Colleen Hoover, but so many of my Goodreads friends were raving about this romantic thriller. When I saw that I could read it via Kindle Unlimited, I jumped at the chance. It was definitely an interesting read and one that really picked up in the second half. It's a different sort of tale, too, which made it a refreshing read. Be prepared for a dark story--Verity and Jeremy have lost both of their young twin daughters, and now Verity is injured as well. Verity's autobiography is not light reading, and overall, the story is a creepy, bleak tale.
"I think Verity might have made up the term. After our daughters died, she said we were Chronics. Prone to chronic tragedy. One terrible thing after another."
When Lowen comes to the Crawford home, she picks up on some of this eerie energy that permeates the book. However, Hoover makes sure that we know that Lowen is an unreliable narrator as well. She's a sleepwalker, often so tired that she herself isn't sure if she's sure of what she's seeing or hallucinating from exhaustion. As a reader, we aren't sure who to trust. It makes for an engaging story, where you are never sure what (or who) to believe.
"My mother used to say that houses have a soul, and if that is true, the soul of Verity Crawford's house is as dark as they come."
Overall, I'm not sure I can rave about this one quite as much as some reviews I've read, but I did enjoy it. It's a quick read, it's ominous and spooky, and there are some great dramatic twists and turns. The ending makes up for a lot, so I would certainly say it's worth a read. I know that a lot of Hoover's books are not quite like this one, but I still look forward to reading some of her other books.
"I'm not looking for my fifteen minutes of fame. I'm looking for a paycheck."
So I've never read anything by Colleen Hoover, but so many of my Goodreads friends were raving about this romantic thriller. When I saw that I could read it via Kindle Unlimited, I jumped at the chance. It was definitely an interesting read and one that really picked up in the second half. It's a different sort of tale, too, which made it a refreshing read. Be prepared for a dark story--Verity and Jeremy have lost both of their young twin daughters, and now Verity is injured as well. Verity's autobiography is not light reading, and overall, the story is a creepy, bleak tale.
"I think Verity might have made up the term. After our daughters died, she said we were Chronics. Prone to chronic tragedy. One terrible thing after another."
When Lowen comes to the Crawford home, she picks up on some of this eerie energy that permeates the book. However, Hoover makes sure that we know that Lowen is an unreliable narrator as well. She's a sleepwalker, often so tired that she herself isn't sure if she's sure of what she's seeing or hallucinating from exhaustion. As a reader, we aren't sure who to trust. It makes for an engaging story, where you are never sure what (or who) to believe.
"My mother used to say that houses have a soul, and if that is true, the soul of Verity Crawford's house is as dark as they come."
Overall, I'm not sure I can rave about this one quite as much as some reviews I've read, but I did enjoy it. It's a quick read, it's ominous and spooky, and there are some great dramatic twists and turns. The ending makes up for a lot, so I would certainly say it's worth a read. I know that a lot of Hoover's books are not quite like this one, but I still look forward to reading some of her other books.
Amy (7 KP) rated Goddess of Troy in Books
Jan 17, 2018 (Updated Jan 17, 2018)
Terrible. Total destruction.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The premise is one that P.C. Cast recycles throughout her work which is of taking modern women and dropping them into the worlds of myth and magic.
A brilliant idea, occasionally well done in her other novels...not unfortunately for this one.
The problem begins with the plot the goddesses send the women back to end the war...okay, but why not do it themselves? The flimsy excuses just don't hold up. The plot is weakly manipulated and transparently executed to make the neccessity of the modern women going back possible.
Problem 2-is the blatant racism of making the indipendant modern black woman into a white slave girl.
Problem 3- problematic sex scenes which read as thinly disguised rape scenes. A male character is hypnotises and the main female character has sex with him....this is made okay by him giving her consent afterwards. Which is not how consent works. This book being intended for young women just becoming sexual is at best concerning and at most incredibly damaging whilst promoting male rape under the guise of female empowerment.
The dialogue when more old fashioned from the warriors is charming and engaging...from the modern women we are forced to deal with censored cringy curse words, way too much teenage level gossip, and not a smidge of maturity in sight...from grown ass women.
For thirty plus successful women the character profiles should have engaged and fascinated, unfortunately those profiles were ignored during in-story application and replaced with twittering, childish teens who giggle over the word penis and lose their minds over the most vacuous and senseless things.
The plot centres around a boring, romance, and changes the original relationship of Achilles and Patroclus from its canonical implied romance to one of cousins...this at best is a misguided deviation from the canonical Iliad relationship they had.
It could easily be read as a blatant attack and hideous misuse of the original content, that could given the sheer overwhelming heteronormaty we are forced to endure be at its worst an erasure of rare LGBT representation from historical content.
The relationships are forced, and their happy endings so saccharine it hurts to read.
The siege of Troy is horrifically rewritten to make the main female lead the deciding factor that ensured victory and removed nearly all canonical battle events.
Throughout the novel not much happens, and by time something does you just want the novel over with.
It doesn't read as mythology inspired, the myths and characters are used as cheap prop and staging whilst removing the deep themes, and messages that ensured their endurance throughout time.
The vocabulary is below pre-teen level, the grammar is sub-par, and the pacing and plotting absolutely abysmal.
How this book ever made it to print in this state is a large and curious mystery for me.
I cannot urge you to skip this book enough, Margaret George's 'Helen of Troy' is a far more valuable use of your time if you are in want of mythology inspired fantasy...and does so without annihilating the entire original stories.
A brilliant idea, occasionally well done in her other novels...not unfortunately for this one.
The problem begins with the plot the goddesses send the women back to end the war...okay, but why not do it themselves? The flimsy excuses just don't hold up. The plot is weakly manipulated and transparently executed to make the neccessity of the modern women going back possible.
Problem 2-is the blatant racism of making the indipendant modern black woman into a white slave girl.
Problem 3- problematic sex scenes which read as thinly disguised rape scenes. A male character is hypnotises and the main female character has sex with him....this is made okay by him giving her consent afterwards. Which is not how consent works. This book being intended for young women just becoming sexual is at best concerning and at most incredibly damaging whilst promoting male rape under the guise of female empowerment.
The dialogue when more old fashioned from the warriors is charming and engaging...from the modern women we are forced to deal with censored cringy curse words, way too much teenage level gossip, and not a smidge of maturity in sight...from grown ass women.
For thirty plus successful women the character profiles should have engaged and fascinated, unfortunately those profiles were ignored during in-story application and replaced with twittering, childish teens who giggle over the word penis and lose their minds over the most vacuous and senseless things.
The plot centres around a boring, romance, and changes the original relationship of Achilles and Patroclus from its canonical implied romance to one of cousins...this at best is a misguided deviation from the canonical Iliad relationship they had.
It could easily be read as a blatant attack and hideous misuse of the original content, that could given the sheer overwhelming heteronormaty we are forced to endure be at its worst an erasure of rare LGBT representation from historical content.
The relationships are forced, and their happy endings so saccharine it hurts to read.
The siege of Troy is horrifically rewritten to make the main female lead the deciding factor that ensured victory and removed nearly all canonical battle events.
Throughout the novel not much happens, and by time something does you just want the novel over with.
It doesn't read as mythology inspired, the myths and characters are used as cheap prop and staging whilst removing the deep themes, and messages that ensured their endurance throughout time.
The vocabulary is below pre-teen level, the grammar is sub-par, and the pacing and plotting absolutely abysmal.
How this book ever made it to print in this state is a large and curious mystery for me.
I cannot urge you to skip this book enough, Margaret George's 'Helen of Troy' is a far more valuable use of your time if you are in want of mythology inspired fantasy...and does so without annihilating the entire original stories.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Who’s That Girl? in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Edie's life is going along just fine, she supposes. Until the fateful day of Jack and Charlotte's wedding, when everything changes. Edie is caught in a particular transgression with the groom, Jack, and immediately everyone blames her, without knowing the full story. Since Jack, Charlotte, and Edie work together, Edie finds life at work unbearable and winds up taking an assignment from her boss in Nottingham, her hometown. There she meets famous actor (think "Game of Thrones" famous) Elliot Owen, for whom Edie must ghost write his autobiography. But things only seem to go from bad to worse, as Elliot seems a pompous, self-absorbed actor and Edie's sister and father don't exactly seem thrilled she's living back home again. Not to mention she can't show her face on social media (or in public) due to Charlotte's revengeful friends, who all hate her... will things ever go right for Edie again?
I admit that I really didn't really know (remember?) the genre of this novel when I picked it up. It's a bit confusing at first, though certainly has its charming moments, especially as a romance.
<i>"Do we ever choose who we fall for? Edie has many a long lonely evening in with only Netflix for company to contemplate that one."</I>
Edie's quest for love is just one of the book's central themes. In many ways, she's on a journey to find herself, and only in doing so, can find love. The novel switches between the present tense (starting with the wedding) and also gives us a little of the past in some places. My biggest beef was how the adults in this book acted like bullying schoolchildren. So, Edie's transgression is really so bad that she's completely ostracized and the subject of intense in-life and cyber shaming and scrutiny? It seems like high school gone really wrong. Her "friend" Louis is just awful; are people really like this?! It's a commentary on social media and cyber bullying, perhaps, but also just terrible and hard to believe at times. These are grown adults! I found myself a little too appalled and couldn't believe grown people would act this way. It's really sad if they do, honestly...
However, once you get further past the wedding day and more into Nottingham, the novel picks up. Edie isn't always the most enjoyable of characters, but I did like her, as I liked Elliot. Parts of the book are just downright funny; I actually found myself laughing out loud. Edie's friends from school are particularly hilarious and a good fit for her. Her boss, too, even if he falls a bit on the dramatic side.
Just when it all seemed normal, it did get a little preposterous again, but hey, that can come with a good romance at times. Overall, while I found some of the characters and plot points frustrating on this one, much of it was balanced out by the charm and humor of the novel. 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!).
I admit that I really didn't really know (remember?) the genre of this novel when I picked it up. It's a bit confusing at first, though certainly has its charming moments, especially as a romance.
<i>"Do we ever choose who we fall for? Edie has many a long lonely evening in with only Netflix for company to contemplate that one."</I>
Edie's quest for love is just one of the book's central themes. In many ways, she's on a journey to find herself, and only in doing so, can find love. The novel switches between the present tense (starting with the wedding) and also gives us a little of the past in some places. My biggest beef was how the adults in this book acted like bullying schoolchildren. So, Edie's transgression is really so bad that she's completely ostracized and the subject of intense in-life and cyber shaming and scrutiny? It seems like high school gone really wrong. Her "friend" Louis is just awful; are people really like this?! It's a commentary on social media and cyber bullying, perhaps, but also just terrible and hard to believe at times. These are grown adults! I found myself a little too appalled and couldn't believe grown people would act this way. It's really sad if they do, honestly...
However, once you get further past the wedding day and more into Nottingham, the novel picks up. Edie isn't always the most enjoyable of characters, but I did like her, as I liked Elliot. Parts of the book are just downright funny; I actually found myself laughing out loud. Edie's friends from school are particularly hilarious and a good fit for her. Her boss, too, even if he falls a bit on the dramatic side.
Just when it all seemed normal, it did get a little preposterous again, but hey, that can come with a good romance at times. Overall, while I found some of the characters and plot points frustrating on this one, much of it was balanced out by the charm and humor of the novel. 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!).
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated FAME in Books
Oct 24, 2018
An Interesting Exploration of Fame
Raise your hand if you LOVED Family Ties as a kid! And had a crush on Alex P. Keaton? And wanted TO BE Mallory!?! Justine Bateman was an idol of mine in the 80's. If I could be like her, or look like her, I pressed my parents to give me a sister just like her! But I got stuck with a brother. Boo!
It's funny, because when I first heard about this book, I said first thing, "Whatever happened to her?" in that snarky, snide voice - like oh, she was has-been, she didn't do anything after Family Ties, she's a one-hit wonder.... And THAT is exactly the type of attitude Justine addresses in this book. (I'm totally sorry for what I said btw Justine and I still love you!)
If you're looking for the behind the scenes secrets and juicy scandal of the beloved sitcom - this is not the book. If you want the scoop on MJ Fox and hanging with child stars of the 80's - nope, not that book either. In fact, one of the first chapters in the book fully explains this - the book is NOT a memoir. It's an exploration of fame. Justine dissects everything from childhood fame in the 80's, to reality star "fame" of today, as well as both the construction AND destruction of fame that social media can make happen. I was fascinated by her take on all things fame. I felt for her - being an actress on a hit TV show, and only being seen for THAT. That her education, and directing, and successes in business mean nothing - cause the "whatever happened to her" mentality translates to - well, if we haven't seen her on TV anymore - she must be a failure in life.
I loved reading this - she's frantic, and passionate, and, OK I'll say it- a bit crazy, yes - but do you blame her? Imagine people saying about you "Boy, she sure has let herself go" on a public forum, on google searches, on Twitter. Just cause the last time they saw her she was 21 - and now she's 50. Well, clearly she's aged - duh. Obviously she doesn't LOOK the same!
I gobbled up every chapter and loved her take on how crazy it is to be famous, but how much crazier it is today. Sure, there's some namedropping, some mentions of Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more - and there's even a bunch of color photos in the book that she talks about and references throughout the book, which I loved. I didn't need the juicy gossip, as I felt like it made me understand celebrities more and totally got me out of that mentality of "Oh, they wanted to be in the spotlight, so they are just automatically targets." No. I feel terrible now for ever ragging on a celeb in the spotlight - especially the young ones out there.
But I'm still not laying off the reality "stars" ;) haha.
It's funny, because when I first heard about this book, I said first thing, "Whatever happened to her?" in that snarky, snide voice - like oh, she was has-been, she didn't do anything after Family Ties, she's a one-hit wonder.... And THAT is exactly the type of attitude Justine addresses in this book. (I'm totally sorry for what I said btw Justine and I still love you!)
If you're looking for the behind the scenes secrets and juicy scandal of the beloved sitcom - this is not the book. If you want the scoop on MJ Fox and hanging with child stars of the 80's - nope, not that book either. In fact, one of the first chapters in the book fully explains this - the book is NOT a memoir. It's an exploration of fame. Justine dissects everything from childhood fame in the 80's, to reality star "fame" of today, as well as both the construction AND destruction of fame that social media can make happen. I was fascinated by her take on all things fame. I felt for her - being an actress on a hit TV show, and only being seen for THAT. That her education, and directing, and successes in business mean nothing - cause the "whatever happened to her" mentality translates to - well, if we haven't seen her on TV anymore - she must be a failure in life.
I loved reading this - she's frantic, and passionate, and, OK I'll say it- a bit crazy, yes - but do you blame her? Imagine people saying about you "Boy, she sure has let herself go" on a public forum, on google searches, on Twitter. Just cause the last time they saw her she was 21 - and now she's 50. Well, clearly she's aged - duh. Obviously she doesn't LOOK the same!
I gobbled up every chapter and loved her take on how crazy it is to be famous, but how much crazier it is today. Sure, there's some namedropping, some mentions of Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more - and there's even a bunch of color photos in the book that she talks about and references throughout the book, which I loved. I didn't need the juicy gossip, as I felt like it made me understand celebrities more and totally got me out of that mentality of "Oh, they wanted to be in the spotlight, so they are just automatically targets." No. I feel terrible now for ever ragging on a celeb in the spotlight - especially the young ones out there.
But I'm still not laying off the reality "stars" ;) haha.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Carrie in Books
Nov 14, 2018
Full review can be found on my blog - www.diaryofdifference.com
I am probably one of the last people on Earth that hasn’t read a Stephen King book. Carrie is the first book I decided to read. People have been suggesting it to me for a while, and it seemed like a nice short bit of introduction to Stephen’s horror world.
Also, a special thank you to my friend Dave, for constantly recommending Stephen King books to me, until I finally decided to listen to him. He seemed to be right!
Now - Carrie.
A book about a girl that lives with her crazy religious mother in a creepy house. A girl who is being bullied at school all the time. A story about a girl that has the ability to move objects as she wishes. And a prom night, where everything escalates.
Carrie is a sixteen year old girl. And she has been raised by her mother, who is a religious person in a - not healthy way. When Carrie misbehaves, she is sent to a closet to pray for the whole day. Even though Carrie doesn’t share her mother’s beliefs, she can’t really stand up and fight for herself.
The plot gets a grip when Carrie has her first period at the age of sixteen. She thinks she will bleed to death. And all her classmates are laughing at her, because she is stupid. And throw tampons her way. And as I am reading this, I keep thinking - what kind of mother won’t tell her child about menstruation, and puberty, and all the normal teenage phases a kid has to go through while growing up?
This moment, in the school bathroom, is the moment Carrie finds out about her powers.
And a few weeks later, a terrible thing happens.
This is a horror story, but the horror doesn’t lie in what Carrie did, but what led her to do that. Who it is to blame, and why things escalated the way they did.
Stephen King described bullying in its most painful and real way, and the consequences it can lead to. And it does happen, in every school, to a lot of children all over the world each day. A sometimes, most of the times, they are bullied only because they are different, not because they are bad.
This is a story that silently stands up to bullying, and by doing that raises such a strong voice in every corner of the world.
And remember - if you are the bully - think twice before you say things. Words can hurt, and they can result in bad things happening. Think twice about why you say what you say. The classmate of yours might have a talent you don’t know of.
And if you are the bullied child - also remember - you are kind and beautiful, no matter what everyone says. You shouldn’t let people bring you down. And we have all been bullied while growing up. Once you reach a certain age, people stop caring, and you stop caring what people think, and then, finally, you can be comfortable and happy with who you are!
I am probably one of the last people on Earth that hasn’t read a Stephen King book. Carrie is the first book I decided to read. People have been suggesting it to me for a while, and it seemed like a nice short bit of introduction to Stephen’s horror world.
Also, a special thank you to my friend Dave, for constantly recommending Stephen King books to me, until I finally decided to listen to him. He seemed to be right!
Now - Carrie.
A book about a girl that lives with her crazy religious mother in a creepy house. A girl who is being bullied at school all the time. A story about a girl that has the ability to move objects as she wishes. And a prom night, where everything escalates.
Carrie is a sixteen year old girl. And she has been raised by her mother, who is a religious person in a - not healthy way. When Carrie misbehaves, she is sent to a closet to pray for the whole day. Even though Carrie doesn’t share her mother’s beliefs, she can’t really stand up and fight for herself.
The plot gets a grip when Carrie has her first period at the age of sixteen. She thinks she will bleed to death. And all her classmates are laughing at her, because she is stupid. And throw tampons her way. And as I am reading this, I keep thinking - what kind of mother won’t tell her child about menstruation, and puberty, and all the normal teenage phases a kid has to go through while growing up?
This moment, in the school bathroom, is the moment Carrie finds out about her powers.
And a few weeks later, a terrible thing happens.
This is a horror story, but the horror doesn’t lie in what Carrie did, but what led her to do that. Who it is to blame, and why things escalated the way they did.
Stephen King described bullying in its most painful and real way, and the consequences it can lead to. And it does happen, in every school, to a lot of children all over the world each day. A sometimes, most of the times, they are bullied only because they are different, not because they are bad.
This is a story that silently stands up to bullying, and by doing that raises such a strong voice in every corner of the world.
And remember - if you are the bully - think twice before you say things. Words can hurt, and they can result in bad things happening. Think twice about why you say what you say. The classmate of yours might have a talent you don’t know of.
And if you are the bullied child - also remember - you are kind and beautiful, no matter what everyone says. You shouldn’t let people bring you down. And we have all been bullied while growing up. Once you reach a certain age, people stop caring, and you stop caring what people think, and then, finally, you can be comfortable and happy with who you are!
Full review can be found on: www.diaryofdifference.com
No Fourth River is a very powerful story about swimming up to surface, when the world is against you. A story about child abuse unlike anything else, and one very determined woman.
This is the second Audiobook I have listened to, with the first being Ready Player One. Two completely different experiences. It was disturbing listening to such a painful story for a while, and it took me a long time to finish it.
The story of Christine is so sad and so unique. She is being molested by her father in ways you could never imagine. She goes to boarding school and she is being bullied even by the nurses. She wets her bed every single day. And bad things keep happening, one after another, after another, until she is in her thirties and almost dies being beaten to almost-death by her husband.
And then she decides to change her life and to be the most successful woman.
At first, when I read the synopsis, the thing that thrilled me was the ill mother that suffered from dementia. I thought this book will revolve and focus on this point, but it didn’t. And I was very disappointed.
Then I manned up, and decided to continue listening, despite my unhappiness. It was a decent story, a powerful, motivational one, but not realistic. And it hurts me saying this, because this book is autobiography. Of course these terrible things happened. But I didn’t felt for the woman. Not in a way I usually would.
The writing was just about average, or maybe the woman reading in the audiobook was to blame. I will leave that up to you, who have listened to the audiobook, or choose to do so.
The character of this woman was honest, but I still can’t imagine how and why a person would stick to people that keep hurting her, despite everything. Even if love, even if forever after, I would not stay one more day with a person if he, for one moment, loses control and raises a hand over me. I would be out of the house in a minute, never returning back. A man would never hurt a woman. No matter what she could do, or couldn’t do. I can argue for hours, and I can admit being wrong, and I can cope with being yelled at, because I have done something stupid. But the moment the line is crosses, I would be out – FOREVER.
If you guys are looking for a story that will keep you thinking about whether you’ve made right decisions, this is a great book for you. A powerful success story of a woman that was brave enough to say NO (after a few years, that is) and brave enough to start building a new life. I recommend it, even though I personally did not really enjoy it a lot.
I have won this Audiobook as a giveaway from LibraryThing, and all my opinions are honest and completely unbiased.
No Fourth River is a very powerful story about swimming up to surface, when the world is against you. A story about child abuse unlike anything else, and one very determined woman.
This is the second Audiobook I have listened to, with the first being Ready Player One. Two completely different experiences. It was disturbing listening to such a painful story for a while, and it took me a long time to finish it.
The story of Christine is so sad and so unique. She is being molested by her father in ways you could never imagine. She goes to boarding school and she is being bullied even by the nurses. She wets her bed every single day. And bad things keep happening, one after another, after another, until she is in her thirties and almost dies being beaten to almost-death by her husband.
And then she decides to change her life and to be the most successful woman.
At first, when I read the synopsis, the thing that thrilled me was the ill mother that suffered from dementia. I thought this book will revolve and focus on this point, but it didn’t. And I was very disappointed.
Then I manned up, and decided to continue listening, despite my unhappiness. It was a decent story, a powerful, motivational one, but not realistic. And it hurts me saying this, because this book is autobiography. Of course these terrible things happened. But I didn’t felt for the woman. Not in a way I usually would.
The writing was just about average, or maybe the woman reading in the audiobook was to blame. I will leave that up to you, who have listened to the audiobook, or choose to do so.
The character of this woman was honest, but I still can’t imagine how and why a person would stick to people that keep hurting her, despite everything. Even if love, even if forever after, I would not stay one more day with a person if he, for one moment, loses control and raises a hand over me. I would be out of the house in a minute, never returning back. A man would never hurt a woman. No matter what she could do, or couldn’t do. I can argue for hours, and I can admit being wrong, and I can cope with being yelled at, because I have done something stupid. But the moment the line is crosses, I would be out – FOREVER.
If you guys are looking for a story that will keep you thinking about whether you’ve made right decisions, this is a great book for you. A powerful success story of a woman that was brave enough to say NO (after a few years, that is) and brave enough to start building a new life. I recommend it, even though I personally did not really enjoy it a lot.
I have won this Audiobook as a giveaway from LibraryThing, and all my opinions are honest and completely unbiased.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Kwaan in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
This game reminds me an awful lot of proteus. Very little is told to you. Wandering around a pixelated island trying to sort things out. The point and click mechanics might make you nostalgic. A peppy atmosphere and creative out lets might have you coming back to see what the community has done to the trees and chalk boards.
The game is in early access and it does show. Platforming is going to take a long while to get used to. You get around by shooting a string and pulling yourself up to a point where he can swing to get to the platform sometimes this can be very frustrating. This could be fixed by letting you slide down on the string but that has yet to be seen.
Appearance I genuinely liked the sprite animation, seems like something you might see in say a late Nintendo to early super Nintendo. Intricate works of player art can be found here and there. The over world if bright and colorful during the day.
Quest systems and leveling are something I didn’t quite get here. The story is told in the back ground and you have to go hunting for it. I got caught up in the bright atmosphere and exploring that I really did not get around to that part of the game. There is quite a bit to explore if you have the time and patience.
Ambient music is here and it does suite the mood. I do feel like it’s on an endless loop. Not to mention in the version I’m playing on there is no option menu at all. So either mute all sounds or mute it in the volume mixer. Small problem I know but several small issues can culminate into a bit one.
Velocity is another challenge, you can find yourself making a gap sometimes. Other times you will not be so lucky. Getting your string to attach to a flock of seagulls or a school of fish can feel almost impossible. Spikes and death traps are abound. When you overcome these obstacles for say a treasure chest it can be a bit underwhelming.
The mystery to it all feels very cryptic. I for the life of me could not find anything out. Admittedly I’m terrible at these kind of puzzles. Some clues would be much appreciated. End of the world is coming is about the only thing I could figure out.
The intention of the game feels good. I can see a lot of love and time went into crafting this world. Even with all its color, ambiance and charm I can see the flaws. Early accesses is a phrase I think is more than apt here. However this could be something very special with just a few tweaks.
In the end I could only recommend this game to those willing to support a modern point and click platformer. If you grew up with platformers like Mario and castlevania this might just be a bit to different. Unless you’re willing to look past the controls and or love retro sprites.
http://sknr.net/2015/04/10/kwaan-a-point-and-click-adventure/
The game is in early access and it does show. Platforming is going to take a long while to get used to. You get around by shooting a string and pulling yourself up to a point where he can swing to get to the platform sometimes this can be very frustrating. This could be fixed by letting you slide down on the string but that has yet to be seen.
Appearance I genuinely liked the sprite animation, seems like something you might see in say a late Nintendo to early super Nintendo. Intricate works of player art can be found here and there. The over world if bright and colorful during the day.
Quest systems and leveling are something I didn’t quite get here. The story is told in the back ground and you have to go hunting for it. I got caught up in the bright atmosphere and exploring that I really did not get around to that part of the game. There is quite a bit to explore if you have the time and patience.
Ambient music is here and it does suite the mood. I do feel like it’s on an endless loop. Not to mention in the version I’m playing on there is no option menu at all. So either mute all sounds or mute it in the volume mixer. Small problem I know but several small issues can culminate into a bit one.
Velocity is another challenge, you can find yourself making a gap sometimes. Other times you will not be so lucky. Getting your string to attach to a flock of seagulls or a school of fish can feel almost impossible. Spikes and death traps are abound. When you overcome these obstacles for say a treasure chest it can be a bit underwhelming.
The mystery to it all feels very cryptic. I for the life of me could not find anything out. Admittedly I’m terrible at these kind of puzzles. Some clues would be much appreciated. End of the world is coming is about the only thing I could figure out.
The intention of the game feels good. I can see a lot of love and time went into crafting this world. Even with all its color, ambiance and charm I can see the flaws. Early accesses is a phrase I think is more than apt here. However this could be something very special with just a few tweaks.
In the end I could only recommend this game to those willing to support a modern point and click platformer. If you grew up with platformers like Mario and castlevania this might just be a bit to different. Unless you’re willing to look past the controls and or love retro sprites.
http://sknr.net/2015/04/10/kwaan-a-point-and-click-adventure/
Darren (1599 KP) rated 100 Streets (2017) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: 100 Streets starts as we meet our characters, troublemaking drug dealing thief Kingsley (Dramah), former rugby player Max (Elba) who is going through a marriage problem after his own affair with his wife Emily (Arterton) who in an act of revenge is dating photographer Jake (Cullen). The final couple we meet are cabbie George (Creed-Miles) and Kathy (Wareing) who are trying to adopt a child, though his past is causing problems in this pursuit.
As the lives cross-paths the people must learn about the mistakes they make to prevent themselves from making any more mistakes.
Thoughts on 100 Streets
Characters – Max is a former England rugby captain, since retiring he started cheating on his wife and getting caught up with the drugs, seeing his future career going up in smoke, he needs to clean up his own actions in any hope of winning his wife back. Emily is the wife of Max who has been going through the struggles of her husbands action, thinking about getting back into acting and trying to move on with her life. Kingsley is the streetwise drug dealing thief that has been caught up against the law, even though he believes he could go onto something bigger, he receives the guidance required to escape this life. We have a cabbie that makes a terrible mistake and must learn to live with the consequences and a photographer that wants to be part of Emily’s life.
Performances – Idris Elba, Gemma Arterton are both great in their roles in the film, we know and expect it from them. Elsewhere we get the less known actors in Franz Drameh and Charlie Creed-Miles that shine in this film.
Story – The story follows the lives of three people, the problems they are facing and the changes that will define them. We get three different worlds, one is the celebrity world and marriage, where the vices can control someone, the middle-class who just want normal lives which can fall apart from past action and the lower-class that must fight for a chance or face the same circles of crime. The way the three lives cross without interaction shows how people can be going through their own struggles meters away from you. Each life will be changed by the events in the film, which is important to see and we can see how theses moments can do the moments that create a future.
Settings – The film is set in London with the idea that we are within 100 streets of each other, in a position where lives can cross paves.
Scene of the Movie – Leaving the gang.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not sure what will happen with Jake next.
Final Thoughts – This is a wonderfully engaging drama that shows the lives people are living without you knowing within metres of your own life. Strong performances throughout do help the film stand out too.
Overall: Drama well worth watching.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/02/02/gemma-arterton-weekend-100-streets-2016/
As the lives cross-paths the people must learn about the mistakes they make to prevent themselves from making any more mistakes.
Thoughts on 100 Streets
Characters – Max is a former England rugby captain, since retiring he started cheating on his wife and getting caught up with the drugs, seeing his future career going up in smoke, he needs to clean up his own actions in any hope of winning his wife back. Emily is the wife of Max who has been going through the struggles of her husbands action, thinking about getting back into acting and trying to move on with her life. Kingsley is the streetwise drug dealing thief that has been caught up against the law, even though he believes he could go onto something bigger, he receives the guidance required to escape this life. We have a cabbie that makes a terrible mistake and must learn to live with the consequences and a photographer that wants to be part of Emily’s life.
Performances – Idris Elba, Gemma Arterton are both great in their roles in the film, we know and expect it from them. Elsewhere we get the less known actors in Franz Drameh and Charlie Creed-Miles that shine in this film.
Story – The story follows the lives of three people, the problems they are facing and the changes that will define them. We get three different worlds, one is the celebrity world and marriage, where the vices can control someone, the middle-class who just want normal lives which can fall apart from past action and the lower-class that must fight for a chance or face the same circles of crime. The way the three lives cross without interaction shows how people can be going through their own struggles meters away from you. Each life will be changed by the events in the film, which is important to see and we can see how theses moments can do the moments that create a future.
Settings – The film is set in London with the idea that we are within 100 streets of each other, in a position where lives can cross paves.
Scene of the Movie – Leaving the gang.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not sure what will happen with Jake next.
Final Thoughts – This is a wonderfully engaging drama that shows the lives people are living without you knowing within metres of your own life. Strong performances throughout do help the film stand out too.
Overall: Drama well worth watching.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/02/02/gemma-arterton-weekend-100-streets-2016/