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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Everything but the Truth in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I really don’t know, what I was expecting from this book, but it left me absolutely confused. I still can’t decide if I liked it or not. I enjoyed the story, but why did it make me feel bored at the same time?
This is a story told by Rachel, about the secrets Jack was hiding. But the funny part is, Rachel has her own secrets, which she is hiding from Jack. So there are so many lies in this book, that I am wondering, how these two even a couple. When Rachel found out that Jake is hiding something, she went all the way into finding it out. Full homemade detective: snooping around, checking emails, ordering court material, everything to find out what Jack is hiding. Why? Because Jack is not telling the truth, but amending it, to fit his needs. What she finds out shocks her, but leaves her confused as well. Is he really guilty?
I really enjoyed the determination of this little investigation. I liked the ways Rachel was seeking the truth, it was interesting to watch, and quite relatable. Most probably we all checked our other half’s phone, or observed their actions during some situations. The book was time travelling between past and present. The way author incorporated Rachel’s story from the past, with one of her cancer patients, was very amusing. I liked the way she described her feelings towards the boy, it was beautiful.
This book is full of decisions, and really difficult ones. The ones regarding Jack were quite repetitive to be honest, just like the whole wish to find everything out. It was written in so many places, why Rachel wants to know the truth, that it made it boring. Another thing, which was not my favourite, was her decision, which she should’ve taken after finding out the truth, that confusion was so dragged, that I wanted to shout “Either you want him or not, stop beating about the bush!”.
The themes used in this book where quite interesting, and they made me question myself, what I would’ve done in Jack’s place? Or, was Rachel’s decision right regarding her cancer patient? What I would’ve done in her place? That’s why this book made me confused, because it has really deep meaning and interesting topics, but it was boring at the same time.
The writing style of this novel is easy to read, with lovely and short chapters. This book didn’t offer any twists or turns in my opinion, and kind of just plodded along. Whatever twists or turns supposedly were in this book, were really predictable, even the ending of the book was predictable. So to conclude, I enjoyed some of the parts of this book, but I think it could’ve been better. Doctors, nurses, or people who have someone suffering from cancer would find this book close to their hearts and maybe a good read…
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
This is a story told by Rachel, about the secrets Jack was hiding. But the funny part is, Rachel has her own secrets, which she is hiding from Jack. So there are so many lies in this book, that I am wondering, how these two even a couple. When Rachel found out that Jake is hiding something, she went all the way into finding it out. Full homemade detective: snooping around, checking emails, ordering court material, everything to find out what Jack is hiding. Why? Because Jack is not telling the truth, but amending it, to fit his needs. What she finds out shocks her, but leaves her confused as well. Is he really guilty?
I really enjoyed the determination of this little investigation. I liked the ways Rachel was seeking the truth, it was interesting to watch, and quite relatable. Most probably we all checked our other half’s phone, or observed their actions during some situations. The book was time travelling between past and present. The way author incorporated Rachel’s story from the past, with one of her cancer patients, was very amusing. I liked the way she described her feelings towards the boy, it was beautiful.
This book is full of decisions, and really difficult ones. The ones regarding Jack were quite repetitive to be honest, just like the whole wish to find everything out. It was written in so many places, why Rachel wants to know the truth, that it made it boring. Another thing, which was not my favourite, was her decision, which she should’ve taken after finding out the truth, that confusion was so dragged, that I wanted to shout “Either you want him or not, stop beating about the bush!”.
The themes used in this book where quite interesting, and they made me question myself, what I would’ve done in Jack’s place? Or, was Rachel’s decision right regarding her cancer patient? What I would’ve done in her place? That’s why this book made me confused, because it has really deep meaning and interesting topics, but it was boring at the same time.
The writing style of this novel is easy to read, with lovely and short chapters. This book didn’t offer any twists or turns in my opinion, and kind of just plodded along. Whatever twists or turns supposedly were in this book, were really predictable, even the ending of the book was predictable. So to conclude, I enjoyed some of the parts of this book, but I think it could’ve been better. Doctors, nurses, or people who have someone suffering from cancer would find this book close to their hearts and maybe a good read…
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Here and Gone in Books
Sep 24, 2020
All my reviews can be found on https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com/
I was enjoying it from the first pages of the book. The description above describes this book quite well. It started with Audra in the car with her children. That got my attention. Why? Where are they going? And little by little the main character Audra, unfolded it. I am not big fan of the books about children and their parents, because all you read is how much parents love their kids. But this book somehow gripped me. The main character suffered a lot in her life, so the way she was trying to fight for her kids and not to give up, really made me respect her. I think, that author of this novel, done a great job by letting all the main characters to speak in this book, even the evil ones. Another great point of this book, that author was finishing every chapter with a cliff hanger, and then just starting the next chapter with different characters story. It was so addictive, and all I wanted was to figure out, how the previous story finished. I enjoyed reading the story from children’s perspective as well. The little boy, Sean, was a real sweetheart; incredibly smart, caring and a little hero. (Reminder, I do not like children). The ability to read the story from different perspectives and told by different characters made it very enjoyable, and allowed to understand the characters way better.
The whole plot was happening in one area and was really concentrated on a small, dying town of Silver Water. I really liked the whole story; I found it really original and very interesting. The more I read this book, the catchier it got. I really liked how this story unfolded, with Audra’s difficult past, husband’s abuse, and her fight for her children at present. I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this book. When I thought that is no one there to help Audra, author nicely twisted in a help for her. I liked the topics this novel was discussing: different ways of emotional abuse against women; hard life and decisions when you don’t have money; corrupt authorities and how they can ruin people’s lives.
The writing style of this book is not difficult and language used makes this book a pleasant and easy read. As I mentioned in my previous reviews, I’m a big fan of short chapters, and this book is another winner in that category for me. On the other hand, there are some violent details in this book, so if you have weak nerves, be prepared. The ending of the book was well thought through and didn’t leave me disappointed. It was well deserved after everything. So to conclude, it is twisted, fast paced and addictive thriller filled with mother’s fight and love for her children, and surprisingly I really enjoyed it.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
I was enjoying it from the first pages of the book. The description above describes this book quite well. It started with Audra in the car with her children. That got my attention. Why? Where are they going? And little by little the main character Audra, unfolded it. I am not big fan of the books about children and their parents, because all you read is how much parents love their kids. But this book somehow gripped me. The main character suffered a lot in her life, so the way she was trying to fight for her kids and not to give up, really made me respect her. I think, that author of this novel, done a great job by letting all the main characters to speak in this book, even the evil ones. Another great point of this book, that author was finishing every chapter with a cliff hanger, and then just starting the next chapter with different characters story. It was so addictive, and all I wanted was to figure out, how the previous story finished. I enjoyed reading the story from children’s perspective as well. The little boy, Sean, was a real sweetheart; incredibly smart, caring and a little hero. (Reminder, I do not like children). The ability to read the story from different perspectives and told by different characters made it very enjoyable, and allowed to understand the characters way better.
The whole plot was happening in one area and was really concentrated on a small, dying town of Silver Water. I really liked the whole story; I found it really original and very interesting. The more I read this book, the catchier it got. I really liked how this story unfolded, with Audra’s difficult past, husband’s abuse, and her fight for her children at present. I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this book. When I thought that is no one there to help Audra, author nicely twisted in a help for her. I liked the topics this novel was discussing: different ways of emotional abuse against women; hard life and decisions when you don’t have money; corrupt authorities and how they can ruin people’s lives.
The writing style of this book is not difficult and language used makes this book a pleasant and easy read. As I mentioned in my previous reviews, I’m a big fan of short chapters, and this book is another winner in that category for me. On the other hand, there are some violent details in this book, so if you have weak nerves, be prepared. The ending of the book was well thought through and didn’t leave me disappointed. It was well deserved after everything. So to conclude, it is twisted, fast paced and addictive thriller filled with mother’s fight and love for her children, and surprisingly I really enjoyed it.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Whisper Man in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This novel was told from multiple perspectives, but the main characters in this book were Jake and his dad Tom. They move to a new town after Tom’s wife dies. The town is quite ordinary, except for the fact that they moved to a house locally called “the scary house”, and that a child disappeared and was found murdered, and then Jake starts to hear the whispers just outside his window… 😮
I really enjoyed this book and the story. The characters chosen for this novel are quite ordinary, but at the same time incredibly mysterious. I really enjoy reading multiple perspectives, and especially when the murderer’s thoughts are incorporated as well, and this book didn’t disappoint me with that. I really liked how the author delivered the characters, he concentrated on the important ones, and I was able to find out more about them. My favourite character has to be Jake, he is smart, sweet, interesting, and he truly shines in this book. I really enjoyed the variety of characters as well.
The narrative of this novel is very creatively crafted, it has plenty of twists and surprises, and I really liked the way Alex North was building up the suspense throughout this novel. This book had not only chills and thrills, but also some very deep and insightful monologues as well. The characters discussed such topics as loss and how they are dealing with it, how fathers influence their sons, alcoholism and it’s consequences, single parent struggles, and many more. Even though there are female characters in this novel, the author concentrates more on Father-Son bond and relationships, and it feels quite masculine at times, and I really liked reading about it.
I enjoyed the writing style of this book, the book was very well composed and delivered. The chapters are short, so it was very hard to put it down. There are some very disturbing scenes in this book related to dead seven-year-old children, so it is not for faint-hearted readers. Even though this story is very gripping, I was expecting something more from the culmination, it was good, but it could’ve been even better. I liked how this book ended, I think it rounded the story very nicely. There is not much information about the author himself, but I believe it was his debut novel, and I truly hope that there will be more coming in the near future. 🙂
So, to conclude, it was a true page turner for me, that left me scared at night. I loved the complex characters, unexpected discoveries, and always lingering fear and creepiness. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I strongly recommend it to all mystery and thriller fans. There are rumours that there will be a film, and I absolutely can’t wait to see, how it will be adapted to the big screen.
I really enjoyed this book and the story. The characters chosen for this novel are quite ordinary, but at the same time incredibly mysterious. I really enjoy reading multiple perspectives, and especially when the murderer’s thoughts are incorporated as well, and this book didn’t disappoint me with that. I really liked how the author delivered the characters, he concentrated on the important ones, and I was able to find out more about them. My favourite character has to be Jake, he is smart, sweet, interesting, and he truly shines in this book. I really enjoyed the variety of characters as well.
The narrative of this novel is very creatively crafted, it has plenty of twists and surprises, and I really liked the way Alex North was building up the suspense throughout this novel. This book had not only chills and thrills, but also some very deep and insightful monologues as well. The characters discussed such topics as loss and how they are dealing with it, how fathers influence their sons, alcoholism and it’s consequences, single parent struggles, and many more. Even though there are female characters in this novel, the author concentrates more on Father-Son bond and relationships, and it feels quite masculine at times, and I really liked reading about it.
I enjoyed the writing style of this book, the book was very well composed and delivered. The chapters are short, so it was very hard to put it down. There are some very disturbing scenes in this book related to dead seven-year-old children, so it is not for faint-hearted readers. Even though this story is very gripping, I was expecting something more from the culmination, it was good, but it could’ve been even better. I liked how this book ended, I think it rounded the story very nicely. There is not much information about the author himself, but I believe it was his debut novel, and I truly hope that there will be more coming in the near future. 🙂
So, to conclude, it was a true page turner for me, that left me scared at night. I loved the complex characters, unexpected discoveries, and always lingering fear and creepiness. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I strongly recommend it to all mystery and thriller fans. There are rumours that there will be a film, and I absolutely can’t wait to see, how it will be adapted to the big screen.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated A Spark Of Light in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Wow, this book does have a good punch to throw, and I absolutely loved it. The main topic discussed in this book – abortions. This book tells multiple stories from multiple perspectives. One of few abortion clinics in Mississippi has a man entering the clinic, who starts shooting, remaining alive are being kept as hostages. Jodi tells the stories of everybody inside, plus few extra characters, who are very related to the story itself.
This book has a very wide and diverse variety of characters, and they all have an amazing story to tell. I really liked all the characters, I think they were very well developed and incredibly gripping. I thoroughly enjoyed their stories and all the emotions which they brought to this book. I really liked, that the characters kept travelling back to when they were little, that allowed me to connect with the characters even more, and I loved to see what were their values in life, or how life shaped them to be the people they were now.
The narrative was incredibly indulging, and I always wanted to find out, what is going to happen next. The book is written backwards, and even though it was a unique experience and it made perfect sense while reading, I am not sure I really liked this type of writing. I did find it confusing sometimes because there were quite a lot of characters, and their stories kind of mixed up for me sometimes. There were plenty of important topics discussed in this novel, such as single parenthood, father’s love for their daughters, abortions, religion, teenage pregnancies, rapes and many more. One thing for sure, the research was done for this book was impeccable. You can feel the real stories breathing through the experiences of the characters, and it really got me thinking. I wasn’t expecting any twists in this story to be honest, but I can promise you, this book brings some very unexpected turns and surprises. 🙂
Jodi’s writing style is absolutely incredible, she delivered such a sensitive topic while stating facts and points of view but not being judgmental. She states pro-choice point of view as well as pro-life and allows the reader to make a decision. The chapters were quite long, but they were divided into small parts, so it did not drag for me at all, and it was quite a page-turner. I really liked how the book ended, I think it rounded up the story very nicely. So, to conclude, this book is very powerful and deep, but at the same time and incredibly interesting read. It does require an open mind and ability to look at the things from different angles. I do think this book is a brilliant read, with amazingly crafted characters and very absorbing plot, and I do strongly recommend to read it.
This book has a very wide and diverse variety of characters, and they all have an amazing story to tell. I really liked all the characters, I think they were very well developed and incredibly gripping. I thoroughly enjoyed their stories and all the emotions which they brought to this book. I really liked, that the characters kept travelling back to when they were little, that allowed me to connect with the characters even more, and I loved to see what were their values in life, or how life shaped them to be the people they were now.
The narrative was incredibly indulging, and I always wanted to find out, what is going to happen next. The book is written backwards, and even though it was a unique experience and it made perfect sense while reading, I am not sure I really liked this type of writing. I did find it confusing sometimes because there were quite a lot of characters, and their stories kind of mixed up for me sometimes. There were plenty of important topics discussed in this novel, such as single parenthood, father’s love for their daughters, abortions, religion, teenage pregnancies, rapes and many more. One thing for sure, the research was done for this book was impeccable. You can feel the real stories breathing through the experiences of the characters, and it really got me thinking. I wasn’t expecting any twists in this story to be honest, but I can promise you, this book brings some very unexpected turns and surprises. 🙂
Jodi’s writing style is absolutely incredible, she delivered such a sensitive topic while stating facts and points of view but not being judgmental. She states pro-choice point of view as well as pro-life and allows the reader to make a decision. The chapters were quite long, but they were divided into small parts, so it did not drag for me at all, and it was quite a page-turner. I really liked how the book ended, I think it rounded up the story very nicely. So, to conclude, this book is very powerful and deep, but at the same time and incredibly interesting read. It does require an open mind and ability to look at the things from different angles. I do think this book is a brilliant read, with amazingly crafted characters and very absorbing plot, and I do strongly recommend to read it.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Turbulence (The Wanderer #1) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This book is really different from what I would normally read, and I think it’s one of those “either you love it or hate it” books and it definitely should not be judged by its cover. (I think it doesn’t really represent the book and it looks very cold) I read it in one day because to me it was awesome. This book is a collection of twelve trips between different destinations and every story talks about his encounters with women. The main character is an archaeologist and this journey starts when he was 22 years old. He doesn’t have a name or an obvious background story, but the reader can get a lot of snippets of his life through the stories. Everything, from appearance, careers even destinations suggests this book to be somehow directly related to the author himself. Was it real encounters or fictional? That’s what left me very intrigued.
I don’t normally like philosophical reads, but in this one, author disguised and blended in these parts very creatively. I do love to learn new things and facts, especially if it is related to history, and for me, all these parts were an absolute joy to read. I really loved different settings chosen for this novel as well, as I got a glimpse of different cultures and different countries. I really liked that author chose different story variations in this book, sometimes he used to get lucky with the women he met and sometimes he missed the chance or chose not to get involved. It was refreshing and very believable changes of course and I was very interested of what the next story will bring. My absolute favourite was the religious discussions. I think the author will make many Christians unhappy, but I loved all the supporting historical facts he mentioned in this book regarding religion. I don’t even have to mention any research for this book, the author has a PhD degree in history/archaeology so I trust all the information he provided. :)
The writing style of this novel is very poetic and absolutely beautiful. B. McLaren has an amazing way of portraying different topics and uniting them all in a wonderfully flowing story. I do have to throw in a disclaimer that there are some discussion and scenes regarding sex and alcohol, so this book is not suitable for young readers. The chapters were quite long for my liking, but they passed quite quickly because I used to get very absorbed in the story itself. I liked how the author decided to end this story and I think it rounded up this book well. So, to conclude, I had a great fun reading this funny, philosophical one man’s journey through life and his encounters with different women all over the world. I learned a lot, so if you like history, travelling and a little bit of philosophical discussion I think you will enjoy this book :)
I don’t normally like philosophical reads, but in this one, author disguised and blended in these parts very creatively. I do love to learn new things and facts, especially if it is related to history, and for me, all these parts were an absolute joy to read. I really loved different settings chosen for this novel as well, as I got a glimpse of different cultures and different countries. I really liked that author chose different story variations in this book, sometimes he used to get lucky with the women he met and sometimes he missed the chance or chose not to get involved. It was refreshing and very believable changes of course and I was very interested of what the next story will bring. My absolute favourite was the religious discussions. I think the author will make many Christians unhappy, but I loved all the supporting historical facts he mentioned in this book regarding religion. I don’t even have to mention any research for this book, the author has a PhD degree in history/archaeology so I trust all the information he provided. :)
The writing style of this novel is very poetic and absolutely beautiful. B. McLaren has an amazing way of portraying different topics and uniting them all in a wonderfully flowing story. I do have to throw in a disclaimer that there are some discussion and scenes regarding sex and alcohol, so this book is not suitable for young readers. The chapters were quite long for my liking, but they passed quite quickly because I used to get very absorbed in the story itself. I liked how the author decided to end this story and I think it rounded up this book well. So, to conclude, I had a great fun reading this funny, philosophical one man’s journey through life and his encounters with different women all over the world. I learned a lot, so if you like history, travelling and a little bit of philosophical discussion I think you will enjoy this book :)
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Leopard at the Door in Books
Sep 24, 2020
More reviews at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
My favourite genre to read normally is mystery, crime or thrillers, but I try to choose different genres from time to time. I need to rest from investigations and murders, that’s where historical fiction, YA and other books come in. This book is no exception; I needed something to clear my mind, and it really done the job.
Let me begin by saying, that I loved the environment used in this book. Author portrayed the surroundings and places in this book with great detail, and made me actually feel the African spirit. So, all her travels through Africa, really helped her to describe what she felt to the reader.
The main character in this book was Rachel, and she was the one to share her life with a reader. This novel had a huge variety of very diverse characters, some of them positive and dear to the heart, and some of them really negative, which made me really angry about them. Unfortunately, I did not have any favourite character in this book, as I felt they were not fully developed and opened up to the reader. I would’ve liked to read different perspectives and have more insight into different personalities. Even though I really tried to like Rachel’s rebellious views and kind heart, I think some of her decisions were really silly and disappointing.
The narrative of this novel starts in 1952, when British Empire is on a verge of collapsing, and Kenya wishes its independence. I absolutely adored all the details about Mau Mau, their ideology and ways of action. I loved Michael’s thoughts about war and his country’s independence. I think, this book was really well researched and the whole spirit of the book was shared just gorgeously. The whole story was flowing very smoothly, with some turns and twists, which kept me interested. There was a great love story going on in this book, but I would’ve liked it to be a bit more passionate than it was. Author discussed some interesting topics in this book, such as: Life after mother’s death and relationship with a stepmother; feelings, when you don’t have anyone to turn to; love and betrayal.
The writing style of this novel was not difficult to read, but it contains some African words, which were explained at the end of the book. (If you read it on Kindle, it’s not very helpful) The chapters of this book have decent length, but it might drag a little, because there is not much action going on in this novel. The ending was quite interesting and done the justice to the book and Rachel, but still left me questioning about “What happened to Michael?” So, overall, I actually enjoyed this story of wish for independence, unexpected love, family difficulties and betrayal, and I would recommend immersing yourself into this beautiful Kenyan setting.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
My favourite genre to read normally is mystery, crime or thrillers, but I try to choose different genres from time to time. I need to rest from investigations and murders, that’s where historical fiction, YA and other books come in. This book is no exception; I needed something to clear my mind, and it really done the job.
Let me begin by saying, that I loved the environment used in this book. Author portrayed the surroundings and places in this book with great detail, and made me actually feel the African spirit. So, all her travels through Africa, really helped her to describe what she felt to the reader.
The main character in this book was Rachel, and she was the one to share her life with a reader. This novel had a huge variety of very diverse characters, some of them positive and dear to the heart, and some of them really negative, which made me really angry about them. Unfortunately, I did not have any favourite character in this book, as I felt they were not fully developed and opened up to the reader. I would’ve liked to read different perspectives and have more insight into different personalities. Even though I really tried to like Rachel’s rebellious views and kind heart, I think some of her decisions were really silly and disappointing.
The narrative of this novel starts in 1952, when British Empire is on a verge of collapsing, and Kenya wishes its independence. I absolutely adored all the details about Mau Mau, their ideology and ways of action. I loved Michael’s thoughts about war and his country’s independence. I think, this book was really well researched and the whole spirit of the book was shared just gorgeously. The whole story was flowing very smoothly, with some turns and twists, which kept me interested. There was a great love story going on in this book, but I would’ve liked it to be a bit more passionate than it was. Author discussed some interesting topics in this book, such as: Life after mother’s death and relationship with a stepmother; feelings, when you don’t have anyone to turn to; love and betrayal.
The writing style of this novel was not difficult to read, but it contains some African words, which were explained at the end of the book. (If you read it on Kindle, it’s not very helpful) The chapters of this book have decent length, but it might drag a little, because there is not much action going on in this novel. The ending was quite interesting and done the justice to the book and Rachel, but still left me questioning about “What happened to Michael?” So, overall, I actually enjoyed this story of wish for independence, unexpected love, family difficulties and betrayal, and I would recommend immersing yourself into this beautiful Kenyan setting.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Final Girls in Books
Sep 24, 2020
More reviews on https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
I don’t know about you, but I get this feeling after reading a great book, where I need to breathe out and have some free time before I pick up another book. I just need some time to digest what I just read, the same feeling I had after reading Final Girls. It is one of my favourite books this year and I think everybody should read it.
I was hooked from the first pages of this book, as it starts of Quincy’s escape from Pine Cottage. The main characters in this book were Quincy and Samantha (Sam). Two strong survivors of massive slaughter, but there is one small problem, Quincy can’t remember what happened that night.
All the characters in this book are really mysterious and very interesting. Most of the story was told from Quincy’s perspective, which made other characters more intriguing, because the only way to find out about them was through Quincy’s story. I needed to find out more about other characters, that’s why the pages just flew while looking for more information about them. Even though, for me, it was enough to hear the story from Quincy’s point of view, I would’ve loved to read the thoughts of other characters as well, at least at the end of the book.
The plot of this book was amazing to me. You cannot trust what you read, because as soon as you will start to believe in something, Author changes the flow of story, throwing in twist after twist and story changing turns, making this book very compelling and an absolute page turner. The narrative was changing between present and past, telling the true story of Quincy’s survival, and what happened that night in Pine Cottage. I really loved the topics author was discussing in this book, such as: pressure you get from media after surviving something horrible; mental illnesses and lifelong healing, where you can slip at any time; difficult family relationships.
The writing style of this novel was very smart, finishing every chapter with a cliff hanger, building curiosity and suspense, chapter after chapter. Add to this lovely and short chapters and a language, which was easy and pleasurable to read. The ending of the book was very nicely thought through and concluded the story really well for me. The characters and story are so awesome, that in the hands of skilled producer it could be an awesome film, and I really hope that this book will be transformed into one. It deserves it! So, to conclude, this book has a lot of interesting action going on, continuously playing with your mind and not letting you to believe in anything, throwing in twists and turns, making it a very fast paced, compelling page turner, and I think it is an ABSOLUTE MUST READ this year.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
I don’t know about you, but I get this feeling after reading a great book, where I need to breathe out and have some free time before I pick up another book. I just need some time to digest what I just read, the same feeling I had after reading Final Girls. It is one of my favourite books this year and I think everybody should read it.
I was hooked from the first pages of this book, as it starts of Quincy’s escape from Pine Cottage. The main characters in this book were Quincy and Samantha (Sam). Two strong survivors of massive slaughter, but there is one small problem, Quincy can’t remember what happened that night.
All the characters in this book are really mysterious and very interesting. Most of the story was told from Quincy’s perspective, which made other characters more intriguing, because the only way to find out about them was through Quincy’s story. I needed to find out more about other characters, that’s why the pages just flew while looking for more information about them. Even though, for me, it was enough to hear the story from Quincy’s point of view, I would’ve loved to read the thoughts of other characters as well, at least at the end of the book.
The plot of this book was amazing to me. You cannot trust what you read, because as soon as you will start to believe in something, Author changes the flow of story, throwing in twist after twist and story changing turns, making this book very compelling and an absolute page turner. The narrative was changing between present and past, telling the true story of Quincy’s survival, and what happened that night in Pine Cottage. I really loved the topics author was discussing in this book, such as: pressure you get from media after surviving something horrible; mental illnesses and lifelong healing, where you can slip at any time; difficult family relationships.
The writing style of this novel was very smart, finishing every chapter with a cliff hanger, building curiosity and suspense, chapter after chapter. Add to this lovely and short chapters and a language, which was easy and pleasurable to read. The ending of the book was very nicely thought through and concluded the story really well for me. The characters and story are so awesome, that in the hands of skilled producer it could be an awesome film, and I really hope that this book will be transformed into one. It deserves it! So, to conclude, this book has a lot of interesting action going on, continuously playing with your mind and not letting you to believe in anything, throwing in twists and turns, making it a very fast paced, compelling page turner, and I think it is an ABSOLUTE MUST READ this year.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Muppets - Season 1 in TV
Oct 9, 2020
Intelligently funny
The Muppets is a 2015 mockumentary style series that aired for only one season, and is currently available on Disney+ . It follows the personal and professional lives of the Muppets behind the scenes of Miss Piggy's late night talk show.
The Muppets are an institution. There won’t be many people that don’t know of the Muppets, and most will have grown up with them in some form whether it be the original tv show, the earlier films or the most recent film reincarnations with Jason Segel. For me, my fondest memories of the Muppets come from the films (The Muppet Christmas Carol is by far the best Christmas film) and from the Muppet Vision 3D show in Disney World, so I had no preconceptions over what this show would be. And it’s an absolute hoot.
This is a wonderfully funny and smart show, and the mockumentary style similar to The Office and Parks and Recereation works very well. It manages to bring clever adult humour without reducing itself to crudeness. It’s whip smart, witty and full of relevant pop culture references that are often laugh out loud funny. There are so many instances in these 16 episodes where I couldn’t stop laughing, although a particularly highlight involved Bobo the bear and The Revenant. And not only is this funny, it’s also full of heart. It features some fairly meaningful and important topics and for the most part it deals with these well with an appropriate amount of humour.
The great thing about this show is that it isn’t just the Kermit and Piggy show. All of the other Muppets are featured in equal measure and for me personally I loved this as some of my favourite moments were with the likes of Rizzo, Pepe and Chip the IT guy. I also now have a new found love for Uncle Deadly, I never realised how brilliant a character he was before! This show also brings in some fantastic guest stars, from the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Liam Hemsworth, Ru Paul and Josh Groban, all of whom have no problem in sending themselves up and being the butt of the jokes.
It’s a shame then that this show falters two thirds of the way through due to the storyline and relationship between Kermit and Piggy. I’ve never been a fan of Piggy as I find her very irksome, but she’s bearable in small doses. However the show seems to do a complete u-turn on their storyline midway through and suffers because of it, as it becomes dull and predictable and nothing we haven’t seen before for Kermit and Piggy. The rest of the show and characters are still hilarious, but Kermit and Piggy really bring down the tone.
If you’re an adult and a fan of the Muppets and are looking for some adult, intelligent laugh out loud humour, you can’t really go wrong with this. Just try not to concentrate on the storyline too much.
The Muppets are an institution. There won’t be many people that don’t know of the Muppets, and most will have grown up with them in some form whether it be the original tv show, the earlier films or the most recent film reincarnations with Jason Segel. For me, my fondest memories of the Muppets come from the films (The Muppet Christmas Carol is by far the best Christmas film) and from the Muppet Vision 3D show in Disney World, so I had no preconceptions over what this show would be. And it’s an absolute hoot.
This is a wonderfully funny and smart show, and the mockumentary style similar to The Office and Parks and Recereation works very well. It manages to bring clever adult humour without reducing itself to crudeness. It’s whip smart, witty and full of relevant pop culture references that are often laugh out loud funny. There are so many instances in these 16 episodes where I couldn’t stop laughing, although a particularly highlight involved Bobo the bear and The Revenant. And not only is this funny, it’s also full of heart. It features some fairly meaningful and important topics and for the most part it deals with these well with an appropriate amount of humour.
The great thing about this show is that it isn’t just the Kermit and Piggy show. All of the other Muppets are featured in equal measure and for me personally I loved this as some of my favourite moments were with the likes of Rizzo, Pepe and Chip the IT guy. I also now have a new found love for Uncle Deadly, I never realised how brilliant a character he was before! This show also brings in some fantastic guest stars, from the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Liam Hemsworth, Ru Paul and Josh Groban, all of whom have no problem in sending themselves up and being the butt of the jokes.
It’s a shame then that this show falters two thirds of the way through due to the storyline and relationship between Kermit and Piggy. I’ve never been a fan of Piggy as I find her very irksome, but she’s bearable in small doses. However the show seems to do a complete u-turn on their storyline midway through and suffers because of it, as it becomes dull and predictable and nothing we haven’t seen before for Kermit and Piggy. The rest of the show and characters are still hilarious, but Kermit and Piggy really bring down the tone.
If you’re an adult and a fan of the Muppets and are looking for some adult, intelligent laugh out loud humour, you can’t really go wrong with this. Just try not to concentrate on the storyline too much.
Jamie (131 KP) rated The Handmaid's Tale - Season 1 in TV
Jul 15, 2017
Phenomenal casting (4 more)
Changes to the plot add more to the characters and world of Gilead
Gorgeous technicolor visuals
Retains the dark tone of it's source material
Wonderful original soundtrack
June's character is changed in a way that goes against one of the original messages of the book (1 more)
Soundtrack sometimes included pop songs that were jarring and obnoxiously loud
Adds new depth to an already incredible story
I LOVE The Handmaid's Tale. Both the book and now the television show. The show is stunningly beautiful in terms of it's visuals and soundtrack. The casting was outstanding, it is everything I ever wanted from an adaptation of this marvelous book.
The story is changed in some pretty big ways in an attempt to modernize the story. The setting has been changed to what seems like the present day in a more integrated United States. The television show added extra plot lines, giving more attention to some of the side characters and giving us their points of view seamlessly, something that would have been difficult and confusing in a written format. I loved seeing more of the side characters and with it, seeing Gilead be fully fleshed out and more terrifying than I ever could have imagined. It was wonderful seeing the story expanded to include the infertility epidemic, the fall of the United States, the protests and gradual rise of the nation of Gilead.
I was hesitant at first when I saw images of a young Commander and Serena Joy but the casting couldn't be more on point. Yvonne Strahovski is a powerhouse that really embodies Serena Joy, making her both a sympathetic and terrifying character. Elizabeth Moss, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Alexis Bledel, and Madeline Brewer all deserve some serious praise for the way that they made all of their characters come alive.
An unfortunate casualty from the book were the changes to June's character, who went from being a disoriented every woman who did not recognize freedom when she had it and tragically lost everything. She wasn't ever meant to be the "hero," not like her mother or Moira who were outspoken feminists. This was an intentional set up in the book to be a cautionary tale of the importance of being vigilant and fighting to preserve one's autonomy. The June in the show on the other hand IS our hero, the fact that there is a season two means that we will have the resistance and the story will become more of your stereotypical dystopia where good will prevail and evil will always lose. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a pretty standard plot that gets recycled over and over.
What the story added where the book was extremely bleak was that tiny glimmer of hope. Hope that Gilead won't last and that the bonds of family and friendship can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Be prepared to cry and those with triggers will probably have difficulty digesting some of the content in the show. The story doesn't shy away from difficult topics and the brutality can be startling.
The story is changed in some pretty big ways in an attempt to modernize the story. The setting has been changed to what seems like the present day in a more integrated United States. The television show added extra plot lines, giving more attention to some of the side characters and giving us their points of view seamlessly, something that would have been difficult and confusing in a written format. I loved seeing more of the side characters and with it, seeing Gilead be fully fleshed out and more terrifying than I ever could have imagined. It was wonderful seeing the story expanded to include the infertility epidemic, the fall of the United States, the protests and gradual rise of the nation of Gilead.
I was hesitant at first when I saw images of a young Commander and Serena Joy but the casting couldn't be more on point. Yvonne Strahovski is a powerhouse that really embodies Serena Joy, making her both a sympathetic and terrifying character. Elizabeth Moss, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Alexis Bledel, and Madeline Brewer all deserve some serious praise for the way that they made all of their characters come alive.
An unfortunate casualty from the book were the changes to June's character, who went from being a disoriented every woman who did not recognize freedom when she had it and tragically lost everything. She wasn't ever meant to be the "hero," not like her mother or Moira who were outspoken feminists. This was an intentional set up in the book to be a cautionary tale of the importance of being vigilant and fighting to preserve one's autonomy. The June in the show on the other hand IS our hero, the fact that there is a season two means that we will have the resistance and the story will become more of your stereotypical dystopia where good will prevail and evil will always lose. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a pretty standard plot that gets recycled over and over.
What the story added where the book was extremely bleak was that tiny glimmer of hope. Hope that Gilead won't last and that the bonds of family and friendship can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Be prepared to cry and those with triggers will probably have difficulty digesting some of the content in the show. The story doesn't shy away from difficult topics and the brutality can be startling.
Jamie (131 KP) rated Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood in Books
Jul 22, 2017
Noah’s wit and charm (1 more)
Frank discussions of racism, poverty, and family
A stellar memoir
For those that don’t already know who Trevor Noah is, he is a comedian from South Africa that is now the current host of The Daily Show, taking the place of Jon Stewart when he retired. Trevor is an accomplished polyglot, speaking 9 languages fluently and has some fluency in several more. In much of his comedy he talks about his difficulties with racial identity having been born during apartheid to an African mother and a Swiss father. Apartheid was a system of institutionalized segregation in South Africa that lasted from the 1940’s to the 1990’s.
The book is bursting at the seams with humorous anecdotes about growing up as the wild child in his family. Getting in trouble, trying to outrun and outsmart his mom, committing petty crimes with friends, striking out with girls; Trevor’s life was colorful in no small part because of his mother. In interviews Trevor has stated that his memoir became sort of an open love letter to his mother, Patricia Noah–a fiercely independent woman that refused to be held down by her race or gender and sought to show her son the world outside of apartheid South Africa, who tried to save her son from the cruelty of the world.
“The world doesn’t love you. If the police get you, the police don’t love you. When I beat you, I’m trying to save you. When they beat you, they’re trying to kill you.”
The last chapters had me sobbing which was something that I hadn’t anticipated. Trevor mentions his step-father in the early chapters in passing, like a dark cloud that hung over his family’s life. I wasn’t prepared for the deeply troubling and heartbreaking portrait of a loving family ripped apart by abuse and the failures of law enforcement to prevent tragedy despite numerous attempts to get help.
I was already a fan of Trevor Noah, having watched some of his stand-up comedy and was overjoyed when he took over The Daily Show. From this memoir I have a newfound respect for Trevor not only for the horrendous abuse and racism he has endured, but how he allowed these things to shape who he is. He approaches issues of race, identity, poverty, and abuse with honesty and was able to articulate his feelings on topics that I have been struggling with for years. This memoir was surprisingly cathartic to me as someone that has struggled both with a mixed racial background and as a survivor of domestic abuse.
This was a wonderful memoir that really showcased that even in the darkest of places one can still find hope and strength in love. It was both insightful and laugh out loud funny, even if some of the humor could be viewed as highly offensive. I really enjoyed this memoir and am happy that I read it, it’s definitely going down on my shelf as a favorite.
The book is bursting at the seams with humorous anecdotes about growing up as the wild child in his family. Getting in trouble, trying to outrun and outsmart his mom, committing petty crimes with friends, striking out with girls; Trevor’s life was colorful in no small part because of his mother. In interviews Trevor has stated that his memoir became sort of an open love letter to his mother, Patricia Noah–a fiercely independent woman that refused to be held down by her race or gender and sought to show her son the world outside of apartheid South Africa, who tried to save her son from the cruelty of the world.
“The world doesn’t love you. If the police get you, the police don’t love you. When I beat you, I’m trying to save you. When they beat you, they’re trying to kill you.”
The last chapters had me sobbing which was something that I hadn’t anticipated. Trevor mentions his step-father in the early chapters in passing, like a dark cloud that hung over his family’s life. I wasn’t prepared for the deeply troubling and heartbreaking portrait of a loving family ripped apart by abuse and the failures of law enforcement to prevent tragedy despite numerous attempts to get help.
I was already a fan of Trevor Noah, having watched some of his stand-up comedy and was overjoyed when he took over The Daily Show. From this memoir I have a newfound respect for Trevor not only for the horrendous abuse and racism he has endured, but how he allowed these things to shape who he is. He approaches issues of race, identity, poverty, and abuse with honesty and was able to articulate his feelings on topics that I have been struggling with for years. This memoir was surprisingly cathartic to me as someone that has struggled both with a mixed racial background and as a survivor of domestic abuse.
This was a wonderful memoir that really showcased that even in the darkest of places one can still find hope and strength in love. It was both insightful and laugh out loud funny, even if some of the humor could be viewed as highly offensive. I really enjoyed this memoir and am happy that I read it, it’s definitely going down on my shelf as a favorite.