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Sarah (126 KP) rated Safe - Season 1 in TV
Jul 30, 2018
Good, with a but...
I binged watched this in one day - the series comprises (I think) of 8 episodes of about 45 minutes each (I'm pet sitting and it was Sunday, so I had very little else to do!).
I had reservations about an American being cast in the lead role of an English drama, as I often find that the accents can be quite jarring, however, for the most part it was actually very convincing. I was worried, in the first episode, that it was going to be full of misplaced Americanisms when the middle class English doctor proclaimed "My bad", but again, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn't the case.
The story was definitely compelling and well-acted, but I did find that there were a few too many close-ups of people being moody for no particular reason, apparently in order to 'set the scene'.
Sadly, the characters are rather cliched, and there are too many sub-plots/side stories which are not really necessary to the plot and which detract from the overall story, in my opinion.
In short, I would say it's worth a watch and is certainly not bad, but is let down by maybe trying too hard.
I had reservations about an American being cast in the lead role of an English drama, as I often find that the accents can be quite jarring, however, for the most part it was actually very convincing. I was worried, in the first episode, that it was going to be full of misplaced Americanisms when the middle class English doctor proclaimed "My bad", but again, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn't the case.
The story was definitely compelling and well-acted, but I did find that there were a few too many close-ups of people being moody for no particular reason, apparently in order to 'set the scene'.
Sadly, the characters are rather cliched, and there are too many sub-plots/side stories which are not really necessary to the plot and which detract from the overall story, in my opinion.
In short, I would say it's worth a watch and is certainly not bad, but is let down by maybe trying too hard.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Liar's Girl in Books
Aug 12, 2018
A slow burner
Not having read anything by this author before, I didn't know what to expect but the blurb intrigued me so I gave it a punt via Jellybooks and, to be honest, I'm glad I did as this is probably a book that would have passed me by.
I'm not going to go into the plot as this is covered in the blurb and, probably, other reviews but I will say that the story is a slow burner building in intensity as it moves on so that it becomes a pretty good thrilling read that kept me engaged until the end ... you just have to be prepared to invest a little time in the beginning to get there.
The characters are well developed and believable; the writing style I liked very much with the majority of the chapters being either from "Alison ... now" and "Alison ... then" with a few being from the killers perspective and it all comes together at the end in a nice little twist.
Overall, a pretty good read and one I would recommend to readers who enjoy a book that doesn't smack you in the face straight away but gently pokes you in the same place every time ... it has the same effect but takes longer to get there.
I'm not going to go into the plot as this is covered in the blurb and, probably, other reviews but I will say that the story is a slow burner building in intensity as it moves on so that it becomes a pretty good thrilling read that kept me engaged until the end ... you just have to be prepared to invest a little time in the beginning to get there.
The characters are well developed and believable; the writing style I liked very much with the majority of the chapters being either from "Alison ... now" and "Alison ... then" with a few being from the killers perspective and it all comes together at the end in a nice little twist.
Overall, a pretty good read and one I would recommend to readers who enjoy a book that doesn't smack you in the face straight away but gently pokes you in the same place every time ... it has the same effect but takes longer to get there.
OneStarReads (141 KP) rated The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13) in Books
Aug 13, 2018
I created a video explaining my slow decent into hating this series, book by book, for your viewing pleasure:
Had this series been clearly well thought out- you know, like not following a template, the characters not changing at a moments notice, and the story not being varying degrees of ridiculous- I might have congratulated this book on its willingness to put itself out there and not answer the questions it built up to through this series. I would have comended it for being strong enough to end a story like this, and teaching readers that you don't always get what you want, or a happy ending for that matter.
But this story, though all of its books, has components of the list above. They each follow the same template, the characters change personality whenever it is needed, and the plot is all over the place in tone. So no, I will not congratulate this story for ending this way. I can see what he might've been going for, but with the story up until now, it made this last book feel more like a cop out.
So yea, this is over.
Had this series been clearly well thought out- you know, like not following a template, the characters not changing at a moments notice, and the story not being varying degrees of ridiculous- I might have congratulated this book on its willingness to put itself out there and not answer the questions it built up to through this series. I would have comended it for being strong enough to end a story like this, and teaching readers that you don't always get what you want, or a happy ending for that matter.
But this story, though all of its books, has components of the list above. They each follow the same template, the characters change personality whenever it is needed, and the plot is all over the place in tone. So no, I will not congratulate this story for ending this way. I can see what he might've been going for, but with the story up until now, it made this last book feel more like a cop out.
So yea, this is over.
FilmIntuition (33 KP) rated Darius the Great is Not Okay in Books
Sep 15, 2018
A Wholly Original Debut
Though it takes a little bit for the action to pick up in author Adib Khorram's debut work, much like the titular protagonist in this young adult coming-of-age novel, great things come both to Darius as well as the patient readers who wait.
Bursting with vivid imagery and a wholly original first-person point-of-view right from the start, Darius the Great is Not Okay - about a half Persian, half Caucasian teenager who travels with his family to visit his maternal grandparents for the first time in Iran - is sure to be one of the genre's breakout successes of 2018.
A timely, fresh, and relatable character driven work, the book centers on Darius Kellner's search for that one place in which he fits.
Understanding the complexity of being a teenager, Adib Khorram tackles Darius Kellner's "outsider" status from a variety of perspectives bound to ring true to readers from envying his younger sister's relationship with his father to being bullied or ridiculed on two continents.
Finding a true friend in the last place he expected, which causes him to learn more about himself in the process, Darius the Great's sensitivity and commitment to the people on and off the page makes it a standout for Fall.
Bursting with vivid imagery and a wholly original first-person point-of-view right from the start, Darius the Great is Not Okay - about a half Persian, half Caucasian teenager who travels with his family to visit his maternal grandparents for the first time in Iran - is sure to be one of the genre's breakout successes of 2018.
A timely, fresh, and relatable character driven work, the book centers on Darius Kellner's search for that one place in which he fits.
Understanding the complexity of being a teenager, Adib Khorram tackles Darius Kellner's "outsider" status from a variety of perspectives bound to ring true to readers from envying his younger sister's relationship with his father to being bullied or ridiculed on two continents.
Finding a true friend in the last place he expected, which causes him to learn more about himself in the process, Darius the Great's sensitivity and commitment to the people on and off the page makes it a standout for Fall.
Amy Curtis (49 KP) rated Bad Santa (2003) in Movies
Dec 7, 2018
Easy watch
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is a film that I would say is okay. I've seen it advertised so many times and as I'm not a Christmas fan it wouldn't have been at the top of my "to watch" list anyway. However, for some reason the front cover just irritates me. Anyway, my boyfriend put it on the tele so I thought I might as well give it a go. It had some good comedic points in it but I wouldn't really say it's anything special. Willy has been playing Santa in shopping malls for years and on Christmas Eve, he helps to rob the mall by breaking into the safe. He is drunk and probably the worst Santa ever. Not anyone you would want near your children that's for sure. One kid in particular seems to touch a nerve with him and eventually he discovers that this kid is not being looked after once he decides to stay with him. The kid is being bullied and is the most kind-hearted child. The film takes you on a journey of bad Santa turning into okay santa. I would say that it is a watch for it's comedic value but other than that, I don't think I'd watch it again!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Jan 2, 2019
It seems only appropriate to close out the year which saw the passing of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko with a film celebrating their most successful creation; the result is a movie which appears to be under-performing at the box office simply because it's animated (a regrettable prejudice which I sometimes suffer from myself). On one level this is yet another Spider-Man origin story, the novelty value comes from the fact that the Spider-Man in question is the Ultimate version (Miles Morales) and the plot involves a hole being blown in the universe and numerous other Spider-People from parallel worlds being sucked through. Some of these are very weird.
Rock-solid storytelling, huge visual imagination and some very good jokes come together to make a film which works really well on virtually every level; there's perhaps not enough of the Nicolas Cage Spider-Man but you can't have everything. Not sure where they're going to go with the sequel (the novelty value of this film makes it a tough act to follow) but it does at least suggest possibilities for a meta-franchise based just on Spider-Man. A worthy and touching tribute to Stan and Steve.
Rock-solid storytelling, huge visual imagination and some very good jokes come together to make a film which works really well on virtually every level; there's perhaps not enough of the Nicolas Cage Spider-Man but you can't have everything. Not sure where they're going to go with the sequel (the novelty value of this film makes it a tough act to follow) but it does at least suggest possibilities for a meta-franchise based just on Spider-Man. A worthy and touching tribute to Stan and Steve.
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated I Go with God in Books
Jan 25, 2020
I Go With God is a good decent book for young children. The pictures are clear and tell the story. The plot I believe the story is being sick and prayer. Then again it could be just about Prayer.
This little boy seems to learn some things and that asking god is a good thing to do. It also seems to be something you may be able to go anywhere. The pictures are the story. The message is that you can pray to go and ask for help.
It book that could to read your child or children. They can learn about faith and prayer. This is what I got mostly from the book. The angel thing is sweet and I got that they could be helpful though. The concept of them angels maybe what a bit confusing. The idea was not to bad. The angels' message on one of the pages is really good. I understood that and the rhyming of it. Done well.
The art is clear. You get the boy want to help himself and also his pet fish. He asking the one for that help. The topic is decent and something any child or children would go through. That sadness and being sick.
This little boy seems to learn some things and that asking god is a good thing to do. It also seems to be something you may be able to go anywhere. The pictures are the story. The message is that you can pray to go and ask for help.
It book that could to read your child or children. They can learn about faith and prayer. This is what I got mostly from the book. The angel thing is sweet and I got that they could be helpful though. The concept of them angels maybe what a bit confusing. The idea was not to bad. The angels' message on one of the pages is really good. I understood that and the rhyming of it. Done well.
The art is clear. You get the boy want to help himself and also his pet fish. He asking the one for that help. The topic is decent and something any child or children would go through. That sadness and being sick.
Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life
9.0
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Cynthia Kim explores all the quirkyness of living with Asperger Syndrome (ASD) in this accessible,...
Atlas of Untamed Places: An Extraordinary Journey Through Our Wild World
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When Football Was Football: A Nostalgic Look at a Century of Football: 2015
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