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Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Good Luck of Right Now in Books
May 28, 2017
Inspirational
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Play Book comes an inspirational tale about a thirty nine year old man who has lived with his mother his whole life. The Good Luck of Right Now is about how Bartholomew Neil copes with life after the death of his mother. Bartholomew is a very awkward man who has no idea how to cope on his own and so is assigned a grief counselor, Wendy, to help him come to terms with his new situation. Due to his mother’s movie obsessions, this story is told through pretend letters written to famous Hollywood actor, Richard Gere, who is also someone Bartholomew admires greatly.
Matthew Quick’s novel entertains the reader through the mishmash of characters from a cat-obsessed man who is convinced aliens exist, to Bartholomew’s obscure friendship with a bipolar priest. As well as being entertaining this novel explores the rhythm of the universe leaving the reader questioning the credibility of fate and wondering about religion and philosophy.
The way in which Bartholomew views the world and his reasons for writing unsent letters to Richard Gere during this difficult period of his life suggest that he his somewhere on the autism scale. Quick explores mental health issues as well as this beginning with the priest with bipolar and again later in the book when Bartholomew becomes friends with a pair of siblings, Max and Elizabeth.
At times humorous and at others thoughtful, The Good Luck of Right Now is a really interesting novel to read. It is easy to understand Bartholomew’s thought processes and he is a very lovable character. One part of the story I personally did not like, however, was the amount of swearing the character Max does. Although this emphasizes Max’s mental state and is not intended to be an insult, it did get a bit tiresome reading a swear word within every sentence he spoke.
Overall this book is definitely worth the read, especially if you enjoyed The Silver Linings Play Book. In fact, The Good Luck of Right Now may even be the better book!
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Play Book comes an inspirational tale about a thirty nine year old man who has lived with his mother his whole life. The Good Luck of Right Now is about how Bartholomew Neil copes with life after the death of his mother. Bartholomew is a very awkward man who has no idea how to cope on his own and so is assigned a grief counselor, Wendy, to help him come to terms with his new situation. Due to his mother’s movie obsessions, this story is told through pretend letters written to famous Hollywood actor, Richard Gere, who is also someone Bartholomew admires greatly.
Matthew Quick’s novel entertains the reader through the mishmash of characters from a cat-obsessed man who is convinced aliens exist, to Bartholomew’s obscure friendship with a bipolar priest. As well as being entertaining this novel explores the rhythm of the universe leaving the reader questioning the credibility of fate and wondering about religion and philosophy.
The way in which Bartholomew views the world and his reasons for writing unsent letters to Richard Gere during this difficult period of his life suggest that he his somewhere on the autism scale. Quick explores mental health issues as well as this beginning with the priest with bipolar and again later in the book when Bartholomew becomes friends with a pair of siblings, Max and Elizabeth.
At times humorous and at others thoughtful, The Good Luck of Right Now is a really interesting novel to read. It is easy to understand Bartholomew’s thought processes and he is a very lovable character. One part of the story I personally did not like, however, was the amount of swearing the character Max does. Although this emphasizes Max’s mental state and is not intended to be an insult, it did get a bit tiresome reading a swear word within every sentence he spoke.
Overall this book is definitely worth the read, especially if you enjoyed The Silver Linings Play Book. In fact, The Good Luck of Right Now may even be the better book!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated This Common Secret in Books
Sep 6, 2017
An eye-opening first-hand account of being an abortion doctor
Let me begin by saying I am a feminist. I am pro-choice. This was a difficult read because it talks about the lengths people will go to infringe on the rights of women like me to make that choice. Dr. Wicklund goes into detail about the dangers she personally has faced as an abortion provider – from stalking, to assault, to arson and death threats. The murders of Dr. Hill and Dr. Britton are mentioned, and the attempted murder of Dr. Tiller. (An attempt on Dr. Tiller’s life was successful two years after the publication of the book.) She resorted to wildly varying routines, different methods of transportation, elaborate disguises, as well as hiring private security guards, none of it really alleviating her fear that she could be next.
Running throughout the entire book is Dr. Wicklund’s concern for her patients. She is a dedicated, compassionate woman who wants nothing but the best for the women in her care. In many cases, that’s not actually abortion. One of the things that makes her an excellent doctor is ferreting out what is really in her patients’ best interests.
The book is mercifully short; I have no doubt she had many more stories she could have told, but the topic is brutal and hard to read, and keeping it concise and on-message was well done. I still had to set it down and play some mindless video games when I was done, as it was a little overwhelming.
This Common Secret also touches on why people keep it a secret. Why people don’t talk about their abortion. And why people should. If more people realize that the women that get abortions are your neighbor, your sister, your grandmother – not just that “whore that slept around” – although she, too, deserves an abortion if that is the right choice for her. Maybe they would rethink their opposition to it.
I’m honestly probably not giving this book justice – it’s a decade old, but could have been written yesterday. And I am infuriated by anti-choice assholes.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Running throughout the entire book is Dr. Wicklund’s concern for her patients. She is a dedicated, compassionate woman who wants nothing but the best for the women in her care. In many cases, that’s not actually abortion. One of the things that makes her an excellent doctor is ferreting out what is really in her patients’ best interests.
The book is mercifully short; I have no doubt she had many more stories she could have told, but the topic is brutal and hard to read, and keeping it concise and on-message was well done. I still had to set it down and play some mindless video games when I was done, as it was a little overwhelming.
This Common Secret also touches on why people keep it a secret. Why people don’t talk about their abortion. And why people should. If more people realize that the women that get abortions are your neighbor, your sister, your grandmother – not just that “whore that slept around” – although she, too, deserves an abortion if that is the right choice for her. Maybe they would rethink their opposition to it.
I’m honestly probably not giving this book justice – it’s a decade old, but could have been written yesterday. And I am infuriated by anti-choice assholes.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Ginny Moon in Books
May 10, 2018
Ginny Moon is 14 years old and she has autism. She has finally found her Forever Family with Brian and Maura after being taken from her Birth Mom, Gloria when she was 9 years old. She was malnourished and badly bruised at that time. Now she has been through several foster homes and is happy to finally be in a permanent spot. But there is still one thing missing that Ginny hasn't seen since she was 9 and the police took her away, her Baby Doll. Ginny took very good care of her Baby Doll and she is afraid that now there is no one to take care of it. How will she find her way back to the Baby Doll she loved so much and took such good care of?
This book hit me from the very firs page. As a mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum, I could really resonate with Ginny's character and her little quirks. Benjamin Ludwig did a great job of capturing this character.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I have read a couple of other books about children with autism but this one fit well with me. Ginny is determined to get her way, no matter the cost. She tries hard to explain to everyone about her Baby Doll. Her therapist, her foster parents, her Forever Parents, but no one seems to understand. No one that is except for Gloria, Ginny's Birth mother. When Ginny is finally able to get in contact with her, she is happy to find out that Gloria still has her Baby Doll and is taking care of it. And her cousin Crystal with C is helping out as well. Even though everyone tries to buy Ginny a new doll, nothing will be able to replace the Baby Doll she took care of for a whole year in the apartment with Gloria.
I'm afraid if I say too much more, I will give away too much of the story. Please read this book, it will touch your heart.
This book hit me from the very firs page. As a mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum, I could really resonate with Ginny's character and her little quirks. Benjamin Ludwig did a great job of capturing this character.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I have read a couple of other books about children with autism but this one fit well with me. Ginny is determined to get her way, no matter the cost. She tries hard to explain to everyone about her Baby Doll. Her therapist, her foster parents, her Forever Parents, but no one seems to understand. No one that is except for Gloria, Ginny's Birth mother. When Ginny is finally able to get in contact with her, she is happy to find out that Gloria still has her Baby Doll and is taking care of it. And her cousin Crystal with C is helping out as well. Even though everyone tries to buy Ginny a new doll, nothing will be able to replace the Baby Doll she took care of for a whole year in the apartment with Gloria.
I'm afraid if I say too much more, I will give away too much of the story. Please read this book, it will touch your heart.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Falconer's Crusade in Books
Apr 7, 2018
Great historical aspect, mystery not so much
This is a pretty short mystery to read through. Looks can be deceiving though. Despite being short, it’s packed in with some heavy duty stuff.
The setting for example. Very rich in detail and gives you a sense on how it was back then in William Falconer’s time. Add in some political intrigue, a Jewish Quarter, and some rioting and it gets pretty exciting. I really can’t get over how great the setting is. It’s so descriptive you can feel the darkness and the dampness that permeates throughout the novel. Morson also does an excellent job to stay close to historical accuracy here in this novel as well. Forensic pathology is frowned upon, and you even get to see Falconer try on a strange contraption that looks a lot like Medieval opera glasses at the time. :)
The plot is pretty straight forward although there is not much of a secret mystery element in it. The suspect list is not extensive (thankfully! You’ll see why as you read further into this review) and when revealed it’s not much of a surprise or an a ha! Moment. There isn’t much personality to the characters except Falconer and his student Thomas. Thomas is a particular dolt. A Farmer boy who managed to be gifted and chosen to study and be a Scholar, well, for all the idiotic moves he makes, you have to wonder how the University chose this guy to let him attend their school. He fumbles and stumbles at the worst times and always manages to get himself into some life threatening situations (and doesn’t learn from it). It was funny the first few times, but after a while it gets annoying and you want to slap this boy upside the head. (You don’t deserve Hannah’s attention, you twit).
I’m going to assume it will get better with other books in this series, and this one serves as an introduction to the series. Since I really do love the historical aspect I will stick with this series and see where it takes me. Historical mystery lovers will love the setting and theme of this book, the mystery part, not so much.
The setting for example. Very rich in detail and gives you a sense on how it was back then in William Falconer’s time. Add in some political intrigue, a Jewish Quarter, and some rioting and it gets pretty exciting. I really can’t get over how great the setting is. It’s so descriptive you can feel the darkness and the dampness that permeates throughout the novel. Morson also does an excellent job to stay close to historical accuracy here in this novel as well. Forensic pathology is frowned upon, and you even get to see Falconer try on a strange contraption that looks a lot like Medieval opera glasses at the time. :)
The plot is pretty straight forward although there is not much of a secret mystery element in it. The suspect list is not extensive (thankfully! You’ll see why as you read further into this review) and when revealed it’s not much of a surprise or an a ha! Moment. There isn’t much personality to the characters except Falconer and his student Thomas. Thomas is a particular dolt. A Farmer boy who managed to be gifted and chosen to study and be a Scholar, well, for all the idiotic moves he makes, you have to wonder how the University chose this guy to let him attend their school. He fumbles and stumbles at the worst times and always manages to get himself into some life threatening situations (and doesn’t learn from it). It was funny the first few times, but after a while it gets annoying and you want to slap this boy upside the head. (You don’t deserve Hannah’s attention, you twit).
I’m going to assume it will get better with other books in this series, and this one serves as an introduction to the series. Since I really do love the historical aspect I will stick with this series and see where it takes me. Historical mystery lovers will love the setting and theme of this book, the mystery part, not so much.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated The Supernaturals in Books
Apr 10, 2018
Great horror story with creep factor
The beauty of reading horror books is this: even though you’ve probably read this same thing or read the same horror book with similar plots, cookie cutter characters, etc, what really matters at the end of the day is; does it provide you with enough chills and creep factor to get you reading?
Thankfully, this one delivers!
The plot is pretty standard; haunted house that is on the market but nobody buys it. It needs a super cleansing and a group of people are gathered and led by a Professor who’s looking out for redemption. It seems pretty much like a typical horror plot out there but it’s well written and the flow is consistent. That being said, the real action starts about the last third of the book. Think of this book as an introduction to a cast of characters, and what their ‘gifts’ are like. Their background stories are provided, and everything leading up to the night at the house is well done. It prepares to reader as to what to look forward to (with some creep factor in between)
So let’s get to the creep factor. It’s definitely there. The descriptions and events happening is enough to give the reader chills and leaves it to their imagination. There’s plenty of loud noise moments, evil laughter, and things going bump in the night to contribute to the enjoyment of reading this book.
The characters could have been better now, perhaps because it’s an introduction to the group but there’s not much substance to them (at least to some) I was a bit disappointed in George and Leonard because they had a lot to contribute but it seemed to have fizzled out when it really counts. For the most part it’s mostly John, Jenny and Gabriel in the spotlight. They’re all pretty much likable and their own storylines are good to read to provide more ‘fleshing out’ of the character.
It’s a solid horror story with a good ending. Of course it looks like there’s a second book coming out and I’m going to go and read it. I enjoyed this one immensely.
Thankfully, this one delivers!
The plot is pretty standard; haunted house that is on the market but nobody buys it. It needs a super cleansing and a group of people are gathered and led by a Professor who’s looking out for redemption. It seems pretty much like a typical horror plot out there but it’s well written and the flow is consistent. That being said, the real action starts about the last third of the book. Think of this book as an introduction to a cast of characters, and what their ‘gifts’ are like. Their background stories are provided, and everything leading up to the night at the house is well done. It prepares to reader as to what to look forward to (with some creep factor in between)
So let’s get to the creep factor. It’s definitely there. The descriptions and events happening is enough to give the reader chills and leaves it to their imagination. There’s plenty of loud noise moments, evil laughter, and things going bump in the night to contribute to the enjoyment of reading this book.
The characters could have been better now, perhaps because it’s an introduction to the group but there’s not much substance to them (at least to some) I was a bit disappointed in George and Leonard because they had a lot to contribute but it seemed to have fizzled out when it really counts. For the most part it’s mostly John, Jenny and Gabriel in the spotlight. They’re all pretty much likable and their own storylines are good to read to provide more ‘fleshing out’ of the character.
It’s a solid horror story with a good ending. Of course it looks like there’s a second book coming out and I’m going to go and read it. I enjoyed this one immensely.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
This book picks up where Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls) left off, with Sam supposedly healed. One of the new wolves is introduced as a point of view in the book, Cole, who casts an intriguing element into the plot-line as he has a completely different perspective on being a wolf than Sam does. Cole is a contradiction in other ways as well, as he is a druggie rock star wanting to escape life who also happens to possess a genius intellect thanks to a scientist father. He has immediate chemistry with Isabel, too. At first I was baffled by this pairing, but based on personality and intellect, these two mesh well.
Isabel also features heavily in this book. Even though she has attitude to spare, I rather like her, both for her sarcasm and for her brains. Sam and Grace never really seem too curious about the science and mechanics behind the wolf-human changes, but neither Isabel nor Cole can stop obsessing over it, though for different reasons.
As for Grace, now it's her turn to be the focus as she gets sicker and sicker, living in denial of what this illness relates to. Her and Sam both seem to have the mindset that if one ignores the problem, it will just disappear. I never liked that sort of approach - it seems cowardly. Really, their "epic romance" would just be another tragedy if it were not for the practicality of their friends, Isabel and Cole. In the case of this series, the lesser characters seem to carry the plot instead.
As for Sam, I found I enjoyed his random song lyrics and poems most of all. They lent a certain lyrical element to the book and added in the strength of emotion to pull me into the plot. Though poetry is not always the easiest thing to understand, his few simple lines interspersed throughout the text conveyed much more of what the characters were experiencing than a lengthy description could. I look forward to the conclusion of the series, Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 3).
Isabel also features heavily in this book. Even though she has attitude to spare, I rather like her, both for her sarcasm and for her brains. Sam and Grace never really seem too curious about the science and mechanics behind the wolf-human changes, but neither Isabel nor Cole can stop obsessing over it, though for different reasons.
As for Grace, now it's her turn to be the focus as she gets sicker and sicker, living in denial of what this illness relates to. Her and Sam both seem to have the mindset that if one ignores the problem, it will just disappear. I never liked that sort of approach - it seems cowardly. Really, their "epic romance" would just be another tragedy if it were not for the practicality of their friends, Isabel and Cole. In the case of this series, the lesser characters seem to carry the plot instead.
As for Sam, I found I enjoyed his random song lyrics and poems most of all. They lent a certain lyrical element to the book and added in the strength of emotion to pull me into the plot. Though poetry is not always the easiest thing to understand, his few simple lines interspersed throughout the text conveyed much more of what the characters were experiencing than a lengthy description could. I look forward to the conclusion of the series, Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 3).
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson: Homecoming in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Hmm...how to start? The first graphic novel featuring Mercy Thompson is a mixed bag; the story as a whole is perfectly fine, it may not be great but it's serviceable. The illustrations are very good and attractive, however Mercy herself is not. Well, okay, the girl(s) is actually drawn well, but she's not Mercy. My first thought was, "When did Mercy go from being Native American/white to Hispanic?" Even though there are different artists and styles of Mercy used in this book, like many graphic novels employ, none of them come close to matching her description. Save the cover illustration which is done by the same artist who does the full-length novel covers, Dan Dos Santos. Since she is the main character, I really think that is vital and hope the artists work on that for the next book. As for the dialogue, it's rather mediocre, sometimes choppy, and a few times didn't follow a logical sequence. I'd be reading along, then a sentence or statement would pop up that made me think I missed something somehow, so I'd proceed to go back, then find out I didn't miss anything after-all, and it just didn't make sense with everything around it. My last complaint has to do with how the book reads and the panel progression. The way the panels and speech balloons were set led to much confusion, I'd read one panel, move on to the next just to find out I should have read that one first. I have read graphic novels before and never had as many problems with them as I did with this one. I felt that more panels would have helped tell the story and there wouldn't be so much confusion as to what had actually happened. Still, the book isn't totally bad, it's a good starting place, but hopefully everyone involved will learn from this first graphic novel so the next will be better executed. I'd say that if you're not into graphic novels, that you should give it a pass unless you absolutely must read everything Mercy Thompson related.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Three Complete Novels (Psycho, Psycho II, and Psycho House) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<b>Psycho</b>
How can I read and review the book Psycho without comparing it to its movie adaptation? Yeah, not possible. For starters, the biggest difference has to be Norman Bates' physical description, which is balding and dumpy in the book. A far cry from Anthony Perkins. For most of the book I admit to not being able to visualize Norman in a different light than Perkins, who I feel was genius casting. I mean, who in that day and age would ever see that next-door-boy-look as a threat? Other than that, I have to say that the movie is pretty darned true to the book; some minor things but nothing necessary was kept out. I enjoyed Bloch's writing, it's just smooth and easy to read, keeping to a nice clip. The next to last chapter has a bit of an infodump explaining Norman's behavior, but it's short and really didn't bother me. Probably one of the best handled infodumps I've come across. So, I'd definitely recommend reading the book if you enjoy the movie, it adds a little here and there to the film.
<i>4 stars</i>
<b>Psycho II</b>
How do I put this succinctly...? What a total piece of crap.
I thought it started out pretty well, for say about the first 25 or 30 pages, minus Norman's rape of a nun's corpse (which didn't seem in his character IMHO), but then it started going downhill and ended up in a deep, deep well. Bloch's characters and plot are cliche, boring, obnoxious, two-dimensional or a combination of all of the above. The denouement is ridiculous, although not totally unforseen, and it just seemed like Bloch wasn't even interested in writing a proper sequel with Norman Bates and was more interested in showing Hollywood as amoral and vapid. Whatever. I'm glad this is over. I have better things to do with my time, like clean the litter boxes.
<i>1.5 stars</i>
I will eventually get to <b>Psycho House</b> but I need a recovery period so this is going back to the library. I highly doubt that it'll be worse than P2.
How can I read and review the book Psycho without comparing it to its movie adaptation? Yeah, not possible. For starters, the biggest difference has to be Norman Bates' physical description, which is balding and dumpy in the book. A far cry from Anthony Perkins. For most of the book I admit to not being able to visualize Norman in a different light than Perkins, who I feel was genius casting. I mean, who in that day and age would ever see that next-door-boy-look as a threat? Other than that, I have to say that the movie is pretty darned true to the book; some minor things but nothing necessary was kept out. I enjoyed Bloch's writing, it's just smooth and easy to read, keeping to a nice clip. The next to last chapter has a bit of an infodump explaining Norman's behavior, but it's short and really didn't bother me. Probably one of the best handled infodumps I've come across. So, I'd definitely recommend reading the book if you enjoy the movie, it adds a little here and there to the film.
<i>4 stars</i>
<b>Psycho II</b>
How do I put this succinctly...? What a total piece of crap.
I thought it started out pretty well, for say about the first 25 or 30 pages, minus Norman's rape of a nun's corpse (which didn't seem in his character IMHO), but then it started going downhill and ended up in a deep, deep well. Bloch's characters and plot are cliche, boring, obnoxious, two-dimensional or a combination of all of the above. The denouement is ridiculous, although not totally unforseen, and it just seemed like Bloch wasn't even interested in writing a proper sequel with Norman Bates and was more interested in showing Hollywood as amoral and vapid. Whatever. I'm glad this is over. I have better things to do with my time, like clean the litter boxes.
<i>1.5 stars</i>
I will eventually get to <b>Psycho House</b> but I need a recovery period so this is going back to the library. I highly doubt that it'll be worse than P2.
Jon Hansen (9 KP) rated Quantum in Tabletop Games
May 2, 2019
Fun (6 more)
Replayable
Innovative
Easy to learn
Strategic
Deep
Visually Appealing
Out Of Print (1 more)
A little too strategic for older folks
Space Battle-Yahtzee
We rented Quantum from our local card shop, and ended up playing it every day. Its out of print, so it was a stroke of astounding luck that the shop was willing to sell it to us.
Quantum plays somewhat like risk, where you advance units to positions to capture objectives. The catch is that your units are dice- higher numbers can move further, but lower numbers are better in combat, and each has a special ability.
The game revolves around placing "Quantum Cubes", which your units build on planets. Each planet has a number and an amount of slots for quantum cubes to be placed, and to build a cube your units (which are literally dice) must add up the the number on the planet they are on.
Building quantum cubes allows you to select an "advancement card", which contain either permanent upgrades to your turns and abilities, or one-time powerful bonuses. All advancement cards feel meaningful and powerful, and which ones you select determine a lot of how your game will play out. You can "build" for combat, research, mobility, and even some weird other things like being able to change one of your dice once per turn either up one number or down one (and thus changing its abilities).
The game board is configurable tiles, so the "map" can be different each time, and support a faster or slower game, or more or less players (the game only comes with pieces for 4 players, but if you had the dice it wouldn't be hard to play extra with improvised pieces).
The game pacing is really well done; if all players know what they're doing, the race to place the final cube can be intense and exciting, as each player will end up with different strengths as they implement unique strategies to win.
We love quantum and have had a blast every time we've played it- we're expecting it to become a family favorite and for our copy to end up very well loved.
Quantum plays somewhat like risk, where you advance units to positions to capture objectives. The catch is that your units are dice- higher numbers can move further, but lower numbers are better in combat, and each has a special ability.
The game revolves around placing "Quantum Cubes", which your units build on planets. Each planet has a number and an amount of slots for quantum cubes to be placed, and to build a cube your units (which are literally dice) must add up the the number on the planet they are on.
Building quantum cubes allows you to select an "advancement card", which contain either permanent upgrades to your turns and abilities, or one-time powerful bonuses. All advancement cards feel meaningful and powerful, and which ones you select determine a lot of how your game will play out. You can "build" for combat, research, mobility, and even some weird other things like being able to change one of your dice once per turn either up one number or down one (and thus changing its abilities).
The game board is configurable tiles, so the "map" can be different each time, and support a faster or slower game, or more or less players (the game only comes with pieces for 4 players, but if you had the dice it wouldn't be hard to play extra with improvised pieces).
The game pacing is really well done; if all players know what they're doing, the race to place the final cube can be intense and exciting, as each player will end up with different strengths as they implement unique strategies to win.
We love quantum and have had a blast every time we've played it- we're expecting it to become a family favorite and for our copy to end up very well loved.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Fighting fit
#alitabattleangel may just be the most #intense & visually splendid mature cgi fest I've seen in a long long time. Having not seen #anime that inspired this #movie i had no idea what i was walking into with this one. Upon leaving it i not only felt extremely satisfied but also like i had experienced something #breathtaking & full to the brim with #passion. To start I can't stress enough just how god damn #beautiful this #film is, cgi is staggering as well as jaw dropping. From the intricate inner machinery wires, dust particles & realistic lighting to the tiny blemishes on skin Alita simply knocks it out the park. Its locations are vast, immersive, claustrophobic, lived in, #depressing & full to the brim with story telling/world building so much so that they could each tell a story themselves. #Animation is slick, fluid & #natural with #human & cgi interaction weighty & almost flawlessly done. Story wise its extremely empowering as we watch #Alita grow from & innocent child like #girl into a tuff driven #woman. Seeing Alita emit such wonderful human emotions such as #love, excitement & #happiness is not only #heartwarming but also #magical. Starting so warm & ending so bleak we see Alitas innocence almost ripped away from her as she is forced to #mature fast letting her primal instincts & bad human traits (such as jealousy/#anger) take control tarnishing her other wise loving/careing inner self. Its tense, adrenaline inducing stuff & this mixed with well constructed action & your token damn right nasty at times #robertrodriguez death scenes its not always the happiest of films either. #Deep themes are explored but theres alot of them too so only surfaces are scratched. My favourite being how #society/entertainment glorifies/condones violence & uses it as a tool to control us all. Negatives - if anything #Battleangel is far to short, i feel i needed another hour of content in there somewhere especially the final act which felt rushed. If we dont get a sequel or 3 i will be very disappointed as this is a fantastic world i simply must know more about it. A must see for sure. #edskrein is an absolute joy to watch too. #odeon #odeonlimitless #robot #thursdaythoughts