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Dana (24 KP) rated Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches #2) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I am giving this book a 3.5 stars, so I will explain why later on in the review. Again, as always, there will most likely be spoilers, so read at your own peril.
This was my very first Terry Pratchett book! My friend Grace let me borrow her copy of the book and said I would probably like it because Macbeth is one of my all-time favorite Shakespearean plays!
I enjoyed this book. Don't let the 3.5 star review throw you.
I liked how the plot moved along fairly quickly and everything was interconnected. That was something I don't really see too often in novels, so it was great to experience that. I am wondering how all of the other twenty-seven or so books will connect together, but I can't say that I will be reading them too soon. I have far too many other books I need to read right now, but maybe next year!
The characters were pretty fun as well. I loved the three witches, they were so fun and snippy! All the sarcasm and arguments made them even more lovable, and we all know that I love me a good witch character. I think I loved Margat the most out of the three witches because she was so "modern"' as opposed to Nanny and Granny. Nanny, however, is such a spitfire and I love how violent she can get in her temper.
I do have to say, however, that the story line did get kinda convoluted at times which is one of the reasons I am giving it a lower rating. The timeline, while it was supposed to go a bit wonky, had me all turned around at times.
I also wasn't a big fan of there not being any chapter breaks. While there were some line breaks to show the shift in the narrator, it wasn't enough to really show breaks in what was happening in the story. I am not saying that this is always a bad thing, not having chapter breaks, but I, personally, appreciate them.
The world was very well built, though the rules of the world were not fully explained. I loved all of the little footnotes and interjections from the narrator. They made the time pass so much more quickly.
Overall, it was a pretty good book. It took some getting used to the writing style and the world itself, but I enjoyed it. I am excited to see what comes next in the series!
This was my very first Terry Pratchett book! My friend Grace let me borrow her copy of the book and said I would probably like it because Macbeth is one of my all-time favorite Shakespearean plays!
I enjoyed this book. Don't let the 3.5 star review throw you.
I liked how the plot moved along fairly quickly and everything was interconnected. That was something I don't really see too often in novels, so it was great to experience that. I am wondering how all of the other twenty-seven or so books will connect together, but I can't say that I will be reading them too soon. I have far too many other books I need to read right now, but maybe next year!
The characters were pretty fun as well. I loved the three witches, they were so fun and snippy! All the sarcasm and arguments made them even more lovable, and we all know that I love me a good witch character. I think I loved Margat the most out of the three witches because she was so "modern"' as opposed to Nanny and Granny. Nanny, however, is such a spitfire and I love how violent she can get in her temper.
I do have to say, however, that the story line did get kinda convoluted at times which is one of the reasons I am giving it a lower rating. The timeline, while it was supposed to go a bit wonky, had me all turned around at times.
I also wasn't a big fan of there not being any chapter breaks. While there were some line breaks to show the shift in the narrator, it wasn't enough to really show breaks in what was happening in the story. I am not saying that this is always a bad thing, not having chapter breaks, but I, personally, appreciate them.
The world was very well built, though the rules of the world were not fully explained. I loved all of the little footnotes and interjections from the narrator. They made the time pass so much more quickly.
Overall, it was a pretty good book. It took some getting used to the writing style and the world itself, but I enjoyed it. I am excited to see what comes next in the series!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Shattered in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I'm a huge fan of horror books, so when Shattered by C.S. Kane was offered for review, I knew it was a book I had to read! However, I was really disappointed with this book.
I don't think the title suits the book at all. I don't really understand what is being shattered unless it's talking about Stacey's sanity.
The cover is alright. It is a scene from the book. It took me awhile to realize that the red thing on the cover was a heart pinned to the wall.
I didn't really have any problems with the world building except that it didn't come across as a creepy world. Not once was I the slightest bit scared or creeped out.
I felt the pacing of this book was slow. If it had been a longer book, I probably would've added it to my DNF (did not finish) shelf. It took forever, or so I thought, before the action really started, and when it did, it felt like it wasn't much.
The plot idea itself was a good one but sadly fell flat with poor execution. I would've liked this story to involve more of a haunting with more goings on. This story was poorly lacking I believe.
I found all the characters to be a bit dull and on dimensional. I couldn't connect with Stacey on any level, and I found myself not really caring what happened to her. There's a few other characters that are minor but I felt that they are also just sub par.
The dialogue doesn't feel disjointed or awkward in this novel, so it does have that going for it. The character interactions also flow well. There may be a slight amount of swearing in this book. (To be honest, I was a bit bored with this book, so I just wanted to get to the end). There is some blood and gore as well.
Overall, the idea for Shattered was a good one but was just poorly executed. Personally, I found it to be a bit dull and lacking depth. However, there are some good reviews for this book, so I encourage you to form your own opinion.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
I'd give Shattered by C.S. Kane a 1.75 out of 5.
(I received a free ecopy of this title from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review).
I'm a huge fan of horror books, so when Shattered by C.S. Kane was offered for review, I knew it was a book I had to read! However, I was really disappointed with this book.
I don't think the title suits the book at all. I don't really understand what is being shattered unless it's talking about Stacey's sanity.
The cover is alright. It is a scene from the book. It took me awhile to realize that the red thing on the cover was a heart pinned to the wall.
I didn't really have any problems with the world building except that it didn't come across as a creepy world. Not once was I the slightest bit scared or creeped out.
I felt the pacing of this book was slow. If it had been a longer book, I probably would've added it to my DNF (did not finish) shelf. It took forever, or so I thought, before the action really started, and when it did, it felt like it wasn't much.
The plot idea itself was a good one but sadly fell flat with poor execution. I would've liked this story to involve more of a haunting with more goings on. This story was poorly lacking I believe.
I found all the characters to be a bit dull and on dimensional. I couldn't connect with Stacey on any level, and I found myself not really caring what happened to her. There's a few other characters that are minor but I felt that they are also just sub par.
The dialogue doesn't feel disjointed or awkward in this novel, so it does have that going for it. The character interactions also flow well. There may be a slight amount of swearing in this book. (To be honest, I was a bit bored with this book, so I just wanted to get to the end). There is some blood and gore as well.
Overall, the idea for Shattered was a good one but was just poorly executed. Personally, I found it to be a bit dull and lacking depth. However, there are some good reviews for this book, so I encourage you to form your own opinion.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
I'd give Shattered by C.S. Kane a 1.75 out of 5.
(I received a free ecopy of this title from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies
Aug 13, 2018
"Watched #TheMeg. Suggest renaming it #TheMeh." This is what I posted on Twitter after coming out of the movie theater. How do you bland-ify a movie about a gigantic prehistoric shark? Well, you hire Jon Turteltaub as the director, and cast Jason Statham as the lead for starters. Then you methodically go through and remove everything that made the book work so well except for the giant shark. Because, really, who needs the human drama at all? Gigantic shark should carry it through, right? RIGHT?!
I mean just for starters, Jonas from the book, as just a regular old submersible pilot obviously wasn't cool enough. He needs to be a rescue diver. As soon as I realized that was one of the changes they made, I pretty much knew the movie was screwed. Jonas wasn't the only problem with the characters either. The little girl grated on my nerves because hey, every summer movie needs a cheeky kid with unrealistic dialogue in it, right? I could go on, but you get my point.
Anyways, I had paid for all three of us to see it, and we were watching it in 3D, so I figured I would still get some entertainment from it. I was definitely gonna have at least a few shots of the shark coming straight at me, right? They had to have planned to shoot this in 3D, knowing the amount of people like me that would want to see it. Nope. We get a ball flying at our face in one case, and one or two other instances where the 3D actually worked. That was it.
Being honest, there were some fun scenes. They were entirely predictable, but still fun. (The best scenes in the movie are shown in the trailer, by the way.) I jumped a few times, but I'm the type of person who would jump if I saw Elmo walk on unexpectedly on Sesame Street, so take that with a grain of salt.
Overall? The dialogue was cut-and-paste, the characters were almost completely lacking in any traits that made them not cliche characters. The shark was okay. The price I paid for 3D was completely not worth it. Rent the original Jaws. It's better. If you are craving some silliness, rent the original Deep Blue Sea. Its better too.
The Meg wasn't awful. I would have actually preferred to hate it, I think. It was just completely forgettable, and for a movie about a gigantic prehistoric shark, I think that's the worst possible feeling to be left with.
I mean just for starters, Jonas from the book, as just a regular old submersible pilot obviously wasn't cool enough. He needs to be a rescue diver. As soon as I realized that was one of the changes they made, I pretty much knew the movie was screwed. Jonas wasn't the only problem with the characters either. The little girl grated on my nerves because hey, every summer movie needs a cheeky kid with unrealistic dialogue in it, right? I could go on, but you get my point.
Anyways, I had paid for all three of us to see it, and we were watching it in 3D, so I figured I would still get some entertainment from it. I was definitely gonna have at least a few shots of the shark coming straight at me, right? They had to have planned to shoot this in 3D, knowing the amount of people like me that would want to see it. Nope. We get a ball flying at our face in one case, and one or two other instances where the 3D actually worked. That was it.
Being honest, there were some fun scenes. They were entirely predictable, but still fun. (The best scenes in the movie are shown in the trailer, by the way.) I jumped a few times, but I'm the type of person who would jump if I saw Elmo walk on unexpectedly on Sesame Street, so take that with a grain of salt.
Overall? The dialogue was cut-and-paste, the characters were almost completely lacking in any traits that made them not cliche characters. The shark was okay. The price I paid for 3D was completely not worth it. Rent the original Jaws. It's better. If you are craving some silliness, rent the original Deep Blue Sea. Its better too.
The Meg wasn't awful. I would have actually preferred to hate it, I think. It was just completely forgettable, and for a movie about a gigantic prehistoric shark, I think that's the worst possible feeling to be left with.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Night Raid in Books
Aug 21, 2018
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If you are a fan of drama, history, romance, World War II related books, heartwarming read and words that will make you laugh and cry at the same time - The Night Raid from Clare Harvey is the perfect book for you.
In the time of the World War II, in a factory in England, women work their way to earn a bit of money for themselves and their families. All of these women have their own stories and their own secrets.
When a woman comes to the factory to paint the ladies working the night shift, a lot of secrets will reveal itself. The stories of love, broken hearts, never-haves, hopes and dreams for the future will be painted on that canvas.
Full with passion, mystery, warmness and moments that will stay with you forever, Clare Harvey captures all of these and more in this amazing book.
She describes the characters in a unique way, she gives them life and meaning, and in a page or two you will already be inside their world, going through their happiness and pain.
This book was quite fast paced - in the meaning of, the story goes on smoothly, and there aren’t any sideway streets where you can get lost into. It was easy to keep track of what is happening from the very first beginning and easy to stay on track as well.
Clare managed to capture the World War II period in England quite well. I would never know how it was then, of course, but by reading the book, I could find myself being there, stuck in that time, stuck with those principles that we don’t believe in now. Stuck in a time where people believed that if a woman becomes pregnant during her working time, she has to either give up the baby, or live in a house full of other women that ended up the same way as her. Stuck in a time where gender equality is not a thing, and how could it be?
I would definitely recommend this book to every one of you, because it is a perfect blend of history and romance, of sadness and happiness, and of such powerful women that fought against all odds to survive and achieve in what they believed in!
If you are a fan of drama, history, romance, World War II related books, heartwarming read and words that will make you laugh and cry at the same time - The Night Raid from Clare Harvey is the perfect book for you.
In the time of the World War II, in a factory in England, women work their way to earn a bit of money for themselves and their families. All of these women have their own stories and their own secrets.
When a woman comes to the factory to paint the ladies working the night shift, a lot of secrets will reveal itself. The stories of love, broken hearts, never-haves, hopes and dreams for the future will be painted on that canvas.
Full with passion, mystery, warmness and moments that will stay with you forever, Clare Harvey captures all of these and more in this amazing book.
She describes the characters in a unique way, she gives them life and meaning, and in a page or two you will already be inside their world, going through their happiness and pain.
This book was quite fast paced - in the meaning of, the story goes on smoothly, and there aren’t any sideway streets where you can get lost into. It was easy to keep track of what is happening from the very first beginning and easy to stay on track as well.
Clare managed to capture the World War II period in England quite well. I would never know how it was then, of course, but by reading the book, I could find myself being there, stuck in that time, stuck with those principles that we don’t believe in now. Stuck in a time where people believed that if a woman becomes pregnant during her working time, she has to either give up the baby, or live in a house full of other women that ended up the same way as her. Stuck in a time where gender equality is not a thing, and how could it be?
I would definitely recommend this book to every one of you, because it is a perfect blend of history and romance, of sadness and happiness, and of such powerful women that fought against all odds to survive and achieve in what they believed in!
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated The Trust Casefiles in Books
Nov 5, 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review, and I am pleased to say I very much enjoyed it.
It is, what reads like, a collection of stories which are based on a 'Trust' who protect the humans by destroying vampires and other supernatural beings. There are lots of different types of vampires mentioned, as well as lots of different 'agents' for the Trust.
The book has many positive aspects which make it a very good read, however there are a couple of areas that, with minimal work, could make this book much better and easier to read. Firstly, it's necessary to point out that it's not, in my opinion at least, an easy read. The snippets don't always seem to flow on from each other, and this can make it quite confusing as a reader. In addition, I feel there are too many characters to keep up with and the major characters could just do with a little more development earlier on in the book to encourage the reader to engage and invest more emotion in them from the early pages.
That being said, there are many positive aspects that are a credit to Cushing. Perhaps the best of these is the variety of vampires covered in this book. The imagination necessary to create not only one unique brand of vampires for a book, but to create a huge variety, and making out that they are as diverse as humans is a novel concept that I've not encountered in such detail before. The fact that Cushing also dabbles into other supernatural beings as well makes this book a must read for those interested in traditional stereotypes of supernatural creatures.
In addition, I feel huge credit has to be given for the plot in this book. Although not entirely easy to follow throughout, the amount of twists and turns that Cushing has included is admirable. Each chapter delivers something new and very fresh to the story, and that's something few books manage. Personally, it needs to be just a bit more careful in the plot structure, and a few more signposts are needed to really help the reader find their way through the book a little easier, but it is immensely enjoyable to read.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes traditional vampire tales with a twist. It's a fast paced book with plenty of action and a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a few hours!
It is, what reads like, a collection of stories which are based on a 'Trust' who protect the humans by destroying vampires and other supernatural beings. There are lots of different types of vampires mentioned, as well as lots of different 'agents' for the Trust.
The book has many positive aspects which make it a very good read, however there are a couple of areas that, with minimal work, could make this book much better and easier to read. Firstly, it's necessary to point out that it's not, in my opinion at least, an easy read. The snippets don't always seem to flow on from each other, and this can make it quite confusing as a reader. In addition, I feel there are too many characters to keep up with and the major characters could just do with a little more development earlier on in the book to encourage the reader to engage and invest more emotion in them from the early pages.
That being said, there are many positive aspects that are a credit to Cushing. Perhaps the best of these is the variety of vampires covered in this book. The imagination necessary to create not only one unique brand of vampires for a book, but to create a huge variety, and making out that they are as diverse as humans is a novel concept that I've not encountered in such detail before. The fact that Cushing also dabbles into other supernatural beings as well makes this book a must read for those interested in traditional stereotypes of supernatural creatures.
In addition, I feel huge credit has to be given for the plot in this book. Although not entirely easy to follow throughout, the amount of twists and turns that Cushing has included is admirable. Each chapter delivers something new and very fresh to the story, and that's something few books manage. Personally, it needs to be just a bit more careful in the plot structure, and a few more signposts are needed to really help the reader find their way through the book a little easier, but it is immensely enjoyable to read.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes traditional vampire tales with a twist. It's a fast paced book with plenty of action and a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a few hours!
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Wreck-It-Ralph (2012) in Movies
Nov 12, 2018
Deserves greater credit than it currently is getting
Not being a big video game guy, I was late to the party to the original WRECK-IT RALPH in 2012 and when I saw it, I thought "it's fine" and didn't really think more about it. Now that it's sequel is coming out, I thought it would be good time to revisit this film (and to also remind me of the characters of the first one). And I'm glad I did, for I enjoyed myself much more this go around with this film than I did in my initial experience.
Taking a page out of PIXAR, this WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS picture tells the "inside story" of what happens to Video Game characters when the lights go off. Following a "villain" in a game, WRECK-IT RALPH tells the story of Ralph's attempt to become a hero by winning a medal in another video game, only to become something more when he encounters a "glitch" in another game.
This is a well made, smart animation film that has enough action, suspense and silliness to appeal to children, but enough "adult content" (read: smart humor that goes over the heads of the kids) to appeal to the adults that have taken the kids to the movies. It pays great homage to video games - many of which went over my head, but (I am assured) were well played (at least according to the video gamers that I am acquainted).
Like all animated movies, a good percentage of the joy of this film is in the voice work - and this picture has very good ones from Sarah Silverman's Vanellope to Jack McBrayer's Fix-It Felix and Jane Lynch's kick-butt Calhoun, the voices strongly portray the character - and character types - quickly and easily. Special mention should be made of Allan Tudyk's King Candy (an homage to the the great Vaudeville and early film comedian Ed Wynn) and, especially, John C. Reilly in the title role. He is perfectly cast as Ralph, showing the weight of the size of the character in his voice with a sweetness and vulnerability that shows the size of the character's heart.
This is a wonderful and winning film, one that deserves greater praise than it is currently given, and I, for one, am looking forward to the sequel coming out.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Taking a page out of PIXAR, this WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS picture tells the "inside story" of what happens to Video Game characters when the lights go off. Following a "villain" in a game, WRECK-IT RALPH tells the story of Ralph's attempt to become a hero by winning a medal in another video game, only to become something more when he encounters a "glitch" in another game.
This is a well made, smart animation film that has enough action, suspense and silliness to appeal to children, but enough "adult content" (read: smart humor that goes over the heads of the kids) to appeal to the adults that have taken the kids to the movies. It pays great homage to video games - many of which went over my head, but (I am assured) were well played (at least according to the video gamers that I am acquainted).
Like all animated movies, a good percentage of the joy of this film is in the voice work - and this picture has very good ones from Sarah Silverman's Vanellope to Jack McBrayer's Fix-It Felix and Jane Lynch's kick-butt Calhoun, the voices strongly portray the character - and character types - quickly and easily. Special mention should be made of Allan Tudyk's King Candy (an homage to the the great Vaudeville and early film comedian Ed Wynn) and, especially, John C. Reilly in the title role. He is perfectly cast as Ralph, showing the weight of the size of the character in his voice with a sweetness and vulnerability that shows the size of the character's heart.
This is a wonderful and winning film, one that deserves greater praise than it is currently given, and I, for one, am looking forward to the sequel coming out.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Killing Gunther (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Action Superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to action in the new film “Killing Gunther”. The film is a documentary style fusion of comedy and action and involves a collection of assassins gathering to kill an elite assassin named Gunther (Arnold Schwarzenegger). The group’s motives are varied but many simply want to make a name for themselves by taking out the top name in their profession.
The leader of the team is Blake (Taran Killam), and he has a range of reasons for wanting Gunther dead and has hired a documentary film crew to capture every moment of his mission.
Unfortunately Blake and his crew are highly dysfunctional and they have to supplement their crew with some unstable and unproven recruits as the more established members of their profession know better than to cross Gunther.
The team learns quickly that there plans are already known to Gunther and he starts toying with them in a series of well-timed hit and run missions. Every time the team thinks they have the drop on Gunther, he seems to turn the tables on them and slip away, reducing their ranks in the process.
Blake soon finds his life falling apart as his actions have drawn the attention of the authorities and he finds himself unable to return to his home and forced to take up residence with his tech guy.
As Blake goes all in on his mission life and other complications arise for the team which makes for an all-out finale to accomplish his goal.
While the premise of the film is entertaining it does tend to drag on at many points and labors to get to Schwarzenegger. Part of this is due to Taran Killam being the Writer and Director for the film as well. He has a background that includes Saturday Night Live and short sitcoms and sketch comedies. He has crafted a very interesting premise but one that would have been better in a series of short sketches or in a shorter film.
Schwarzenegger seems to be enjoying himself and the campy nature of his role and he at times parodies himself with some lines lifted from “Predator”, yet seems to do so with a wink and a smile to the audience.
Schwarzenegger fans may find the film interesting enough to watch in the theaters but my advice would be to watch this on demand or wait to rent or stream it.
http://sknr.net/2017/10/18/killing-gunther/
The leader of the team is Blake (Taran Killam), and he has a range of reasons for wanting Gunther dead and has hired a documentary film crew to capture every moment of his mission.
Unfortunately Blake and his crew are highly dysfunctional and they have to supplement their crew with some unstable and unproven recruits as the more established members of their profession know better than to cross Gunther.
The team learns quickly that there plans are already known to Gunther and he starts toying with them in a series of well-timed hit and run missions. Every time the team thinks they have the drop on Gunther, he seems to turn the tables on them and slip away, reducing their ranks in the process.
Blake soon finds his life falling apart as his actions have drawn the attention of the authorities and he finds himself unable to return to his home and forced to take up residence with his tech guy.
As Blake goes all in on his mission life and other complications arise for the team which makes for an all-out finale to accomplish his goal.
While the premise of the film is entertaining it does tend to drag on at many points and labors to get to Schwarzenegger. Part of this is due to Taran Killam being the Writer and Director for the film as well. He has a background that includes Saturday Night Live and short sitcoms and sketch comedies. He has crafted a very interesting premise but one that would have been better in a series of short sketches or in a shorter film.
Schwarzenegger seems to be enjoying himself and the campy nature of his role and he at times parodies himself with some lines lifted from “Predator”, yet seems to do so with a wink and a smile to the audience.
Schwarzenegger fans may find the film interesting enough to watch in the theaters but my advice would be to watch this on demand or wait to rent or stream it.
http://sknr.net/2017/10/18/killing-gunther/
Hazel (1853 KP) rated After Us (Before & After, #2) in Books
Dec 14, 2018
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review
After Us is the second book in the Before and After series by Amber Heart. The story follows on from the events in the first book, Before You, and how the characters are coping in the aftermath. I have not read the first book however that was not a problem as After Us was written in such a way that made it easy to understand what had happened previously.
The story alternates between 18 year old Melissa and Javier's point of views. Melissa is hiding her scars from the operation to remove the cancer cells from her body and living with the fear that it may not have been successful. Since her best friend Faith has moved away she has kept this to herself, worrying that other people would be repulsed by her. Javier, on the other hand, is wearing a metaphorical mask to hide the pain he feels at the loss of his cousin and best friend Diego. Instead of laying the past to rest he is determined to avenge Diego's death.
After Us is essentially a love story about characters who hide the raw pain they feel from everyone, including those closest to each other. As well as these problems they also have to deal with racial discrimination. Javier's family originate from Cuba and only moved to the US for a better life. Javier's mother, however, has a "only-date-Latinas" rule as she believes American girls are not good enough for her sons. This is somewhat like the famous story of Romeo and Juliet where the families want nothing to do with each other.
As well as a love story, After Us deals with other themes from medical problems to drug dealing. Heart, rather than writing about the affects of taking drugs, concentrates on the people behind the dealing. Drug Gangs can be just as dangerous as the substances as they involve violence that often result on fatal injuries.
On the whole the storyline could have delved deeper into the characters individual stories and the ending could have been stronger. Although there was a surprise plot twist, the book finished rather quickly with everything suddenly being resolved and no repercussions.
As already mentioned it is not vital to read the previous book in order to understand After Us however, from what I understand, Before You is written from Faith and Diego's points of views. Overall this book was ok for a quick read but I would not label it as anything special.
After Us is the second book in the Before and After series by Amber Heart. The story follows on from the events in the first book, Before You, and how the characters are coping in the aftermath. I have not read the first book however that was not a problem as After Us was written in such a way that made it easy to understand what had happened previously.
The story alternates between 18 year old Melissa and Javier's point of views. Melissa is hiding her scars from the operation to remove the cancer cells from her body and living with the fear that it may not have been successful. Since her best friend Faith has moved away she has kept this to herself, worrying that other people would be repulsed by her. Javier, on the other hand, is wearing a metaphorical mask to hide the pain he feels at the loss of his cousin and best friend Diego. Instead of laying the past to rest he is determined to avenge Diego's death.
After Us is essentially a love story about characters who hide the raw pain they feel from everyone, including those closest to each other. As well as these problems they also have to deal with racial discrimination. Javier's family originate from Cuba and only moved to the US for a better life. Javier's mother, however, has a "only-date-Latinas" rule as she believes American girls are not good enough for her sons. This is somewhat like the famous story of Romeo and Juliet where the families want nothing to do with each other.
As well as a love story, After Us deals with other themes from medical problems to drug dealing. Heart, rather than writing about the affects of taking drugs, concentrates on the people behind the dealing. Drug Gangs can be just as dangerous as the substances as they involve violence that often result on fatal injuries.
On the whole the storyline could have delved deeper into the characters individual stories and the ending could have been stronger. Although there was a surprise plot twist, the book finished rather quickly with everything suddenly being resolved and no repercussions.
As already mentioned it is not vital to read the previous book in order to understand After Us however, from what I understand, Before You is written from Faith and Diego's points of views. Overall this book was ok for a quick read but I would not label it as anything special.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Oh Dear Silvia in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>Oh Dear Silvia</i> is a contemporary, somewhat humorous, novel by British comedian, Dawn French. Set in England it focuses on a sixty-year-old woman, Silvia Shute, who has fallen from a balcony, sustaining a serious head injury that has left her in a coma.
Knowing this you cannot help wondering how you do write a book where the main character is unconscious and how would this affect the narrative? This is how. Although Silvia is indeed the main character, the tale is actually told through observing family members and friends when they visit her in hospital. The entire book plays out in Silvia’s hospital room, Suite 5, but each character brings something else to story through their thoughts, feelings and actions.
Ed, Silvia’s ex husband, provides details of what has happened since their divorce. Jo, her older sister, reminisces about their childhood whist trying and failing to use a number of New Age ideas to wake Silvia up. There is Cat, her best friend, through who we discover what actually happened to Silvia, whilst, Tia, her cleaner is bringing in her favourite foods and updating her on the various goings on in the celebrity world. Cassie, her daughter however, portrays Silvia in a different light that makes us question what kind of person Silvia really was. And finally there is Winnie, a nurse at the hospital. Winnie’s accounts provide the reader with an extra storyline that is nothing to do with Silvia and her accident.
The story being told in this way gives the reader a chance to learn about who Silvia was which causes us to think different things about her which we would not have had the opportunity to feel had Silvia been able to tell the story herself. Firstly we feel worry for her, but then we begin to hate her particularly with the help of Cassie as well as Ed, who admits that had Silvia been conscious he would not have been visiting. Finally we get to a stage of understanding. Understanding who Silvia was, understanding why she did what she did, understanding what has happened to her.
The book takes on many themes: drama, mystery… and humour. Well, it is meant to be humour. I can understand the funny parts but personally it was not my type of humour. Too much swearing in my opinion. But then if you enjoy that type of thing, <i>Oh Dear Silvia</i> has the potential to be a really funny book.
Knowing this you cannot help wondering how you do write a book where the main character is unconscious and how would this affect the narrative? This is how. Although Silvia is indeed the main character, the tale is actually told through observing family members and friends when they visit her in hospital. The entire book plays out in Silvia’s hospital room, Suite 5, but each character brings something else to story through their thoughts, feelings and actions.
Ed, Silvia’s ex husband, provides details of what has happened since their divorce. Jo, her older sister, reminisces about their childhood whist trying and failing to use a number of New Age ideas to wake Silvia up. There is Cat, her best friend, through who we discover what actually happened to Silvia, whilst, Tia, her cleaner is bringing in her favourite foods and updating her on the various goings on in the celebrity world. Cassie, her daughter however, portrays Silvia in a different light that makes us question what kind of person Silvia really was. And finally there is Winnie, a nurse at the hospital. Winnie’s accounts provide the reader with an extra storyline that is nothing to do with Silvia and her accident.
The story being told in this way gives the reader a chance to learn about who Silvia was which causes us to think different things about her which we would not have had the opportunity to feel had Silvia been able to tell the story herself. Firstly we feel worry for her, but then we begin to hate her particularly with the help of Cassie as well as Ed, who admits that had Silvia been conscious he would not have been visiting. Finally we get to a stage of understanding. Understanding who Silvia was, understanding why she did what she did, understanding what has happened to her.
The book takes on many themes: drama, mystery… and humour. Well, it is meant to be humour. I can understand the funny parts but personally it was not my type of humour. Too much swearing in my opinion. But then if you enjoy that type of thing, <i>Oh Dear Silvia</i> has the potential to be a really funny book.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated 100 Fathoms Below in Books
Jan 31, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
I love books that take place under the sea–particularly horror books. If you’ve read my review on Something’s Alive on the Titanic, you probably already know that. (It’s a great book by the way, and its author is Robert Serling–brother to Rod Serling.) It’s only natural that I selected 100 Fathoms Below when I read its nautical, and eerie, description.
And here’s where my spoiler comes in, because I’m about to go on a mini-rant. The synopsis hints at a mysterious, evil monster hunting the crew of the ship, but it does not say what that creature is. Therefore, I feel that revealing this is a book about vampires is, in fact, a spoiler–contrary to popular belief of other reviewers. It’s pretty obvious early on, with the first hint coming in at 8%, however if I’d known this was a vampire book before I chose it, I wouldn’t have taken the time to read it. The key word there is BEFORE. Because I had it spoiled by a straight up summary of the prologue on Goodreads, coupled with a pretty hearty description about the… well, vampires. So, now that you know that overly used trope is here, let’s take a moment to discuss what Kent and Kaufmann do right, shall we?
The vampires in 100 Fathoms Below are good ol’ classic boys, in the sense that they’re bloodthirsty and want nothing more than to maim and breed more of their kind. They aren’t romanticized, either–and that’s a great thing. In fact, they’re written well enough that, despite having been spoiled by a fellow reviewer, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it. Mostly because I wanted to see how things ended.
Something else Kent and Kaufmann excel at is creating a connection between the readers and characters. I found myself sharing the hopes and dreams of many of the figures we meet. That made some of the deaths a lot more difficult on me.
The plot is quick, making it an easy read; however, the sense of intrigue isn’t really there. The whole discovering a prototype Soviet submarine takes the back burner with an occasional mention and even when it does come back into play toward the end of the book, there’s not exactly any excitement or fear of them being caught. I found that to be a bit disappointing.
Overall, it’s an entertaining read, but I probably wouldn’t take the time to re-read it. I’d like to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
And here’s where my spoiler comes in, because I’m about to go on a mini-rant. The synopsis hints at a mysterious, evil monster hunting the crew of the ship, but it does not say what that creature is. Therefore, I feel that revealing this is a book about vampires is, in fact, a spoiler–contrary to popular belief of other reviewers. It’s pretty obvious early on, with the first hint coming in at 8%, however if I’d known this was a vampire book before I chose it, I wouldn’t have taken the time to read it. The key word there is BEFORE. Because I had it spoiled by a straight up summary of the prologue on Goodreads, coupled with a pretty hearty description about the… well, vampires. So, now that you know that overly used trope is here, let’s take a moment to discuss what Kent and Kaufmann do right, shall we?
The vampires in 100 Fathoms Below are good ol’ classic boys, in the sense that they’re bloodthirsty and want nothing more than to maim and breed more of their kind. They aren’t romanticized, either–and that’s a great thing. In fact, they’re written well enough that, despite having been spoiled by a fellow reviewer, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it. Mostly because I wanted to see how things ended.
Something else Kent and Kaufmann excel at is creating a connection between the readers and characters. I found myself sharing the hopes and dreams of many of the figures we meet. That made some of the deaths a lot more difficult on me.
The plot is quick, making it an easy read; however, the sense of intrigue isn’t really there. The whole discovering a prototype Soviet submarine takes the back burner with an occasional mention and even when it does come back into play toward the end of the book, there’s not exactly any excitement or fear of them being caught. I found that to be a bit disappointing.
Overall, it’s an entertaining read, but I probably wouldn’t take the time to re-read it. I’d like to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.