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Ruth Frampton (577 KP) rated Helix in Books

Jun 25, 2020  
Helix
Helix
Mary Ting | 2019 | Young Adult (YA)
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Change of style but still a good read.
In this instalment of the story, we hear from both main characters point of view and to begin with, this was quite disconcerting, however, with already having an emotional investment in the characters I carried on and found it really works. A rewrite of book one to also be in the style would be great or the next book making it clearer why the story is told in this way. In this volume I found the ending to be left in a very uncomfortable place, so if you don't like being left hanging, perhaps you should make sure book 3 is next to you before reading this one.
The character's adventures continue here, with the advancement of the back story as well as adding intriguing additional stories which drive the story forward well, keeping me engaged throughout.
I would recommend this as a good read for all. Just remember my warning about the ending.

Reviewed honestly after receiving a copy as ARC.
  
This is my first time reading a book by Jennifer Pierce and I really enjoyed the way she wove her suspenseful story! I was hooked from the very first chapter by the plight of the main character, I mean imagine being on the run at eight months pregnant! The characters were well done, easy to get to know, and both had good character depth for the length of the story. I thought it was a very well written book with interesting twists and turns that kept my interest easily.

It is the second book in a series, but I read it without reading the first book and wasn’t lost at all, but I am going to go back and read the first book since I liked this one so much.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the great mystery/suspense, for the character's interactions, and for leaving me anticipating the next book!

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
Lifeforce (1985)
Lifeforce (1985)
1985 | Horror, Sci-Fi
Contains spoilers, click to show
Lifeforce is a typical English movie, bringing together myth and Sci-Fi with a number of familiar faces and one church being blown up (really, we brits even have to blow up churches in doctor who).
Lifeforce is part Quatermas, part (gender bent) Dracula with inspiration from Alien and various Zombie movies and a space ship that looks like the inspiration for Lexx. Add nudity and you have one hell of a Sci-Fi flick.
Lifeforce actually stands up quite well, most of the practical effects hold up but the alien energy does look like the Ghostbusters containment generator has, once again been shut off.
There is a hint of a backstory to the vampires and where they came from which could have been worked on but perhaps it was meant to be a set up for a sequel/prequel that never happened.
Life force is an exiting story and well worth a watch but there is a lot of nudity if you don't like that sort of thing.
  
Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1)
Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1)
Susan Ee | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
I got really into this but I have to say that for me that last 10% was the best bit.

That Raffe finally showed some emotion about how he felt about Penryn after telling her quite a few pages before that he didn't even like her, which hurt both her and me. Iunderstand why he said it but it was just cruel.

I feel I have to mention Penryn's mum. She's CRAZY! Quite literally crazy, but she made me laugh with some of the things she did, like with the cattle prod at the Aerie.

As for Paige...well I'm torn about the poor kid now. I initially felt sorry for her, with her being taken and then when we, as readers, and Penryn finally find her again and we learn what they've been doing to the missing children, I felt even worse. But at the same time, she's no longer the little girl she was and in a way, she scares me.

I cant wait to read the next one now, to see how everything works out! Hopefully all will be well.
  
The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior (2008)
The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior (2008)
2008 | Action, Drama
6
5.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Michael Copon almost sells being a young Rock. (3 more)
Karen David does her job well: look good while kicking ass.
Fight scenes are well executed
Sets and locations are pretty
The Minotaur and giant scorpion sequences look like crap. (2 more)
Did we need this? I feel like we didn't need this....
No Rock
Unnecessary and derivative, but not bad for direct-to-video.
Was this necessary? Did we really need to examine the Scorpion King's childhood and early adulthood? The film raises more questions than it resolves, in that now they have a thriving kingdom to dispose of somehow before the events of the original film. That said, the film is decently fun to watch. The performances aren't any worse than you'd expect from a movie like this, even better in some cases. Michael Copon was even trying to infuse the character with some of The Rock's mannerisms, unless that was unintentional. The fights are fun to watch, which is mostly the point here. The scenery, locations, and general production design is on point. Bottom line: it's not great, but it's better than I feared.
  
Queen & Slim (2019)
Queen & Slim (2019)
2019 | Drama, Romance
Very slow
Finally got the chance to see this after missing it at the cinema and to be honest I’m kind of glad I didn’t get a chance to see it on the big screen, as I probably would’ve gotten rather bored.

The story behind this about racial injustice and the issues that are being faced in real life, especially in America, is important and I’d never deny that. I think the problem with this film is that it’s very slow. It starts off well and fairly fast paced, but within the first hour it starts to drag, lose it’s momentum and point, and could easily have had a lot of the filler cut out without detriment to the story. I’m also not entirely sure the two main characters are particularly likeable, especially Queen, and their actions and choices are often rather bizarre and don’t make sense. It’s a shame, because this film is actually well made with a great soundtrack and feel. I just wish they’d cut it down to make a much more fast paced story.
  
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Colorado Kid in Books

May 30, 2020  
The Colorado Kid
The Colorado Kid
Stephen King | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
5
6.9 (14 Ratings)
Book Rating
A weak story
Anyone who has read my other book reviews knows I'm a huge Stephen King fan. He's my favourite author, so it really pains me to say that this is probably the weakest book of his I've ever read (and I've read most of them!).

This is a short story that's been published separately, and I think this is the first mistake. It isnt a strong enough story to support being published on it's own. And the story itself is a massive problem. It's well written with some decent characters, but the story is barely there. There's some intrigue but sadly the ending of the story is very lacking. I know it isnt a horror and is meant to be a true crime style novel, but I was hoping for something similar to Joyland which was rather good. And sadly this is nothing like it.

This isnt awful, as it's well written enough to keep you reading but it's in no way a shining example of King's usual standard.