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    Green Riding Hood

    Green Riding Hood

    Book and Games

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    App

    * "Free App of the Week" in 2017 * iPad App of the Year 2015 (Best of App Store, Russia) * Winner of...

Wolf  (2019)
Wolf (2019)
2019 | Horror
3
3.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The story they had behind the film. (0 more)
Basically everything else. (0 more)
A lot of the acting in Wolf feels like it was from TV, and several of the parts wouldn't have been far off comedic roles in things made for network shows. The acting isn't the only thing that smacked of TV. The music is also not something you'd expect in this sort of thing, it would be much more suited to a crime drama. Occasionally I felt like it might have been perfect for this sort of historic piece but then it would quickly slip back to crime drama and I was almost completely distracted from the film.

As an idea it's an intriguing one. The outline of the story would make a good movie, it's simple and has lots of opportunities to be really effective on screen, unfortunately I don't think this delivered on that potential.

There's quite a spread of characters but some do get overlooked. Ima has a backstory that you can glean through context and Liviana has an implied story but both are only hinted at and nothing is used. Sometimes this is forgivable but with what happens with them both at the end of the film I think it's appalling that we don't get more from them.

This was yet another film that suffers from a black hole of time. There are a couple of points where they play fast and loose ad in one particular place it looks like they filmed at different times of day not accounting for the scenes timeline.

The location itself is stunning and you can see that repeatedly in the panning shots of forest... lots of forest, oh, and a mountain range. The first time it was nice, the second time it was a little cliche, and after that I started writing abuse in my notes.

The other thing that seems to be popular in Wolf is the blurry camera work. For the most part it looks intentional as it's part of the reveal but it's not isolated to that. Some of the fight scenes look like they might have been put together quite well but in one of the biggest of those you can't tell because the action is accompanied by camerawork that looks like it was done by someone hiccuping on a pogo stick.

My other major quibble is the ending. It seems very late in the game to be adding information to the story. There was even an opportunity to introduce the point earlier in the film but that was where we ignored Ima's backstory, looks like a lot of things could have been solved by changing that scene, it seems like a huge misstep.

It's not the worst film, but it's also not the best. There were some big opportunities for improvements but none of them were taken and ultimately this feels like a waste of a good story.

Check out my full review here: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/09/wolf-movie-review.html
  
Red Riding Hood (2011)
Red Riding Hood (2011)
2011 | Horror, Romance
5
5.5 (11 Ratings)
Movie Rating
In a small village a wolf has been killing villagers who wander out alone. Yet for rule-breaking Valerie the desire to venture out and spend time with her true love overpowers all logic. However, drama sets in when Valerie finds she has been betrothed to a wealthy villager around the same time that that the big bad wolf returns.

Amanda Seyfried stars as Valerie in Red Riding Hood a reworking of the classic fairytale of the same name. The film also stars Shiloh Fernandez as Peter, Valerie’s childhood best friend turned love interest, and Max Irons as Henry, the wealthy suitor who has been selected to wed Valerie. The supporting cast includes some additional familiar faces such as Michael Hogan (The Reeve) best known for his work as Colonel Tigh in the Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica and Michael Shanks, known for his work on the hit television series Stargate SG-1 , who plays Adrien Lazer.

The concept of building more depth into the Red Riding Hood story is a good idea however the execution in this bland who-done-it comes a crossed as scattered. The film lacks cohesion and fails to build interest in the storyline focusing instead on sweeping landscapes and overly intense one-on-one character interactions.

The wardrobe is impressive with clothing that aptly represents both village life and fairytale ideals. However, much like the rest of the film, the wardrobe seems to be taking cues directly from other movies. Among the numerous familiar scenes is an ending that could have been plucked from The Lord of the Rings.

The film is not missing any major components but the lack of originality is a fatal flaw that impacts the entire tale. The scary moments are not scary. The intrigue lacks potency. And the romantic triangle fails to generate the intended drama.
Moviegoers will see far worse films this spring but Red Riding Hood does not deliver on what could have been a brilliant adaptation.
  
    Sea Lion Simulator

    Sea Lion Simulator

    Games

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    Out of the cold water comes this baby Sea Lion, ready to fish and hunt to become a huge creature. ...

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Merissa (12934 KP) rated Riven (Reflections, #8) in Books

Apr 4, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
Riven (Reflections, #8)
Riven (Reflections, #8)
Dean Murray | 2013 | Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I started this series and thought that it would be nothing new apart from a slight twist on the tale as in it was two wolf packs with a girl in the middle, rather than a vampire and a werewolf. However, there is so much more than this. Each story takes you further and further in and, trust me, when I say that that is a very good thing.

In this story, Adri is once again at Alec's side but things are in no way easy. Everyone has their own problems and trying to integrate other people into one pack is always going to be troublesome but Alec has his own way of sorting out the pack hierarchy. We meet characters from the other books that we know and love and watch them struggle with their own issues. We meet new characters and see how they interact with everyone. We say goodbye to characters old and new as the story climaxes. This series is so much more than a love triangle, although love does play a big part in the story. Alec is only half the man (wolf?!) without Adri. All of the characters continue to grow and change and you are left wanting more, with stories that still need telling.

Dean Murray is a wonderful author and I am looking forward to more from him in this series however, there are other books by him that I have on my t-b-r list which I am positive will not disappoint.

Reflections is definitely a wonderful series that just gets better with every book. I have no hesitation in recommending it to all Young Adult or Paranormal fans.
 
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 9, 2016
  
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Merissa (12934 KP) rated Outcast (The Pack Prophecy #1) in Books

Aug 5, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)  
Outcast (The Pack Prophecy #1)
Outcast (The Pack Prophecy #1)
R.L. Caulder | 2021 | Erotica, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
OUTCAST is the first book in The Pack Prophecy series and WOW! There you go, review done. No? Oh, okay, let me give you a bit more.

Kira was abandoned by her parents when she was very young and found by a wolf pack. She was loved and cared for by the Alpha's mate, and accepted into their family... until tragedy struck. The mother was killed, her best friend hated her, the Alpha blamed her, and she became the lowest of the low. Now it is the day that the new generation will transform. Secrets and surprises will rule the day, and Kira is right in the middle!

It turns out there is more to Kira than meets the eye, and the Alpha knew about it all along. Kira is a wolf shifter herself, now known as The Prophetess, who needs to save Wolfkind. Also, she now has multiple mates instead of one. Two of them accept her, but the Alpha's son, her best friend from childhood, rejects her. This may be a mating but Milo, Seth, and Jameson are HER consorts. At the end of the day, they will do anything for HER. What she says, goes. And that includes working through things that they don't necessarily like.

This is a tale of twisted greed, of weak becoming strong, of political and evil machinations, of hope and love. And I loved every word. I finished this book and immediately bought the second, with the third going into my calendar for release day.

A brilliant book that hooked me in. Roll on November for the third book! Absolutely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 5, 2021
  
Shadow Fall (Shadow #2)
Shadow Fall (Shadow #2)
Erin Kellison | 2023 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
SHADOW FALL is the second book in the Shadow series, continuing two years after Shadow Bound. While it could be read as a standalone, I would recommend you read it as part of a series.

In the last book, Custo died to give his best friend and Talia time to escape. During the torture that preceded his death, he found out that there was a traitor in the midst. It remains on his mind once he gets to heaven, and he finds himself desperate to return to Earth.

Annabella is a ballet dancer who is about to have her first time as a Prima, dancing the role of Giselle. She becomes so focused on her role, she opens a pathway to Earth from the Otherworld. A wolf has her in his sights and wants her for his mate. On his way back to Earth, Custo spots Annabella and the wolf and wants to save her, as well as Adam and Talia.

This was a twisted tale with some amazing descriptions, especially the Giselle parts. There were some parts I found a little confusing though, such as Annabella eating in the Otherworld. Consequences to someone else were mentioned once but never again, and I have no idea what would happen to her because of what she did.

Although I enjoyed the story, it didn't quite hit the same mark as Shadow Bound did, and I can't really tell you why. If I did half-stars, this would be a 3.5-star read. I am still looking forward to continuing with the series though, and finding out where Kathleen has gone to!

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 4, 2023
  
A Dog's Heart
A Dog's Heart
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fabulous Russian tale about human ethics
What a fantastic satirical book. Think about crossing Frankenstein with My Fair Lady, and then setting it in Soviet Russia. This book is about how human beings are essentially more enslaved to systems than a dog is. A doctor decides to do a science experiment, putting the pituitary gland and testicles of a man into a stray dog to see the results. Instead they end up with a man wolf, who is rude and obnoxious, and demands the same rights as a human being. No sooner is he a man, he is forced to be registered and take part in rebuilding the nation after tsarist Russia. However, as a man he's still treated as a lowly pauper or a dog by the doctor. So who is more free - the dog having to raid bins to search for scraps or the one owned by the doctor and the government? Fabulous little tale.
  
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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Lone Wolf in Books

May 10, 2018  
Lone Wolf
Lone Wolf
Jodi Picoult | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.5 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
I love the way Jodi Picoult gets into your heart and mind with her books. Luke Warren the famous wolf man has been in a terrible accident and is currently lying in a bed on life support. He has two children who see differently about what should happen to him. First is his daughter Cara who has lived with him and his wolves for the past six years and was in the accident with her father. Edward who left home when he was eighteen after an argument with his father and this is the first time he will speak to his father after all these years. Should life support be terminated or should they wait to see if Luke will wake up on his own. Journey with two kids who are just trying to do what is best for their father. Will they end up seeing eye to eye, or will something dramatic happen that will tea the family apart forever!!
  
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ashezbookz (32 KP) rated Winter in Books

Jul 5, 2018  
Winter
Winter
Marissa Meyer | 2016 | Children
10
8.9 (26 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who couldn't rate this 5 if they read all the others and rated any one of them 5 - I mean, it had every single character from the past in it. I must say though even though Scarlet was my favourite - Winter is my new one - and them together was just amazing - their interaction was just life.

The whole book was action non stop - I love books like that - there were a few down times but not many, and I just .. I'm sad, I'll get novellas but, it's over, and I really would like more Winter - I listened in audio and her sing song voice and her wolf howl was just so super awesome I just cant even deal I would fangirl the voice of these books so hard.

Perhaps theres fanfic for lunar chronicles .....perhaps I should go lurk because, for my first series finish I'm proud of myself that it's this series.