Tag Archives: fantasy

2016, alternatives, Movie Review

[Alternatives] – Movie Review – A Monster Calls (2016)

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Alternatives is the tagline to discuss entertainment outside of literature. It may encompass television, movies, games, and music.

Alternatives
Movie Review –
A Monster Calls (2016)

Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy/Magical Realism, Bullying, Death
Duration: 108 Minutes
Directed By: J. A. Bayona
Written By: Patrick Ness
Starring: Lewis MacDougall, Liam Neeson, Signourey Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell 

A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mom’s terminal illness.

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2016, Book Review

[Review] Vassa in The Night — Sarah Porter (feat. Excerpt from the Book)

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Book Title: Vassa in the Night (Standalone)
Author:     Sarah Porter
Number of pages:  304

Synopsis:

vassa in the night - sarah porter - book coverIn Vassa’s neighborhood, where she lives with her stepmother and bickering stepsisters, one might stumble onto magic, but stumbling out again could become an issue. Babs Yagg, the owner of the local convenience store, has a policy of beheading shoplifters—and sometimes innocent shoppers as well. So when Vassa’s stepsister sends her out for light bulbs in the middle of night, she knows it could easily become a suicide mission.

(re: Goodreads @ Metaltown by Kristen Simmons)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr review:

– Retelling of Vasilisa the Beautiful
– This Brooklyn is all kinds of dark and fantastical; longer nights, anthropomorphic creatures, and whimsically vivid imagery
– The prose is a hit/miss depending on the reader’s tolerance to sugary, purple prose
– There is romance but it is not the focus of the story (therefore does not necessarily hi-jack the plot)
– Though Erg, the talking wooden doll, is a secondary MC, there are moments the Deus Ex Machina trope is exhibited from her

Initial Thoughts

“What the fuck did I just read?” — literal reaction upon finishing.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of Vassa in the Night  from Indigo Books.

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2016, ARC review, Book Review

[Review] Julia Vanishes — Catherine Egan

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Book Title: Julia Vanishes (Witch's Child)
Author:     Catherine Egan
Number of pages:  384

Synopsis:

Julia Vanishes - Catherine Egan - book coverJulia has the unusual ability to be . . . unseen. Not invisible, exactly. Just beyond most people’s senses.

Her latest job is paying very well indeed. Julia is posing as a housemaid in the grand house of Mrs. Och, where an odd assortment of characters live and work: A disgraced professor who sends her to fetch parcels containing bullets, spiders, and poison. An aristocratic houseguest who is locked in the basement each night. And a mysterious young woman who is clearly in hiding–though from what or whom?

Worse, Julia suspects that there’s a connection between these people and the killer leaving a trail of bodies across the frozen city.

(re: Goodreads @ Julia Vanishes by Catherine Egan)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr review:

– A hodgepodge of genres that while enhances the crossover appeal of its setting, it can be a bit much to follow in practice
– Slow paced and limited action until the latter parts (80% mark)
– The romance in this story doesn’t really matter
– A variety of narrative threads and conflicts that may be a cause for confusion

Initial Thoughts

This is a very difficult book to review because there a lot of “idk?” that follows every comment being made.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of Julia Vanishes from Goodreads courtesy of Knopf Canada at PRH.

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