Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes: Jean Grey

Posted by cat2002116 on September 10, 2015
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Marvel's Mightiest Heroes Jean Grey

(This review may contain spoilers).

It was interesting to have the opportunity to see Jean Grey’s origin story, even though it did contradict the other two origin stories (so far) that I’ve seen of her. I thought that both sets of comics were particularly dark, with a more computer graphic type feel to them.

The first comic was particularly creepy, but it did make me feel very sympathetic towards Jean. I thought the style of the comic, despite it being really dark, was really easy to follow. Her mental image of Annie was especially creepy.

While it was good that the first comic focused primarily on Jean, I liked the fact that the second set of comics also involved many of the other characters… though I had a strong dislike for Cyclops in that time. I liked the opportunity to see the X-Men from the past come forward to the present time… but a lot of the comics made me feel really tense while I was reading.

Despite the seriousness of the second set of comics, I found myself laughing outright at the two Bobbys interacting with each other. It was also good to see the differences in maturity with the different versions of the characters… though I found it really hard to believe that Hank from the past was only twelve years old. He came across as much more mature than I would have expected from that.

I really did like the artwork in both of these comics, though the second set was a bit difficult to figure out which panel came next. There was a lot of detail involved in the second set of comics especially.

I would have liked to see what was going on with more of some of the other characters. I had some questions about who was missing in the future, though. I couldn’t tell all of the details about who was meant to be doing what, there was so much involved.

I was very disappointed in Cyclops, since he changed so completely from his original incarnation. It was nice to see Jean having to deal with developing her powers so early on… and I would definitely be interested in seeing what else will happen with them. Preferably a redemption-arc storyline. Plus, there are some intriguing elements about Jean’s history I’d like to read about.

The Visit

Posted by cat2002116 on September 10, 2015
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: , . 1 Comment

The Visit

(This review may contain spoilers).

I did think that this film started off as a found footage film… but I thought the fact that it was actually a vacation movie worked really well. It was good to see that there was a reason provided for why Tyler and Becca hadn’t seen their grandparents for their whole lives… and although there were some cringeworthy moments of attempted humour, there were a few that worked really well. (The rapping didn’t really work that well…)

While there weren’t that many scary moments in this movie, there were a lot that were really quite disturbing. Nana and Pop Pop were obviously strange from the beginning… though I didn’t really find myself putting anything together; which might well have been due to being tired.

There were a lot of suspicious moments in this movie. I felt there was quite a lot of tension and suspense in this, even though the amount of scares was quite small.

I liked seeing Becca’s and Tyler’s relationship with their mother. It was interesting to see how Becca viewed the documentary she was making and how she tried to learn more about her mother’s past. And there were a few moments I found myself smiling and chuckling at some of the humour.

There were some unexpected scenes in this movie and some really quite disturbing ones. There were a few things that I didn’t see coming and I thought it was good how Tyler and Becca were affected by what had happened to them in the past. And by the end, I thought they were both quite strong characters in their own right. I did find this film quite entertaining to watch. I don’t intend to see it again… but there were some strong scenes along with the truly disturbing ones. It’s worth giving this movie a try, in my opinion.

Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes: The Scarlet Witch

Posted by cat2002116 on September 10, 2015
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Marvel's Mightiest Heroes The Scarlet Witch

(This review may contain spoilers).

Before actually picking up Wanda’s comic book, I felt like I got to know her character very well, through the other comic books in this collection… and the Avengers: Age of Ultron movie.

I thought it was really good to see Wanda’s first appearance, along with her brother. I liked the fact that they were clearly reluctant to cause harm to people on a worldwide scale and that they had a lot of depth to them.

A lot of what I’ve read about Wanda would suggest that she might be close to being vastly overpowered. However, I felt that her weaknesses clearly defined hr as much as her strengths.

It was good to see Wanda interacting with many of the other heroes (and villains) in both sets of comics. In the second set, I felt a lot of sympathy for her from the beginning. While I’m sure that Hank’s reasons for not helping Wanda were good, I felt that he dismissed her too easily; and I could understand why she sought help in another direction.

I thought the elements of the romance between Wanda and the Vision were intriguing and although I didn’t see anything of Wanda and the Vision actually being together, I could definitely see the problems they were having and understand how hard things were on them.

I thought it was pretty awful that Wanda was apparently being used and manipulated by so many different people. It was good to be able to see so many of the different Avengers… though there were some I found myself very unsure of.

I thought that Wanda’s care for her children came across really well, no matter what the cause for their existence was. I found myself really aching for her. I have emotionally connected with many of the characters in these comic books… but I think the strongest so far has been with Wanda. Although I like Pietro, he’s a bit less sympathetic than Wanda is.

I enjoyed being able to see Hank and Jan in these comics. I wasn’t sure what to make of Tigra, though. I wasn’t clear what was going on with her. But these comics were intriguing and I was happy to get some background to Wanada and have the opportunity to see more of the superheroes. I’d be interested in reading about her and the Vision in the future.

Lest Camelot Fall

Posted by cat2002116 on September 9, 2015
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , . 1 Comment

Lest Camelot Fall

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Having had a long-standing interest in myths and legends, I was immediately curious to see a book that dealt with the aftermath of Arthur’s death and the kind of things that had happened to Camelot afterwards.

While there were times I became confused with some of the characters, especially some of the more minor ones, I quickly found myself drawn to Lucian. Despite not knowing all of his past at once (and that was a really refreshing change), I found him a character who was interesting and well-developed. I enjoyed seeing his interactions with the other Knights and I felt there were elements of real friendship and camaraderie between them.

I thought there was potential to make Constantine a more well-rounded person… but I really disliked him for most of the book. The tension between him and Lucian came across especially well… though I would have liked to be able to see a bit more of Magnus. I didn’t feel he came across as a very well-developed character.

There were some elements of information dumping in this book, but for the most part, I was able to follow the storyline. I was left confused about whether Merlin had any real magic, though… but I did think that his past was really interesting and gave a lot more depth to the storyline.

It was good to see that a lot of the characters weren’t only good or only bad, but somewhere in between. Although Kay is often portrayed badly, I liked his characterisation in this book. I thought he came across as more likable. And it was also interesting to have the opportunity to see Lancelot and some of the other disgraced knights.

There were a lot of really tense scenes through this book and although there were times I thought Lucian should have spoken out, I was aware of the danger and politics involved. There was a lot of scheming, though… enough that I felt my head spinning a lot of the time.

I think it would be good to read a sequel to this book and see what will happen with the characters next. Although this did reach an ending, I feel like there’s a lot more of this book that could be told.

Ricki and The Flash

Posted by cat2002116 on September 9, 2015
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Ricki and The Flash

(This review may contain spoilers).

Even though I wasn’t completely sure about this film, I thought it looked like an entertaining one to watch… and it was a good way to spend a couple of hours.

I liked seeing Ricki’s lifestyle in the band. I found her a likable character and it was also good to see that the other members of the band were well-defined characters as well. I also found it really easy to relate to the job she had and having to deal with issues there… although there was little in the way of conflict.

Julie was a character I had a lot of sympathy for. I felt able to empathise with her really well, since some of what she went through were things I’ve gone through in the past… especially with a mother who’s not always around. I thought that the tension between the family members came across really well… even though I did think Pete was incredibly irresponsible at certain points. At the same time, although  I could see Maureen’s points when she and Ricki talked, I did find myself getting a bit irritated with her. However, by the end of the movie, I did like her.

I would have liked to see a bit more of Ricki interacting with her sons. The fact that she cared about her daughter was obvious, but I didn’t get quite that impression with Josh and Adam. It was good to see there was tension between Ricki and Adam… but I was disappointed in Ricki due to how she spoke to Adam.

There were some adult themes in this movie, but also things I felt could be quite hard-hitting. While I smiled at some scenes, there were others that were really emotional and that enabled me to connect to the characters.

I recognised quite a few of the actors in this movie and enjoyed watching them play off each other. The roles were believable and I felt there were real issues at least touched upon. There weren’t many ‘Aww’ moments in this… but those that were there really resonated with me.

Blog Tour: Like It Never Happened

Posted by cat2002116 on September 8, 2015
Posted in: Blog Tour, Books, Dream Cast, Reviews. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment
Like It Never Happened
by Emily Adrian
Publisher: Dial Books
Release Date: June 2nd 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, High School, Chick Lit, Theatre, Fiction
Rate: 4 out of 5 stars
Synopsis:
Stereotypes, sexuality, and destructive rumors collide in this smart YA novel for fans of Sara Zarr’s Story of a Girl, Siobhan Vivian’s The List, and E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.
When Rebecca Rivers lands the lead in her school’s production of The Crucible, she gets to change roles in real life, too. She casts off her old reputation, grows close with her four rowdy cast-mates, and kisses the extremely handsome Charlie Lamb onstage. Even Mr. McFadden, the play’s critical director, can find no fault with Rebecca.
Though “The Essential Five” vow never to date each other, Rebecca can’t help her feelings for Charlie, leaving her both conflicted and lovestruck. But the on and off-stage drama of the cast is eclipsed by a life-altering accusation that threatens to destroy everything…even if some of it is just make believe. 

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Although I don’t tend to buy contemporary novels, I did like the sound of this one when I was invited to the blog tour, so I signed up… and I did find that this book was really easy to read, even if Rebecca’s character was easier to relate to and empathise with than many of the others.

I did feel that there wasn’t a great deal of conflict where it was hinted that there would be. There was a lot of potential for conflicts within the group much earlier on, but I felt those weren’t expanded upon where they could have been.

It was interesting to see how the five of them made up the lead roles in the plays. It was interesting to see how Rebecca viewed the parts she played. I would have liked some more details about how the other characters viewed their parts. Apart from Charlie, the others didn’t seem as worried about acting and it would have been nice to see what their end goals were.

I thought the author did a good job of showing how things could become so blown out of proportion. There was quite a lot that was interesting about this book, even despite the way certain things were treated. I thought there could have been a bit more tolerance shown for some of the other characters… and it was hard to understand how Rebecca felt about a lot of things in the book.

I think that parts of this book could have been expanded upon, to allow readers to get to know more characters than just Rebecca. I thought Mary was quite interesting and it would have been good to see her character a bit further explored. And it would also have been good to see more of Mr. McFadden. I had quite a lot of sympathy for him by the end of this book. I also felt some sympathy for Tess… but I found it a bit harder to get to know Lianne and Tim. It would have been good to learn more about both of them

This book didn’t come to a totally satisfactory conclusion, but I did find it entertaining to read. I wouldn’t read it again… but I’m sure I’d check out other books by this author in the future.

Like It Never Happened Dream Cast
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Follow the Like It Never Happened by Emily Adrian Blog Tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.
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Emily Adrian was born in 1989 in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. After graduating from Portland State University, she moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she worked as a receptionist while secretly writing books.
Emily currently lives in Toronto with her husband and their dog named Hank. Like It Never Happened is her debut novel.
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Blog Tour: The Next Together

Posted by cat2002116 on September 7, 2015
Posted in: Blog Tour, Books, Interviews, Reviews. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment
The Next Together (The Next Together #1)
by Lauren James
Publisher: Walker
Release Date: September 3rd 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Historial Fiction, Contemporary, Fantasy, Time Travel
Rate: 5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis:
How many times can you lose the person you love? 
Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again, century after century. Each time, their presence changes history for the better, and each time, they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated.
Spanning the Crimean War, the Siege of Carlisle and the near-future of 2019 and 2039 they find themselves sacrificing their lives to save the world. But why do they keep coming back? What else must they achieve before they can be left to live and love in peace?
Maybe the next together will be different…
A powerful and epic debut novel for teenagers about time-travel, fate and the timelessness of first love. The Next Together is told through a mixture of regular prose, diary entries, letters, “original” historical documents, news reports and internet articles. 

(This review may contain spoilers).

While I didn’t actually receive a free copy of this book, I liked the blurb so much that I chose to purchase a copy… and I’m pleased to say that I wasn’t disappointed.

Even though it was a bit confusing at times to keep slipping between the different time periods, they were clearly marked. While there were some instances of modern-day language used in the past, it wasn’t enough to throw me out of the story… even if it did give me pause.

I liked the incarnations of both Matt and Katherine, though I did think that it wasn’t made entirely clear why they both looked identical to their previous incarnations and why they were given the same names… though an argument could be made for that in the 2039 versions of the two characters.

I did think there was a bit of summarising during the course of the book, but I also felt that the feelings between Katherine and Matthew came across really well. There were several moments I found myself smiling at some of the humorous moments, especially when it came to Katherine. I enjoyed the opportunity to have glimpses into her life with Matthew in the year 2019. I loved the banter between Katherine and Matthew and there were a few moments I actually found myself laughing out loud at the way they communicated.

It was interesting how there were no actual scenes with the 2019 version of Matthew and Katherine. I thought that was particularly effective, since it meant there wasn’t a whole lot of rehashing as the 2039 versions of them discovered the details about their past selves. And there was enough mystery in this book to make it an interesting read.

I liked being able to learn more information through articles and the letters, too. I thought that was an interesting way of doing things. I did find myself really confused by the commentary by the third parties… although there were some answers provided by the end, I was still left with some questions.

This book was really quick and easy to read and drew me into the storyline really easily. I’ve noticed that there’s a sequel to this slated for publication next year… and I’ve already decided I want it.

1) What originally inspired you to get into writing?
It was originally a hobby to keep me entertained during the summer holidays while I was at university. But once I’d finished the story, I couldn’t bear to put the characters away and not do anything with it, so I send the first draft off to some agents, and one took me on as a client!
2) Where did the idea for The Next Together come from?
I don’t really know, to be honest! I’ve been thinking about a couple who are reincarnated throughout history since I was about sixteen. I always wrote about them during Creative Writing assignments at school. It stuck with me long enough for me to actually start writing the full novel when I was eighteen.
3) Was there any particular character that you liked or disliked, or were able to relate to in any way while writing?
I adore my two main characters Kate and Matt. They are like my babies, who are also both really similar to me (is that weird? I think that’s weird!). I love them for all their ridiculousness and occasional stupidity.
4) Were there any scenes in particular that were particularly challenging or easy to write?
I think the historical research was the toughest! I spent a lot of time reading old books and diaries and making endless notes. It was definitely worth it though – I hope it adds more realism to the time periods.
5) Do you have any advice/pearls of wisdom for budding writers?
Find out what makes your writing unique and own it. Be completely shameless about it in your query letter. If you love the zombie cats in your novel, make sure they are front and centre in your query. You need to find an agent who loves your book as much as you do, and spending months crafting the perfectly written query letter isn’t going to do that – but maybe persuading them to read the book with the promise of zombie cats might.
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Follow the The Next Together by Lauren James Blog Tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.
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Lauren James is a scientist by day, writer by early hours of the morning. She graduated in 2014 with a first class Masters degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Nottingham, where she studied Chemistry and Physics.
She now lives in the village of Berkswell in the UK.
You can find her on Twitter at @Lauren_E_James, which she mainly uses to fancast actors as her characters and panic about all of the overly ambitious plans she has for her PhD, or her website at http://lauren-e-james.tumblr.com.
She likes strong, intelligent women, Dylan O’Brien, and things with plants on them. These are her favourite books: http://www.myindependentbookshop.co.uk/Laurenelizjames. 

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Person of Interest Season 1

Posted by cat2002116 on September 7, 2015
Posted in: Reviews, Television. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Person of Interest Season 1

(This review may contain spoilers).

I thought the plotline of this series was a particularly intriguing one… definitely a new twist on the violent crimes being solved kind of series that are often on. While I do enjoy those… it’s nice to see something, for a change, where the main characters are trying to stop the crimes before they happen.

I really liked John’s character in this. I always have a weakness for the ‘specialist’ guys… and the fact that John has a deep, dark past makes him a much more interesting character. While I did think there were times his and Finch’s dialogue came across as a bit stilted, I did enjoy seeing them interacting with each other.

I also really liked Carter. I thought she came across as a strong female character and it was pretty cool to see the way her morals evolved during the course of the season. I was a bit surprised by how much I liked Fusco, since he was technically a bad guy… but I thought he was changing and becoming more interesting during the course of the series.

There were a few twists and turns in this series and I thought there were quite a few good surprises in many of the episodes. I also liked being able to see bits and pieces of Harold’s past. While he was clearly a secretive person, I felt that he truly cared about the people they were trying to save… and regretted his inaction of before.

There was a lot about this series that was tense and quite emotional. Apart from the self-contained mystery in most of the episodes, there was also a lot of mystery surrounding John’s character as well. In many ways, it was nice seeing that Carter was so uncomplicated.

There was a lot of action in this series and I really did care about the main characters. I liked the fact that, although there were several running themes throughout this series, many of the episodes were self-contained and did have proper endings to them. I couldn’t help feeling some sympathy for Elias… even though I really didn’t like him in his present-day incarnation.

While there were times the good guys did have to compromise, I thought that they stayed true to their personalities and I really cared about their safety. There was a lot about this series that drew me in and made me care about the plot and the characters. This is a slightly different series I recommend giving a try.

American Ultra

Posted by cat2002116 on September 7, 2015
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

American Ultra

(This review may contain spoilers).

I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. Even though it didn’t have as many amusing moments as I was expecting, I thought the plot idea was a pretty interesting one and I thought it was a fairly unique idea. There were more serious scenes than I was expecting.

There was a lot of violence in this movie, though I thought it was interesting to see how Mike used what was around him to fight back against the people threatening him. It was interesting to see how his subconscious took over… and I thought he was still good at planning, despite being stoned out of his mind for a lot of the movie.

Though I really didn’t like Bella in Twilight, I did like Kirsten Stewart in this movie. I liked seeing the romantic relationship between Mike and Phoebe. I thought there was something really sweet about their interactions together.

I found a lot of this movie quite intense to watch and it didn’t really let up on the action. The first scene indicated an almost ‘looking back’ over the previous events… but it was still interesting to see how everything led up to that first scene.

I liked Mike as a character, even though he seemed kind of two-dimensional at first. There were some cringeworthy scenes he was in, but I thought the actor played the role really well. And it was good to see him interacting with the other characters, too. I didn’t recognise many of the other actors, but I really disliked Adrian’s character. At the same time, I thought Rose was interesting… and I would have liked to see more of his history with Mike.

There were a lot of questions answered in this movie and I found myself with very little confusion by the end of the film. While it did end on something of a cliffhanger, I did really enjoy this movie. I wouldn’t watch it again… but despite the strong violence and only mild pieces of humour, I did find this really entertaining. If you’re unsure, I would recommend giving this movie a try.

The Labyrinth

Posted by cat2002116 on September 6, 2015
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

The Labyrinth

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Having read the previous two books in this trilogy, I was glad to have the opportunity to read the final book as well.

I thought what both Lily and Silas were going through clearly had an effect on both of them. While I always felt that Silas was more mature than his sister, despite there being times he acted his ‘normal’ age, I felt Lily had grown up a lot by the end of this book.

There was a stronger sense of urgency in this last book and I thought it was good that there was the opportunity to learn more about the other characters… though I really didn’t like Cassandra’s father.

I did like the hints of a relationship between Cassandra and Silas. It was good to see there was less of Cassandra picking at Silas in this book, but as she seemed to come across as more genuine, I felt a lot of sympathy for her. Cassandra and Silas were probably my favourite human characters in this.

I really liked Ozzy and Polly. There’s something quite moving about creatures who fight against their own natures… and I loved how protective Polly was over Lily. I thought she was a really likable character and I didn’t need to know much about her past to understand her. I would have liked to know some more details about what her kind’s like, though.

I liked being able to see more of the ghosts in the house and I was quite taken with the Captain. I didn’t like the governess, though… even if she was clearly capable of whipping the ghosts into shape.

I really liked Ursula, even though her nature meant that she made everyone else depressed. I thought it was really sweet to see her and Farragut together.

I really liked Alfrast’s character, even though I spent a while not sure I could trust him. And I did like being able to learn more about Villon’s past.

There were a lot of tense scenes in this book and I found it really easy to read. I’m sure I’d be interested in reading more books by this author in the future.