I watched the first movie at the cinema and when I saw this movie advertised, I decided it would be good to watch the second one.
While there were quite a lot of similarities with the first movie, I did feel that Shelby’s motivations for creating her own sorority house were at least valid ones… but I did feel that a lot of the secondary characters weren’t explored as well as they might have been.
It was good to see Teddy after the events of the movie and how, although he hadn’t really grown up by then, he was affected by the consequences of the previous film… even though he was insistent on blaming everyone else for his problems.
I also especially liked seeing Pete again and I enjoyed seeing his relationship with his boyfriend-turned-fiance. I also enjoyed seeing Lisa Kudrow have a brief cameo appearance again.
The very first scene in this movie was particularly cringeworthy and kind of disgusting, even though I did like seeing Kelly and Mac together. Their parenting did, at times, leave a bit to be desired… but it was obvious they loved each other and Stella. (Even if they probably shouldn’t have let their daughter play with what she’d picked up…)
I did like seeing the fact that Kappa Nu was a sorority more focused on individuality and it was a bit sad to see the girls compromise on who they were, despite the hostility. I also found it amusing to see Shelby’s complete confusion about corded phones… something that teenagers nowadays probably would find difficult to imagine.
There were some nice scenes of friendship involving Teddy and it was good to see Mac and Kelly willing to open their home to him. While I did think he was very immature, I also thought it was kind of sad that he felt pushed out by the people he was trying to be friends with.
I cringed as much as I laughed in this movie and I found it entertaining and quite simple to watch. I don’t think I’d watch it again… but especially if you enjoyed the first movie, I would suggest watching this.
I actually found this movie quite difficult to watch. There was a lot of action and tension right from the start and by the end of the movie, I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next.
There wasn’t a whole lot of background provided on the characters, though it was good to get some brief glimpses of the personal lives of Katherine and Frank before they were involved in making such difficult decisions.
I thought it was good to have the opportunity to see Alia and her family in brief snippets, since I then began caring about what was going to happen to her. But I was also able to see both sides of the conflict, so even though I was desperately rooting for Alia to survive, I wasn’t demonising the soldiers for the tough decisions I had to make.
While I would have liked to see more detail about many of the characters’ history and motivations (especially considering how personally Katherine seemed to have taken Susan’s defection), I felt that there was a lot of good detail and conflicts with the characters.
While all of them seemed to be struggling with morals, I especially found Steve’s actions to be commendable. I found it interesting that he wasn’t actually in the plane and had to direct a drone… even more so considering that he didn’t just see Alia as an image on a screen, despite not being there in person.
I thought it was really interesting to see the use of the bug and hummingbird cameras, though they did put me a bit on edge… especially when it came to the bug camera.
I really liked Jama’s character, especially towards the end of the movie. I thought it was really good to see how good he was at what he did.
While I did feel like I was missing a lot of the background of the characters and storyline, I did find this a really good, intense movie to watch.
Sixteen-year-old Trinity was born during a solar eclipse and left at the doorsteps of a convent along with a torn piece of papyrus covered with ancient symbols. Raised by nuns in the English countryside, she leads a quiet life until she’s whisked away to the Island of Cats and a grandmother she never knew.
But before they can get to know each other, her grandmother dies. All that Trinity has left is a mysterious eye-shaped ring. And a thousand grieving cats. As Trinity tries to solve the enigma of the torn papyrus, she discovers a world of bloody sacrifices and evil curses, and a prophecy that points to her and her new feline abilities.
Unwilling to believe that any of the Egyptian gods could still be alive, Trinity turns to eighteen-year-old Seth and is instantly pulled into a vortex of sensations that forces her to confront her true self—and a horrifying destiny.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
Since I’m an avid reader of myths and legends, I was intrigued by the plot of this book… enough so that I signed up to review it, despite my normal misgivings surrounding young adult paranormal books.
I found Trinity to be a really interesting character. While I did feel that she lost some of her strength later on in the book, I was able to relate well with her love for cats… and it was really interesting to see how she was changing through the book, though there were a couple of things mentioned by Ara that I didn’t actually pick up on.
Speaking of Ara… I really did like her as a character. While she was a bit prickly at times, I did feel that she had a lot of depth to her and it was good to see that her emotions towards Trinity weren’t one way or the other. I especially felt a lot of sympathy for her after Margaret’s death and I felt that the author showed how everything was affecting her really well.
I did feel that a lot of the secondary characters, in particular Ara’s friends and other residents of the island, weren’t really developed as well as they could have been. While I liked Seth’s character well enough, I wasn’t especially fond of the romantic hints in the book and I would have liked to see more development in the friendship between Ara and Trinity.
It was really good to see that Trinity didn’t forget about the convent and Brianna even after moving into her new life… but I did see some of the things coming quite obvious, such as who the bad guy was and the details about Slugger. I would have liked there to be a bit of mystery, rather than everything being revealed so fast… even though there were some good elements of foreshadowing.
I felt that the book did drag a bit in the middle, although there was a lot of action at the end… not to mention quite a few unanswered questions. I liked the island of cats… that’s a place I’d love to visit, being a cat lover myself.
I would like to read the next book/s in this series in the future and find out what will happen to Trinity and Ara… and how the new girl might fit into it.
A certified bookworm, Zoe Kalo has always been obsessed with books and reading. Reading led to writing—compulsively. No surprise that at 16, she wrote her first novel, which her classmates read and passed around secretly. The pleasure of writing and sharing her fantasy worlds has stayed with her, so now she wants to pass her stories to you with no secrecy—but with lots of mystery…
A daughter of adventurous expats, she’s had the good fortune of living on 3 continents, learning 4 languages, and experiencing a multicultural life. Currently, she’s working on a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature, which she balances between writing, taking care of her clowder of cats, and searching for the perfect bottle of pinot noir.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I thought this book was quite an interesting read. While it was very short, it was also easy to read and I found myself able to empathise very strongly with Honoria’s character.
I thought it was interesting to be able to see the different characters from different timelines and I did feel a lot of sympathy for Shane’s character. The scenes inside the forest came across as quite disjointed and confusing and I felt that came across really well.
I would have liked to see a bit more of Honoria’s interactions with other students in her school. While it was good to see that there was nothing going on between her and Leon (despite it being clear that the two of them were attracted to each other), I was disappointed to see that Harley seemed to fall into the cliched version of ‘mean girl with love interest’.
I did feel quite a bit of sympathy for Elizabeth, but I wasn’t sure how and where she got her magic. I would have liked some more details of her history, other than her just being shown in the forest. I found it a bit harder to empathise with her, since I didn’t know enough about her character. I would have liked to see more of her relationship with Andrew and how that grew and formed.
It was good to see Honoria’s grief over her parents, since I felt it made her more of a realistic character. And it was really sad to see the answering phone messages left for her and her brother by their parents.
I didn’t feel there was much in the way of the supernatural in the more modern times and I would have liked to see a bit more of the atmosphere of the forest. It was good to have some answers to the fates of some of the other characters by the end of the book… but I did feel that the ending, although intriguing, didn’t really have much of a satisfactory feel to it.
I would have liked more details about the motives of Elizabeth and some more details of the history. I’d like to read more books about Witchwood Hollow in the future.
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary, Suspense
Rate: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis:
When Olivia’s mother was killed, everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia’s father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there’s a killer still at large. It’s up to Olivia to uncover who that may be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
Up until the end of this book, I would have given it 4 stars. Unfortunately, the ending meant I really can’t give it any more than 3.5 stars.
I found Olivia to be an interesting character and it was easy to empathise with her. It was sad to see that the attempted adoption had gone so badly, even though it was a problem with the woman who was clearly unable to handle her. I would have liked to see a bit more of Olivia’s experience with the foster homes, rather than just having all of them glossed over… especially since they would have formulated quite a bit of her character.
I did find it interesting to see how Olivia’s memories kept getting triggered by different things… and I thought her confusion over what was real and what wasn’t came across really well. I was somewhat disappointed to see there were very few interactions with many of the other characters. I thought that the romance didn’t really come across as very realistic… and it would have been nice to see Olivia interact with her aunt and cousin a bit more, even without telling them of her identity.
I was disappointed not to see more tension in this book. While there were some elements, I felt there were too many characters/too many suspects… and although there were a couple of red herrings, I was too busy trying to remember who was who to be trying to figure out who had killed Olivia’s parents.
I was quite intrigued by the idea of many of the people Olivia’s parents had grown up with trying to reconcile what they’d believed with the reality. I would have liked to see a bit more of that struggle… but it was nice to see that Olivia kept asking people about her parents, even though I did feel she had it a bit too easy with suddenly packing up and moving.
I did feel that the ending was rushed and rather disjointed. It took me by surprise… and not in a good way. I didn’t feel like there was any foreshadowing and Olivia’s emerging memories seemed to take very little part in the ending.
I felt that most of the book was intriguing, but it could have done with fewer characters and more emphasis on the mystery. I don’t think I’d read this book again, though I would check out other books by this author in the future.
CHAPTER 1
SCATTER MY BONES
The only sound I can hear is my own panicked breathing. I’m running flat out through the forest. Then my toe catches a root, and suddenly I’m flying.
Until I’m not. I come down hard. With my hands cuffed in front of me, I can’t even really break my fall. Despite the plastic boot on my left leg, I’m up again in a crazy scrambling second, spitting out dirt and pine needles as I start sprinting again.
Running like my life depends on it. Because it does.
Three weeks ago, I was living in Portland. Working in a supermarket deli. Slicing turkey breast and handing out cheese samples on toothpicks.
Now I’m hurtling through the Southern Oregon woods, being chased by a killer. And no one knows I’m here.
Because of the handcuffs, I can’t pump my fists. Instead, I have to swing them in tandem. Trying to avoid another fall, I lift my knees higher as the ground rises. I can’t hear my pursuer, just my own panting breath.
If I don’t come back, will Duncan ever know what happened to me? These woods can hide things for years. Will animals scatter my bones, plants twine around my remains?
When I reach the top of the hill, I don’t slow down. Instead, I try to lengthen my stride. It’s impossible to maintain a rhythm. I leap over a log, splash through the silver thread of a creek. My mouth is so dry. It tastes of dirt and the bitterness of fear.
A Steller’s jay startles up from a branch, squawking. If only I could take wing and fly. But I’m stuck here on earth, legs churning, staggering over this uneven ground.
I can’t stop or I’ll die.
The reality is that I’m probably going to die anyway. And if that’s so, I’m going to go down fighting.
I write mysteries and thrillers. I live in Portland, Oregon with my family.
If you’ve read one of my books, I would love to hear from you. Hearing from readers makes me eager to keep writing.
When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children’s magazine.
My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I’m very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written 13 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have gotten starred reviews, been picked for Booksense, translated into six languages, been named to state reading lists, and short-listed for the Oregon Book Award.
I also review YA literature and mysteries and thrillers for the Oregonian, and have written articles for both The Writer and Writers Digest.
This movie is in a genre I probably wouldn’t have chosen to watch on my own… but having had the opportunity to see the premier, I did like this film more than I thought I would.
I felt this movie was a good mix of comedy and serious moments. It was interesting to see Florence so lively and joyful at the beginning… and to see how she kept her spirit through the course of the movie. While I did feel some sympathy for the character, I also felt that her strength showed through really well… especially considering what a good actress Meryl Streep is. (It was interesting to see her singing so badly, considering the actress is really good at carrying a tune).
I felt Hugh Grant had a lot more emotional depth in this movie, though I was very confused about the relationship between Florence and St. Clair, especially considering that the intimacy between them didn’t seem to be husband and wife… or even lovers. Still, it was obvious that he was devoted to Florence… despite having a relationship with Kathleen behind her back. (I had zero sympathy for Kathleen).
I liked Agnes far more than I thought I would initially. I would have liked to see a bit more of her background expanded upon. It was also very strange to see Simon Helberg in a role other than the Big Bang Theory… but I felt he played Cosme McMoon really well and it was good to see his facial expressions as he realised Florence’s singing wasn’t what he’d been led to believe.
Although there were parts of this movie that were light-hearted, I thought the seriousness was handled really well… and it helped that most of the actors were those who seemed more comfortable in their roles. The ending was particularly moving and although there was a lot of comedy, I didn’t feel that it should be billed as such.
If you’re on the fence about seeing this movie, I would suggest watching it. It’s well-cast and acted and although I wouldn’t want to watch it again any time soon, it was very entertaining to watch the first time.
Paige Donovan is an ambitious college graduate who aspires to reach the top of the corporate ladder. She’s climbing fast when given the promotion of a lifetime at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City. Her bright future comes to an unexpected halt after news of her father’s death. She inherits his old cabin in the Colorado Rockies, and just when she thinks her luck couldn’t get any worse, she has a car accident in the mountains and awakens in the small, remote community of Black River.
Soon, she’s engulfed in the mystical world of Varulv—wolves descended from 13th century Scandinavia and blessed by Norse gods with the ability to appear human. Paige is desperate to return home, but never expects to fall for her rescuer, Riley Gray, a charming young werewolf from England who offers her an alternate future with his pack.
Now, she must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love she’s always dreamed.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I did actually think that the premise for this book started out quite well. I had a lot of sympathy for Paige’s character as a child and it was sweet to see her trying to make friends with a puppy… even if I did feel that her thought processes made her come across as a bit too adult at that point. It was also good to see her brief interaction with the boy and it would have been good to see them able to interact a bit more before Paige’s parents took her away.
Unfortunately, after the intriguing dream, I felt that the plot of the book went downhill considerably. I wasn’t given much of an opportunity to get to know the secondary characters… and when Paige’s father died, I wasn’t able to see any of her relationship with him. There was too much telling rather than showing going on.
I thought that Paige’s relationship with Riley was a particularly dangerous, emotionally manipulative one. It would have been good if it had been portrayed as that… but I felt that Paige spent a lot of the book as a weak character who let everyone else walk all over her. Even when she had problems with the way things were run, she didn’t seem to care beyond making a token protest… and her final decision towards the end of the book didn’t seem to be about her choosing the best path; rather that she took the easy way out.
I felt it could have been really interesting to see Paige challenging archaic stereotypes in a wolf pack that treats females as less than males, but there was a dangerous sexist undertone to most of the book that I felt was accepted even by the supposedly strong female characters. Very few of the secondary characters were expanded upon and those who were seemed to change personality at the drop of a hat.
I found it very hard to take the romance seriously. By the end of the book, I actually knew very little about Paige or Riley and I felt there was some quite juvenile language used at times. I was disappointed that the romance didn’t feel real… even though I was intrigued by the Norse mythology surrounding the changing of the wolves.
For those of you thinking of reading this… there are elements of bestiality in this. While those might have been handled well… I couldn’t stop cringing whenever it was mentioned.
Due to a massive slew of problems with the romance and the characters, I strongly suspect I won’t be reading any more books that might be in the series… which is a real shame, since the premise held a lot of promise for a potentially unique take on the werewolf myth.
April Bostic is a New Jersey-based, Adult Romance author who enjoys unleashing her creativity and letting her imagination run wild. Her love of romance books inspired her to become not just a reader, but also a writer. In December 2008, she self-published her first novel, a contemporary romance with a supernatural twist entitled “A Rose to the Fallen”.
Her first short story, “Right Here, Right Now”, released in January 2012, is an erotic romance with a dash of S&M. The following year, she released two more short stories: a romantic urban fantasy inspired by the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche entitled “Eros, My Love”, and a sexy romantic comedy entitled “Love Addiction”.
After five years, she released her second novel, “The Howling Heart” in August 2013, a paranormal romance that delves into the mystical world of werewolves and Norse gods. To end her busiest year in publishing, April also released her fourth short story in December 2013, a historical paranormal romance entitled “A Dark Scandal”.
I felt feverish, and I couldn’t move. I tried to open my eyes, but something heavy weighed on my eyelids.
Although I couldn’t see or move, I heard voices around me. The first one was female, and she had an English accent like Sheriff Gray. “She’s still got a fever.”
Then, I heard a male voice. “What if she doesn’t wake up?” He had the same accent, but he wasn’t the sheriff.
At that moment, I realized they were talking about me. “Don’t worry…she will.”
“It’s my fault. Dad’s going to bloody kill me.”
“It’s not your fault. Stop saying that. She’llbe okay, and Dad will understand.”
“I shouldn’t have brought her here.“
“You did the right thing by bringing her here. I can take care of her.“
There was a momentary pause. “What if she finds out?”
“That’s for Dad to decide.”
The voices faded in and out. Sleep bore down on me, but the last words I heard from the man stuck in my head. “I’ll watch over her.”
A severely dry mouth and splitting headache interrupted my peaceful sleep. I couldn’t hear the two voices, but I heard breathing in my left ear like someone was sleeping next to me. I tried to open my eyes so that I could ask them for water and medicine for my headache. The weight on my eyes was gone, so I tried to open them, but they felt sticky this time. I struggled to peel them open, blinking rapidly to loosen my eyelashes.
When I finally opened my eyes, they felt swollen. The pain in my head spread throughout my entire body. Dim light surrounded me in this strange room. I lay on a bed and looked up at the ceiling. I tried to speak, but my throat was dry. Only a quiet wheeze escaped. A low groan followed as my headache pounded against my temples. I still felt hot and sweaty. Layers of blankets covered me, and I wanted to yank them off. When I touched my abdomen, I wore nothing but my bra and panties.
My eyes darted around the unfamiliar room. On the wall, I noticed a shadow of something next to me. What the hell is that? I turned my head and saw a candle in the window, but what cast the shadow scared me to death. A large, white wolf lay on the floor beside me. There was no mistaking it for a dog. The bed was low to the floor, and its head was close to mine. I opened my mouth wide, prepared to scream, but wheezes and weak gasps escaped, instead. I thrashed my head against the pillow, as if the motions would turn up the volume in my voice. Finally, a shriek pushed through my sandpaper throat. It was a high-pitched squeal at first, but then, it burst forth and filled the room. I sat up quickly. Aching pain tore through my body, and I heard my bones crack.
The wolf awoke with a start. It jerked its head up, and glowing, yellow eyes blinked until they settled on me. I shrank away from it, nearly falling off the bed, screaming until I went hoarse and gasped for breath. The wolf stood on all fours, its size definitely that of a Great Dane. Our gazes locked for a brief moment before the animal ran out the room. I sat against the headboard, clutching the blankets against my chest. I was alone and terrified. Within seconds, tears trickled down my cheeks.
I particularly enjoyed reading this book, since I’d wanted to see more of Bucky as the Winter Soldier. I did find myself getting annoyed on Steve’s behalf when it transpired that Bucky’s survival was kept from him, though… and I couldn’t really see the point in keeping it a secret from the rest of the Avengers, since they all knew Bucky and probably wouldn’t have turned him in if they’d known that he’d survived.
It was interesting to see that Bucky’s past as the Winter Soldier came back and to get glimpses of the men he trained and the kind of relationships he had with them. I would have liked to see more of the history and motivations of his fellow soldiers… especially Dmitri, who I found the most interesting. Arkady gave me the creeps and I really didn’t like Leo’s character. I disliked him even more by the end of the selection of comics.
I especially liked seeing Natasha and Bucky together. I liked the easy camaraderie between them and it was good to see how they fought together… but also to see their history in the Red Room. I would have liked a bit more detail of how Natasha had defected… but it was good to see the romance between her and Bucky, especially considering their feelings didn’t actually get in the way of them both doing their job.
I liked being able to see Nick Fury appear in this collection, even though I did find it a bit annoying that he made the decision to keep Bucky’s survival a secret from Steve. I would have liked to see a bit more of his interactions with Bucky and Natasha… since I found myself caring about Sitwell more through the course of the comics.
I thought it was really good to see Natasha have to experience being brainwashed, but I would have liked to see a bit more of the aftermath of everything that had happened to her. It was pretty awful to see Bucky had to return to his Winter Soldier mentality… especially considering he ended up hurting his allies. I definitely agreed with Logan about how stupid Bucky’s actions were.
I would like to see more of Bucky and Natasha in future comics and it would be good to see if they could come back from the massive setback their relationship has taken… since the comics did end on something of a cliffhanger.
Although this movie wasn’t one I was desperate to watch, the trailer was intriguing enough to make me decide to watch it when I had today free.
I found this movie quite tense to watch. Both Mason and Briar were characters who I found easy to like and empathise with. While Briar clearly had a lot of problems, I did feel that he grew a bit during the course of the movie.
It was really interesting to see how Mason’s pick-pocketing worked and I found it easy to see the world in the same way he did, such as when he was watching the crowds of people and seeing the opportunities to steal.
I did feel a lot of sympathy for Zoe, even though I thought that her choosing to bomb even an empty building was an awful choice for her to make. It was good to see parts of the movie focus on her as well as Mason and Briar.
There was a lot of good action in this and I felt that there was also a lot going on. While it was very much an action-adventure film, I liked that it focused as much on the characters… but I would have liked to know a bit more detail about Mason’s history and what his motivations were.
I did see a few of the surprises coming, but I was on the edge of my seat for most of the movie.I was drawn really easily into the plot and it was good to see some of the relationships between the secondary characters during the course of this movie.
I thought it was interesting to see how everything escalated out of control, though I wasn’t sure exactly how intelligent the villains actually were. There was at least some expansion on motivations for some of the characters, though.
While watching this a second time probably won’t add much, I enjoyed seeing the interactions between Mason and Briar and I especially liked the ending. I probably would watch it again at some point in the future, though I probably wouldn’t buy it full price on DVD.
I did, in fact, see the midnight showing of this movie. The buildup to seeing it was exciting, but I was also a bit apprehensive, having a fairly good idea of how the plot would go from reading the comics.
I liked that the movie went straight into the action and that I had the chance to see the Avengers working as a team. At the same time, I could understand both sides of the issue. What was kind of disappointing was that the movie seemed to be very much about Bucky… and not about the Superhero Registration Act. So although the action wasn’t quite as dark as in the comics, Steve’s point of view didn’t come across quite as valid in the movie.
Having seen them in the comics, I was particularly interested in seeing Wanda and Vision. I thought that their interactions were sweet and Wanda especially was sympathetic, considering that even her fellow Avengers referred to her as a weapon. While her powers were dangerous, I wouldn’t have said they were any more dangerous than the other abilities… and even though there was destruction caused by the team right at the start, it was difficult to say that they would have made things worse.
There was more humour than I was expecting there to be, considering the plot. I especially liked seeing Spider-Man in this movie, though considering the comics, I would have preferred seeing a slightly older version of him, since he isn’t perpetually a teenager. I also enjoyed seeing the Black Panther, though I would have liked a bit more detail about the culture he was from. It was also interesting to see how he fought on Tony’s side, but had his own reasons for doing so.
I enjoyed seeing Scott Lang put in an appearance and I would have liked to see him interacting a bit more with some of the others… though he had several amusing exchanges with Steve and with Tony.
This movie was really good to watch and I found I was drawn into the plot really easily. I would recommend watching it… but it isn’t a standalone movie and there are a lot of characters/sub plots you need to have a passing familiarity with.
Ink of Blood 