Read.Watch.Review

Reviews of books, movies, and TV

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Book Review: Stray by Rachel Vincent

5 out of 5

TW: Rape/ Assault

Faythe is a werecat fighting to find her place in the balance between the pride and her own desires. 

Spoiler Free:

When I first hear the term werecat I was so concerned. I assumed it would be cheesy but oh was I wrong. Faythe was my perfect protagonist. She was strong and relatable. Despite romance being one of the novel’s main elements, she was never defined by her relationship. Continuing with the romance, it fit so perfectly into the story by enhancing the plot but not taking over the book. As an adult novel, there was just the right amount of smut and it played a fitting role in the story, The story of the characters was compelling because despite basing around the fantastical element of werecats, there were topics of family, work, love, and loyalty. The fantastical element was done well with developing the mythology and finding a balance between a real cat and the human. The character ensemble was rather large, but by the end of the novel, each character was distinguishable. The antagonist was a true villain that sent chills down my spine. There was enough of a cliff hanger where I am excited to continue the series but don't feel like the plot was just chopped off. Finally, Rachel Vincent’s writing was excellent. Everything was so visual. In saying this nothing was over-described where I was skimming paragraphs to just get to the action. I would definitely recommend. 

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Book Review: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

5 out of 5 stars

Nick and Norah meet at a concert and following is a night of self-discovery for both.

Spoiler Free:

Going into this tiny book I had few expectations but some good music recommendations and a cute love story. However, it was so much more. Over the course of one night, Nick and Norah grow so much as people. They come to terms with their past relationships and hope for their future together. This book is so realistic yet inspirational. It touches on the teenage dating precautions of caution, paranoia, lust, and jitters. The cast of characters was so well developed that I remember even the one time appearances. The dual perspectives were done so well. I loved the end to the beginning of chapter overlap that developed an understanding of what each character felt in the same moment. I could not read this book fast enough. I found myself frustrated I wasn't reading faster, not because I wanted the book to be over, but I just needed to know what happened. That suspense is not something you usually get from a contemporary romance. I 100% recommend this book.

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Book Review: Unhinged by AG Howard

4 out of 5

The second book in the Splintered series follows Alyssa on her journey to restore balance to wonderland while protecting those she loves most. Remaining torn between two worlds, she is confronted with finding her true self because the lives of everyone she loves depends on it. 

Spoiler Free:

I enjoyed this book but definitely not as much as the first book. The characters are the downfall of this series. However, the reason I continue to read and enjoy these books is the story. The plot is so intricately woven and well developed it is impossible not to enjoy. 

Spoiler Warning:

This love triangle will be the death of this series. The plot is so good but the immaturity of the characters makes the book difficult to want to pick back up. My biggest issue with any character is a lack of logic. Alyssa’s refusal to accept her fate and hide secrets is not interesting to read. She did, however, progress majorly as a character and by the end of the book, I can finally say I like her. Morpheus is my favorite character but the scheming gets repetitive. With his growth in this book, I don’t see that being an issue in the conclusion. Jeb is my least favorite. His attempts at claiming and protecting Alyssa are outdated. What sealed my dislike of him permanently was his final kiss with Alyssa being grounded in revenge rather than love for her. The positive character development in this book is both of the parents. It was refreshing to have present parental figures. The plot of this story was amazing. I don’t just want to recount the entire book but the incorporation of memories and Alison’s past made this book so enjoyable. I am interested to see how this series ends. 

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Book review of Beloved by Toni Morrison

Book reveiw of Beloved by Toni Morrison

Rating 4/5

Spoiler free

Morrison's Beloved is beautifully written and thoughtfully depicts the African American experience during the Civil War and slave era.  Sethe is a strong and independent female lead that is truly inspiring.  Each character shows extreme growth over the novel's span.  The setting, symbols, and format of the novel all add to the story.  Morrison handled a very controversial topic with grace.  I can not give the book a full five stars as Morrison left many things unanswered.  In some situations that would read as intriguing but the magnitude of those left answered in this novel is to much.  Morrison forms a haunting atmosphere and a story that truly pulls at one's heartstrings.  I would whole-heartedly recommend Beloved.  

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Book review of A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

Book review of A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

Spoilers to follow

I read this book for school and probably would never of heard of it if not for class.  I am not a big reader of plays but this read like a novel with a little more context given the stage directions.  Given this play was written in the late 1800's I was shocked at how modern its writing was.  The first two acts were pretty boring and semi-annoying.  I was upset with how Torvald was treating Nora, but I also felt we did not have sufficient backstory to care for her.  I liked the ides of giving the protagonist and antagonist the same crime.  Act three was amazing.  Torvald's reaction made me so angry and Nora staying strong and reasonable was perfect.  The metaphor being fully explained made it easy to understand but also fit seamlessly into the story.  I would highly recommend.  Would not recommend reading the alternate ending because it is a cop out for those who don't believe in women's equality.  

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Nerve Book Review

2/5

I found this book pretty average.  Though the story was enticing I never found myself fully caring for the characters.  I found the first person narrative made the dares embarrassing for the reader and cringe worthy to read.  The prequel chapter spoiled the ending and left me feeling Vee was being reckless by ignoring all of her gut instincts.  I didn’t understand why people would want to watch dangerous things or watch when they think they are fake.  I had seen the movie trailer before I read this and I think the movie will be a loose adaptation so it is not necessary to read before the movie.  I do think I will enjoy the movie more than the book, though it was an entertaining read.  

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Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List Book Neview

3/5

I found this book good but not great.  I did like the characters but I found I never took a side in the argument/fight.  I never found myself loving a character because there was always something about them that was unlikable.  I do respect that those qualities made the character realistic.  I liked how each chapter was written differently and it was clear who’s chapter it was because it reflected their personality.  I did find Gabriel’s chapters slow to read and I don't think I got the full impact because I did not know the songs.  I loved how in depth the backstory of the friendship and families were.  It also was good to see families in a book because they are usually left out.  Overall would recommend if interested or you like the author's writing style.  Read in the booktubeathon for book with yellow or movie adaptation.

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A Series of Unfortunate Events The Bad beginning Book Review

1/5

Spoilers for the novel The Bad Beginning

This was my first read of the 2016 booktubeathon. It could complete the challenge read a book only at night, older than you, or an adaptation. I absolutely despised this book. I did not have any connection to the children. I found it absolutely absurd that the children would be placed with someone unknown and not removed when they voiced concerns. I even found it extreme that the villain would consider marrying a family member. Overall the book was not at all enticing, interesting or entertaining to me.

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Finding Dory Movie Review

7/10

Spoilers or the movie Finding Dory

I did really enjoy the movie.  I felt it took a very hyped up idea and surprised the audience with something unexpected yet still entertaining.  I did find the beginning kind of repetitive and bong.  The highlight and surprise of the beginning was the adorable and heart wrenching moments of flashback from Dory's childhood.  The moment Sigourney Weaver made her entrance I was invested in Dory’s story.  One problem I do have with the movie was the lack of villain.  I do understand Pixar does not like to have a villain but I feel it could have worked for the story like Toy Story 2 where Stinky Pete wanted to prevent Woody from going home.  I felt Hank was surprisingly mean for being a protagonist.  I do wish we got more of his back story as to what memory he wand to forget, why he didn't want to go back in the ocean, and what happened to his 8th tentacle.  I wish here was more do do with Destiny’s issue.  All movie advertising told of a whale shark that didn't understand she was a shark instead of the whale.  I feel that was lost in the story and her main quality was that she could no see.  Another weak point was Marlin and Nemo’s plot line.  I feel it did not have much importance of development and they were just thrown in because they were important to the series but not this film.  I found the seals Debby, Bailey, and the otters funny but nothing special.  The flash backs continued to be the highlight of the movie and their coloration into Dory being reunited with her parents was seamless.  The scene brought tears o my eyes that Dory's parents spent years spreading shells to hope for Dory’s return.  I felt that the story could have benefited from having an environmental message.  The animals were being caught and rehabilitated but sent to aquariums instead of set free, Dory’s memory loss was most likely because of breeding in captivity, and the truck being crashed into the ocean would have caused pollution or a gas and oil spill.  Overall the movie was very enjoyable with great lessons but I don’t feel it lives up to Finding Nemo or other pixar movies.  

For me the best part of the movie was the after credits scene with the cameo from the aquarium fish from Finding Nemo.  It was hilarious they had yet to escape their bags and were yet again brought into captivity.  

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G.B.F. Movie Review

4/10

Spoilers for the movie G.B.F.

This movie was just okay.  It is not memorable, funny, or life changing.  I am glad it was, in my opinion, not offensive.  I felt Tanner and Brent’s almost love story was totally out of left field.  I also felt that though we were supposed to believe Fawcett was a good person she did nothing to prove it.  To me all of the other characters were basic and ind of boring.  I did like the casting of Natasha Lyonne because she has kind of become a staple in LGBT+ focused movies.  I would not recommend this movie because I just think there are better movies out there.  

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Book Review for The School for Good and Evil

4/5

I am astounded by how much I enjoyed this book.  I went into it with extremely low expectations, assuming it would just be another let down middle grade novel.  I was proven completely wrong.  It had a complex storyline with fully developed characters.  I think this book could be enjoyed by almost anyone any age.  There are so many lessons in it that can be learned by anyone of any age.  

Spoilers for the novel The School for Good and Evil

I found the beginning of the book entertaining but nothing special.  As I do with most novels based in a school I loved all of the classes and challenges.  I started to have a problem towards the middle of the book when it was centered around Sophie and Agatha was completely lost.  I was angry the majority of the book that they were convinced they were in the wrong schools.  I do understand that was the premise of the story but I do feel it did get a little boring.  I found it very obvious that Sophie was evil because she was vain and only cared for herself, while Agatha was good because she was willing to sacrifice herself to save her friend.  The theme of friends bothered me because Sophie has no problem ditching her friend.  I was heartbroken that Agatha would do anything for Sophie no matter what and Sophie just wanted to switch schools and be done with Agatha.  I also got frustrated that every princess’s, and Sophie's, only goal was to get a prince to save them and live happily ever after.  I very much agreed with Agatha when she thought why don't the princesses learn to defend themselves.  I was also astounded that so many of the so called good guys were so self centered and cared only for themselves, though I do feel this helped the ending be very believable.  The ending of the story blew me away.  I loved Tedros’s revelation that Agatha had been his true love all along, even without love at first sight.  I loved the progress after the Trial of Tales as Sophie changed to evil and Agatha to good.  Agatha learning that beauty was on the inside was a truly inspiring chapter.  I also loved the circus and the amazing talents thrown in.  I was once again heartbroken that the wolves and faries were living tortured live and then all killed by Sophie.  I did get a little lost in the battle because descriptions were a little vague but it was still entertaining.  The best part of the entire novel for me was Sophie's plan.  It completely shocked me and made complete sense that the evils were good and the good were evil.  It also played to the theme that good and evil is not in your soul but your actions.  I loved that Tedros was not required to rescue the princess she could save herself.  Beatrix finally doing something good was refreshing.  The final plot twist did confuse me a little.  I wish they had mentioned Sophie's dream prince earlier so as to tie it back into the story.  I also wish a little more explaining went into the kiss.  Lastly the ending felt very cut off, though I do plan to read the next book and hope for answers.  I can't understand if Sophie turned good, did true loves kiss save her, who controls the storian, and are the headmaster and his brother both destroyed.  Over all this book was so entertaining.  The writing was great.  I loved all of the morals and themes. The plot twists were genius and the cliffhanger left me wanting the sequel.  

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The Girl on the Train Book Review

3.5

Spoilers for the novel The Girl on the Train I enjoyed the plot and characters. The characters were very realistic. I often got angry with Rachel but it made me understand her life and why Tom left her. I did not have strong love or hatred for Megan or any of the other characters. I felt they were good but I did not connect with any of them in a positive or negative way. The plot was good but I do not think there was any evidence to tie the big reveal into the story. I did think they did good in revealing the affair and the murder but I did not understand ow they were able to have the affair. I feel there should have been another chapter after the revel that told of the first time Tom and Megan met. Nothing had happened in the book to hint to the situation. Though I do enjoy that it was a surprise I also wish there was a possibility I could have guessed it. I also think there was not enough information after the reveal to make sense of it. I do think the relationship between Scott and Rachel was believable and accurate for how crazy both of them were. I think the writing could have been better. There was not a lot of explanation or description. During a fight, by the time I became worried for the character it was already over. I also feel the names should have been a bit more creative. Due to that they were all basic names it was hard to keep them straight and I often confused them. I also think the time line was a little confusing. Though it was helpful the dates were there I did not realize that Megan's chapters had happened in the previous year. I also think it was pointless to hide that Megan's affair was with Dr. Abdic because he was the only person of racial diversity it was easy to guess. We also never got a conclusion on who told the police about the babies death. I feel that was a very emotional aspect of the novel and it should have had a conclusion. Adding on to the police I feel there was a lot of character development for them to have played such a small role. I do still think this is a book worth reading despite its flaws. I feel it will make a very good movie.

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But I’m A Cheerleader Movie Review

7/10

Spoilers for the movie But I’m A Cheerleader

I really liked this movie.  Especially for a movie from 1999 it did such a good job of making fun of yet being realistic on the issue or homophobia.  All of the characters were slightly comedic while keeping their realistic qualities.  I loved the relationship between Megan and Graham.  The irony of RuPaul’s character was amazing.  The extreme tests and standards were outright hilarious. The end was predictable but still enjoyable.  Would recommend to anyone not homophobic.  

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Baggage Claim Movie Review

6/10

Spoilers for the movie Baggage Claim

This was a very enjoyable movie. It was very cookie cutter in its plot and characters.  Montana was a very strong character that made smart decisions, not what everyone else wanted her to do.  Her friends were the basic slutty and gay best friends.  I thought all of the love interests were creative and gave some twists to the plot.  It was obvious from the beginning she was going to end up with William but I still loved it because that is what you watch a romcom for, the ridiculously happy ending.  

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This Means War Review

This Means War is about Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), who falls for two guys, FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy).  The plot twist is that Tuck and FDR are best fried FBI agents.  

Spoilers for the movie This Means War

2/10

I absolutely hated this movie.  

To be fair there were a few things I enjoyed about this movie.  I loved Lauren’s speech in the video store.  I enjoyed the basic character of Tuck.  He just wanted to find love.  The last thing I even slightly enjoyed was that Tuck ended up with his baby mama and son. 

On to the rant.  The second the two men found out they were dating the same girl it became a competition.  All of the recon they did was to increase their chances of winning not getting to know her.  On their dates they were playing to her likes not even being themselves.  FDR literally read a script.  They invaded her privacy and seemed not to care about what she wanted but what would get them laid.  I also disliked how they were willing to ruin/let go of their friendship over a girl.  They promised it wouldn't happen and then let it happen.  I felt Lauren had no real connection with either of the guys and just wanted to find someone because she was tired of being lonely not because she liked them.  The spy aspect was completely lost in the story and almost seemed like an after thought,  I did not like this movie and will never rewatch it.  

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass Book Review

3/5

I wished I liked these books more. I love the idea of Alice in Wonderland and escaping to a new world. I don't know what I expected from this but it was not that. It was a lot of short stories connected by one main character. They were good stories but I wanted more. The highlight of the book for me was the writing. The use of the word queer. It was great to see that word used as a positive. I could not imagine reading these stories as a child. There was some great themes in this story I feel everyone should learn. Overall it was a good idea but the execution of many small story lines should have been connected by something more.

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Pretty Little Liars Season 6B review

7/10

Spoilers for season 6B of Pretty Little Liars.  

I enjoyed this season of Pretty Little Liars (PLL). Some may disagree with this and I can see why.  The mystery/crime aspect of the story this season was awful.  The entire season they were convinced the new A was Sara.  Maybe it is just because I watch too many shows but I knew that if the person is a suspect from day one they are not the big bad.  I liked the portion where they thought it was Melissa because all clues perfectly lined up to being her.  An aspect of the show that has always annoyed me is that the girls will throw suspicion at anyone, Including their friend’s families, but when it is a member of their family they can not seem to believe it.  

They advertised the season as supposedly epic with real threats to the character’s lives.  I did not find that true at all.  Emily was “attacked” in the hospital and it was never cleared on if she actually was.  She was chased by a car, which I do admit was suspenseful, but was left unscathed.  Aria was the only one actually injured and even then it was over technology, which to me portrayed the new A as a coward. The liars seemed to think Ali was also attacked by the new A but she just tripped.   I did not understand the liars fear of talking to the cops because they had no reason the new A could do anything to them.  I was also upset that they had not learned from their mistakes of going places alone and not telling people.  Ezra was in a large portion of the season and still did not know what was happening till episode 19.  

The reason I enjoyed this season, and I enjoy the show is the characters.  I love how the characters had grown over the 5 years.  I liked seeing them as more mature and level headed.  The shipping reached a new level with the ship I always expected to happen, Spaleb. I am conflicted on the cheating in the finale. To me the Haleb kiss was awful because Hanna is engaged and Just that morning Spencer told Caleb she loved him.  I love Ezria, so I was not upset they were back together.  I know it was cheating but even Aria said things between her and Liam were never that serious. I am loving the slow progression to Spoby getting back together.  It has been teased that there will be a liars wedding next season.  I hope it is one of these ships but i am worried it will be Toby and Yvonne.  

My 100% favorite aspect of this season was the flashbacks.  There was only a few but they were placed perfectly and had way more impact than if it was just information told between characters.  

The parents were okay this season.  I did not hate any of them but I feel the had no profound impact on my enjoyment of the season.  I absolutely loved Veronica Hastings.  In past seasons I had always hated her. This season she seemed human and to actually care for her daughter.  I was upset we never found out how the moms got out of the basement. 

 I am left confused by the finale.  Who was sending the texts, Sara, Dr. Rollins, Mary Drake, or someone else.  They never told us who actually killed Charlotte.  I get that it leaves questions to be built on for the next season but to me it seemed they should have answered something instead of giving more questions.  Overall it was one of my favorite seasons and I am super excited to see what comes.