Book Review - Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

Title: Next of Kin
Author: Kia Abdullah
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2021
 
Description: Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother in law’s voice is filled with panic. He’s at his son’s nursery to pick up Max. But her isn’t there.
 
Leila was supposed to drop of Max off that morning. But she forgot. Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done. Max has been locked in her car for six hours on the hottest day of the year. But she’s too late.
 
What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial, that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye.
 
Review: When I read the synopsis, it reminded me a lot of an older episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, where a father left his son in the car on the hottest day of the year, forgetting he was with him. This book does its own thing, but also has a lot of similarities. And some I cannot see passed.
 
We meet Leila, a successful architect with her own business. She and her sister Yasmine have grown up together, without their parents for the most part, with Leila being the caregiver at 18 when Yasmine was only 11 years old. When Yasmine’s husband Andrew asks Leila to drop off three-year-old Max to day care, she does not hesitate. When Leila is at work, she receives a phone call from Andrew that Max never arrived at daycare. And then Leila remembers that Max is still in her car. When she runs to check on him, he is dead. Leila is accused of manslaughter and has to go to trial. But many secrets unravel while Leila awaits her fate.
 
The story is really strong and the twists are good and surprising. If you did not see that aforementioned episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”. It follows the major plot lines, but changes the family situation and dynamics. And it still does its own thing, it's not a copy of this episode. That is okay with me, there are many books and movies that have very similar plots. But some crucial details in this book are also in that TV-episode, that it just can’t be a coincidence anymore.
 
Off course, the book is way more in depth and it doesn’t only focus on the incident, but also on the family dynamics. The bond between the two sisters, their partners, the investigation by the detective. The book is divided into three parts. The incident, the courtroom and the aftermath. That courtroom part is what makes this book so good. I was super invested and this is something I especially enjoyed reading about.
 
If I hadn’t seen the “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” episode, I would most definitely give this book a five-star rating and I would be more shocked by the twist. But because Kia Abdullah’s story has certain similarities with this episode, that I feel cannot be a coincidence, the book loses one full star in its final rating. 
 
Rating: 4/ 5

Book Review - Out There Screaming by Various Authors

Title: Out There Screaming
Author: Various Authors (edited by Jordan Peele)
Genre: Horror/ Short stories
Published: 2024
 
Description: The visionary writer and director of “Get Out”, “Us” and “Nope”, and founder of Monkeypaw productions, curates this groundbreaking anthology of all-new stories of Black horror, exploring not only the  terrors of the supernatural but the chilling reality of injustive that haunts our nation.

Review: In the forword of “Out There Screaming”, Jordan Peele explains how the book came to be. How ‘The Sunken Place’ from his horror film “Get Out” is the starting point of each story. The sunken place is different for everyone and with that idea, 19 authors came up with varying stories.
 
I will not be getting into all induvial stories, I’m going to highlight the ones that stood out to me.
 
“The Other One”, written by Violet Allen” is about Angela, who gets mysterious text messages from another woman, who seems to be dating her ex. Things become sinister pretty quickly. I found this original and amazing, yet very disturbing. This is what I want for a short story in the horror genre. The ending was very worrying.
 
“Lasiren”, by author Erin E. Adams, was e strong, fantastical horror story, about three sisters. One is been taking into the ocean by a mysterious creature. The sister bond was what made this book special.
 
L.D. Lewis’ story “Flicker” followed Kamara and her friends, who ar trying to survive in a world turned upside down by unexplained ‘blinks’ of darkness that last seconds, then minutes, and so on. The premise was good, I could read a full length novel based on it.
 
“The Strongest Obeah Woman of the World”, written by Nalo Hopkinson, is a body horror story, so people will respond mixed to this one. Yenderil swims to the bottom of the blue hole to kill the beast that’s been haunting her village. But the beast latches on to her. This story was so original and kind of gross. But loved it.
 
There are also a few stories with realistic elements, of U.S. history, that are horrific because of it. My favorite of those was “The Norwood Trouble” by Maurice Broaddus follows a young girl that experiences a lynch mob in the years before civil rights was initiated in the U.S.
 
The best story in the entire anthology was without a doubt “Happy Place” by Terence Taylor. We meet Martin, whose job is to transport prisoners. He learns of ‘The Process’, which is a way to transfer knowledge to prisoners so they can leave as productive members of society. This was such a good story, loved the premise and that twist was a shock.
 
When I started this book, I felt a bit sad, because the first couple of stories didn’t really do much for me. But the best stories are still coming. Ranking each individual story, adding those and dividing this by 19, gives us an average rating of 3,5 stars. A really solid horror anthology, with some new-to-me authors that I will for sure keep my eye on.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

Title: The Golden Spoon
Author: Jessa Maxwell
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2023
 
Description: Every summer for the past years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the ground of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week”but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin.
 
The author of numerous best-selling cookbooks and hailed as Ämerica’s Grandmother”, Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, although no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. Things go awry as the baking competition begins. At first, it’s merely sabotage – sugar replaced by salt, a burner turned too high – but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.
 
Review: “The Golden Spoon” is a cozy mystery, which was marketed as a mix of “The Great British Bake Off” and “Knives Out”. Lots of atmosphere, little blood. If you like mystery, but not the gore and blood that comes with them often, this is your type of book.
 
We meet the host, Betsy Martin, and all the contestants. The are introduced and all have their own chapters, told from their POV. I like that. The book is a very quick read and the story is easy to follow.
 
It is a mystery, but there is not a lot of suspense. For the majority of the book, we follow the six contestants and the host in their journey through “Bake Week”, each with their secrets and with strange things happening now and then.
 
Through the entirety of the book you are wondering who will be the one that gets killed, but it’s actually very predictable. I guessed it early on in the book. Obvious? Probably. The murderer and the person sabotaging the competition, not spoiling if it’s the same person or not, could also be guessed due to the few characters we are following. But are not as obvious.
 
“The Golden Spoon” is a quick read, but never extremely exciting. Good for beginners of the mystery genre. A book with a ton of potential, but didn’t fully succeed.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

20s Movie Review - Strange Way of Life

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Genre: Western/ Drama
Runtime: 31 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Pedro Pascal
Description: After twenty-five years Silva (Pedro Pascal) rides a horse across the desert to visit his friend Sheriff Jake (Ethan Hawke). They celebrate the meeting, but the next morning Jake tells him that that reason for this trip is not to go down the memory lane of their friendship.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 34: A FILM FROM 2023
 
Review: It is clear that Pedro Almodóvar wants to make a statement, making “Strange Way of Life as a classic western, one of the most masculine film genres out there. From the sets through the characters and to the music breathes the Wild West.

The dhort film begins promisingly, with the introduction of the two men and a mesmerizing version of the title song “Extraña forma de vida”.

There is murder, there is blood vengeance and honor, there is family loyalto. And there is a secret that took place twenty-five years earlier between the two men, sheriff Jake and hitman Silva. The film focuses mainly on the interaction between these two main characters, who have taken different paths yet never forgot each other.

But even though the film is only half an hour long, it feels like it contains unnecessary scenes. The flashback scene was not needed, from the interaction alone you can figure out what happened all those years ago.

I love both Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as actors, and these is an attraction between the two. But it doesn’t feel like a deep, inescapable connection. The dialogues feel a bit flat.

“Strange Way of Life” is undeniably solidly made, the camerawork is impeccable, as is art direction, editing and music. But it stays too much on the surface. Perhaps this movie would work better as a full-length film instead of a short movie. Hawke and Pascal do make up for a lot, individually.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Title: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (Vera Wong # 1)
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2023
 
Description: Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).
 
But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix thing. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.
 
Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.

Review: In this book we follow the titular Vera Wong, an elderly lady whose energetic routines and diligent internet snooping keep her young at heart. However her son and her potential clients at her tea shop are not very interested in it. With so little going on in her life, you can’t blame her to take matters into her own hands, when a dead man is found in her tea shop. Because she believes the cops are not capable of solving the crime, what is clearly a murder in her eyes, Vera decides she will solve it for them. Especially when the police claim it’s just an accident. Not one, but four people later show up at her shop, that try to find out what happened to the dead man. Making them potential suspects.
 
The book has some funny and hilarious moments, but is also heartwarming at times. Jesse Q. Sutanto wrote Vera as a meddling mother and combined this with her being a very sympathetic character. She is outrageous and arrogant, but also smart, caring and full of love. And this all makes Vera to a very loveable character. Sutanto added four more complex characters to the story, all with their own trauma. And together as a group they form a great dynamic, healing each other along the way. With Vera as the link.
 
The story reads from multiple perspectives besides Vera’s and I always enjoy this in mysteries. We get to learn about each character before the rest does and they are all interesting to read about.
 
The story has some moments that feel repetitive, especially at the start. And there is a romance in it that felt a bit forced. I also found the eventual culprit a bit predictable, even though the revealed link I didn’t guess.  
 
“Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” is a funny, cozy mystery that I really enjoyed for the majority of it. It’s the first book in a series, the sequel will come out in 2025. And I think I will be picking that up as well.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Director: George Miller
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 148 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke
 
Description: The origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) before her encounter and teamup with Mad Max.

Review: “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) was a giant hit, it was my favorite film of that year. And we met Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron in that film. In “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” we see her origin story and she is this time portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy.

How she grows up ina  green oasis, the “green place” to which she tries to return in “Mad Max: Fury Road”. How young Furiosa gets robbed from her family by a bunch of road warriors and ends up with the gang of Dementus (a delightfully unhinged Chris Hemsworth). How she ends up in the Citadel, where Immortan Joe rules the fascist sceptor. How she is taken under the wing of Praetorian Jack. Ans how she eventually becomes a key player in what could be described as a civil war, as Dementus tries to take over Immortan Joe’s empire.

This film is not only an origin story but also a prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road”. The ending flows directly into the opening of Fury Road. The character development Furiosa goes through in Fury Road is given more emotional weight because of the trials she already indures in “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”. Her liberation from immortan Joe’s brides is given more gravitas because it turns out she was such a bride herself.

If you have not yet seen “Mad Max: Fury Road”, you should, because “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” might otherwise feel unfinished. If you have, you will enjoy either one of those movies more. “Mad Max: Fury Road” was in my eyes a masterpiece, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” didn’t quite get there, but is was a very needed story to be told.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - The Iron Claw

Director: Sean Durkin
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allan White, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Maura Tierney, Lily James, Stanley Simons
 
Description: The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 33: A FILM WITH A STRONG FAMILY THEME

Review: A lot of true stories have been greatly exaggerated. A lot was made up just for dramatic effect. But sometimes reality goes so far that is has to be restrained. Like in “The Iron Claw” in which the Von Erich family has four sons, whem in reality there were six. The fate of the unsung two is deeply sad, but simply too much for a film already overflowing with family grief.

Kevin, the oldest of the four sons, dedicated his life to a show-wrestling career following in his father’s footsteps. The latter is now their coach and also the owner of the local wrestling arena. But daddy dearest does not mince words when it comes to pronouncing which of his sons is his preference, and Kevin is not on top. Their father keeps applying pressure, and that has its consequences.

Those who grew up in the 1980s/ 1990s, know the WWF, the World Wrestling Federation. For some reason it was addictive to watch a bunch of butch men in tight suits go at each other in bizarre ways, especially when you learned it was all staged.

Holt McCallany is outstanding in the role of the domineering father. The man deals no blows or violent threats, yet it is extremely plausible that non one would dare stand up to him. The lead role belongs to Zac Efron, who transformed himself into a muscular pro wrestler. Yet that is not the most impressive about his portrayal. Efron delivers perhaps the best acting performance of his career to date. Kevin von Ehrig is an airhead with a full heart. He is probably the only brother that really wants to be a professional wrestler like his dad, but Kevin he is constantly overruled by him. Dad is favoring all his other sons over Kevin.

This is such a devastating film, because the Von Erich family had to deal with one tragedy after another. But boys aren’t supposed to cry, according to dad. So when Efron’s character does shed a tear, it hits extra hard.

“The Iron Claw” is an impressive, hard-hitting film. Even if you’re not into wrestling, you may be touched.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Book Review - Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

Title: Hidden Pictures
Author: Jason Rekulak
Genre: Horror/ Mystery
Published: 2022
 
Description: Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son Teddy.
 
Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nighty runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draw something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.
 
The, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if there are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.
 
Knowing just how crazy is all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.
 
 
Review: I was intrigues by the story. A young boy drawing creepy images and having an imaginary friend. And the drawings are in the book as well. I had such high expectations about this book and everyone has been raving about this book ever since it came out. But may I say that the drawings in the book are the only redeeming feature. I hated this book.
 
We meet Mallory, who just got out of rehab. She manages to get a job with the Maxwell family, Caroline and Ted, to take care of their five-year-old son Teddy. She gets her own living space, has stability and Mallory really enjoys spending time with Teddy. But Teddy draws disturbing images that get worse and worse. Mallory wants to know what these drawings mean and is determined to find out the hidden meaning behind all these pictures.
 
First of all, this is not horror. Because horror means scary. This book is not scary at all. And I scare easily. To be honest, the book is pretty boring for the most part. But that was not my biggest issue with “Hidden Pictures”. Beside it being non-scary, the book is transphobic, anti-atheist, anti-left-leaning, fatphobic.
 
WARNING!!! THIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!
 
The twist was shocking, but for all the wrong reasons. Using the child’s gender as a final twist is just distasteful. The Maxwell’s are atheists and it’s clear that the author wants us to believe that trans kids are being forced into it by “evil atheists”. There is so much that is not okay about this. The author clearly misunderstands everything about trans people.
 
END OF SPOILERS!!
 
I can’t believe this book won the GoodReads choice awards in the Horror category. And that som many people are rating it 5-stars. But there are still plenty of people that feel the same way as I do, all having the same bad after taste. They all touch upon the same issues that I had with the book, which made it that I could simply not like this book.
 
Rating: 1/ 5

Book Review - Rabbits by Terry Miles

Title: Rabbits
Author: Terry Miles
Genre: Science Fiction/ Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2021
 
Description: It’s an average work day. You’ve been wrapped up in a task, and you check the clock when you come up for air – 4:44 pm. You go to check your email, and 44 unread messages have built up. With a shock, you realize it is April 4^th – 4/ 4. And when you get in your car to drive home, your odometer reads 44,444. Coincidence? Or have you just seen the edge of a rabbit hole?
 
Rabbits is a mysterious alternate reality game so vast it uses our global reality as its canvas. Since the game first started in 1959, the  iterations have appeared and nine winners have been declared. Their identities unknown. So is their reward, which is whispered to be NSA or CIA recruitment, vast wealth, immortality, or perhaps even the key to unlocking the secrets of the universe itself. But the deeper you get, the more deadly the game becomes. Players have died in the past, and the body count is rising.
 
And now the eleventh round is about to begin. Enter K – a Rabbit obsessive who has been trying to find a way into the game for years. The path opens when K is approached by billionare Alan Scarpio, the alleged winner of the sixth iteration. Scarpio says that something has gone wrong with the game and that K needs to fix it before Eleven starts or the whole world will pay the price. Five days later, Scarpio is declared missing. Two weeks after that, K blows the deadline and Eleven begins. And suddenly the fate of the entire universe is at stake.
 
Review: I expected a book that would be full of references to videogames, technology and pop culture. The first two I would probably not get. Instead I got a mysterious, amazing trip, that still raised more questions then answers, but that sucked me in from the start. At the end I was left confused, especially about what this games was actually all about. But it was a great adventure. Lots of alternate dimensions, missing time, weird dreams and even weirder clues. At the end it still is difficult to fully explain what is going on. But I think that’s the charm of the book.
 
Rabbits is a game that no one is supposed to talk about. Everything is secretive, but people still know about its existence. What it really contains is unknown, but it’s all about finding clues, contradictions and coincidences and following the lead to the conclusion of the game. K has been obsessed since the someone called The Magician. Then K meets Alan Scarpio, the alleged winner of the sixth Rabbits game. He tells K to fix the game, before bad stuff happens. But later, right before the eleventh game begins, Scarpio goes missing and K has to play the game.  
 
“Rabbits” is one of the strangest books I’ve ever read, because it’s still really difficult to explain what I actually read about. You really have to focus and pay attention at all times to keep up and you still won’t fully understand it. And I believe author Terry Miles meant to do that. It gets you thinking and talking. This is part of the charm of the book. I really enjoyed the mysterious adventure K went on.
 
The book confused me many times and I kept adding questions to my list. And at the end, not a lot get an answer. Which might leave you a bit unsatisfied. And I wanted an ending that was more scientific, instead of magical realism. It didn’t feel right to me. It’s also not really clear if K is a man or a woman. K read like a man, but because I listened to the audiobook narrated by a woman, it was confusing.
 
“Rabbits” is an intriguing read, full of mystery and a great adventure to go on if you want to dive into science fiction a little more.  
 
Rating: 3, 5/ 5

20s Movie Review - She Said

Director: Maria Schrader
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher

Description: Jodi Kantor (Zoey Kazan) and Megan Twohey’s (Carey Mulligan) quest to break the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 32: A FILM FROM 2022
 
Review: In 2017, the New York Times wrote an article that ultimately contributed greatly to the #MeToo movement. “She Said” follows the story of journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor on their search for the truth behind the scandalous behavior of film producer Harvey Weinstein. A good script and even better performances contribute to a gripping film that captures the seriousness of these crimes ironclad.

With film adaptations of true stories, the questions soon arises: why isnt’this a documentary? After all, the facts are most important. The answer to this is usually drama. It is not just about the events, but how they were experiences. By combining the facts with drama, it is easier to show exactly what the victims went through and how these women dealt with these traumatic experiences.

Another strong aspect is the heavy emphasis on journalism. “She Said” does not simply go from victim to victim to a sudden article. It shows the difficult process of finding people willing to talk and what this requires of them emotionally. Other interesting aspects of journalism are also covered, such as competition, secrecy and Harvey Weinstein nipping you heels. They provide tension and realism.

Although emotions run high, the film falls somewhat short dramatically. For example, it fails to deepen the two main characters with snippits from their private lives. My only nitpick.

“She Said” carefully and powerfully exposes the painful nature of this serious social issue. The rock-solid acting, by Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson and Andre Braugher specifically, proves the emotional impact. The film’s purpose is never compromised and speaks pliantly about the woes that went on behind the scenes. I seem to be drawn to films about investigative journalism and this is yet another gem that a lot of people might even know about. WATCH IT!!!

Rating: 4,5/ 5

TV Show Review - A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Drama/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2024
Starring: Emma Myers, Asha Banks, Zain Iqbal, Anna Maxwell-Martin, Yali Topal Margalith, Raiko Gohara, Jude Morgan-Collie, Yasmin Al-Kudhairi, Mathew Baynton, Gary Beadle, Henry Ashton, Jackson Bews, Kamari Loyd, Carla Woodcock, India Lillie Davies, Rahul Pattni

Description: Pip Fitz-Amobi (Emma Myers) is unsure whether schoolgirl Andie bell was killed by her boyfriend Sal Singh five years ago. How far will they go to protect Pip from learning the truth if Sal turns out not to be the murderer?

Review: As a fan of the book (its entire series) it’s extra exciting to see all the characters come to life and see the story played out on the screen. But it’s also a bit scary, because you want it to be good. And even though I really like what they did, it does have its flaws.

When I read this series, I immediately fell in love with Pip. She is one of my favorite female leads in a book series ever. Emma Myers had big shoes to fill. And I think she did a great job. Pip looked different then I pictured her while reading, but Myers understood the task and delivered a great performance. She is a good choice for Pip.

For the most part, the series stays true to the book, but there are a lot of things very different. And this is always the case with book to film/ series adaptations. You can’t simply use everything.

I loved the town. Little Kilton looked amazing and I really enjoyed the setting. It had the same feels as the book. And, like stated before, Emma Myers was a good choice. Her friend group doesn’t get that much attention though. Aside from Cara, we don’t really get to know them. Ravi, played by Zain Iqbal, was also a good choice. Love his portrayal of Ravi. And he worked well together with Myers. I also think the choice of Henry Ashton to play Max Hastings was perfect. Although, I don’t like how they executed this storyline. It was much more satisfying in the book.

One plot point that wasn’t in the book, involving Pip’s stepdad, didn’t really need to be in the series either. It was unnecessary and didn’t fit. They could have left that part out. And the biggest change, that I did not like, was part of the ending. And I need to get into spoilers, to further explain this.

WARNING!!! SPOILERS COMING UP!!!

When Pip thinks Elliot Ward is hiding Andie in his old house, she finds another girl that Elliot has been holding captive. Elliot has an affair with Andie and when he pushed her, Andie hits her head. She walks away injured, but wasn’t killed by Elliot. This is both in the book and the show. But here is where it’s different. In the book, Elliot goes looking for her and he finds a girl wandering the street. It’s not Andie but Elliot convinces himself it is and he keeps her locked up in the attic. The girl also eventually believes her name is Andie. In the series, Elliot knows it’s not Andie and so does the girl. Which makes it strange.

END OF SPOILERS!!!

I did enjoy the series, with some minor issues here and there I liked the viewing experience. And I do hope the will make more seasons, including the other books (also the prequel please) in the series. If you haven’t read the books and aren’t attached to the story and characters yet, it’s a super enjoyable murder mystery set in a small town, just the way I like it.

Movie Review - Deadpool & Wolverine

Director: Shawn Levy
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen, Morena Baccarin
 
Description: Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is offered a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the Time Variance Authority, but instead recruits a variant of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to save his universe from extinction.

Review: The previous two “Deadpool” movies were not only refreshing because they had their own sense of humor and took down the fourth wall, but also because they were just another superhero movie with small-scale goals that could be achieved without taking down entire cities. The third film has a grander plot, but it was everything I could ever wish for.

Ever since the first “Deadpool”, Ryan Reynolds didn’t exactly hide the fact that his original portrayal of the title sucked. Therefore, they simply pretended that “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” never happened. That successful method is exploited in part three for a dignified farewell to 20^th Century Fox’s remaining superheroes.

So count on a lot of familiar faces. Hugh Jackman alone as Wolverine is a big gain, since he indicated he would not reprise his role after “Logan”. But it’s understandable that the script convinced him to make one more appearance.

This all is done entirely in Deadpool-style. You would expect that meta-trick to get boring by now, but it’s not. And you would think you’d know the typical humor by now, but the jokes are still strong and  original enough to make you laugh out loud. Even after the credit role, there is an extremely effective joke that you don’t see coming. And the soundtrack again is very well chosen.

You can’t just go see “Deadpool & Wolverine” without having any knowledge of the previous films and you do need to be familiar with the Marvel films in general. Even outside the MCU, because there is a lot of pop culture reference and many characters from the Marvel universe pass by. It’s not as enjoyable if you have no clue who they are.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is such a joy. It’s clever, entertaining, hilarious, action-packed, bloody, raunchy and just a whole bunch of fun. Porn for the real Marvel fans.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Book Review - The Women by Kristin Hannah

Title: The Woman
Author: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 2024
 
Description: “Women can be heroes”. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
 
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnamn to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets – and becomes one of – the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
 
But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
 
Review: Kristin Hannah had the idea for “The Women” back in the late 90s, but she didn’t think she was ready to write about such an important subject then. Fortunately for us, she did eventually write it and I loved this novel.
 
Hannah is a very popular author, known for her historical fiction novels. I had never read from her, but after “The Women” I feel like I need to read more of her backlist.
 
Everyone has read about the Vietnam war at some point in their lives. Read stories, articles, seen movies and documentaries. Talking about the men that fought for their country. But no one ever talks about the women that were there. Because there were no women in Vietnam, they didn’t see combat. Hannah wrote the story, from the perspective of combat nurse Frankie McGrath, for the whole world to know about all the brave women that have saved many of these soldiers. They made sure many of these men got to return home.
 
After two tours in Vietnam, Frankie returns home, not knowing that her own war is just beginning. Where she thinks all the Vietnam veterans will be welcomed back with open arms, as heroes, she comes home to a divided America.
 
Hannah managed to portray Frankie respectfully. Starting out as a naïve girl, thinking she can be a hero and change the world, coming back broken, damaged and lost. I loved reading from Frankie’s perspective, I liked her as a character, felt empathy for her and understood her.
 
“The Woman” is a big book, the only reason I could not give it a perfect score. It felt a tad too long for me. 

If you like reading historical fiction, “The Women” is a wonderful pick. I’m definitely going to make my mom read this, she will love this.  
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Hate U Give

Director: George Tillman Jr.
Genre: Drama/ Drama
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Anthony Mackie, Common, Issa Rae, Algee Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, K.J. Apa, Dominique Fishback, Megan Lawless, Lamar Johnson, TJ Wright

Description: Starr (Amandla Stenberg) witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 31: A FILM WITH A COMING-OF-AGE STORY
 
Review: The Hate U Give forms the first half of the acronym “Thug Life, which was tattooed on rapper Tupac Shakur’s belly in the 1990s. In full, the acronym stands for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. In short, all the woes in society that underprivileged youths face at an early age will later pay off in only more hate. With the late rapper’s thoughts as the main motif, it should be clear that author Angie Thomas’ wildly successful debut novel is a lote more deeply politically engaged than the average teen novel. The film adaptation, let by and outstanging Amandla Stenberg, also manages to do that.

In the opening scene we see Starr and her family sitting at the table. Father Maverick gives them the talk about serious matter. How should they act when they come into contact with the police as black Americans? Overly protective perhaps, but the long list of incidents in which unarmed African-American men were killed by a police bullet in recent years alone shows that Maverick’s concern are by no means unfounded.

When Starr is 16, she has to use these lessons in practice, when she and her childhood friend Khalil are being pulled over by a cop. When Khalil is killed by this cop, Starr has to try and deal with this traumatic and it presents her with a diabolical dilemma. Will she fight for justice by acting as a key witness? Or is she better off staying far away from all the media hysteria and the inevitable hate reactions that come with it? And how will it affect her own reputation at her largely white school when she is suddenly associated in the news with a boy portrayed in the media as a dangerous drug dealer?

Amandla Stenberg, who plays Starr, is absolutely amazing. The young actress shows she has a lot of emotion and she can easily carry this story. I loved the supporting roles by Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby as well. The creators could have done a bit more with Issa Rae and Anthony Mackie’s characters though.

The film has a strong message, is emotional, powerful. I absolutely loved this movie, a different kind of coming-of-age story, but one that I will remember for a very long time.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Book Review - Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

Title: Middle of the Night
Author: Riley Sager
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Published: 2024
 
Description: The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had slices the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.
 
Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagues by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playin a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?
 
The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.
 
The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place – be it quiet forest or suburban street – is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.
 
Review: I’m totally up-to-date with Riley Sager’s novels, so whenever a new book comes out, I’m ready for it. Last year, his new release “The Only One Left” had me stunned. It was the last book I read in 2023 and ended up being my number one book of that year. Telling you I was excited about “Middle of the Night” was an understatement. But this book will not end up on my favorites list at the end of the year.
 
The book starts of with a young Ethan and his friend Billy, camping out in Ethan’s backyard. In the morning, there is a slash in the tent and Billy is gone, never to be found. Thirty years later, Ethan returns to his family home, being confronted with this memory. When strange things start to happen, Ethan is determined to find out what really happened that night.
 
The start of the book is strong, I was sucked it. But that didn’t last long. The book, overall, is pretty dull. Not a lot happens. And then when something exciting does happen, it only lasts a moment. And there are often these fake scares, that we also know from horror movies. When the main character hears a strange noise, thinking someone’s in the house and it turns out to be cat. Similar situations happen a lot in “Middle of the Night”.
 
WARNING!!! THE FOLLOWING MIGHT HAVE SPOILERS!!!
 
There are these “Stranger Things” vibes in the book. The childhood friendships, the 90s nostalgia (80s in the TV-show) and a mysterious institute nobody is allowed to enter or talk about. I liked that. But when we finally get a glimpse of this institute, which made me excited and felt it finally gave me what I wanted, it goes nowhere. Sager could and should have done more with this. It felt like a diversion now and the institute really only functioned as this. I really wanted to dig into this more, I wanted this to be focus of the book.
 
As for the end, it felt uninspiring and lackluster. Riley Sager can do much better and I was really disappointed. We never got that crazy twist or reveal, that I often love from him. His only book I'd rated under a 3-star was “The Final Girls”, which was a 2,5, but “Middle of the Night” is now officially my least favorite book by him. It just felt to generic and not exciting at all. I’m so sad.
 
Rating: 2/ 5