Book Review - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Title: Dark Matter
Author: Blake Crouch
Genre: Science Fiction/ Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2016
 
Description: Jason Dessen is walking hom through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie – when reality shatters.
 
“Are you happy with your life?”
 
Those are the last words Jason hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
 
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
 
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream?
 
And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined – one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
 
Review: “Dark Matter” is not a book that is easily defined by one genre. It’s a psychological thriller, in which Jason doubts whether he can trust his own memory. But also a science fiction story, about a multiverse full of parallel worlds. I think it’s mostly a science fiction book with thriller elements. And it’s sci-fi for people who want to delve into the genre more. Because, even though it has a complex theme and plot, the story never gets too technical or unrealistic.
 
“Dark Matter” centers on an important thought experiment: what if you had made different choices in life? Would you be happy too? Or even happier or less happy? Every choice you make in life, even if it’s just what you’re eating for breakfast, affect the further course of your life. But what would it be like with multiple worlds?
 
It’s really difficult to talk about this book without giving too much away. The story has so many mind-blowing moments and it’s just a wild adventure you go on. The book has tension from the first page, the writing of Blake Crouch simply doesn’t make you want to put it down. I expected it too be a bit more action-packed though.
 
I predicted “Dark Matter” to be a 5-star read. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case here, missed it by a half star, but I still really loved the book. It’s a science fiction book suitable for a wider audience. And I’m really loving Blake Crouch. I will definitely read more of his work.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Book Review - Heartstopper: Volume 1

Title: Heartstopper: Volume 1 (Heartstopper # 1)
Author: Alice Oseman
Genre: Romance/ Graphic Novel/ Young Adult
Published: 2018
 
Description: Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more…?
 
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore.  Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heart a little about Charlie – the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months – but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him.
 
They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…
 
Review: You must have been living under a rock in YA world if you haven’t heard of “Heartstopper”. A queer graphic novel series, immensely popular. This is the first book and I’m finally stepping on the Heartstopper-train myself.
 
Alice Oseman starts with the cute story in “Heartstopper: Volume 1”, where we first get to know Charlie. Charlie has come out as gay and meets up with a guy named Ben. Ben still wants nobody to know and he doesn’t really treat Charlie well. But then Charlie meets Nick, a rugby player at his school. The form a friendship and quickly, Charlie starts to feel a little bit more for Nick.
 
As readers, we get a little peek into the lives of both characters. In this first volume we follow Charlie in particular, but occasionally we also get a glimpse of Nick struggling with his own feelings, while Charlie already knows what he feels.
 
Alice Oseman’s queer graphic novels are incredibly popular and I understand why. First, of course, there is a big part of representation. For young people who are struggling with their sexuality, struggle with feelings or are bullied, this is an excellent book to read. Especially also because it such a feel-good story, it is hopeful. Even if you’re not queer. The overall hopeful atmosphere is wonderful while reading.
 
And I think the feel-good, intense cuteness is also a reason this series is so popular. Oseman’s illustrations are simplistic, but capture everything so well. It’s a super quick read and I need to get my hand onto the res of the series. Because I really enjoyed this first book. And it left me wanting more.
 
Rating: 4/ 5

 

20s Movie Review - The Color Purple

Director: Blitz Bazaluwe
Genre: Musical/ Drama
Runtime: 141 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Halle Bailey, Phylicia  Pearl Mpasi, Ciara, H.E.R., David Allan Grier, Louis Gossett Jr.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 19: A MUSICAL
 
Description: A woman faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

Review: This is the musical rendition of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book “The Color Purple”, already very successfully adapted into a drama film by Steven Spielberg in 1985. And seen as a play in 2005.

In the hands of director Blitz Bazawule, the raw account of the oppressed Celie, who slowly breaks fre from an environment filled with misyny and violence, does not gain the depth and layering of the original and its source material. However, lead actors Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks and the beautifully executed music make up for much.

I still think they should have left the original film alone and leave it as is, it’s not the best story to be turned into a musical.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Title: If We Were Villains
Author: M.L. Rio
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller/ Fiction
Published: 2017
 
Description: Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail – for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day of his release, he’s greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know that really happened a decade ago.
 
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
 
Review: Oliver Marks has served ten years in prison. When he is released, Detective Colborne wants to know what really happened all those years ago. Because the question is still, is Oliver guilty or not.
 
“If We Were Villains” is an extraordinary novel, set at a prestigious art school. Oliver Marks and six fellow students and friends are entering their fourth and final year, which means they finally get to perform a tragedy by Shakespeare. The fourth year is intense, compelling and, above all, vital to their future in the theater world. But none of them could have imaged how intense this final year would be.
 
For four years, the friends have been playing the same roles on stage and off. Those of hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue and extra. But the roles suddenly change, the play seems to slowly seep into the students’ real life. When one of the students is found dead, the rest of the group faces their biggest acting challenge: convincing the police and themselves their innocent. Slowly, the lives of Olive and his classmates; James, Richard, Alexander, Wren, Filippa and Meredith change into a tragedy in ways they could never have anticipated.
 
Oliver is the narrator od the story, our main character, however, in real life he is always in the background. The story is sections into acts and scenes. Slowly, you are been given more information about Oliver and his friends. And about the tragic death of one of them.
 
“If We Were Villains” is an intriguing story about friendship, love and ambition. The writing is stunning and the story interesting. I really loved reading about these characters and the mystery. It’s a very clever and complex book. There are a lot of Shakespeare references and use of quotes from his plays. I’ve never really delved into Shakespeare’s plays, but I know about them. My knowledge of Shakespeare is very superficial, so I think that worked in my disadvantage while reading “If We Were Villains”. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment though. But I think that, if you have read Shakespeare before, you can fully immerse yourself in this story.
  
Rating: 4/ 5

Book Review - None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Title: None of This is True
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2023
 
Description: Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fac, birthday twins.
 
A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.
 
Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life – and into her home.
 
But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.
 
Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?
 
Review: I have read two other Lisa Jewell books and I didn’t like either of them. “None of This is True” is Jewell’s latest psychological thriller that came out in 2023. And I decided to give her another shot, since this book is claimed to be one of her best (if not THE best).
 
Poscaast creator Alix Summer celebrates her 45^th birthday and meets her birthday twin Josie Fair by chance. After meeting each other a second time, Alix decides to make a podcast series around Josie. But Josie has a lot of secrets I her life and Alix keeps finding out new things.
 
I loved the premise and the fact that the book has a podcast element. The book is told from the perspectives of Josie and Alix, but we also get chapters where a Netflix series is presented, based on the podcast Alix has made about Josie. I thought that part was especially very original. The secrecy around the character of Josie was interesting as well. But somehow, I still the story never full grabbed me.
 
I feel like, after finishing this book, I still didn’t get the full story. There are many questions that I have that were left unanswered. I don’t mind having an ending or certain plot points being left up to interpretation. But for “None of This is True” I just needed all the answers. The story doesn’t feel finished. 
 
I did enjoy this book more than the other two I have read, but I’m still not a fan of Lisa Jewell. I’m not sure if I will try out any other books by her, because if this is considered her best, I’m not really that interested.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

Oldies Movie Review - The Sword in the Stone

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi, David Hand
Genre: Family/ Animation/ Adventure
Runtime: 79 minutes
Year: 1963
Starring: Rickie Sorenson, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews, Ginny Tyler, Martha Wentworth, Norman Alden, Alan Napier

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 18: A MOVIE FROM THE 1960S
           
Description: A poor boy named Arthur learns the power of love, kindness, knowledge and bravery with the help of a wizard called Merlin in the path to become one of the most beloved kings in English history.

Review: The young squire Wart leads a happy unremarkable life. He meets the wizard Merlin, wo teaches him valuable lessons. He puts these to good use when he accidentally pulls a sword out of a tone and is promptly crowned King of Britain.  

It’s a fun, classic tale. Lovely animations and great characters. Not one of the best Disney animations ever made, but definitely one you have to check out.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Fall Guy

Director: David Leitch
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, Teresa Palmer
 
Description: A down-and-out stuntman (Ryan Gosling) must find the missing star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) of his ex-girlfriend’s (Emily Blunt) blockbuster film.  

Review: The profession of stuntman is often undervalued in Hollywood. It’s a pretty thankless role, because no one knows who you are and the actors take all the credit. So, it’s high time the stuntman is put in the spotlight.

Director David Leitch pays an homage to the many anonymous stunt people. We meet stuntman Colt Seavers. For years, he has been working as the regular stuntman for movie star Tom Ryder. Colt understands his craft and has a romance with camerawoman Jody Moreno. When Colt performs a new stunt on set in which he has to fall of a tall building, things go wrong. He breaks his back and realizes he has to retire from the stunt business. He also stops talking to Jody. When a year and a half later, he is contacted by producer Gail, Colt hesitates. But when he finds out that it’s Jody who is directing the movie, he decides to make a comeback.

“The Fall Guy” is an entertaining and visually stunning action flick. It’s pretty obvious that director David Leitch previously made “Deadpool 2” and “Bullet Train”. The same type of humor. Which I enjoyed. The film is, sadly, fairly predictable. The chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt is really strong and I loved both actors in this film.

“The Fall Guy” is a great time, but it’s also a bit forgettable in the end.

Rating: 3,5/ 5