Just Received This ARC Copy Of In The Red In The Mail!!

Movie Review: Nightcrawler (2014)

Nightcrawler 

Genre: Thriller/Drama

Rated: R

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I went into Nightcrawler blind. I just ordered the ticket at the theatre, not knowing what to expect, and I’m rather happy that I did. This film was unique and engaging.

The beginning was a bit slow, to build the story, which is forgivable. It picked up pace gradually, and made into an amazing film, the ending of which was fast paced and action-packed. The film overall was well paced.

Jake Gyllenhaal never fails to impress. He is one of the leads in one of my favorite films, Prisoners, so of course I had high expectations for Nightcrawler. I was not disappointed.

The film had a slight Indie type feel, which added to the unique, dark, and slightly disturbing mood of the movie. Gyllenhaal’s character was disturbing in a sociopathic way. I found myself liking his character, but at the same time fearing him. He was slightly disturbed, but unique and provoking.

There was a lot of violence  and some gore in this film, as well as some dark topics, which were necessary to add depth to the story and well-executed.

The ending was my favorite part. There was a small plot-twist moment in the storyline which was a great turn but also slightly anticipated.

The overall concept and topic of the film was entirely unique and well-executed. It was refreshing to see a film that doesn’t have a million others with the same exact idea.

Overall, I rate this film 4.5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this movie, especially to fans of horror and psychological thrillers. It was unique, engaging, and made me think deeper that most action-ish films will make me. Gyllenhaal gave a fantastic performance.The ending was unexpected, and I found that I learned a lot of life advice from this film, oddly enough. I was pleasantly surprised with this film, it has definitely been one of the best ones I have seen this year.

Thanks for reading! Check out more reviews at whenonebookcloses.com.

A room without books is like a body without a soul.

Tessa and James Carstairs wedding comic strip.

I know many people haven’t been able to see this, so I thought I’d post the complete strip :)

So excited. It's huge!! #cohf #tmi #cassandraclare

Book Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown  By Holly Black

Genre: YA Fiction

Publisher:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 3, 2013)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis from amazon.com: Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself. Amazon.com

Review:

I absolutely loved this book. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is probably one of my favorites that I have read in a while. Holly Black has such a unique and very refreshing way of writing. I have read some of her other books, and while they all have the same sort of mood and feel to them, I never get tired of her writing and her unique ideas and stories.

This novel showed a darker take on the whole “vampire romance” category. It was dark and emotional, very well written, and I never got bored while reading it. It grabbed me from the first page and was captivating from cover to cover.  

There is a lot of action, as well as a bit of romance, and I liked how the plot wrapped itself together nicely.It wasn’t fluffy or overly romantic, and the characters and the world in this story felt real. Tana, the protagonist, is very bad-ass and a protagonist worth rooting for. There were a couple interesting and surprising plot twists and character identity revelations, ensuring there was never a dull moment in this book.

I liked how the characters and their relationships were revealed and established, although I would have appreciated a bit more development into the relationship between Tana and Gavriel.

The ending left hope for the characters, and it was a happy ending of sorts, while still sticking to the feel and authenticity of the story. I rather appreciated the ending, because it wrapped up loose ends while still leaving an air of mystery.

Even though this topic of vampires in YA fiction has been beaten dead, this book was different, refreshing. It had the same basic topic as many before it (vampires and vampire romance) but had a different take and view that it made it unique and enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this book.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for excellent writing, an excitingly unique plot and believable characters.

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For more reviews please visit whenonebookcloses.com.

Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Genre:  Teen Sci-fi

Publisher:  Delacorte Press; Reprint edition (August 24, 2010)

My Rating:  2.5 stars out of 5

Synopsis from Amazon.com: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

Review:

This book had such a unique sort of premise, it's just a shame how it was written. I didn’t particularly like this book because it didn’t hold my attention-- the plot was so lackluster, and it felt drawn out. It takes so long for the actual action to start, or for any sort of movement  in the book to start.

It could have been an amazing book, and as it is it has been very successful in catching an audience; there is a film for it due to release later this year. Had it been well written or had a faster pace, it could’ve been a fantastic read. I had to struggle just to finish this book.

The execution of this idea in story form was quite poor-- the idea alone was not enough to keep me interested. The writing itself was mediocre at best, but the writing was not the main problem. The story progressed so slowly, the events drawn out, as if the author was paying more thought to length than quality of the story. There wasn't enough happening to be interesting; it was dry. Not that a book needs to be filled with action every moment to be a good read, but everything in the book should at least hold some sort of significance, even the slow scenes. This book did not follow that idea.

The development of the characters was minimal, preventing any real connection with the reader and any of the characters. I found that I didn't really care what happened to any of the characters in the Glade. We cannot really sympathize with the characters situations (memory loss, confusion, loneliness, etc.) because there is no depth to these characters or their emotions.

The threat and unease of the maze is not convincing, either-- yes, there is the overhanging threat of the “creator” person, the people responsible for putting them in the maze. There is also the question of if they will ever solve the maze and escape, but we don’t really focus on that. It is mentioned in passing, but we don’t really sense any “fear” from the characters. The grievers don’t even feel ominous or fear-invoking-- they are rolling balls of goo and knives. Not very frightening, if you ask me.

I think this idea wasn't so good in novel form, but I think it will make a fantastic film. The visuals will be emphasized, and the lack of action of pacing in the book leaves for very little actual material to be stuffed into a two hour time. This is good for the film version: it will seem faster and we will not miss anything as viewers, because everything you need to know will be included in the film due to the lack of other substance in the book. The visual aspect of it will be what makes it a successful eye-catching film. The book felt like the author had drawn it out and added long boring, pointless sections so as to meet a page or word-count quota. As a movie, the shortness and lack of content will be a good thing.

It was interesting to see the idea of the rat-in-the-maze re-imagined. I really had high hopes for this book. As it is, I will not be reading farther into the series. However, I will go see the movie when it comes out.

Final verdict:

I give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars. It got this many stars for the interesting idea and premise alone.

I would not recommend this book to anyone, unless you find boring, slowly paced books with not-believable characters interesting. If you do, kudos.

For more book and movie reviews, please visit whenonebookcloses.com.

Has anybody seen the Giver movie yet? Ps. Sorry for my lack of posting lately. School has been hectic since I started last week! I will be updating my blog and insta more regularly now.

Books & Cupcakes || BPC || September || Day 5: Bookstack

Paperback first books, hardback second books

Movie Review: Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan Rated: R Genre: Thriller/ Psychological Horror My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Yes, yes, I know I am quite late to join this party. I know this film garnered a lot of hype a while back; Blac...

Have to read this for school... 😒Anybody read this?