A. Renee Hunt's Blog, page 54

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

* An Audio & Physical Book Review       A story that brings the Queen of Hearts to life, Heartless is The Beginning in of the woman we've all known and loved for her infamous phrase, "Off with their heads!"

     Marissa Meyer tells the story of how a young lady, entering into society, goes from being a loving, slightly defiant daughter, to a woman on true love's run. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, we find out how something as simple as a pumpkin can bring ruin to both land and life.      Heartless brings the Queen of Hearts to life, sharing the Beginning of the woman we've all known and loved for her infamous phrase: "Off with their heads!" It tells of Catherine, who wants nothing more than to bake pastries and own her own bakery; a foolish dream for the daughter of a Marquess. But once Cath meets a mysterious jester and finds out the King of Hearts is going to propose, she discovers an adventure that disrupts everyone's lives and brings forth a new Catherine. One where she's reborn, a completely new woman and not for the better.

     Once I saw where the story was going, I was truly impressed.  Heartless brought the backstory to a short and angry woman.  It was raw and full of emotion. At first, I grew lost on the intense detail of Cath's life, but it was all for a purpose. Once you get past what's happening in her every day life and what it's leading to, you see that the story would have fizzled without it. From the very beginning, to the book's end, you know and understand everything.

     I love how fairy tales are coming to life these days.  Every one has a version of someone else's story, but only when it's retold, with a magical flair and perfect precision can it flourish and become a success as I feel Heartless will. And I'm not saying that because I'm a Meyer fan.  I think you'll enjoy this one, because not all stories have a happy ending...

     I met Meyer during the Fierce Tour, that stopped in Saint Charles, MO - she's amazing and so is this book  Check it out, while I move on to another read!
Cheers!

*The Curse is next.
Heartless
Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends
November 8, 2016

Before I Wake

*Movie Review Running time: 97 minutes    My daughter is my Mini-Me in various ways, but one that's impressive is our love for horror. @ScaryTaco on Instagram is the one who told me a out Before I Wake, a horror movie, produced by
I'm so glad I was right!

     Before I wake is about little Cody Morgan, a repeat child of the system, but for serious reason.  His caretakers keep disappearing or in one case, attempted to kill him! The child, who can project his dreams into reality can also, without intention, project his nightmares. He does his best to stay awake, fearing sleep, but you know us adults: We know what's best for a child.  Uh, not in this case!

     When Cody is placed with Jessica and Mark Hobson, who lost their only child years earlier, the story takes an emotional, yet horrific turn, placing all in danger. Cody does what he can, but he's only a child...      I believe Rotten Tomatoes gave Before I Wake 33% Green with 43% saying they liked it. Though I don't base my opinions from another's, I have to say I'd have given it a good 60%. I thought the movie carried originality and creativity, because everything came from the mind and impressions of a child. The beauty was in the focus on the little things, from Cody's POV. There were several instances where, should you watch the movie, that help you to understand. 

     It starred Thomas Jane (whom I totally adore), Kate Bosworth, and young Jacob Tremblay- who rocked his role. His acting and voice throughout the movie was pivotal. Unlike other movies where the film focuses on cavity-creep sweetness, he won my adoration from his innocence to the horror. The way he was curious, his eyes and the constant, "I'm sorry..." was fabulous. 

     I can't say much on what happens, because it would give away the movie, but there is a monster, and it's very cool. Originality, again made the creature top notch in my book. I hope you check it out and see what I'm talking about. It's available for streaming, but not in iTunes yet. Be on the lookout- Cheers! Before I Wake
Produced by Sam Englebardt
Screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Jeff Howard
Directed by Mike Flanagan
​September 9, 2016

The Curse by Azubike A. Ahubelen

*eBook Review Today's review is on Kasala: The Curse, by Akinsowom Ahubelen, is by an author who found me on Instagram.  First, the cover is lovely.  I love books that display emotion.  The eyes of this cover showed me innocence and possibly a bit of fear, making me want to dive right into her story. 

So here's the summary:  

After a struggle with an elderly woman, a young girl becomes the victim of a curse that threatens to destroy her life and those of the ones she loves. Her only salvation lies in a statue.
She joins forces with an art thief who is on the run from guards of The Lodge. A secret society; whose members are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to retrieve this statue and protect their secret.  
In a breathless race through the streets of Lagos, and a face-off with a deadly soldier, intent on a mission from which he cannot fail.
A soldier on a mission, but also locked in a desire to be with the woman he loves. He must not return without the statue, he cannot lose his woman.      Because the author is known for comic books and adventures, I was hoping for something huge with Kasala: The Curse.  I was looking to be taken away, especially since the story took place in another country.  Seeking to be immersed in culture and a fantastical story, I found myself trapped within a novel that wanted to read like a graphic novel/comic book.  

     I'm not going to lie, I felt dupped.  The story had me everywhere, unsure what it was trying to share.  Kasala introduced many characters who were to eventually converge for the story's plot, but the introductions weren't smooth. They weren't developed well either, preventing me from forming any sort of attachment, thus causing me to lose interest.  Next, the voices changed so much, I wasn't sure if the book was supposed to be told in second, third or first person!  

     Lastly, the errors  were abismal.  I tried to push through them, but I was reading the book as a finished product; not a pdf. Sadly, that means the book is lost till revisions are made to the ebook.  There's a process I know I've shared for publishing, after experiencing various mistakes. We all have a starting point; I'm sure this will hash out eventually, and be morphed into an interesting story soon.

     I bet the author's comics are great, but as far as a novel is concerned, a lot of help is required.  I'm moving on to the next book!

​*One Way Ticket is next.
The Curse
Author: Azubike A. Ahubelum
Independent Publishing
August 27, 2016

One Way Ticket by William Cook

*An eShort Review      One Way Ticket, by William Cook, offers up a synopsis at the beginning of the book:  

Fast Train to Hell... 
From the belly of the swamp issues forth a visit in the middle of the night from a force as dark and unimaginable as hell itself.  Poor pig-farmer Abel Laroux, must battle the demons of his past as well as the nightmarish reality of the persent, as he confronts a dvilish visitor who has come to collect on an outstanding debt, inherited by Abel from his forefathers...

     The summary left me with the promise of a good story; I was suckered into the read and, for a short story, it wasn't half bad.  The blurb is perfect.  The author lured me in with great detail, allowing me to see what I believe he saw while writing.  The story is eerie but too darned short!

​     The idea of having a family cursed for years and years is tough. You have to keep the facts straight and that's what happened. When you make a deal with the devil, you have to keep it, or be visited, revisited and so on. A story like this has to have history, and had this been a bit longer, it would have been perfect. The premise was there, carried out, but way to fast, although the pace was nice. It's hard to say this was good or bad, because it was good, just bad that it ended the way it did. I'm torn!!!  Right when I thought it was going to get real good- it ended.  As a matter of fact, the book is 62-pages long, but the actual story was maybe 31 pages!  Then it started in with about four other story exerpts from the author's other work.  Not Cool.

     All in all, One Way Ticket was mystifying and well written.  I'm on to the next read now. *The Gift is next.
One Way Ticket
William Cook
King Billy Publications
December 20, 2014

The Eighth Day by M. M. Dos Santos

*WARNING:​ This book is NOT for everyone!      As my warning states, this book is not for everyone.  It's of the horror genre, but I wouldn't quite call it horror.  The Eighth Day, by M. M. Dos Santos is a book like no other.  The story is really three in one, I guess.  It focuses on a girl and her family's strict Jehovah's Witness practices. Lili's hearing voices and seeing things that no teenager should see, but she's not the only one.  Other people about the area and things hear them too.  They all play a particular part in the message that's being sent and all of it is vulgar, violent and disgusting.   For example, one of the characters, Arnold is being lead by voices to play with his victims.  But his idea of playing is torturing and brutally raping girls and women, then mutilating them.

     All of this is supposedly taking place because Armageddon has come and gone with no appearance from God.  Each occurrence is part of a plan taking root, by the demons who reside on earth.  
​
     This book, to me, could have been magnificent.  The premise wasn't lost on me, but the way it was carried out and the things that took place, were monstrous!  None of it made me squirm or fidget, it was purely disgusting.   I won't say what he did, but when you think on all the cruelty in the world, then read what this guy does-  it was too much for me.  That's not scary.  That's sickening.  Very, very sickening.      I'm not going to lie, this book did nothing for me.  There have been just two books that were so gross, I was unhappy with them, and one I stopped reading.  It was not entertainment to me and the horror wasn't horror at all.  Well, let me rephrase that: What took place was horrific but not the kind I enjoy reading about.  It took me way too long to read this because I couldn't look forward to it.

     I didn't like any of the characters and I couldn't care for them one bit.  None were even likable.  The main character, Lili was in complete denial, whether she was agnostic, a Jehovah’s Witness or whatever she’d imagined.  And she knew playing with the demonic readings only invited the nightmares, but she did it anyway.  As for Arnold, the character who enjoyed raping and mutilating women, he was pure evil to the core.  The author tried to explain why he was the way he was, but it didn’t help to care for him either.
I'm sorry, I have nothing good to really say on this book, but the author was very creative and knew what he wanted to bring about.  It simply wasn't for me.
     I'm off to the next read!
*Terror From the Deep is next.
The Eighth Day
M. M. Dos Santos
M. M. Dos Santos, Amazon Digital Services
June 1, 2016

Beyond The Gates

*Movie Review      When brothers Gordon and John can not find their father for seven months, they unexpectedly seek him out, beyond the nether-regions.  Through a VHS boardgame, they go on a journey, Beyond the Gates.

     Written and directed by Jackson Stewart, this cheesy, movie, retrofitted for today's horror lover.  From the jingly, Wes Craven music to a VHS rental store, I was drawn into what was "My Day".  I found myself looking for a few titles I grew up with.  Sadly, there were none on the shelves I recognized.

     The movie is about a pair of brothers who discover their father's trapped in a demonic game.  The only way to get him back is to complete the game. From the freaky game narrator, to the awesome death of a douche friend, I stopped the movie to get my husband to watch with me.  I thought it was totally cool!

     Though it took a while to really get going,  and the ending was a bit on the hoaky side, it came together perfectly.  Honestly, I couldn't find a thing I didn't enjoy- as long as I looked at it from an 80's perspective.  By placing myself back into the mindset of the moves I'd watched back in the day, I couldn't be anything but entertained! If you Beyond the Gates, you'll see what I mean.  It's a fun movie.
Beyond the Gates
Written & Directed by Jackson Stewart
Produced by Jackson Stewart, Barbara Crampton, Jon Kondelick, Ian Keiser and Amanda Mortimer
December 2016

Family Week- Children's Books: The Stolen Kingdom by Ross Rosenfield and Sida Chen

     Today is Family day, so I'm celebrating by reviewing children's books all week. Every day this week I'll be sharing children's and tween book.  Today's book is The Stolen Kingdom by Ross Rosenfield and Sida Chen.  

     The story is about a boy who grew up in a loving family, with a Duke and his son as friends, and in love with a beautiful family friend.  Life seemed sweet, but the boy, Taylor James wasn't who he thought he was.  Taylor was actually the Prince of Belsdan.  

     With his identity hidden, he was safe from the Dark Duke, now king of Belsdan, Taylor's home.  It's up to Taylor, his best friend Robert and their brothers in arms to rescue the town's people from a tyrant and properly tke his place on the throne.

     The story is great but it's rather difficult to say what age group should be reading it.  The Stolen Kingdom is full of humor, adventurous and extremely detailed.  Almost too detailed!  You nearly drown in details!  But it's so cute and fun that you can easily look over the babble.

     My son and I read through the novel in about twelve days and he didn't grow bored, so that's something right there!  Maybe you or your middle grader will enjoy it too.  Check it out while I move on to another book! *Bitty Bot is next.
The Stolen Kingdom
Ross Rosenfield and Sida Chen
Independent Author, Amazon Digital Services
October 7, 2011

Children's Book: Bitty Bot by Tim McCanna

     One of the cutest books for the wee-ones!  Sadly, it's too young for my ewoks, but we enjoyed it. I read it a few times.  Written by Tim McCanna and illustrated by Tad Carpenter, Bitty Bot is a story about a little robot who wants to go on adventures in outer space than go to sleep, like everyone else in his world.   

     First, the cover's  totally cute!  The gadgets and colors behind Bitty and his pet keep the eyes busy.  The art style  is unique and offers up a 60's vibe.  I liked it!  The story was written like an adorable nursery rhyme, explaining Bitty's bedtime process. But instead of going to sleep, Bitty builds a rocket ship and takes off.  How many times have children imagined doing something like that?

     I loved the tale and I think all children, 9 months to 6-years of age will adore it- if for the illustrations alone! I now one of my little ones did Check it out, while I move on to the next read. *An Extra Seat is next.
Bitty Bot
Tim McCann
Illustrated by Tad Carpenter
Simon & Schuster
October, 2016

Children's Book: An Extra Seat by Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld

     Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld's book An Extra Seat is a book that honors Jewish pride and support for the community.  The story tells of how children are informed of a political injustice and stand against them.

  From 1977 to 1986, Anatoly Sharansky was imprisoned for attempting to flee the Soviet Union for Israel, a crime at that time.   Rabbi Weiss tells the congregation they must pray for their brother and support him.  They must go to stand in protest, shouting "Let my people go" as Moses had to Pharaoh.  

     The children take things further by placing an extra chair at dinner time and during holiday celebrations.  They wanted to do their part and that's what I appreciated most about An Extra Seat.  It showed that you can do more than just stand and yell.  Sometimes, the smallest action can bring peace and joy to a situation.  Avital Sharansky even states how her husband would be happy with their actions.

     I believe the actions in this book are not solely for the Jewish, but for all people.  The love and support and the act of standing in the gap should be shared by all.  Lovely story. *The Friendly Creeper (Minecraft) is next.
An Extra Seat
Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld
Illustrations by J. B. & C. B. Herzfeld
Gefen Publishing House
August 2016

Children's Book: The Friendly Creeper, Book 1 (Minecraft) by Mark Mulle

     Another quick read by Mark Mulle, The Friendly Creeper Diaries is book one to another series based the Minecraft Games.  This one is from the perspective of one of the explosive characters in the games.  Usually a villain, these Creepers just want to be left alone.  No explosions, no enemies, but in this story, something is attacking them.

    In The Friendly Creeper Diaries, Mike is on a journey with friends to find out why their village is constantly attacked, but while searching for answers, they only obtain more questions, by being attacked again! In a  The story is only about 45-50 pages long, so if I share more, the SPOILERS will be a retelling of the story.

     It's a fine middle grader and elementary read.  If you're older and are in to the Minecraft games, this will be cool, but if you're not- you won't be bored easily, because it's very short.  The book is based off the games, but there's more to this story.  The ending has a huge cliffhanger that kids will enjoy.

​     My son blew through these.  He is a lover of games that are expensive, but looks cheap- like back when I was playing Atari!  Anyway, I'm to the next read.  Check out the Minecraft franchise if you're kids are into that stuff.  If you are too, enjoy! *City of the End (Minecraft) is next.
The Friendly Creeper, Book 1
Mark Mulle
Independent Author, Amazon Digital Services
March 20, 2016