The Return of Mini-Reviews!

Yes, I used to do a lot of these! Not that I can promise getting back to mini-reviews on a regular basis, but since I’m soon going to be very busy with other things, I figure this is the best way to get a bunch of recent reads and watches covered!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna:

Unfortunately, this was a huge letdown. It started out very charming, hinting towards found family, with a perky optimistic protagonist, and a new twist on witchy worldbuilding. It was, honestly, lovely — until the dreaded third act twist, a trope now in contemporary romance, in which the author revealed something that changed the ENTIRE premise; and in this case meant that 90% of the characters were liars, frauds, and had been willingly endangering children (yup, you read that right) through their deception. It made me SO mad that the author took the trust and rapport readers had built with her cast, then literally poured gasoline on it, threw a match, and tossed in some fireworks for good measure. The “reveal” was HORRIBLE. It meant that a book that was quickly headed towards 4 stars immediately plummeted to negative 7 for me. It actually made me angry that it was a library copy and I had to return it, because I very, very much wanted to throw it in the trash. Won’t be trying anything else by this author, and, sadly, not recommending their work, either.

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree:

This was cute, but just not what I hoped for. The characters connected well, but were kind of flat. The romance seemed a bit forced to me, and the overall premise for the novel was a little…unrealistic, even for a fantasy. The writing was very engaging, though, and I think this author is one to keep an eye on. If you really like cozy fic, see no need for a bunch of action, and like the little details of worldbuilding, this could definitely be up your alley.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune:

It’s been almost a year since I read this, and, honestly, it’s taken me quite a while to figure out how I feel about it. I’d heard raving about this author, and I did try to read his big hit, The House in the Cerulean Sea; but it legit made me feel so depressed, I couldn’t get past the third chapter without wanting to cry. I’d read reviews that said it gets much, much better and that the ending is heartwarming, but I couldn’t do it. Despite this experience, I really wanted to try Under the Whispering Door; the premise sounded rather different, and the cover was so charming. And I did read it, but for a long time afterwards, something about this story bugged me. In the end, I realized that it was simply flat; the characters all fit a type, there was nothing extraordinary or really intriguing in the worldbuilding, even the antagonists seemed easy to beat, and the story itself is rather forgettable. So, I don’t have anything against this author, but will just find something other than his work to try.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake:

This was a GREAT change of pace. It was a “blind” pick, as I bought a box of assorted used books at a yard sale (yes, I did!), and this YA horror was in said box. Since I generally don’t like horror, I considered giving it a pass; but there was something about the understated cover, the blurb that gave you the basics but left you wanting more, and I decided to go for it. Excellent choice.

This was published in 2012, but I honestly have never come across it mentioned anywhere, and that is a damn shame. It’s a YA novel without the angst, without the tropes, that comes in under 400 pages, has adolescent characters that act like teenagers, and a mother who’s eccentric but still a good parent. The romance is a subplot; it isn’t fraught with melodrama; it’s expected but not unsatisfying. The main plot is pretty simple, but well done; I liked the worldbuilding, I liked the narration; I didn’t even mind the gory moments, because none of them felt out of place or too much. This was a fun read. I was pleased with the ending. After 3 years of reading YA fantasy that made me roll my eyes so hard I practically sprained the muscles, Anna Dressed in Blood was a wonderful subversion from the same old, same old. I just found out there’s a sequel, so I’ll be adding that to my TBR as soon as possible.

By the way, I did notice the text was all in a red font, a touch I loved.

Thor: Love and Thunder:

While not as engaging as the previous Thor installments (and in some spots quite a bit sillier), I still enjoyed Love and Thunder. The fact that it has been several years since Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman acted together, and that they still showed a connection and their characters’ mixed feelings as a former couple were very believable, went a long way towards ensuring there was a satisfying payoff to the film. And the hints throughout at Thor’s new role as a foster parent weren’t too heavyhanded. I really liked the scenes with the kids from Asgard, and I would totally be lying if I said there wasn’t a huge smile on my face during that November Rain takedown…

Cocaine Bear:

So. I’m completely aware the movie Cocaine Bear is not going to be very accurate. I don’t care. I was in the mood for stoned CGI bear shenanigans. I remain ticked that this film is 80% people hijinks and only 20% said Bear. Most of the characters are very hard to relate to, anyway — the drug dealers are drug dealers, the park rangers are massive jerkwads, the teen delinquents little jerkwads, the foreign hikers laughable stereotypes, and the two middle schoolers who act smarter than some of the “adults” and are magically excellent at outwitting a literally-high-on-cocaine bear are just annoying. The whole thing about there’s a crooked cop and a cop who will save the day and the guy trying to get the drugs back so he doesn’t get in trouble with the cartel…blah, blah, blah, who cares?! I seriously would’ve been happy if this was a 30-minute film of The Bear doing stoner stuff in the wilderness, no humans around, set to jazz music. Yup, that would’ve worked out just fine.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves:

I guess it is physically impossible to make a decent D&D movie. The ones from the 80s and 90s were so bad; the animated ones were so bad; and this latest offering is, well, bad. Who wrote the script?!?! My god, it was like all the writers were hungover, so someone rounded up a seventh grade ELA class and let them loose on the documents that eventually wound up in the actors’ hands. The lack of connection between ANY of the characters (despite Chris Pine and Hugh Grant really trying) was palpable. There was subplot after subplot after subplot after subplot — and more than once, I just wanted the damn thing to end. The special effects were state of the art — but scenes with incredible creatures or amazing magic were SO short-lived, and then it was back to tedious dialogue and lame side quests, and I almost stopped paying attention. ALSO — WHY WAS THE BEST PART OF THE STORY TOLD AT THE BEGINNING THROUGH NARRATION?! Clearly the best parts of the action, establishing the characters, and building the world happened during what was cut to a five-minute flashback. BE-YOND LAME. I wanted to watch that movie, damn it!, not the one we got. Sigh.

Halloween Ends:

Didn’t I just say I don’t really do horror? Well, I don’t, and I certainly have not seen all of the Halloween franchise; honestly, I only watched the original a few years ago so that I’d finally understand some of the pop culture references. Anyway, I knew enough about the series that I was interested to see how they would wrap it up, how the longest-lasting villain in horror-movie-land would finally go down, so I watched it. Okay, yes, maybe I shouldn’t have watched it in a dark room (hey, so much of it takes place at night!), by myself, after 9 p.m. Okay, yes, I might have given myself a slight heartattack by seeing a raincoat draped over a chair in a mostly dark and totally quiet kitchen… Ahem. But it’s really all right, because if Halloween has taught us anything, it’s that Jamie Lee Curtis will save us all.

Everything Everywhere All At Once:

This movie is bonkers, an over-the-top, crazy, bizarre, and incredibly poignant, touching, and relatable film all at once. It won’t be for everyone, and even among fans there are probably parts that will just result in head scratching, but it is also so very unique and special, and there are absolutely moments that warm the heart (and open up the tear ducts!). When I finished watching it, I had a strong feeling that this is a tale that stays with you, for many reasons, many of them good.

And there we have it! Happy reading and watching, everyone!