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readwatchdrinkcoffee's Reviews (382)
Opening with a brutal and graphic description of a very violent and bloody crime involving sisters Samantha and Charlotte Quinn, author Karin Slaughter doesn’t shy away from details. So be prepared. If you haven’t read one of her books before, this one gets you right into the grittiness of it all straight away.
With a fast-paced narrative and tense atmosphere, the story then skips 28 years forward as Charlie witnesses another crime. There are certainly many uncomfortable and shocking moments with so much crime going on around these characters, but despite all of the gruesome details of murders, The Good Daughter is still a very character-driven story. This is one of my favourite things about Slaughter’s books, as she focusses on the human perspective of an investigation, making her stories feel more personal and genuine.
Just like in her Grant County/Will Trent series, Slaughter focuses more on the person unravelling the mystery (in the case, written from the point of view of non-investigator) than on the mystery itself, as it focuses on a family of lawyers. Our three main characters are brought together, reunited in their small hometown where they are unable to escape from their past, as the sisters are forced – sometimes willingly, sometimes not – to piece together their past with their present case.
But this isn’t a straightforward investigation as these characters are all mentally and physically scarred from their pasts. It is this perfected balance of a more personal study with the chilling brutality of the crimes at the centre of it all that fully immerse you in the story. It is disturbing and compelling all at the same time, balancing moments of insanity with more tender breakthroughs to really engage you in their story.
As with many of Slaughter’s books, The Good Daughter has many dark themes and this is certainly one of the darkest I have read yet, so it does come with a warning. But her books have all impressed me so far and this one is no different. It is consistently complex and cleverly written, with incredible character developments and relationships that you hope will come out of this all unscathed (any more than they already were, at least).
With a fast-paced narrative and tense atmosphere, the story then skips 28 years forward as Charlie witnesses another crime. There are certainly many uncomfortable and shocking moments with so much crime going on around these characters, but despite all of the gruesome details of murders, The Good Daughter is still a very character-driven story. This is one of my favourite things about Slaughter’s books, as she focusses on the human perspective of an investigation, making her stories feel more personal and genuine.
Just like in her Grant County/Will Trent series, Slaughter focuses more on the person unravelling the mystery (in the case, written from the point of view of non-investigator) than on the mystery itself, as it focuses on a family of lawyers. Our three main characters are brought together, reunited in their small hometown where they are unable to escape from their past, as the sisters are forced – sometimes willingly, sometimes not – to piece together their past with their present case.
But this isn’t a straightforward investigation as these characters are all mentally and physically scarred from their pasts. It is this perfected balance of a more personal study with the chilling brutality of the crimes at the centre of it all that fully immerse you in the story. It is disturbing and compelling all at the same time, balancing moments of insanity with more tender breakthroughs to really engage you in their story.
As with many of Slaughter’s books, The Good Daughter has many dark themes and this is certainly one of the darkest I have read yet, so it does come with a warning. But her books have all impressed me so far and this one is no different. It is consistently complex and cleverly written, with incredible character developments and relationships that you hope will come out of this all unscathed (any more than they already were, at least).
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Just when you think that the hype of young adult dystopias has run out and the adaptations of franchises such as Divergent, The Hunger Games, and The Maze Runner have all come to end, suddenly you find a trilogy like Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking and realise that there's still a lot more to look forward to.
The Knife of Never Letting Go is set in a world full of dark secrets. What really happened to the women? How did the virus begin? What lies on the other side of the swamp? And why is it so important that Todd reaches his birthday?
You may think that you know what you're getting into with a story like this. Todd has to become a man, so obviously, his adventure through a world that he has been forbidden to explore before will lead to some form of self-discovery. And then there's a girl, the only girl Todd has ever met. She's obviously going to get in the way of that. And there's a virus which has taken the lives of all of the women on this planet. Why did that happen? And let's not forget the antagonists who are going to slow Todd's progress down.
It's a basic premise we've seen explored in various different contexts many times before: something altering the world as we know it as a young adult protagonist finds the courage to become a hero and change the world for the better. Okay, so The Knife of Never Letting Go is similar on many of those levels, but it's also much more than that.
If you've read anything by Ness before, you will know that his stories are always much richer and deeper, almost always with a nightmarish quality to them. With underlying themes of dehumanization, colonization, slavery, racism and sexism, this isn't just about coming-of-age heroism, a first-time romance, and someone's efforts to defeat the bad and make the world a better place. Todd has a talking dog for one thing, and if that isn't enough to intrigue you then I don't know what is.
Although I found the book difficult to get into for the first few chapters because of the use of a broken language, the concept of everything having its own noise really interested me. Manchee the dog doesn't talk like a human, he communicates just as you would expect a dog to, and the bond between him and Todd is a really lovely one to read. Their adventures alone are worth picking this book up for.
I didn't know what to expect with this book and there are certainly some shocking twists in store. There's constantly something new being revealed, the new world setting is unique and interesting to explore, and the characters are all well developed with Todd and Viola's relationship following a believable path. Their characters are equals which is a great move by Ness, as young adult books too often rely on a blossoming romance over more in-depth developments.
The cliff-hanger at the end is a big one, too. Even if you were unsure about the book beforehand, its ending will definitely encourage you to continue reading the rest of the franchise.
The Knife of Never Letting Go is set in a world full of dark secrets. What really happened to the women? How did the virus begin? What lies on the other side of the swamp? And why is it so important that Todd reaches his birthday?
You may think that you know what you're getting into with a story like this. Todd has to become a man, so obviously, his adventure through a world that he has been forbidden to explore before will lead to some form of self-discovery. And then there's a girl, the only girl Todd has ever met. She's obviously going to get in the way of that. And there's a virus which has taken the lives of all of the women on this planet. Why did that happen? And let's not forget the antagonists who are going to slow Todd's progress down.
It's a basic premise we've seen explored in various different contexts many times before: something altering the world as we know it as a young adult protagonist finds the courage to become a hero and change the world for the better. Okay, so The Knife of Never Letting Go is similar on many of those levels, but it's also much more than that.
If you've read anything by Ness before, you will know that his stories are always much richer and deeper, almost always with a nightmarish quality to them. With underlying themes of dehumanization, colonization, slavery, racism and sexism, this isn't just about coming-of-age heroism, a first-time romance, and someone's efforts to defeat the bad and make the world a better place. Todd has a talking dog for one thing, and if that isn't enough to intrigue you then I don't know what is.
Although I found the book difficult to get into for the first few chapters because of the use of a broken language, the concept of everything having its own noise really interested me. Manchee the dog doesn't talk like a human, he communicates just as you would expect a dog to, and the bond between him and Todd is a really lovely one to read. Their adventures alone are worth picking this book up for.
I didn't know what to expect with this book and there are certainly some shocking twists in store. There's constantly something new being revealed, the new world setting is unique and interesting to explore, and the characters are all well developed with Todd and Viola's relationship following a believable path. Their characters are equals which is a great move by Ness, as young adult books too often rely on a blossoming romance over more in-depth developments.
The cliff-hanger at the end is a big one, too. Even if you were unsure about the book beforehand, its ending will definitely encourage you to continue reading the rest of the franchise.
John Grisham’s book came long before our love of true-crime dramas with series Making A Murderer and The Confession Tapes. Stories like this one really draw you in because of the nature of the true story. It’s always difficult to know how much to trust a person who has been imprisoned for such a disturbing crime, especially when they are pleading their innocence because these are people who are known for lying through their teeth. But there are so many cases like this one with zero evidence which are now being re-examined, that it’s hard not to be emotionally engaged by a human’s plea for their life back.
The Innocent Man tells a story that we now know too well because of the popular aforementioned series and documentaries which are all based on true stories, and is one of the earliest, more popular cases, aside from Steven Avery’s, which was brought into the public eye. Grisham examines the flaws in the justice system, how the police can convince innocent people to admit to crimes that they know nothing about just because they need to somebody to prosecute, and how projects like The Innocence Project are working to free those wrongly imprisoned.
It’s a world we don’t often get to see the inner workings of so it’s a truly intriguing story. It’s mind-blowing how the police can get away with such wrongdoings and Grisham tells the story with such great detail that he explores every inch of the case, or what was known about it at the time, at least.
If you’re a fan of true-crime dramas, then this is a must-read. There are a lot of names to get used to so it is quite difficult to get into at first, but if you do need anything clearing up afterwards, The Innocent Man has since been made into a Netflix documentary.
The Innocent Man tells a story that we now know too well because of the popular aforementioned series and documentaries which are all based on true stories, and is one of the earliest, more popular cases, aside from Steven Avery’s, which was brought into the public eye. Grisham examines the flaws in the justice system, how the police can convince innocent people to admit to crimes that they know nothing about just because they need to somebody to prosecute, and how projects like The Innocence Project are working to free those wrongly imprisoned.
It’s a world we don’t often get to see the inner workings of so it’s a truly intriguing story. It’s mind-blowing how the police can get away with such wrongdoings and Grisham tells the story with such great detail that he explores every inch of the case, or what was known about it at the time, at least.
If you’re a fan of true-crime dramas, then this is a must-read. There are a lot of names to get used to so it is quite difficult to get into at first, but if you do need anything clearing up afterwards, The Innocent Man has since been made into a Netflix documentary.
Peter Green And The Unliving Academy is a young adult adventure/fantasy set in the world of the undead. The fantastical elements are imaginative and exciting and the concept is set up well with great descriptions of the school and its teachers and pupils.
From the start, it has you thinking about how the story will play out. Peter has just died – is this going to be a story about overcoming grief and loss? Or is it a story about what adventures await in the afterlife?
With it being explained straight away that the students of The Unliving Academy aren’t allowed their memories until they reach the age of 18, it is quickly made apparent that this first instalment in The Unliving Chronicle is a more light-hearted adventure. With Pete being unable to remember his past, there is no need for him to feel sad about what he has left behind and, instead, can look forward at what exciting things he has to look forward to.
For younger readers, this is a great set up and as it helps to set the tone of the story early. The subplot of Pete feeling like he has left something/someone behind is only briefly mentioned until it is properly explored in the final few chapters. For younger readers, this means that the story can focus on the more fun side of Pete learning undead abilities and joining a number of different school clubs.
As a parent, however, I wanted the focus to be on Pete trying to remember his past, as this would have allowed the author to explore some deeper and more complex themes. What we are left with are a group of characters without any conflicts or regrets. That’s fine for younger readers who just want to read about monsters and to have an adventure, but teenagers are growing up much faster these days.
The main character, Pete, is 14 years older, but the characters feel like they are much younger than this. Readers of this age want to read about more serious themes nowadays, whereas the book doesn’t really explore any emotions, relationships, or coming-of-age issues. Because of this, it would be much more suitable for readers a few years younger.
Aside from this, my only other problem with the story is that there’s so much going on that the focus is constantly taken away from, what I felt, were the more important topics. I wanted to know about Pete’s past, about what happened to him before he died, but the concept restricts this from happening. With the constant adventures and new experiences that Pete faces at his new school, it’s not until the very end that we get any of these answers.
The book could have better worked as two books, with the first explaining more about the new world that Pete has entered and focusing on his lack of memories/the need to help his sister, and a second book focusing on Pete’s secret missions as he begins to settle into his new life and make friends. That way, I could have enjoyed the secret missions, the prom, and the sneaking around at night without thinking “But what about Pete’s sister?!”
The book may not explore any darker themes that a premise like this would normally open up, but the friendships formed in the book are strong and there are some very heartwarming scenes towards the end. Again, it would have been much better if these emotions had been focussed on more beforehand as this would have allowed the readers to engage with the characters more. Instead, it feels a little too late when we finally get to know these characters better because we may not get to see them again.
For younger readers, Peter Green And The Unliving Academy is a lot of fun and the story, albeit somewhat simple in issues and morals, is brilliantly detailed and imaginative. There are a number of proofreading errors throughout the book but, as a proofreader, I spot more of these than most would and they certainly wouldn’t get in the way for younger readers. Other than that, the characters are definitely a fun group who you are left wanting to spend more time with.
From the start, it has you thinking about how the story will play out. Peter has just died – is this going to be a story about overcoming grief and loss? Or is it a story about what adventures await in the afterlife?
With it being explained straight away that the students of The Unliving Academy aren’t allowed their memories until they reach the age of 18, it is quickly made apparent that this first instalment in The Unliving Chronicle is a more light-hearted adventure. With Pete being unable to remember his past, there is no need for him to feel sad about what he has left behind and, instead, can look forward at what exciting things he has to look forward to.
For younger readers, this is a great set up and as it helps to set the tone of the story early. The subplot of Pete feeling like he has left something/someone behind is only briefly mentioned until it is properly explored in the final few chapters. For younger readers, this means that the story can focus on the more fun side of Pete learning undead abilities and joining a number of different school clubs.
As a parent, however, I wanted the focus to be on Pete trying to remember his past, as this would have allowed the author to explore some deeper and more complex themes. What we are left with are a group of characters without any conflicts or regrets. That’s fine for younger readers who just want to read about monsters and to have an adventure, but teenagers are growing up much faster these days.
The main character, Pete, is 14 years older, but the characters feel like they are much younger than this. Readers of this age want to read about more serious themes nowadays, whereas the book doesn’t really explore any emotions, relationships, or coming-of-age issues. Because of this, it would be much more suitable for readers a few years younger.
Aside from this, my only other problem with the story is that there’s so much going on that the focus is constantly taken away from, what I felt, were the more important topics. I wanted to know about Pete’s past, about what happened to him before he died, but the concept restricts this from happening. With the constant adventures and new experiences that Pete faces at his new school, it’s not until the very end that we get any of these answers.
The book could have better worked as two books, with the first explaining more about the new world that Pete has entered and focusing on his lack of memories/the need to help his sister, and a second book focusing on Pete’s secret missions as he begins to settle into his new life and make friends. That way, I could have enjoyed the secret missions, the prom, and the sneaking around at night without thinking “But what about Pete’s sister?!”
The book may not explore any darker themes that a premise like this would normally open up, but the friendships formed in the book are strong and there are some very heartwarming scenes towards the end. Again, it would have been much better if these emotions had been focussed on more beforehand as this would have allowed the readers to engage with the characters more. Instead, it feels a little too late when we finally get to know these characters better because we may not get to see them again.
For younger readers, Peter Green And The Unliving Academy is a lot of fun and the story, albeit somewhat simple in issues and morals, is brilliantly detailed and imaginative. There are a number of proofreading errors throughout the book but, as a proofreader, I spot more of these than most would and they certainly wouldn’t get in the way for younger readers. Other than that, the characters are definitely a fun group who you are left wanting to spend more time with.
With a synopsis like “When you read this book, you will make many assumptions,” it becomes far too easy to guess that a lot of what’s happening may be misleading. But the promotion for this book is all about how you will be proven wrong, so you begin to question what you are reading early on because of the premature warnings.
Normally, you would read a story like this and take it as it is, but you are told to treat The Wife Between Us differently. And that’s because the main twist is so early on. But whilst you have been prepared for it, it still comes as a total surprise.
It’s a surprise that seems so obvious, looking back at it. I was starting to get a little confused at the beginning between the two characters who appear so different feel so similar at the same time. A little annoying at first, it quickly becomes apparent what’s actually going on as the real story begins.
Whilst I really enjoyed reading this book, I did have many problems with the way that the story develops. At first, Nellie’s actions against Richard seem unprovoked. Sure, he has some controlling traits, but it’s not until towards the end of their marriage that we see Richard’s violent side.
It was if the author was trying to make us think that maybe Richard wasn’t as bad as Nellie said he was, tempting us to doubt her instead of him. She has been an unreliable narrator from the start, so it’s very likely that she could still be lying to us now. But then Richard’s domestic abuse hits the reader with the same full force that his foot uses to hurt his wife, as he suddenly chokes and kicks his wife in the ribs, instantly ridding us of any doubts.
It is this diversion that seems misplaced, to me. If there weren’t so many other things going on, then this narrative technique would have worked really well, not allowing the reader to fully know the truth and who to trust. But there’s too much else going on in this book for it to work in the same way.
Here, if Richard’s violence was shown earlier on, we could have focused on how the rest of the story was unfolding and felt some sympathy towards Nellie. Instead, we are wondering whether we can even trust her. Whilst we should be feeling empathy towards a woman in an abusive relationship, we are instead thinking that maybe she was just a little bored and selfish and that she wanted a way out without it looking bad on her. When Richard finally shows his true side and Nellie’s motives finally become clear, it all feels a little too late as I stopped feeling any empathy towards her a long time ago.
The Wife Between Us is another example of a brilliant set up but a disappointing conclusion. In the end, the explanations given for Richard’s domestic abuse are weak. Why is it okay for him to be so aggressive towards his wife, just because of what he went through in his past? This is not an excuse, yet everybody seems to suddenly forgive him. It’s as if the revelation of what happened to him in his past were enough reason. Well, it isn’t.
Instead of time being spent on Richard being made to feel bad, another huge twist is then given in the epilogue. This final twist is something else that should have been focused on more, instead of being used just to throw another shock in an attempt to ensure that its readers come away thinking about how good this book was rather than the flaws that this additional character opens up.
What would have been better would have been if, when Nellie first approaches Emma to tell her the truth about Richard, she finally gets to see Emma up close and recognises her. The two then spill all of their truths to each other, forgive each other for their betrayals, put everything out in the open and then make their plan to catch Richard out. Instead, Emma’s truth seems like an afterthought and Nellie’s motivations seem selfish.
With this rushed ending and forced final twist, I was left with so many more questions in need of answering. Who was stalking Nellie? Was it Richard playing games, or somebody else? Did we actually get any of these answers? Or did Nellie just make her assumptions and that’s what we’re left with? Nothing is given as fact, and it’s not until the epilogue when another twist comes in that another explanation is given for all of this behaviour.
The structure does become a little confusing as it constantly goes from present to past, sometimes using a new chapter to differentiate between the two but, at other times, it is just Nellie sat thinking about the old times and it’s hard to know if she’s talking about now or then.
But the biggest problems come from the number of loose ends. Maybe this has something to do with the book having two writers (How does that even work?) with two lots of opinions trying to be worked in, but the story just doesn’t feel complete. With a little more tidying up, I really think this would have been great.
I wouldn’t say the thriller is complex or suspenseful, but rather it is a mystery that constantly tricks you because of its fragmented structured. I enjoyed how this played out, but it just doesn’t unfold as well once everything is out in the open. It is twisted and fast-paced and will be a book that you won’t want to put down, but it’s just about how you piece things together in the end as to what you’re final opinion of it will be.
Whilst the book deals with themes of obsession and manipulation, I would also avoid calling it a psychological thriller. These characters may have dark pasts and they are all going through something mentally challenging, but it doesn’t explore their mental state very well, either, rather using them as means to develop the story rather than a chance to explore something much deeper.
This is in no way a badly written book or poorly thought out plot, I just feel that its efforts were put in the wrong places at times, leaving me with more questions than answers. Still, it is definitely worth a read.
Normally, you would read a story like this and take it as it is, but you are told to treat The Wife Between Us differently. And that’s because the main twist is so early on. But whilst you have been prepared for it, it still comes as a total surprise.
It’s a surprise that seems so obvious, looking back at it. I was starting to get a little confused at the beginning between the two characters who appear so different feel so similar at the same time. A little annoying at first, it quickly becomes apparent what’s actually going on as the real story begins.
Whilst I really enjoyed reading this book, I did have many problems with the way that the story develops. At first, Nellie’s actions against Richard seem unprovoked. Sure, he has some controlling traits, but it’s not until towards the end of their marriage that we see Richard’s violent side.
It was if the author was trying to make us think that maybe Richard wasn’t as bad as Nellie said he was, tempting us to doubt her instead of him. She has been an unreliable narrator from the start, so it’s very likely that she could still be lying to us now. But then Richard’s domestic abuse hits the reader with the same full force that his foot uses to hurt his wife, as he suddenly chokes and kicks his wife in the ribs, instantly ridding us of any doubts.
It is this diversion that seems misplaced, to me. If there weren’t so many other things going on, then this narrative technique would have worked really well, not allowing the reader to fully know the truth and who to trust. But there’s too much else going on in this book for it to work in the same way.
Here, if Richard’s violence was shown earlier on, we could have focused on how the rest of the story was unfolding and felt some sympathy towards Nellie. Instead, we are wondering whether we can even trust her. Whilst we should be feeling empathy towards a woman in an abusive relationship, we are instead thinking that maybe she was just a little bored and selfish and that she wanted a way out without it looking bad on her. When Richard finally shows his true side and Nellie’s motives finally become clear, it all feels a little too late as I stopped feeling any empathy towards her a long time ago.
The Wife Between Us is another example of a brilliant set up but a disappointing conclusion. In the end, the explanations given for Richard’s domestic abuse are weak. Why is it okay for him to be so aggressive towards his wife, just because of what he went through in his past? This is not an excuse, yet everybody seems to suddenly forgive him. It’s as if the revelation of what happened to him in his past were enough reason. Well, it isn’t.
Instead of time being spent on Richard being made to feel bad, another huge twist is then given in the epilogue. This final twist is something else that should have been focused on more, instead of being used just to throw another shock in an attempt to ensure that its readers come away thinking about how good this book was rather than the flaws that this additional character opens up.
What would have been better would have been if, when Nellie first approaches Emma to tell her the truth about Richard, she finally gets to see Emma up close and recognises her. The two then spill all of their truths to each other, forgive each other for their betrayals, put everything out in the open and then make their plan to catch Richard out. Instead, Emma’s truth seems like an afterthought and Nellie’s motivations seem selfish.
With this rushed ending and forced final twist, I was left with so many more questions in need of answering. Who was stalking Nellie? Was it Richard playing games, or somebody else? Did we actually get any of these answers? Or did Nellie just make her assumptions and that’s what we’re left with? Nothing is given as fact, and it’s not until the epilogue when another twist comes in that another explanation is given for all of this behaviour.
The structure does become a little confusing as it constantly goes from present to past, sometimes using a new chapter to differentiate between the two but, at other times, it is just Nellie sat thinking about the old times and it’s hard to know if she’s talking about now or then.
But the biggest problems come from the number of loose ends. Maybe this has something to do with the book having two writers (How does that even work?) with two lots of opinions trying to be worked in, but the story just doesn’t feel complete. With a little more tidying up, I really think this would have been great.
I wouldn’t say the thriller is complex or suspenseful, but rather it is a mystery that constantly tricks you because of its fragmented structured. I enjoyed how this played out, but it just doesn’t unfold as well once everything is out in the open. It is twisted and fast-paced and will be a book that you won’t want to put down, but it’s just about how you piece things together in the end as to what you’re final opinion of it will be.
Whilst the book deals with themes of obsession and manipulation, I would also avoid calling it a psychological thriller. These characters may have dark pasts and they are all going through something mentally challenging, but it doesn’t explore their mental state very well, either, rather using them as means to develop the story rather than a chance to explore something much deeper.
This is in no way a badly written book or poorly thought out plot, I just feel that its efforts were put in the wrong places at times, leaving me with more questions than answers. Still, it is definitely worth a read.
I haven’t seen the second yet so it was exciting to see how the story progressed. With more references to the original Harry Potter stories, including a scene in Hogwarts with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, this second instalment is just as magical as the first and finally starts getting into what we’re all really here for – to see the conflict and history between Grindelwald and Dumbledore.
With new fantastical beasts, a darker plot, new characters we’ve been looking forward to meeting, and a look at the magical wizarding world in Paris to further expanding our experience of the franchise, The Crimes of Grindelwald is very different from the first prequel but it also has so much more to be excited about.
Overall, I love the story and the nostalgia of this spin-off, but there is one major problem with it: as a screenplay, it is very limited and, in the end, is therefore somewhat unsatisfying. This only further highlights my wish for Rowling to have written a book version of this trilogy instead of making them into films straight away, as a book would have allowed more time to be spent on the plot twists, revelations and characters.
There are so many new names introduced in this second screenplay that it’s hard to follow who is who at times, especially when there are twists a’plenty concerning who is related to who and who is actually somebody else entirely. A book would have allowed more time on each of these characters individually and more depth into their backgrounds. But because of the limited detail, characters like Nagini seem massively underused when their name alone holds so much power, characters like Queenie aren’t allowed time to shine as they were in the first film and time isn’t given to explain their certain actions, and characters like Leta Lestrange aren’t given enough time to get to know properly.
It’s amazing what story Rowling does tell in the short amount of time it takes for her screenplay to happen (and therefore to read), but so much more is needed for Harry Potter fans. It does too much in too little time, feeling like a teaser rather than the real thing.
However, I will always love anything Harry Potter related and, just like the first film and screenplay, this second instalment ends on another huge cliffhanger, keeping you rooted on the edge of your seat and eager for the next one!
With new fantastical beasts, a darker plot, new characters we’ve been looking forward to meeting, and a look at the magical wizarding world in Paris to further expanding our experience of the franchise, The Crimes of Grindelwald is very different from the first prequel but it also has so much more to be excited about.
Overall, I love the story and the nostalgia of this spin-off, but there is one major problem with it: as a screenplay, it is very limited and, in the end, is therefore somewhat unsatisfying. This only further highlights my wish for Rowling to have written a book version of this trilogy instead of making them into films straight away, as a book would have allowed more time to be spent on the plot twists, revelations and characters.
There are so many new names introduced in this second screenplay that it’s hard to follow who is who at times, especially when there are twists a’plenty concerning who is related to who and who is actually somebody else entirely. A book would have allowed more time on each of these characters individually and more depth into their backgrounds. But because of the limited detail, characters like Nagini seem massively underused when their name alone holds so much power, characters like Queenie aren’t allowed time to shine as they were in the first film and time isn’t given to explain their certain actions, and characters like Leta Lestrange aren’t given enough time to get to know properly.
It’s amazing what story Rowling does tell in the short amount of time it takes for her screenplay to happen (and therefore to read), but so much more is needed for Harry Potter fans. It does too much in too little time, feeling like a teaser rather than the real thing.
However, I will always love anything Harry Potter related and, just like the first film and screenplay, this second instalment ends on another huge cliffhanger, keeping you rooted on the edge of your seat and eager for the next one!
I had seen the film before reading this screenplay, so I knew exactly what to expect in terms of story, but it is still a beautiful hardcover edition to own, nonetheless.
It was a sad time when the Harry Potter films came to an end, but this prequel spin-off is a satisfying substitute, as Rowling expands the world of Harry and Hogwarts into the bigger world, taking us back to a time when it all began for some of the older characters we know from her books.
Not only does Rowling take the time to craft a simple and charming tale of Newt searching the streets for his lost beasts, but she also combines this with a deep, magical context of a franchise we fell in love with many years ago, one that we had to sadly come to terms with ending, as she welcomes the British wizarding world into America to begin a whole new adventure.
We have two stories in one. The first introduces us to the new leader of this franchise, Newt, and his love of fantastical creatures, setting this franchise up on its own with a fun adventure and intensely likeable characters, whilst the latter sets up the bigger picture, opening up a story that we’ve briefly read about in the Harry Potter books: the days of Grindelwald and a young Dumbledore.
The combination of having these nostalgic references to the past (which is actually 80 years in the future) and all of these new characters to get to know is balanced really well. With many comments about Hogwarts, Dumbledore, and quidditch, there’s enough reflection on the original series to fill fans of Harry Potter with comfort (because we all miss the original series deeply!) but there are also many new concepts that leave so much more to be explored.
With two more films announced for the future, as well, this new franchise promises to expand on some of the history that Rowling touched on in her original books, linking closely to the original stories and characters whilst also allowing us to see a side of the magical world outside of Hogwarts that Rowling was limited to before.
I only wish J.K. Rowling had written this trilogy of films as books first, not as a screenplay, so that she could have detailed all of these new characters and their backgrounds in full. But saying that, she does an exceptional job of crafting so much story, context, and characters (a few of whom we knew a little about already) that it works incredibly well at it is.
Ending the film on a very intriguing cliffhanger, I certainly can’t wait to see how the story will progress and for the conflict between Grindelwald and Dumbledore to take centre stage.
It was a sad time when the Harry Potter films came to an end, but this prequel spin-off is a satisfying substitute, as Rowling expands the world of Harry and Hogwarts into the bigger world, taking us back to a time when it all began for some of the older characters we know from her books.
Not only does Rowling take the time to craft a simple and charming tale of Newt searching the streets for his lost beasts, but she also combines this with a deep, magical context of a franchise we fell in love with many years ago, one that we had to sadly come to terms with ending, as she welcomes the British wizarding world into America to begin a whole new adventure.
We have two stories in one. The first introduces us to the new leader of this franchise, Newt, and his love of fantastical creatures, setting this franchise up on its own with a fun adventure and intensely likeable characters, whilst the latter sets up the bigger picture, opening up a story that we’ve briefly read about in the Harry Potter books: the days of Grindelwald and a young Dumbledore.
The combination of having these nostalgic references to the past (which is actually 80 years in the future) and all of these new characters to get to know is balanced really well. With many comments about Hogwarts, Dumbledore, and quidditch, there’s enough reflection on the original series to fill fans of Harry Potter with comfort (because we all miss the original series deeply!) but there are also many new concepts that leave so much more to be explored.
With two more films announced for the future, as well, this new franchise promises to expand on some of the history that Rowling touched on in her original books, linking closely to the original stories and characters whilst also allowing us to see a side of the magical world outside of Hogwarts that Rowling was limited to before.
I only wish J.K. Rowling had written this trilogy of films as books first, not as a screenplay, so that she could have detailed all of these new characters and their backgrounds in full. But saying that, she does an exceptional job of crafting so much story, context, and characters (a few of whom we knew a little about already) that it works incredibly well at it is.
Ending the film on a very intriguing cliffhanger, I certainly can’t wait to see how the story will progress and for the conflict between Grindelwald and Dumbledore to take centre stage.
If like me, your favourite lessons in primary school were learning about Ancient Greece and Egypt and about all of the fantastical stories about Gods and Kings who helped to shape the world we live in today, then this is a book that you need read.
A collection of short stories, Stephen Fry narrates them in a way that makes these recognisable myths accessible to all readers. As he intricately weaves them together, starting at the beginning with a state of nothingness (Chaos) when Gaia (Mother Earth) and Ouranos (Father Sky) suddenly appeared, Fry goes on to introduce these popularly divine figures in an engaging and funny way, as Gaia and Ouranos go on to create the Titans, who were soon to be overthrown by the most well known God of all, Zeus.
There’s a lot of information to take in and so much to be learnt, but Fry’s narration makes these many characters and their stories easy to follow. The stories on their own are concise, but they are also linked together so well that they effortlessly take you from the beginning of time to the Age of Gods and Mortals (our creation), ending before the Heroic age (which allows his second book, Heroes, to neatly follow on from this one).
Slowly introducing us to all of these immortal characters, the stories start to focus on a single character or two as they each have their own message or lesson to be learnt (for the reader and the characters themselves!). And it’s not just about how the Gods came into being and their many incestual relationships and villainous conflicts, but it’s also incredibly interesting to learn about how these stories are relevant to us today, as the Gods went on to invent humanity.
As well as many popular stories such as Midas’ golden touch, Pandora’s box, the love story of Eros and Psyche (Love and Soul), what I found most interesting about this book was how these myths have influenced our language. As a writer, I obviously have a love for words, so to learn about the origin of words such as echo (Echo), narcissism (Narcissus), and spider (Arachne), of how the bee got his sting and the reasons for the seasons, many of these stories blew my mind with insight.
However, the book obviously doesn’t tell every story, so there are many popular myths that aren’t mentioned in this instalment. There’s nothing about Hercules, Icarus flying too close to the sun, the Minotaur and the Maze, Medusa and her snakes, or Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece, but it’s likely that many of these will be in Fry’s second book, Heroes, which I can’t wait to read next.
A collection of short stories, Stephen Fry narrates them in a way that makes these recognisable myths accessible to all readers. As he intricately weaves them together, starting at the beginning with a state of nothingness (Chaos) when Gaia (Mother Earth) and Ouranos (Father Sky) suddenly appeared, Fry goes on to introduce these popularly divine figures in an engaging and funny way, as Gaia and Ouranos go on to create the Titans, who were soon to be overthrown by the most well known God of all, Zeus.
There’s a lot of information to take in and so much to be learnt, but Fry’s narration makes these many characters and their stories easy to follow. The stories on their own are concise, but they are also linked together so well that they effortlessly take you from the beginning of time to the Age of Gods and Mortals (our creation), ending before the Heroic age (which allows his second book, Heroes, to neatly follow on from this one).
Slowly introducing us to all of these immortal characters, the stories start to focus on a single character or two as they each have their own message or lesson to be learnt (for the reader and the characters themselves!). And it’s not just about how the Gods came into being and their many incestual relationships and villainous conflicts, but it’s also incredibly interesting to learn about how these stories are relevant to us today, as the Gods went on to invent humanity.
As well as many popular stories such as Midas’ golden touch, Pandora’s box, the love story of Eros and Psyche (Love and Soul), what I found most interesting about this book was how these myths have influenced our language. As a writer, I obviously have a love for words, so to learn about the origin of words such as echo (Echo), narcissism (Narcissus), and spider (Arachne), of how the bee got his sting and the reasons for the seasons, many of these stories blew my mind with insight.
However, the book obviously doesn’t tell every story, so there are many popular myths that aren’t mentioned in this instalment. There’s nothing about Hercules, Icarus flying too close to the sun, the Minotaur and the Maze, Medusa and her snakes, or Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece, but it’s likely that many of these will be in Fry’s second book, Heroes, which I can’t wait to read next.
The story is told in three parts through three narratives: Stephanie, Emily, and Emily’s husband, Sean. Because of this, the story goes back and forth, re-telling parts of the story to reveal the truth behind certain scenes and character’s actions, transforming a straightforward and simple plot into one more layered and twisted.
It is a story about lies and manipulation, led by two very different characters: Emily is powerful and confidence, whilst Stephanie is weak and pathetic. They both have secrets in their pasts, but they’ve obviously dealt with their situations in very different ways. But because their characters are such polar opposites, neither are really likeable. Emily is deceptive and uses Stephanie to her advantage, whilst Stephanie is a complete pushover. And neither of them redeem themselves in the end, so it’s difficult to be engaged by their actions.
The main twist is an obvious one but I still didn’t see it coming, so the plot is developed quite well. However, it doesn’t stand out from other female-led thrillers and it all goes downhill after things are explained. After more weird twists and a lack of a decent conclusion, it seems like the plot spent more time trying to shock than make the characters worth rooting for.
But what I did like about the story is the three different perspectives on motherhood. Stephanie talks about how it changes you as a person, the lack of sleep, and the loneliness. She also discusses the division between working moms and stay-at-home moms, which will always be a heightened debate between mothers. Emily then talks about the love that she felt for Nicky when he was born: the shock, the sentiment. And then finally, Sean talks about how Emily fell in love with Nicky and out of love with him. He shows a man’s side to parenting that is often missed out on. He talks about how he misses the warmth, affection, and mutual respect with his wife.
All three perspectives are very relatable and so interesting to see being explored, but it’s such a shame that these conversations are so sparse and only used to get to know the characters a little better before the story gets back to the less interesting mystery. If these conversations around ‘honest parenting’ were more frequent and linked into the story better than this would definitely have given the book a unique standpoint. Unfortunately, the characters just don’t have that much depth to them in the end.
It is a story about lies and manipulation, led by two very different characters: Emily is powerful and confidence, whilst Stephanie is weak and pathetic. They both have secrets in their pasts, but they’ve obviously dealt with their situations in very different ways. But because their characters are such polar opposites, neither are really likeable. Emily is deceptive and uses Stephanie to her advantage, whilst Stephanie is a complete pushover. And neither of them redeem themselves in the end, so it’s difficult to be engaged by their actions.
The main twist is an obvious one but I still didn’t see it coming, so the plot is developed quite well. However, it doesn’t stand out from other female-led thrillers and it all goes downhill after things are explained. After more weird twists and a lack of a decent conclusion, it seems like the plot spent more time trying to shock than make the characters worth rooting for.
But what I did like about the story is the three different perspectives on motherhood. Stephanie talks about how it changes you as a person, the lack of sleep, and the loneliness. She also discusses the division between working moms and stay-at-home moms, which will always be a heightened debate between mothers. Emily then talks about the love that she felt for Nicky when he was born: the shock, the sentiment. And then finally, Sean talks about how Emily fell in love with Nicky and out of love with him. He shows a man’s side to parenting that is often missed out on. He talks about how he misses the warmth, affection, and mutual respect with his wife.
All three perspectives are very relatable and so interesting to see being explored, but it’s such a shame that these conversations are so sparse and only used to get to know the characters a little better before the story gets back to the less interesting mystery. If these conversations around ‘honest parenting’ were more frequent and linked into the story better than this would definitely have given the book a unique standpoint. Unfortunately, the characters just don’t have that much depth to them in the end.