All posts tagged: Reviews

Locke & Key on Netflix ~ A Review

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Having hugely enjoyed the Locke and Key graphic novels’ series back when I read it a couple of years ago, I was simply over the moon to hear that Netflix was set to bring an adaptation to our small screens. I opted for a ‘premiere’ reminder and promptly found myself plopping on the sofa all starry- eyed and excited, popcorn in hand – to enjoy this extra special treat. My, oh my, was I to be sorely disappointed… Let me preface what’s to follow by saying: if you have never feasted your eyes on the awesomeness that is the graphic novels, then you’ll probably find my review slightly incomprehensible and my general distaste of the series absurd or, at best, far- fetched and kind of unfair. If, however, you are a fan of the original then you will understand where I am coming from and, in all likelihood, agree. Let me also note that when it comes to adaptations in general, I’m kind of a stickler for accuracy and staying as true to the source …

‘The Girl who Saved the King of Sweden’ by Jonas Jonasson ~ A Review

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Having hugely enjoyed Mr. Jonasson’s first book (‘The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared‘), picking this one up was admittedly a bit of a no brainer for me – and, all in all, I can’t really say I was disappointed. Interweaving fact with fiction, the author takes us on another absurd journey of coincidence, this time from 1970’s South Africa to 21st century Sweden. A large cast of quirky, funny & fully fleshed- out characters (including an “illiterate” mathematical genious of a girl, a useless alcoholic engineer, Chinese counterfeiters, Mossad agents, non- existent Swedes, heads of government and Royalty – to name but a few) populates a plot that is just as far fetched and almost as entertaining as that of its predecessor. Truth be told the story does lag a bit, around the middle and the book could probably have benefited from stricter editing at that point. That said, the plot soon picks up again leading to a pretty great, happily- ever- after finale (with all loose ends tied up …

‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ by Robert Galbraith ~ A Review

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Let me begin by saying that when I picked this up I had absolutely no idea it was written by J.K. Rowling. Of course I am neither prejudiced against nor in favor of her work (like many people seem to be), so realizing would hardly have made much difference. To be honest I would probably just have felt intrigued, with regards to how well she could handle such a different (compared to her Harry Potter Series) genre. Moving on to the actual review, I found this 1st installment of the Cormoran Strike Series to be a competently written, intricately plotted story – which, despite not being amazingly original, managed to keep me hooked until the end. Both the male and female leads were well- rounded & relatable – really getting you to care what happens to them next (so much so, in fact, that I have already pre- ordered the next book in the series). The cast of supporting characters was greatly varied and equally well- developed, while the myriad of clues scattered along the …

‘Horns’ by Joe Hill ~ A Review

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Having recently discovered Joe Hill, through his debut novel ‘Heart Shaped Box’ which I hugely enjoyed (see review here), I was eager to take up his next offering ‘Horns’ and see what it was all about. The front cover looked very generic (for a horror novel, anyway) but the back cover blurb sounded intriguing. It read: Merrin Williams is dead, slaughtered under inexplicable circumstances, leaving her beloved boyfriend Ignatius Perrish as the only suspect. On the first anniversary of Merrin’s murder, Ig spends the night drunk and doing awful things. When he wakes the next morning he has a thunderous hangover . . . and horns growing from his temples. Ig possesses a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre gift he intends to use to find the monster who killed his lover. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. Now it’s time for revenge . It’s time the devil had his due. . . . The first 100 pages or so were fresh, entertaining and extremely enjoyable. …

‘The Rosie Project’ by Graeme Simsion ~ A Review

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As you may know I do enjoy getting to know new authors by their debuts and Graeme Simsion’s first novel, with its catchy title and intriguing back cover blurb, had me at hello. Let me start by saying that I actually purchased the Audible audiobook version of this (narrated by the wonderful Dan O’Grady) which I most highly recommend. On to the book itself what we are dealing with here is, essentially, the journey of self- discovery of Don Tilman – a handsome (think Gregory Peck) but totally inept socially (think Sheldon from ‘Big Bang Theory’) Genetics professor (and undiagnosed Asperger’s sufferer). At 39 Don decides it’s about time he got married and, disillusioned by the inefficacy of traditional dating rituals, devises ‘The Wife Project’ – a scientific method (complete with a 16-page questionnaire) of finding the perfect partner. She will not be (amongst many others) a smoker, a drinker or a late-comer. Enter Rosie (a.k.a. ‘The World’s Most Incompatible Woman’) on a quest right up Tilman’s alley: to find her biological father. Don’s safe, …