"The Revenant" by Michael Punke (Parent Guide)

                 The Revenant Parent Guide

18+! Contains Extreme Gore, several explicit sexual references, and infrequent heavy Profanity!

Spoilers in Red!

Positive Messages: 1/10

None really, though it does show the will of one man to survive and receive justice, and the extreme lengths he will go to to survive. The entire novel is about his quest for revenge, although he does show mercy to Bridger at the end and does not kill him. 

Positive Role Models: 3/10

While Hugh Glass is a sympathetic and good man who appreciates nature, and knows what it takes to survive in the wild, and the lenths he has to go to, he is unforgiving to his enemies, which isn't necessarily bad, but nonetheless, this is not for kids.

Profanity: 6/10

Heavy, but neither pervasive or infrequent. A couple of uses of S**t, and a few sexual references.

Sex & Nudity: 5/10

Multiple explicit references.

Drinking: 4/10 

A few scenes are while the rough frontiersmen are drinking.

Smoking/Drugs: 1/10 

Very infrequent and short.

Violence/Gore: 10/10

Extreme Gore. Aside form all the battles with Indians and so on, Glass gets brutally maules by a Grizzly bear, which is described in a couple of pages, before his wounds are talked about. His throat is nearly severed, his scalp is hanging form his head, deep cuts all over his body, and later, maggots infest his wounds. He is attacked by a rattlesnake, although it's only a nightmare, it will still make you flinch. Brutal, bloody beatings, stabbings,  etc, make this book absuloutely not for anyone under 18. I've read some horrific books, but this one has to be one of the worst novels, made all the more harder to bear as it's based on a true story.

Frightening/Intense: 6/10

Extremely intense.

18+ only!

"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott (Review)

               Little Women Review

Basic Info:

Originally published: 1868

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Followed by: Little Men

Characters: Jo March, Amy March, Mrs. March, Beth March, Meg March

Adaptations: Little Women (1994), Tales of Little Women (1988), more

Genres: Coming-of-age story, Bildungsroman

Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), which was originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. Alcott wrote the books rapidly over several months at the request of her publisher.^[1][2] The novel follows the lives of four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March—detailing their passage from childhood to womanhood, and is loosely based on the author and her three sisters.

Review:

(Take a deep breath, rub your jaw, and start typing)

This book is quite good, obviously open to further improvement, but it's written with true feeling and heart with believable and deep characters we can all somehow relate to, and that's what makes it great. The time which is needed to read the book is on average 6 hours and 30 minutes, so yeah, it's very long; but that doesn't really bother me, and I'm always suprised when people complain about the length of books and movies, because if we haven't even got enough patience to watch a movie or read a book, then what's happened to us?

This is one of those books which is based on a true story not in the sense of some historical happening or something but in the sense that the experiences and feelings are real, and experiences we've all had, such as anger, writing, lust for revenge, love, hate, being anti-social, despair, and so on. The events may not be exactly true (although they're all things which many people grow through, and it was loosely based on Alcott's past life), but the FEELINGS are true, and remain personal without becoming sentimental.

So overall Rating: 8/10

"Anne of Avonlea" by L.M Montgomery (Review)

             Anne of Avonlea Review

Basic Info:

Originally published: 1909

Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery

Preceded by: Anne of Green Gables

Followed by: Anne of the Island

Genre: Children's literature

Adaptations: Anne of Avonlea (1975)

Rating: 7/10

Anne of Avonlea is pretty good, although some small scenes bug me a little, the book leaves you at the end pretty well satisfied. Let me start with the pros of this book:

PROS:

1) Anne is maturer now, and isn't that dreamy, absent and yes, sentimental as when she was still a kid.

2) There's a lot of humour provided, especially by Davy and his logic.

3) We still get a lot of the old characters, such as Diana, Marilla, Rachel Lynde, and so on, but we also get lots of new characters to add something new, such as Dora and Davy, Paul Irving etc.

CONS:

1) Gilbert Blythe, probably my favourite character doesn't appear a lot in this book.

2) Some scenes aren't very realistic, especially the scene near the end.

 

So overall, you should read this book, and I can't really compare it to Anne of Green Gables as the two are quite different, and each have their own charm. So, my overall rating is 7/10.

Amazon UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anne-Avonlea-Vintage-Classics-Montgomery/dp/0099582651/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462224677&sr=8-1&keywords=anne+of+avonlea

"Holes" by Louis Sachar (Review)

       Holes By Louis Sachar Review

Basic info and Story Line:
Holes is a 1998 young adult mystery comedy novel written by Louis Sachar and first published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. It won the 1998 U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the 1999 Newbery Medal for the year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". In 2012 it was ranked number 6 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal.(Source:Wikipedia)

Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn't green and doesn't have a lake) he is not surprised. Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. The evil warden claims that it is character building, but this is a lie and Stanley must dig up the truth.

Review:
I have posted a review on this, kinda long ago, but what I wrote was wrong. I recently re-read this book, and it's actually my favourite book for young adults. It's wit,humour,drama,story, I mean, everything about it is near perfect! But I would first like to quote CommonSenseMedia's review of it, as it sums it up perfectly:

Sachar pulls together this complicated story with unusual characters, dark humor, inventive plotting, and some Dickensian coincidences. The harshness of the situation is mitigated by the multifaceted mystery and by the strangely lighthearted way the author tells the story. At the end the author deliberately leaves a few holes in the plot for the reader to fill in. Sachar has a bizarre imagination, and in this vivid, many-layered book he puts it to its most compelling use yet.

This book is completely unique in my opinion. When I first read it, it wasn't special and didn't really appeal to me, but now that I'm much older, I can really appreciate it.

First of all, the story is completely unique, and it takes a very imaginative mind to think up something like this. Then the humour is hilarious, as it isn't the silly-clowning around kind of humour, but dry, deep, and completely unexpected. And the themes and symbolism which are dealt with in this book are numerous: racism, crime and punishment, society, redemption, honour, religion, love, God, etc. 

This book is technically for teens, but many, many adults have read it, and loved it. So if you're 11 and up, I definitely recommend you to give it a shot. Amazon UK link:
 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holes-Louis-Sachar/dp/1408865238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461874057&sr=8-1&keywords=holes

Please Subscribe, +1, Share this post if you enjoyed it, and please comment, as I want to know what you guys think!

My Thoughts on "Little House on the Prairie" (TV series)

 My Thoughts on Little House on the                                 Prairie

Little House on the Prairie is an American western drama television series, starring Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, and Karen Grassle, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. (Source: Wikipedia)

Episodes List: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071007/episodes?season=1

Straight out, I love Little House on the Prairie! It was a TV milestone, and is a classic which will still be loved, watched, and cherished a hundred years from now.

I (and millions of others), love it for so many reasons: most notably, the story lines that provide valuable lessons in life and the outstanding performances by regulars and guests.

However, some episodes I would prefer to watch alone (in fact, nearly all of them!), as they're too sad, and I hate showing tears in front of others, and I don't like people crying in front of me, as I then get embarrassed and seek for a way out. Anyway, this series can inspire, move, and make you cry.

But this series does have a problem: I only really love the seasons from 1 - 4, like Dexter and after that, the seasons slowly begin to get less original, and more modern, and less beautiful, and so on. For instance, I HATE the romance between Almonzo and Laura, I just think she behaves like an idiot; Every now and then, individual episodes rise high again, only to let the later episodes fall into darkness. And as Laura gets older, Charles and Caroline get less and less important, and those are my favourite characters! And then Albert comes, and then James and Cassandra come, and the whole classic and original feel get evaporated so that it becomes just like any other series.

(And the episode Sylvia has to be the worst I've ever seen; Albert behaves like an idiot, Sylvia herself isn't exactly pretty and she behaves stupidly, the whole themes are kinda unrealistic, and if you have to make an episode dealing with rape, you could have made the scene (and afterwards) a bit more realistic. In all, the episode left me with the uncomfortable feeling that someone had accidentally screened the wrong episode of another series.)

My favourite Characters are Charles and Caroline Ingalls (CI+CI, HAH!).

If you're wondering why there aren't any of the Ingalls girls, it's because they often behave stupidly. Charles nearly never does anything stupid, and I don't love/like Caroline in only one episode where she becomes a full-blown feminist (in season 7, exactly!). I do like the Ingalls girls  a lot most of the time, but they do do stupid and unnecessary things pretty often.

So, in conclusion the seasons 1-4 are absolute must-watch, the later ones until season 8 can be bought, but if I were you (Which I'm not, of course) I'd only buy them for a very low price and don't expect too much.

Amazon UK link to Season 1: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-House-Prairie-Season-DVD/dp/B0009PGTEC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461271006&sr=8-1&keywords=little+house+prairie+season+1

'Anne of Green Gables' by L .M. Montgomery (Review)

           Anne of Green Gables Review

Basic Info:

Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Written for all ages, it has been considered a children's novel since the mid-twentieth century. It recounts the adventures of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in Prince Edward Island. The novel recounts how Anne makes her way with the Cuthberts, in school, and within the town. (Source: Wikipedia)


Review:
Okay, I admit it, I am a teenage boy that reads 'Anne of Green Gables'. So what?
Maybe it's not one of the best books ever written, but it's timeless. So let me start with

Why I like this Book:

The characters are real, they come alive through the pages, you feel for them, you can understand them, you know why they're doing something even if you don't agree with them. My favourite characters are Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, Gilbert Blythe, and (kinda) Anne herself. Although she does talk a lot, and somehow I have the feeling that if every time Anne talks, her words would have been shortened only a few paragraphs, the book would probably be shorter by about a hundred pages.
But on the other hand, Anne is shown to be intelligent and different, not in a bad way, but just different in a good way; she sees the world differently and with imaginative eyes, for example: Anne changes the name of Barry's Pond to Lake of Shining Waters. 

Things I kinda dislike about this book:

Anne is over-dramatic: Either she's floating on the wings of happiness or she's drowning in the depths of despair. She cries a lot, and often because of small (but hilarious) misunderstandings. Another thing: If she hates someone, she hates him with all her soul. She hates Gilbert Blythe for a time of incredible 4 years! But the good news is that by the time she's sixteen, she's more mature, and talks less than before.

And just on a side note: This book is written in the style of Louisa May Alcott: There's no main story-line or quest, but a series of small adventures or problems.
Bottom Line: I recommend this book for anyone above 8 or 9 years of age, of any gender, and who like Drama-comedies. (But if you're looking for a full-blown romance, this is not one you would choose. I would suggest trying Louisa May Alcotts Jo's Boys or if you wanna go full sentimental and teary, try (ugh!) Romeo and Juliet)

"Watership Down" by Richard Adams (Review)

         Watership Down Review

Watership Down is a classic adventure novel, written by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in south-central England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language, proverbs, poetry, and mythology. Evoking epic themes, the novel follows the rabbits as they escape the destruction of their warren and seek a place to establish a new home, encountering perils and temptations along the way. 

(Source: Wikipedia)

Basic Info:

Originally Published:  November 1972

Author: Richard Adams 

Genres: Fantasy Literature

Review: 

Watership Down is a weird book. No doubt about that, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. The story line, the characters, and the details are definetely out of the ordinary, or were: The book was first published 1972, and things have changed since then.

Simply said,Watership Down is a pretty good book. It has an interesting story, and it's unique to see rabbits behaving like human beings, having the personalities and traits and flaws and goodness of humans, while being animals. Actually, this book reminded me a lot of The Wind in the Willows, although Watership Down is darker than Wind in the Willows.

On the whole, I prefer Wind in the Willows to Watership Down. Watership Down is a good read, but I doubt whether older readers would really enjoy reading about rabbits behaving like Achilles or Aragorn, or whatever. But Watership Down is not for much younger readers either, as it's  (arguably) dark and (again arguably) brutal in some places. I would recommend this book for mature 8 or 9 year olds.

But maybe I'm just picky, or too old. Tell me what you think in the comments below!

Please Share, +1, and Subscribe! Here's the Amazon UK link:

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watership-Down-Richard-Adams/dp/0140039589

"The Revenant" By Michael Punke (Review)

         The Revenant Review

The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge is a 2002 novel by American author Michael Punke, based on the story of the American frontiersman Hugh Glass.^[1] The novel was later adapted as a screenplay for a feature film released in 2015, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu.^[1]
Source: Wikipedia

Basic Info:

Originally Published: 2002

Author: Michael Punke

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publishers: Carroll & Graf Publishers

Country: United States of America

Subjects: Hugh Glass

Review: 

The Revenant is a good, or very good book. Let me explain why:

The first part is genius, absuloutely mesmirising and brutal! The second part is good, but the ending just lets you down. You'll see what I mean when you read the novel. In my opinion the movie was much more satisfying.

I'm afraid that's all for now, but I'll be reviewing again soon, so Subscribe and Stay tuned!

If you want the parent guide, please either comment or email me at ibibrov@gmail.com.

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy Review

        "The Road" Review

Basic Info:

Originally Published: September 26, 2006

Genres: Post-Apocalyptic fiction

Page Count: 287

The Road is a 2006 novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy. It is a post-apocalyptic tale of a journey of a father and his young son over a period of several months, across a landscape blasted by an unspecified cataclysm that has destroyed most of civilization and, in the intervening years, almost all life on Earth. The novel was awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 2006. The book was adapted to a film by the same name in 2009, directed by John Hillcoat. (Source :Wikipedia)

Review:

"The Road" is without doubt one of the best, saddest, and most symbolic books I've ever read, rivalled only by "The Lord of the Rings". Its power is nearly indescribable, but I'll do my best.

Cormac McCarthy has already written pretty many books, the most famous being "Blood Meridian", which has been called the moby dick of our age, "The Road", which is probably his most famous, and "No Country for Old Men", which got its most prestige from the movie.

I'm a hardened reader, but this brought tears to my eyes. The sheer hopelessness, and the titanic scale of the world is overwhelming. 

Unnamed man and his son walk through a burnt and ravaged landscape, where anything of everything is scarce, and it is always perpetually cold. Not even theocean is blue, its grey. Every minute in this world is suffering, and most people have either died or commited suicide. Most of the people who survive have turned to cannibalism, eating and robbing people who are on the road, so not even your fellow human is to be trusted; on the contrary, they are the most dangerous thing on the road.

Let's examine some of the symbolism found in plenty in this gem of a book. For example,the road: Highways and interstates (and some minor roads) comprise the setting of this novel. (The characters do stop at a few houses, but these function as pauses in their journey.) The characters spend so much time on the road – and McCarthy describes the road so well – that it hovers over the novel as a major image. The road is a desolate, transient thing, full of danger. In fact, it's probably useful to think of the road as both an actual, physical setting and a mental state.

Before I conclue let me just say that this book is NOT for kids: It's way too dark, scary, intense, and also heavily brutal. If "Blood Meridian" is one of the most brutal books ever written, then you can imagine the brutality here: Its not too often but when it comes its HEAVY! (I'll try to post the Parents Guide of "The Road" as soon as I can, so stay tuned!)

"Murder on the Orient Express" By Agatha Christie (Review)

      Murder on the Orient Express                Review

NO SPOILERS!

Author: Agatha Chriestie

Originally Published: January 1, 1934

Genres: Crime Fiction

Review:

I've read many of Mrs. Christies books, and in my opinion she's the greatest crime fiction writer who's ever been, but Murder on the Orient Express is in my opinion one of her best, just pure genius!

While traveling to Paris, a wealthy American is stabbed to death in his cabin on the Orient Express. With the train stuck in a snowdrift, there is no easy escape for the killer. Fortunately, detective Hercule Poirot is aboard and launches a clever investigation into the curious assortment of passengers, of whom each seems to have a motive.

Slowly, lies get uncovered, and you just go: "WHOAH!" The end solution was absuloutely unique! I could have never, ever thought of it! Everything fits together so nicely, and Hercule Poirot (The little detective with the egg shaped egg) has solved another baffling mystery with triumph! To be quite honest, I can see why he's a bit conceited, because he IS the worlds greatest detective! (Along with Sherlock!)

Here's the Amazon UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Orient-Express-Hercule-Mysteries/dp/0062073508

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