A quick horror read just in time for a Halloween scare. Because the book is based on the screenplay (by David Loucka) of a movie of the same title, the book’s words follow the film almost exactly. In the movie, Jennifer Lawrence stars as Elissa. She is the teenage daughter who, together with her mom, move to an affluent area in a house they can afford to rent only because of a murder that occurred next door four years earlier. Soon Elissa meets the not-so-dreamy boy next door, only to discover that the horror still lingers.
Reviews – book & movie reviews
K. Pinella’s movie & book reviews
The Ones Below (a movie blurt)
A psychological thriller that plays like a cautionary tale about being neighborly. The movie is about two couples, each expecting their first child, and a dinner invite that sets off events leading to a chilling end. Set in England, the film stars Clémence Poésy, David Morrissey, Stephen Campbell Moore and Laura Birn.
Keanu (a movie blurt)
Lovelorn and resigned to be a weepy couch potato, Rell — played by Jordan Peele of Comedy Central’s Key & Peele — finds love again by adopting a kitten that somehow finds its way to his door. Not too long after he’s centered his life around this newfound love, his kitty (he’s named Keanu) gets catnapped by a reputed crime lord. Recruiting his cousin, Clarence — played by, you guessed it, Keegan-Michael Key — both go on a search and rescue mission full of funny scenes. Bring out the popcorn and prepare to laugh a lot as you enjoy some Michael George songs along the way. Turns out Rell is a big fan of his music.
Criminal (a movie blurt)
Although flawed in different areas, the movie is still entertaining with action and an interesting concept—to transfer a dying man’s memory to a live person. Plus, the movie has an all-star cast: Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Costner , Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Michael Pitt, Alice Eve, and Gal Gadot. To keep the action going, the story consists of a number of spy vs. spy vs. international gangster scenes, with always the possibility of mutually assured destruction (MAD). High level, the movie is about a poignant love story mixed in with the U.S. government held hostage by a hacker who has found the means to trigger powerful weapons.
Colonia (a movie blurt)
Inspired by true events, the story line is fiction but the setting is real. There was a compound in Chile called Colonia Dignidad, a religious cult founded in 1961 by a group of Germans and later disbanded. The movie is set in the early to mid-‘70s during the unrest of Allende’s rule. Daniel Brühl plays a German photographer and activist who gets involved in the protest defending Allende’s communist government. Then, when a coup‘d’état takes place, he is captured by the military and taken to this isolated area of Chile known as Colonia Dignidad. His girlfriend, played by Emma Watson, goes in to rescue him, all the while discovering the dark ties between the military and the cult. The scary part is how people surrender their wills to be ruled by a domineering and ruthless cult leader, who brainwashes them into thinking he’s there for their own good.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (a movie blurt)
An eye-opening film from the perspective of the security team that survived the 9/11/12 Benghazi attack, the story is based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s book, 13 Hours. The book is a true account of events that resulted in the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, primarily because they were outgunned and outnumbered. Anyone who is not quite clear about the controversy behind the Benghazi fiasco might want to see this film for a reality check. That’s because five out of the six private military contractors who actually fought to defend the other Americans in a compound recount how the help they received was not enough and came way too late. A must-see to get another perspective, or perhaps the only perspective as some parties are not forthcoming with all the facts. This is a well done film with engaging characters, one of whom is played by John Krasinski.
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (a book blurt)
Another engrossing book by the author who wrote the “The Grant County” and “Will Trent” book series. All are thrillers and full of action, some more relentless than others, but they still make you grit your teeth. This newest installation is a standalone; it’s about two sisters who become estranged from each other because of a man, who marries one of them. More than 20 years later the two sisters reunite after the sister’s husband dies. Or does he? The widowed sister begins finding out disturbing things about her spouse, who had provided her with all her needs. Was he a genuinely loving and gentle man, or was he part of a secret pornographic ring? Full of graphic scenes and unbelievable depravity, the story makes you want to read through the night until your eyes can’t stay open anymore.
I’ve listed below, in the order they were published, the series and standalone books that I’ve read by this author. I will also continue to update the list below, as I continue reading her new publications.
The Grant County series
Blindsighted
Kisscut
A Faint Cold Fear
Indelible
Faithless
Beyond Reach
Will Trent series
Triptych
Fractured
Undone
Broken
Fallen
Snatched
Criminal
Busted
Unseen
The Kept Woman
The Silent Wife
Standalones
Coptown
Pretty Girls
The Good Daughter
Pieces of Her (2018)
Triple 9 (a movie blurt)
This film caught my attention because of the all-star cast ensemble: Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, and Kate Winslet. The characters they play are flawed and except for Affleck’s character, they’re all cynical or corrupt to a certain degree. Set in Atlanta and complete with graphic scenes, this film is violent and gritty about dirty cops and dirty deeds with links to Russian organized crime . Lots of twists, action, and raw pain. Feels too much like real life in these turbulent times. There’s no escapism here.
Janis: Little Girl Blue (a documentary blurt)
A must-see for Janis Joplin fans, as well as those who are not familiar with this 1960 star’s signature work in the blues and rock and roll. Joplin’s unique voice, which embodies pain and unrequited love, is a reflection of a childhood filled with disappointment and trauma, primarily due to her looks. We are reminded that even when someone comes from a good family, it can be the outside forces that do so much damage. Though charismatic and powerful onstage, Janis Joplin always seems to end up alone. Part of this is due to her drug addiction, but here we learn she was able to clean herself a few times. After singing “Me and Bobby McGee,” Joplin was just beginning an exciting turning point in her life when she died in her sleep at 27. Sadly, her last hit turned out to be a drug overdose.
Remember (a movie blurt)
A powerful movie with a timeless message, featuring Christopher Plummer, who plays a ~90-year old Auschwitz survivor with dementia. Co-starring is Martin Landau as another Auschwitz survivor, who orchestrates the vengeance on behalf of their murdered families during Hitler’s rule. More than a revenge film, the movie is suspenseful with a shocking twist. Other stars include Jurgen Prochnow and Dean Norris.
Karina Pinella 
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