Tag: 2 Star Reviews

All 2 Star Reviews In One Place

“Monster Me #1: All Phone & Games” By iPOP! Labs Review

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Cyberbullying is now all too common in the classroom and in our daily lives. Follow the adventures of Newmon and his fellow classmates as they create “doh” creations and take photos on their cellphones with questionable intentions. Includes a teacher’s guide.

I gotta admit that reading a comic book for children as an adult isnt the best choice or the smartest choice but I just did that. So we are going to talk about my thoughts about this comic book in this review.

This comic book presents an intriguing premise that unfortunately falls short in execution for an adult, since this comic book is very simple and easy to understand. Way too easy and simple for an adult. But if a child reads this comic I believe they will have pretty good time and will like this comic book a lot.

The concept of this comic book is blending monsters with modern technology and gaming culture is very unique and something which would make children interested in reading it. But if you are reading this comic book as an adult as I did then you will think that this comic book struggles to deliver a narrative that fully engages its audience which is true if an adult reads it. 

The story revolves around a cast of quirky monster characters who navigate a world dominated by smartphones and gaming. While this setup could lead to humorous and insightful commentary on our tech-obsessed lives, the execution lacks the depth and creativity needed to make it truly compelling.

For an adult this story feels very  disjointed, jumping from one scenario to another without providing a coherent storyline or emotional stakes.

The artwork, while colorful and dynamic, often feels cluttered and chaotic. Instead of enhancing the narrative, the illustrations can detract from it, making it difficult to follow the action or appreciate the character designs. There are moments of potential, particularly in the monster designs, but they are overshadowed by inconsistent execution.

Character development is another area where “Monster Me #1” falters. The characters are introduced with little backstory or depth, leaving them feeling flat and one-dimensional. This lack of development makes it hard for readers to form any attachment or care about their journeys.

Despite its flaws, there are occasional glimpses of humor and creativity that shine through, hinting at what could have been a more engaging story. However, these moments are few and far between, making it difficult to overlook the overall lack of cohesion.

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“John Bull” By Washington Irving Review

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In my opinion this short story lacks a lot of charm and depth to it to be considered a good short story.

The characters in this short story feel very simplistic and overly reliant on stereotypes. Which doesn’t help me liking the story nor the characters that much as the author may have hoped to achieve here. 

The pacing of this short story is very uneven since at times it goes fast and other times it drags for far too long which really makes this entire short story very boring and uninteresting.

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“Philip of Pokanoket” By Washington Irving Review

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This short story attempts to to blend historical fact with storytelling, which it doesn’t succeed to do so. But rather what it succeed at is giving us the reader a feeling of disjointed storytelling. 

At times this short story goes into bombarding us too much details which aren’t that much needed which really doesn’t help me personally to like this short story more.

The pacing of this short story is very uneven since at times it goes fast and other times it drags for far too long which really makes this entire short story very boring and uninteresting.

The characters in this short story lack any form for having a personality. And at the same time the characters are very flat and dull which really doesn’t help the reader like this short story. 

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“The Angler” By Washington Irving Review

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The premise of this short story is somehow good but again the way the author presents the short story to us isn’t that good as he may have wanted it to be.

The narrative of this short story often drags for far too long without going anywhere which really in the long run turns out to be very boring and uninteresting.

The pacing of this short story is very uneven since at times it goes fast and other times it drags for far too long which really makes this entire short story very boring and uninteresting.

The characters in this short story lack any form for having a personality. And at the same time the characters are very flat and dull which really doesn’t help the reader like this short story. 

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“The Pride of the Village” By Washington Irving Review

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The descriptions in this short story feel very extensive and like they don’t particularly are that important. 

The characters in this short story lack any form for having a personality. And at the same time the characters are very flat and dull which really doesn’t help the reader like this short story. 

The pacing of this short story is very uneven since at times it goes fast and other times it drags for far too long which really makes this entire short story very boring and uninteresting.

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“Stratford on Avon” By Washington Irving Review

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I gotta say that this short story isn’t good as the majority of short stories written by Washington Irving I’ve read so far. 

The descriptions in this short story are good at times but for the most part they are very tedious, boring and at times feel like they are dragging for far too long than they needed to.

The characters in this short story lack any form for having a personality. And at the same time the characters are very flat and dull which really doesn’t help the reader like this short story. 

The pacing of this short story is very uneven since at times it goes fast and other times it drags for far too long which really makes this entire short story very boring and uninteresting.

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“Little Britain” By Washington Irving Review

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In the centre of the great city of London lies a small neighbourhood, consisting of a cluster of narrow streets and courts, of very venerable and debilitated houses, which goes by the name of LITTLE BRITAIN. Christ Church School and St. Bartholomew’s Hospital bound it on the west; Smithfield and Long Lane on the north; Aldersgate Street, like an arm of the sea, divides it from the eastern part of the city; whilst the yawning gulf of Bull-and-Mouth Street separates it from Butcher Lane, and the regions of Newgate. Over this little territory, thus bounded and designated, the great dome of St. Paul’s, swelling above the intervening houses of Paternoster Row, Amen Corner, and Ave Maria Lane, looks down with an air of motherly protection.

I gotta say that the setting of this short story is pretty good and cozy. But in my opinion thats the only good thing about this short story.

The narrative of this short story feels like it wanders through the short story without any clear direction of where it is going. Which really made it hard for me to become engaged in this short story and I was left feeling very bored and uninterested while reading this one. 

The pacing of this short story is very uneven since at times it goes fast and other times it drags for far too long which really makes this entire short story very boring and uninteresting.

The characters in this short story lack any form for having a personality. And at the same time the characters are very flat and dull which really doesn’t help the reader like this short story. 

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“The Stage-coach” By Washington Irving Review

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Here we are again talking about another not so great short story from no other than Washington Irving.

The characters in this short story lack any form for having a personality. And at the same time the characters are very flat and dull which really doesn’t help the reader like this short story. 

The pacing of this short story is very uneven since at times it goes fast and other times it drags for far too long which really makes this entire short story very boring and uninteresting.

The narrator of this short story feels like he isn’t interested in this short story and because of this the narrator feels very dry and bored himself in a way.

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“The Valiant: First Look” By Jeff Lemire & Matt Kindt & Paolo Rivera Review

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Discover the battle ten millennia in the making with The Valiant: First Look preview edition, featuring an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look inside the all-new, prestige format mini-series event from superstar creators Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and Paolo Rivera. Packed with never-before-seen artwork, preview pages, and interviews, and featuring nearly every Valiant hero, do not miss your chance to find out why The Valiant is the astonishing new adventure that will be taking comics by storm this December.

I need to admit that this one wasn’t one of the better comic books I’ve read in my time, to be honest here it was more on the opposite area of me liking this comic book. 

This comic book attempts to establish a dynamic new entry in the superhero genre, but ultimately falls short of its ambitious goals. 

The main issue I had with this comic book is that it has a good premise but the way it is presented to us leaves a lot to be desired since it really leaves us feeling like there was something missing and like the author didn’t know what he was doing while writing this one. 

The artwork is very good in this one which in my opinion is the only strength this comic book has. The illustrations are striking and dynamic, capturing both action and emotion with finesse. It adds a visual flair that is certainly appealing, but sadly, it doesn’t entirely compensate for the weaknesses in the story.

The plot in this comic book feels disjointed and lacks the depth necessary to engage readers fully.

The other thing which annoyed me a lot in this comic book was that the pacing is uneven, jumping between scenes without adequately developing the characters or the overarching conflict. Because of this the stakes in this comic book never feel particularly high, and the emotional impact is muted. While the concept has potential, the narrative falters, leaving readers more confused than intrigued.

The character development in this comic book is another area of this comic book where it struggles a fair share. The protagonists and antagonists seem one-dimensional, lacking the complexity that could make their journeys compelling. And because of this I found it difficult to invest myself in the character’s fates since they felt more like a archetypes than fully realized individuals.

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“The Spectre Bridegroom” By Washington Irving Review

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Originally published in 1819, “The Spectre Bridegroom” is a ghost story about a baron and his daughter in historic Germany. The tale revolves around the daughter’s betrothal to Count Van Altenburg and the strange occurrences that lead up to the wedding.

I gotta say the more short stories I read from Washington Irving the more he becomes one of my most misliked authors ever. 

This short story has a good premise for a plot but the way its delivered to us is less good. Because as the narrator goes on into the short stories it feels like he is losing focus of the main plot line of this short story and goes into things which doesn’t have meaning in the long run

The pacing in this short story is very uneven. Since it changes multiple times during the short story. What I mean here is that the pacing of the narrative of this short story goes from being fast to being very slow to then again being fast. Which isn’t very consistent and good in my opinion.

I Give This Book 2 / 5