Wayward Pines "The Truth"

Phew, what an episode. We finally found out, along with Ben & Ethan, what's "really" going on in Wayward Pines. I admit I started watching the show solely because I'm a huge fan of M. Night Shyamalan, but Wayward Pines has given me plenty of other reasons to like it since episode one, & especially after its most recent episode "The Truth" - The things revealed in this episode make this show a must-see for any fellow scifi lovers out there. If you have never watched the show, I recommend checking it out.

Caution:
HUGE spoilers for Wayward Pines ahead.
If you haven't seen the show,
please stop reading here.
You have hereby been warned. ;)

I'm also a huge fan of the CW show "The 100" so I immediately noticed some similarities to that show in this episode. It's similar enough to excite me, but not so similar that it's ripping that show off in any way. So, from where I sit (on the porch in the dark with My Dying Bride blaring from my hubby's laptop), that's a good thing. Side note, I also recommend checking out "The 100" if you haven't. Another great post-apocalyptic show that in my opinion is highly underrated.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah. As soon as Ben's teacher revealed the time travel bit, I thought, "Of course! Re-population." So I tweeted it out, & no one seemed to get it. Lo & behold, about 10 minutes later, that is what they revealed they are doing. Attempting to repopulate the future Earth with "normal" human beings. (Which could certainly explain the bedroom eyes Ben's new girlfriend has been giving him, LOL). Some things were predictable, such as Pilcher's reveal, but a lot of the reveals were pretty cool. My favorite was definitely the date on the quarter.

The creatures that humans have "evolved" into, called abbies, seem a little zombie-ish, giving the show even more of an apocalyptic feel & promising some exciting action scenes in the future. & these things aren't like the boring zombies from "The Walking Dead" but more like the speedy rage-infected zombies from "28 Days (& Weeks) Later" (which is DEFINITELY awesome).

But don't forget, even though we now know "the truth" the people of Wayward Pines are still pretty shady. (Need I remind you of the reckoning ceremonies? Come on). So we're more than likely not getting the WHOLE truth (or maybe not even any truth, although I'm pretty sure the abbies do actually exist & that it's probably pretty hard to fake the date on a quarter). ;)

This episode was, in my opinion, the best yet. Not just because of the writing & acting but because of that amazing sequence where we were pulled back & forth between Ben's "orientation" & his parent's simultaneous revelations. As a video editor myself, I really appreciate when the editing is done so brilliantly, so kudos to the editors on that. It really gave the episode even more intensity.

While this episode may have been the best yet, there were a couple of downsides. First, there is very little ethnic representation in Ben's group, or in the town for that matter. & second, the whole episode was kind of one big info dump, & while I loved it, I also wonder if they should have saved at least some of this mind bending info for the season finale. I'm a little worried that the show might not be able to top this episode. They are going to have to pull out something even bigger for the season finale if the show's going to survive the harsh business that is television. But rumor has it that this is just the beginning of the crazy, so hopefully we'll see more epic episodes like this one in the future.

Be The Lightning,

Kylie Jude.

}i{

Book Review: Dying To Forget

I listened to the audio book for this one, and was asked to write a review of it, so for this book review I'm splitting it into 2 parts - first the book review, & then the audio book review. 

Dying To Forget - the book by Trish Dawson:

 I wasn't sure about dying to forget at first, but a few pages in I was crying. CRYING. Over a book. Because I relate to Piper. I have been there. Drugged & raped. & a cutter. & even suicidal. Thankfully that's all in the past now (I've healed a lot since then & even founded a support group called RISE (Rape Incest & Suicide Education) but nonetheless, after I got passed the first couple of pages (during which I wrongly assumed it was some kind of erotica - it isn't), I grew increasingly connected to & invested in Piper's journey, page after page. The first person point of view & the present tense style, along with Piper's adorable nicknames for people, really help the reader connect with the characters & events in the book. Some of the descriptions were a bit lengthy for me, but other than that, I loved it. Definitely recommended for teens & for anyone who has been through any kind of abuse or trauma. You will cry, you will laugh, & you will find healing in its pages. This is why all books should be written - to uplift, encourage, & empower people. Thank you to Trish Dawson for writing a book that tackles issues needing more light shed on them, while being entertaining & fun at the same time.

Dying To Forget - audio book read by Kimberly Woods:

This was the first time I'd tried listening to an audio book. As a writer myself, as well as a plethora of other things, I rarely find the time to read, so I thought I could listen instead, while working on novel illustrations. Turns out, I was right. Still took forever to get through it, but I got through it much quicker than I would have been able to by actually reading. Kimberly Woods speaks with a clear voice, enunciating every word; & with a soft & calming tone, making it a great read for right before bed (although that's not when I listened to it, but if I could I would). I think her voice embodied the character of Piper well, & she did a good job of keeping up with the humor in the novel, causing me to giggle on multiple occasions. There were a few times when I wished I could speed it up a little because it went a bit too slow for me personally, but nonetheless, I could tell she really immersed herself in the story, which in turn made me feel more immersed in the story too. I love the fact that a busy person like myself can listen while doing other things, so I will definitely be trying more audio books in the future.


 ***I was given an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

You can find this book on Amazon HERE, and on Audible HERE. It's currently free, so check it out!

You can find the author Trish Dawson on her Facebook HERE & her Twitter HERE. 

You can find more audio books read by Kimberly Woods HERE.

Be The Lightning, 

Kylie Jude. 

}i{