Peaceloyinmi

A Stranger in the Mirror : Book Review

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Sidney Sheldon the master storyteller never disappoints. God bless his Soul. This book takes place in old Hollywood and with starts off with a million dreams by Toby and Josephine. It contains an intriguing plot , gripping and relatable characters which makes you. This story depicts the lives of two people who become one .

Toby dreams to be an entertainer specifically a comedian and tries his luck when he moves away from home. His rise to Sucess and his experiences depict the struggle to fame. His story is that of from rags to riches to what I would say “rags in riches”. Toby rise to stardom involves sacrifices which changes him in the future. I liken his character to that of Jay Gatsby in the Great Gatsby

Jill Castle or should I say Josephine is a beautiful, ambitious and hardworking woman. Her background does not do her much good and so she moves away from her town heartbroken and broke with a thousand dreams in her heart . She soon realizes that all that glitters is not gold as the sacrifices she has to pay to rise in the entertainment industry leaves her with hatred and a quest for revenge.

Jill chooses Toby as her answer to that question. For her, he is a means to an end. A way to repay the evil done to her. She plays a game and Toby falls into her trap. She gets married to him and begins her revenge. However this does not play her so well as it comes to bite her later.

Their love story becomes phenomenal as Jill fulfills her duties to Toby as his wife too well. When he falls ill, she nurses him back to health against the lost hope of doctors in Toby. However when an old lover comes back into her life . A certain magic reappears and Jill takes a turn for worse . The actions of Jill afterwards define her a stranger . No longer Jill or Josephine but caught in between identities.

The amazing plot twist I will choose not to reveal but I leave for the readers to experience it first hand. As the title goes , there really is a stranger in the mirror. My conclusion in this book is that a woman with a will certainly has a way, although the end of that way may not be what you wish

The amazing storytelling by Sidney Sheldon, plot twists and turns will leave you wanting more. Once you open the book you can’t drop it till you finish. I rate this book 10000/10. So leave my page after a follow and go buy a copy of this book. Thank me later once you finish it.

Paper lives Review

Paper lives is a 2021 Netflix Turkish movie that follows the life of the main character, Mehmet and a boy he comes across known as Ali. This motion picture is directed by Can Ulkay and set in a poor neighborhood in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Based on a true life story, Paper lives brings to cinema the lives of homeless kids and teens struggling to make a living by picking paper and trash to resell them.

Mehmet picks paper for a living and one faithful night he meets Ali. Their meeting could be seen as a coincidence but if you ask me I would say it is fate. Immediately after they meet, they become close and Mehmet becomes a father figure for Ali. Because of the similarities Mehmet sees between Ali’s childhood and his , Mehmet becomes attached to Ali. Their relationship as they go on in their journey of life captivates the audience and would do the same to you.

This movie is definitely a tearjerker as it depicts the lives of children who have no stable home and are forced to find solace on the streets. It follows the emotional, mental and physical state of the children. The movie also examines the societal relationship towards these homeless children who have been forced to become adults at an early age and fend for themselves. It is a dark story that presents a strong conflict and passes an important message for its audience.

The amazing acting by Çağatay Ulusoy as Mehmet and Emir Ali Doğrul as Ali brings life to this story based on true live events. My overall view of the movie is amazing. The acting, storyline, cinematography and plot is top notch and a must watch for all. This touching story is an incredible and brings its audience to a state of reflection with the state of which homeless children live in and how the society needs to do better. I rate this movie a solid 9/10.

-Loyinmi Peace

Shadow and Bone Review

Shadow and bone is a 2021 Original Netflix series. It is Based on the Grisha trilogy by leigh Bardugo , a fantasy novel. It is set in the mystical land of Ravka specically in the amazing world of Grishaverse. The series follows the story of Alina Starkov ( Jessie Mei Li ) who discovers that she possesses magical powers. She is the only one of her kind, a sun Summoner who is someone that can summon light . After this discovery her life changes from that point there on ..

Alina is introduced as a naive yet confident young woman who is thrown into the spotlight due to her newly found abilities. From that point on meets a lot of people that influence her life and most importantly General Kirigan ( Ben Barnes ) who controls the second army and is a shadow summoner. But a little note of warning here, kirigan is not all that he seems . She becomes very important because she is believed to be the cure or hope to tear down the fold and unite the kingdom. The fold is a mystical mystery of dark space which contains monsters called volcra who thrive on darkness and kill people. The fold divides the kingdom of Ravka into two.

Alina goes through lots of trials and tribulations in trying to find herself, her way and the truth. She has to search the past to find her future. She seeks guidance from different people, most of whom are not genuine and faces the consequences because of the people she trusted. This can be likened to a story of self searching as Alina is seen trying to find herself and who she represents in the world. And she like other female leads in a series goes through various troubles such as love, heartbreak, separation, betrayal, deceit until she eventually discovers herself.

In the land of Ravka, we encounter various conflicts because of power, hatred, discrimination as various people who are of different nature, ideologues, beliefs and system are supposed to be one. The Grishas have been terrorized years ago and are still being terrorized by a group of people because of who they are but Alina represents hope for them, General Zlatam who wishes to create a separate independent kingdom on the other side of the fold and The king who uses his authority to control the Grishas and the first army which features mortals who only believe they are the way. All the ingredients for a battle for the throne is also included in this series.

Some might liken this to Game of thrones as the series depicts a similar setting and a divided kingdom with many wanting power and to rule over the entire kingdom. That aside, the music, adventure, fantasy, storyline, special effects and wait for it, plot twists are so incredible that you will be glued to your seats. This is a series that you won’t want to end.

This series is a mixture of great friendships, betrayal, love, deceit, greed , lust for power and all the evils of the world. It is all merged in a young girls journey to find herself and her destiny. I mean who doesn’t enjoy a journey to find oneself. The supporting characters also give a different perspective into this land they live in and make it very enjoyable. I love everything about the series and I would rate this a solid 10/10.

Not to give it all away, Shadow and bone is all you are looking for in a fantasy series and with a hope for more seasons, this story will definitely continue to intrigue its audience. So do the next best thing and leave this page then head to Netflix to watch this incredible masterpiece. Till next time, “I’ll meet you at the meadow”

-Loyinmi Peace