Strangeness Prevails! (not for the younger crowd)
343705
As I read primarily young adult books, I don't usually accept adult novels for review. At first I thought Alison Wonderland might have some YA cross over appeal so I decided to give it a try. After reading a few chapters, it was obvious, to me, that this was going to be more of an 'adult' book and in my opinion, not suitable for the under 18ish crowd.

It was an enjoyable read though. Nothing really stands out about Alison Wonderland but overall, the story kind of resonates with a type of implausibility and bizarre sense of reality that was entertaining. The synopsis of the book doesn't do a very good job describing what actually happens however. I thought I was going to read a modern sleuth mystery with perhaps some feminist overtones. What I got was a strange drug and sex filled story about a woman who perhaps solved a mystery no one really knew or cared about. A little weird but like I said, pretty enjoyable.

I don't usually give warnings about the content of books as I prefer readers to make up their own minds but I do feel the need to point out a particular part in Alison Wonderland that might not be for every reader. It involved a genetically engineered animal and a man having sex. It kind of fit with the storyline but still it seemed unnecessary and gross to me. Unfortunately, it also brought my rating down a bit.

Alison Wonderland was originally published in the UK in 1999 and the book is very much a British novel. The setting and the slang was all British. I had a few problems following along because I couldn't quite figure out what a character was saying or thinking but it wasn't a huge problem. It would probably be very enjoyable to a reader from the UK or a reader to enjoys British colloquialisms and customs.

A middle of the road type of book for me that I wished was a bit more pulled together. I liked the randomness of the characters and what happens to them but I would have enjoyed this story more if the characters felt more connected to each other.

Acquisition: Received a free copy for review
2730924
This is a very original and unique movie, and if the trailer has made you go. "WTF!?", then you have a good idea whats in store for you. This isn't really a "scary" movie per say. But I would certainly say that it does fall under Horror, in genre.
But this movie is bizarre, weird, and just unsettling in some places. Is it for everyone, no. But if you like having your brain twisted a bit, its certainly worth watching. I can certainly say that it is a one of a kind movie.
3812686
Why explain something with an image when you can use three or four!!!
A surprising intellectual tour de force, with some interesting cliffhangers
1926809
The choice of China Mieville's diction is highly suspect in this weird fantasy novel written in 2010. I think good vocabulary is not necessarily good when one doesn't understand what you are talking about. His loquacious style of penning real and made-up words require a college lexicon! It almost seems that he wrote this book for the late William F. Buckley, Jr. Yet, somehow, I understood what he was saying without looking the words up. He has Charles Dickens's ability to make a fake word seem real. And why does he constantly use double words through out the novel such as, that that! I don't know know!! Anyway, I had my say say.

The novel opens with our hero Billy Harrow, curator of mollusks at London's Darwin Centre, conducting a tour, when he discovers the star of the show, Architeuthis, an eight meter long squid, is missing. Where did it go (tank and all), and what does it mean? A cult squad, made up of officers Baron, Vardy, and Collingswood from the London Police quickly get involved. Apparently London is filled with arcane cults, magicians, familiars, thugs, and spirits without the general population's knowledge.

Billy gets involved with the Congregation of the God Kraken, and finds out the end of the world can result from this purloined squid. Billy and Dane Parnell, a member of the God Kraken, head out to find the preserved squid. They are not alone. Also looking are the shamanic Londonmancers, the Talking Tattoo with his numerous Fistheads, the frightful Goss and Subby, and the infamous Grisamentum and his hired Gunfarmers. The Talking Tattoo on the back of a man named Paul and his hirelings, Goss and Subby, are relentless in their pursuit.

Mr. Mieville comes up with some interesting fantasies: Did you know with extreme origami, you can fold up a person and carry it without the weight? Did you know Angels of Memory exist? What about the Brotherhood of the Blessed Flood, with the Sea as their God? My favorite is Wati, the ancient Egyptian spirit, who leaps from statue to toy to statue to communicate while helping Billy or leading his familiars on a strike. The biggest fantasy is why all these groups think the Apocalypse is coming just because a dead fish is missing!

Although the final chapters are exciting, I'm not sure I understood the ending. With Mieville's writting style and use of unknown words, things get a little foggy. I did enjoy the book, but I am not sure I would read another Mieville novel. Sometimes reading certain authors is painful, but I did finish this in normal acceptable time.
3406294
Strange film with some variances unexpected to keep my interest!  Unusual concept for a film set in the future when robotics become more than humans can anticipate!
3763088
I just finished reading Missing-411 Eastern United States. I am left stunned, frightened, and perplexed. I am thankful that a spotlight has been placed upon these strange cases of missing people. This isn't a study in conspiracy theory, this is just the facts... Presented together, there is no doubt that something extremely strange, played a role in these disappearances.
3119124
Katie is frightened. There is a madman kidnapping and killing young women in her town. He leaves the headless corpses displayed for the police to find and he's working fast. Then Katie's friend Julie disappears and she's determined to find her. He journey takes her to someplace she never knew existed with more horrors to evade. She finds help from a very unexpected group of people, but can they find Julie before the unthinkable happens?

This book was different from what I expected. For the first half of the book it seemed to be a normal contemporary story about a serial killer. Then it got weird, but not in a bad way. The author threw in ghosts and parallel universes, a wizard and strange metal killing machines. Katie ended up in a strange land that seemed  mid evil and at the same time some parts were futuristic. She befriended a ghost, and a wizard and her journey began.
I honestly wasn't expecting the twists the author threw in, but I really enjoyed the story and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series. I would definitely recommend this book if you like paranormal, horror or even sci-fi. Fantastic read!
3970566
One of the strangest movies I've seen in some time, I didn't know what to expect most of the way through. If you're looking for an interesting oddity, then I'd recommend this film. I give it a What the hell was I watching?/10
3028292
I have had an odd run of books recently...even some that are quite popular are so formulaic or seem to be just collections of pop-culture references. This was wonderfully different! It IS a story, but not told in the typical way...lots of stops along the way for talking and thinking. Kind of like life!

I think many would enjoy the little trip you take by reading this book, as long as they don't approach it as a "typical" novel. At least I hope people can appreciate its approach!
1338278
Very unusual!  Really hard to believe.  The author went a a bit far trying to diagnose these girls.  The book needed to end before all of that.
2335740
I just finished this novella in one sitting and I feel stressed out! My heart rate started speeding up halfway through and just kept going up and up as I kept reading. By the end, I had to get up and walk around and calm myself. My heart rate has now settled back to a semblance of normal.
Is this novel scary? Is it disturbing and unerving in the extreme? Oh yeah!
Partaking of someone's slow descent into a very lucid madness and witnessing the horrid tragedy that results is always frightening but in this case, it is downright unsettling!
Anyone who has ever thought they were going crazy and were able to pull back and notice how distorted their perspective on the world became during the episode will be shaken in witnessing someone undergo this descent and never pull back from it.
Wow!
4005095
completely unusual, very strange, wonderful performances, very odd
3120567
As if the 3 Howard witches and their vampire friend don't have enough problems, there are reported sightings of strange little men and the sudden appearance of a Supernatural Investigator for a TV station that covers the Tri-State area.  Why is she suddenly here and who are these strange men?
Things are about to get very intense!
1382195
While finding and reading this book, strange things occurred. I was meant to find and read this book. .....But why! I have yet to learn.
However I will try to learn more and perhaps become a seeker. Thanks
2917749
A strange, very silly, but entertaining novelette made of four scenes with confusing robot erotica sprinkled in. (confusing, because parts aren't the same as human parts, so you don't know if you should blush or grab a can opener.)

A unique read for sure. Ive never encountered robot erotica before, but Im pretty in two of the scenes I was blushing, but over what Im not sure.
The four scenes begin with the arrival of Bazins CORE. (Not wife, CORE.  How hard can this be for a human to grasp?) Yet Alex keeps calling Miaxa Bazin's wife. Warning: there appears to be confusing erotica occurring, only since they aren't organic, I was on occasion too confused to be sure.

In scene two, Alexs wife, Beth, discovers his friend Bazin, is neither a human nor normal robot. And she did the only practical thing she could: She fainted.  When she wakes up, Alex declares Basen from (he then points at ceiling of barn--which could have been rather misleading. Did he come from space or the rafters). Beth wants nothing to do with the nonsense, she just wants Alex to come to dinner on time! However, now that she knows Bazin isn't just a jerk human, she grows to like him.

In the third scene Bazin and Miaxa burn Alexs barn down, which Im pretty sure happened when they overheated in what Im tagging non-organic erotica if we only could comprehend exactly what they did. (Get Amazon to make that a genre and youll be a best seller in no time at all).

The fourth section is my fav. No strange erotica, because its Christmas. But the trees don't do well, nor does one of Beths eyebrows, but hey, no one ever said Christmas would be normal.

So what do I think? Strangest story I read in a very long time. But the more I think about it, the funnier it gets.
My advice for anyone who wants to read this book: grab a bottle of mind altering anything, enslave a robot to read for you, kick back in a recliner and enjoy the fun. Its silly, weird, and funny. But Im telling you the truth, the robot erotica confused me to no ends!
2448704
This series is very strange and a little disturbing.  Not sure if an evil spirit is controlling things or not!?  I am curious to see how the author ends it.  So I am looking forward to reading the final book.  You really must read the first book in the series (Sarah's Confession -After the End) to understand what is going on.  It's a very different type of book.
3170641
I received this shirt as a christmas present. Upon wearing it, the fabric of th euniverse was revealed to me. Everything around me appeared to be a shifting miasma of green zero's and ones, upon a pitch black background.

Whilst this gave me initial feelings of uneasiness, I was overcome with a sense of calm that I had never before known. It seemed to me that the entire universe was filled with previously unimaginable possibilities.

I perceived a shift in the numerical landscape as a knock at the door. A series of complex algorithms swirled on the periphery of my vision, I sensed a threat. However, encoded within the shirt's binary codes seemed to be directions on how to neutralise these invaders, as well as clues on the very purpose of existence itself.

I had to take the shirt off for a second to write this review! 5 stars seems almost an insult, but there you have it.

For those fortunate enough to happen upon this artefact, I wish you well. I must now return to the higher plane of existence so that I may become one with eternity. Good day.