Gave it a chance - shouldn't have
591529
This movie had some good action and humor. Unfortunately I have to strongly agree with all the reviewers who complained about the language. After giving "The Heat" a chance and being disappointed with the lack of intelligence in the dialog - "Oh yeah. Well, f@*k you!" and hilarity ensues - I should not have even bothered renting this. Crude language does not make a situation funnier or more dramatic. Melissa McCarthy delivered some lines well but usually I felt uncomfortable watching her character's awkward social interactions. I know she was an analyst and not a field agent but I hold the writer/director responsible for making her character someone who is not sympathetic. (And if her support agent Aldo had died 30 seconds after his introduction I would have cheered. Not a fan.) The only thing I can recommend about this movie is the theme song and montage that rolls over the opening credits - brilliant!
2351915
This book's premise had potential but in the end it didn't work for me.  Frankly, I was surprised by its high rankings and glowing reviews.  It has many flaws, hence my attempt to redress the balance.  The plot has been described elsewhere, so I won't recap.  Besides, it had so much going on, that was part of the problem: abandoned baby, adoptive vs birth parents, romance vs thriller, weather, ditched boyfriend, rootless hero, talented heroine, conflicting life goals, blackmail (seriously?), mysterious strangers, stalkers, attempted murder,  ailing parents, first flights, hot tubs and charm bracelets - and SO much angst and insecurity,

I found the plot to be overly complicated and not served well by its deus ex machina ending.  The main characters behaved unlike any 30 something person I've ever met and the older characters were even more unbelievable, (especially the absentee sister's).  The issues of adoption and loyalty were handled clumsily and the dialogue was dreadfully stilted, further drawn out with long passages of naval gazing that were more annoying than enlightening.

Big issues were glossed over, but minutiae were examined and re-examined until I just wished it would end.

If these weren't enough to have me skimming the second half of the book, careless grammatical errors (your/you're mixups and incorrect use of adverbs)  really set my teeth on edge.

On reflection, I'm not sure  the author was really clear in what she was trying to communicate to the reader. It came across to me as a muddle of different ideas, attitudes and genres and not something I can recommend to others.
2175830
I'll freely admit I only read half of this. At the 1/4 mark I'd lost interest, but I plowed on to the half-way point in hopes it would improve. It didn't.

The plot is silly (and not in a fun way) but I'm willing to forgive that within the context. I'm less forgiving over obvious errors such as an albino with blue eyes, a dead cat that changes gender, and a poorly written sequence that starts off as a dream then slips into reality after a paragraph with no transition (so that I thought the rest of the chapter was still a dream.) That's just poor writing.

I *like* quirky, surreal things, but this book strikes me as someone attempting to be off-the-wall without actually knowing what off-the-wall is or why it appeals to people like me. It may "fool" the majority of readers -- hence the large number of positive reviews -- but those of us who eat eccentricity for breakfast will almost certainly not buy into it and see it for what it is: a poorly written book by an outsider attempting to pass as one of us.

I did chuckle once or twice, so maybe I'm just jaded, and others would like it more than I did. Worse comes to worse, if you have a long flight you need to kill, get a copy from the library.
1475912
My gut told me to stop reading after the fourth chapter but I read until the end. Yes...always go with your first instinct.  It took a few chapters before there was any indication of character development. After that, most of the book was predictable. I really wanted to like the book but it just didn't hold my interest. Two stars - one for effort and the other because I'm being generous.
2033052
I didn't like it ... Not  really felt muddled and long  with out really giving us much in return,I skipped about all over the place hoping
I'd eventually find a place where I connected with or at least found it more interesting... Sadly that time NEVER came I finished  the book unsatisfied hoping the 2nd part would be better only to skip a head a bit to see how it ended and realized at least for me the ending didn't seem good enough for the effort I'd have to put in ... This book wasn't ... I can't say buy it or not all I can say was this book did not do that t for me  ( At All) , a bit long winded with characters I could connect with but if this your type of genre .99 and s a price that's lets you try ;)
357045
I'm so sorry, but I have to be that first person that says they didn't like it. I made myself give it a chance and finish the whole thing, but I am serious when I say I MADE myself. To start, I am a fan of Young Adult books in general and have read a few Young Adult Science Fiction as well (including Ender's Game, the Hunger Games Trilogy, etc. and liked them.)

The beginning prologue was very intriguing and gave me high hopes, but once the bulk of the book started I lost interest quickly. The only point where I started to enjoy it again was at the end. Like one of the previous reviewers said, a story where the weak become the strong and fight for what they believe in and their loved ones IS a great story. However, that was the only great thing about this book and was only really emphasized in the last 3 chapters (yes, it was mentioned throughout the book, but the storyline outside of that didn't make up for it.)

However, since I don't want to be one of those reviewers who just rags on a story without giving you an honest reason why, here are the elements I did not like about it:

The back and forth story telling of the two main character was hard to follow and frankly OBNOXIOUS. I get that they are young siblings and therefor have a tendency to pick on one another, but it got old, fast. They also were immature. Once again I recognize that they were younger teenagers, but that doesn't mean almost every line needed to read, "and like... or something... so yeah... totally..." and other cliche juvenile sentences. Not all young adults talk that way, and it was more of a distraction to me when I was reading than a character development tool. It is possible to write a book from the perspective of a youth without having the writing style of a youth. To be fair, that may have been intentional and could be viewed as "good writing" because it really did seem like annoying children were writing the book, but personally I do not find that enjoyable to read.

Not only did the characters make annoying comments to each other, but they constantly repeated parts of the story that the other character had already covered, wasting the readers time as well as valuable space in the book that could have been used to develop a stronger story line.

Nothing really happened throughout the book, and still we were left with a lot of questions and no real resolution to anything. Understandably, since the story goes along with the main characters experience, we would learn about who they were and what they were doing as they learned about it themselves. However, somehow I felt like the characters seemed to learn more than we did even though we were supposed to be going along with them on their journey.

There were details that were littered throughout the book that we assumed would come back later, but then never got explained. Maybe I just missed them, but I doubt I will be reading it again to try and find them out. Not very much tied together fluidly.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get past the language and style of the writing. I wasn't interested until the last few chapters, and I was disappointed that were wasn't more thought put into the story line. It had such potential but fell short. Maybe the Ordinaries will fill in some of the gaps, but for an introductory book, it could have done a better job setting the stage.

I am glad to know some people enjoyed it and I wish these new authors the best of luck in their writing career, just wanted to give my honest opinion.
2697354
The underlying plot(s)/theme for this movie could have ended up with a very good movie.  The acting was great, don't get me wrong, but there were several things wrong with it that would make me give it a negative recommendation.  First off, literally everyone that I've asked about this movie generally didn't like it.  Ranging from "it was *ok*" to "I felt like I was going to throw up afterwards for wasting my time".  To me, the movie was slowly paced, predictable, and had no memorable soundtrack, which made for a very boring experience, it's just not a good sign when you start looking at your watch 30 minutes to an hour into the movie.  Not to mention that there were three concurrent stories being told, and you never really got the sense that either of them had anything to do with the other.  Two of the "stories" did intertwine somewhat, but you still never really got the sense that they should be in the same movie together...
The makers obviously did something right, judging by the response from a lot of people, but they obviously did something wrong as well, when you have a lot of people who sat through the movie just wondering when it will finally be over...
I don't know, this was a really "love it or hate it" kind of a movie, so if you haven't seen it, and aren't sure you are going to like it, I'd pool some money with friends and rent it when it comes out, that way, if you like it, you've only spent a buck (or less) to see it, and then you can spend your money on the DVD, but if you happen to not like it, you're only out a dollar (plus a couple of hours).
1011170
Was sorry to have wasted my time.  I was disappointed.  Tried it based on some of the reviews, but would not recommend it.
21898
It's hard to know who shoulders the most blame - the writer, the actors, or the folks who released it? Terrible stereotypes, rehashed predictable plot and possibly the worst acting I have ever seen. I turned it on, then skipped the first couple of tracks hoping it would get better - it didn't. One the few movies ever that I have shut off part way through (and I watch many films). I did find a use for it though, put little sticky pads on the bottom of it and use it as a coaster - more respect than it probably deserves.
4289131
I tried oh so many times to like this book. Being a librarian, I read a lot. So the first time I  picked it up I wasn't getting any pleasure or felt informed. I found it rather dull and odious with a hint of pretentious. Maybe it was just me, bad day, menopausal moodiness, etc...
A couple weeks passed and  I gave it another shot. It was truly grueling,  but I gave it a couple more chapters. This time I was feeling very perturbed by the overall vibe of the book. This woman, I'm sure is a nice person overall, but nothing in her life is that earth shattering interesting.  I kept waiting for some epiphany or moment that would grasp my interest... I read and waited... ::sigh::  Still nothing...
Ms. Howard, I really tried to like your book, especially after the article you wrote about being unfairly reviewed before pub date. But Hon, there's truth in them there reviews.... Your book may be a labor of love for you, but it's just not that great of a book.
3891013
I couldn't get into this at all -- got maybe 50 pages in, and quit, of course with that mental resolution, "I'll get back to this one..." but I know I never will.  Too bad, because it was a really worthy plot device, a mother with Alzheimer's, who, in her current mental state, may or may not have.....

That's a realistic issue, one I suspect way too many of us will identify with, at least to some degree, with someone we know.  Unfortunately, it just didn't pan out in this book.

As far as being "predictable" or having "some twists" I really haven't the vaguest idea -- I didn't get that far.  But Amazon won't let you exclude that silly criteria, so I just picked one.

If I had to sum up my problems with the book, I'd say it seemed to me as though all the characters were doing was agonizing over and over again over the problem.  Looking at it from one angle, then another.  Nothing was HAPPENING.  Everybody was talking.

I lost patience.  If I've missed something great, someone please tell me.
1401827
Never read it, didn't like it from the start
2695806
It wasn't horrible, I guess, but it wasn't good, either.  I actually didn't finish it, though.  I didn't like the characters, the plot dragged and when it became a "chore" to plod through it, I just returned it.  There are too many good books out there to waste time on the bad ones.

At least I read it through Kindle Unlimited, so it didn't cost me anything other than time.
3100073
I thought this sounded like it would be good.  I like kids' books and stories of what I thought are a similar type.  I just couldn't get interested in it and finally gave it up.  Could have just been me and the mood I was in.  Clearly, many people disagree so what do I know?
1887292
I hated it, then I was indifferent, then I briefly liked it, now I'm indifferent. I think I agree with the other posters who said the characters were not well developed. It's one of those works where you shouldn't think too much; otherwise you'll spoil it for yourself and the author. At the end of the day, if a novel brings me to Amazon to read other reviews, it must deserve at least 3 stars.
3364348
I read the first 40 pages and had to just give up. I usually enjoy books written by the Brits, but this one was like pulling teeth to get through. Perhaps I'll give it another chance when I have finished reading the stack of books I still have in front of me and change my mind, but I doubt it.
If I had the chance to do it over again, I wouldn't have wasted my money.
3966317
I suppose I've learned my lesson: sexy cover (not the one here, but the new one on Amazon) + freebie does not always equal a good book.

The idea of the blurb sounded like it could be interesting, depending on how it was handled in the story. But as I started into the book, I realized quickly that this book was not going to work for me at all.

First, it's not just that she's an orphan, but both parents were murdered. And they weren't just murdered, they were murdered by some serial killer. And she escaped but has had the guy after her ever since. But of course the cops can't find him, and ignore the warning signs that he is indeed out there somewhere and stalking her . . . as soon as this was thrown in to the story (chapter two, I think), I rolled my eyes and started skipping.

And the sex phone operator --- oh, it did not turn out as fun as it could have been. Especially when Ash calls in and they (later) start to have phone sex. Really, do people get off with a conversation like this:

"I stimulate your clit, and soon you come." [Note, that's not a direct quote, but rather me paraphrasing how ALL these scenes go]

Wait, you're right . . . reading that sentence gave me three fantastic orgasms. o. 0 No, just no. I can understand that as a virgin (of course . . . ) she was not prepared to talk dirty for these scenes, but every scene, whether it was for the job or for Ash and Cat, was so very clinical and just wrong. There was room to play with this idea, or to make it very sexy between Ash and Cat. Instead it was the most boring sex descriptions ever. Sounded like a scientist was giving a play-by-play of a porno, actually.

I admit, I skimmed through more than 60% of this book, and sadly it never improved for me. The only positive thing I can say is this: it was free, so I didn't waste my money.