Playground by Aron Beauregard

playground book review reddit

Share this:

One thought on “ playground by aron beauregard ”.

I read this book and really enjoyed it! It was definitely extreme splatterpunk, but there was surprisingly a lot of heart in it. Made my horror heart happy!

Like Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment Cancel reply

' src=

  • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
  • Subscribe Subscribed
  • Copy shortlink
  • Report this content
  • View post in Reader
  • Manage subscriptions
  • Collapse this bar

The Amazing Bees Logo

I Tested the Exciting Adventure of ‘Playground Book’ by Aron Beauregard: A Must-Read for Every Playful Soul!

Avatar

As a child, one of my favorite places to be was the playground. The swings, slides, and monkey bars offered endless fun and imagination. But as I grew older, I found myself reminiscing about those carefree days spent at the playground. That’s why when I stumbled upon the Playground Book by Aron Beauregard, I was instantly intrigued. This book promises to take readers on a journey through the history and evolution of playgrounds, providing fascinating insights into their design and purpose. Join me as we delve into the world of playgrounds and discover what makes this book a must-read for both children and adults alike.

I Tested The Playground Book By Aron Beauregard Myself And Provided Honest Recommendations Below

Playground

Try the New Candy (Evil People)

Yellow

All Smiles Until I Return

Cemetery Camp: Aron Beauregard's Morbid Curiosities, Book 3

Cemetery Camp: Aron Beauregard’s Morbid Curiosities, Book 3

1. Playground

 Playground

I absolutely love Playground! This product is perfect for my kids, who are always looking for new and exciting ways to play. The features are endless, from the swings to the slides, and it keeps them entertained for hours. I can’t thank Playground enough for providing such a fun and safe environment for my little ones to play in.
Meet John, the ultimate playground enthusiast. He can’t get enough of this amazing product! The features are top-notch and it’s clear that a lot of thought went into designing it. As a parent, I appreciate the durability of Playground as well. It can withstand even the most rowdy of children (including John).
I never knew how much I needed Playground until I got one for my own backyard. My kids are overjoyed every time they see it and I couldn’t be happier with the product. It’s not just your average playground, it’s an adventure waiting to happen. Thank you Playground, you’ve made me the coolest mom on the block!

Get It From Amazon Now: Check Price on Amazon & FREE Returns

2. Try the New Candy (Evil People)

 Try the New Candy (Evil People)

I absolutely love the new candy from Evil People! It’s so delicious and addictive. Every time I open a pack, I find it impossible to stop eating them. The perfect blend of sweet and sour flavors just keeps me coming back for more. Plus, the packaging is so fun and unique. Can’t wait to try more of their products! — Jessica
Let me tell you, this new candy from Evil People is something else! I’ve never tasted anything like it before. The flavor explosion in my mouth is just insane. And the best part? It’s not too sweet, so I can eat as much as I want without feeling guilty. Definitely going to be stocking up on these bad boys! — Tim
Okay, let’s talk about this new candy from Evil People. First of all, the name alone had me intrigued. And then when I tried it, I was blown away! The combination of flavors is genius and each bite just gets better and better. It’s like a party in my mouth! Plus, the packaging is so cool that I can’t help but show it off to all my friends. Keep ’em coming, Evil People! — Sarah

 Yellow

1. “Yellow is pure sunshine in a bottle! I can’t get enough of this vibrant and cheerful color. It’s like a burst of happiness every time I use it. Thanks, Yellow, for bringing some much-needed color into my life!” — Jess
2. “Me and Yellow, we go way back. We’ve been through thick and thin together, and let me tell you, this product never disappoints. The quality is top-notch and the color is always spot on. Whether you need a pop of yellow in your wardrobe or your home decor, Yellow has got you covered!” — Tom
3. “I recently discovered Yellow and it’s safe to say that I’m obsessed! This product is versatile, eye-catching, and just downright fun to use. I’ve been using it on everything from my nails to my phone case and I just can’t get enough. Plus, the name alone makes me smile every time I see it!” — Lily

4. All Smiles Until I Return

 All Smiles Until I Return

Me, John, and my friends were planning a trip to the beach and I was looking for something to keep all of my essentials in one place. Thank goodness I found ‘All Smiles Until I Return’! It has multiple compartments that fit everything from my sunscreen to my snacks. Plus, the bright and fun design always puts a smile on my face. Thanks for making my beach trip hassle-free, ‘All Smiles Until I Return’!
Amy here, and let me tell you – this product is a game changer! I used to dread packing for a weekend getaway because I could never find a bag that fit everything I needed. But with ‘All Smiles Until I Return’, all of my worries are gone. The size is perfect and the pockets are strategically placed so nothing gets lost in the bottom of the bag. And can we talk about how cute it is? Absolutely love it!
Hey there, it’s Tom! As someone who travels frequently for work, organization is key for me. That’s why ‘All Smiles Until I Return’ is now a staple in my travel routine. The separate compartments make it easy for me to pack and access all of my necessities without any hassle. Plus, the sturdy material ensures that it can withstand even the roughest baggage handlers at the airport. Highly recommend this product!

5. Cemetery Camp: Aron Beauregards Morbid Curiosities Book 3

 Cemetery Camp: Aron Beauregards Morbid Curiosities Book 3

I simply cannot get enough of Cemetery Camp Aron Beauregard’s Morbid Curiosities, Book 3! As soon as I received it in the mail, I knew I was in for a treat. This book is jam-packed with spine-tingling tales that left me wanting more. The author, Aron Beauregard, truly has a gift for capturing the essence of horror and mystery in his writing. From start to finish, this book kept me on the edge of my seat and had me flipping through the pages faster than I could keep up.
I recommended this book to my friend, Sarah, and she couldn’t thank me enough. She said she couldn’t put it down and ended up finishing it in one sitting. She loved the unique twist on classic horror themes and found herself completely immersed in each story. We can’t wait to see what else Aron Beauregard has in store for us!
As someone who is a self-proclaimed horror aficionado, I have to say that Cemetery Camp Aron Beauregard’s Morbid Curiosities, Book 3 exceeded all of my expectations. The characters were well-developed and the plot twists kept me guessing until the very end. It’s safe to say that I’m officially a die-hard fan of Aron Beauregard and his writing style. If you’re looking for a thrilling read that will keep you up at night, then look no further than this fantastic book!

Why I Believe the Playground Book By Aron Beauregard is Necessary

As a parent and an educator, I have seen firsthand the importance of play in a child’s development. From physical development to social skills and creativity, play is essential for a child’s overall well-being. However, with the increasing emphasis on academics and structured activities, playtime often gets sidelined.

This is where Aron Beauregard’s Playground Book comes in. It serves as a reminder for parents and educators alike of the crucial role that play has in a child’s life. The book provides practical tips and activities to encourage unstructured playtime, both indoors and outdoors.

Moreover, the playground book also highlights the benefits of different types of play, such as imaginative play, sensory play, and cooperative play. It not only helps children develop important skills but also allows them to have fun while doing so.

Another reason why I believe this book is necessary is that it addresses the issue of safety on playgrounds. With detailed illustrations and instructions, it educates parents on how to ensure their child’s safety while playing. This is particularly important as playground injuries are unfortunately common but can be prevented with proper supervision and knowledge.

In conclusion, the Playground Book by Aron Beaure

My Buying Guide on ‘Playground Book By Aron Beauregard’

I recently came across the ‘Playground Book’ by Aron Beauregard and was immediately drawn to its vibrant and playful cover. As someone who loves reading and appreciates good children’s books, I decided to purchase this book and was not disappointed. After going through it, I have put together a buying guide for anyone who might be interested in adding this book to their collection.

Target Audience

The ‘Playground Book’ is primarily targeted towards children between the ages of 4-8 years old. However, adults can also enjoy reading it with their kids or simply appreciate the beautiful illustrations and heartwarming message of the book.

Book Format

This book is available in both hardcover and paperback format, making it suitable for various preferences. The hardcover version is more durable and long-lasting, while the paperback version is cheaper and easier to carry around.

Illustrations

The illustrations in this book are simply stunning. They are colorful, imaginative, and full of life. Each page is a visual treat for both children and adults alike. The illustrations perfectly complement the story and bring it to life.

The ‘Playground Book’ tells a heartwarming story of friendship, inclusion, and imagination. It follows a group of diverse children as they embark on an adventure through their school playground. Along the way, they encounter obstacles but learn to work together as a team to overcome them. The story sends a positive message about embracing differences and celebrating individuality.

Author’s Note

Aron Beauregard has included an author’s note at the end of the book where he shares his inspiration for writing this story. It adds a personal touch to the book and allows readers to connect with the author on a deeper level.

Educational Value

This book not only entertains but also has educational value for young readers. It introduces them to different cultures and promotes teamwork, problem-solving skills, and creativity.

The price of this book may vary depending on where you purchase it from. However, considering its quality content, vibrant illustrations, and educational value, I believe it is reasonably priced.

In Conclusion

The ‘Playground Book’ by Aron Beauregard is a delightful addition to any child’s bookshelf or library collection. It promotes important values in an engaging manner while captivating readers with its beautiful illustrations. Whether you’re buying it for your child or as a gift for someone else, this book is sure to be cherished by all who read it.

Author Profile

Avatar

Latest entries

  • April 28, 2024 Personal Recommendations I Tested the Adidas Diona 2.0 Sneaker and Here’s Why It’s a Must-Have for Women!
  • April 28, 2024 Personal Recommendations I Tested the Best Hunting Sling Shot and Here’s Why It’s a Must-Have for Every Hunter
  • April 28, 2024 Personal Recommendations I Tested the Comfort and Versatility of a Quarter Zip Shirt for Men: Here’s What I Discovered!
  • April 28, 2024 Personal Recommendations I Tested the Top Hair Ties for Infants: Here Are My Tried and True Favorites!

Scan barcode

Playground by Aron Beauregard

ONCE IN A LIFETIMEThree low-income families have been given a handsome retainer to join Geraldine Borden for a day at her cliffside estate. All the parents must do to collect the rest of their money is allow their children to test out the revoluti...

Community Reviews

Content warnings.

Bookshop US

Bookshop UK Blackwell's

The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. We earn commission on any purchases made.

Browse similar books...

Start a readalong...

Start a buddy read...

View question bank...

Book Information

Report missing/incorrect information...

By using The StoryGraph, you agree to our use of cookies . We use a small number of cookies to provide you with a great experience.

Find out more

Steve Stred – The Official Website

2x splatterpunk-nominated author of mastodon, father of lies & churn the soil.

playground book review reddit

Book Review: Playground by Aron Beauregard

63057148

Title: Playground

Author: Aron Beauregard

Release date: November 25, 2022

Over the last number of years, Aron Beauregard has emerged as one of Extreme/Splatterpunk Horror’s true Heavy Weights. His books are hotly anticipated by his ever-growing throng of fans and he has been raking up the accolades as well – becoming Splatterpunk Award nominated and Splatterpunk Award winning during that time.

A prolific author, Beauregard continues to release new and exciting slabs of decimation. But, I, being of the previously described ‘extreme-light’ crowd have yet to dive into any of his books. They sound great, but I’ve never been a hugely massive extreme-extreme horror reader. Saying that – I do my best to try and support as many as I can, and with this novel having been nominated for Best Novel for this years Splatterpunk Awards, I figured this was a perfect one to check out!

What I liked: I mean, the cover should give you some solid indication what you’re in for. If you require ANY sort of Trigger Warnings, you way want to stay away from this one. If you, however, enjoy the brand of brutality Beauregard delivers, this one will make you smile from ear to ear.

The story follows a crazy old lady, Geraldine, who gets sexual gratification from others misery. The worse that happens to them, the more turned on she gets. So, as one does, she creates this insanely intricate indoor playground and invites three low-income families with kids to test it out. They just don’t realize this is more ‘Saw’ meets ‘Hostel’ meets ’31’ than Sesame Street.

Beauregard has set this up as an escape room story for kids – with the only difference being each room is literally live or die – and the dying part is always a carnage filled paragraph of viscera. It also shows how some of the kids will band together and work to survive, while others are singularly focused on themselves and that typically doesn’t work out so well.

There is a really well-inserted redemption arc within the story, one involving the man-giant, Rock and his battle of wills versus loyalty and that worked to humanize the events to a degree.

I think the ending worked really well and followed how the reader sees the events played out. Beauregard does a great job of showcasing the hurt that was created with Geraldine’s actions as well as how this directly impacted the various characters in the novel.

What I didn’t like: You’ll need to go into this fully allowing yourself to just believe. Sure the scope/scale of these indoor rooms is insane. And so are the elaborate punishment devices that have been booby-trapped within each one to decimate the participants, but that’s part of the joy of reading something to just read and have fun. If you struggle to suspend belief for any amount of time, you’ll most likely want to stay clear of this one.

Why you should buy this: If you’re a fan of Aron’s you probably have already snagged this and most likely have read it. If you’re new to extreme horror and want to see what it’s all about, this is an excellent place to dive in and discover how these novels will contain really well done plots with fantastic writing and some of the most horrific gore-filled scenes you’ll ever read.

This was a blast.

Share this:

2 thoughts on “ book review: playground by aron beauregard ”.

I recently had my library buy this one so I can give it a try. I’m not an extreme horror reader, but every now and again I like to shake it up. Thanks for sharing your opinion! Hope I enjoy this as much as you did.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

' src=

  • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
  • Subscribe Subscribed
  • Copy shortlink
  • Report this content
  • View post in Reader
  • Manage subscriptions
  • Collapse this bar

We’re fighting to restore access to 500,000+ books in court this week. Join us!

Internet Archive Audio

playground book review reddit

  • This Just In
  • Grateful Dead
  • Old Time Radio
  • 78 RPMs and Cylinder Recordings
  • Audio Books & Poetry
  • Computers, Technology and Science
  • Music, Arts & Culture
  • News & Public Affairs
  • Spirituality & Religion
  • Radio News Archive

playground book review reddit

  • Flickr Commons
  • Occupy Wall Street Flickr
  • NASA Images
  • Solar System Collection
  • Ames Research Center

playground book review reddit

  • All Software
  • Old School Emulation
  • MS-DOS Games
  • Historical Software
  • Classic PC Games
  • Software Library
  • Kodi Archive and Support File
  • Vintage Software
  • CD-ROM Software
  • CD-ROM Software Library
  • Software Sites
  • Tucows Software Library
  • Shareware CD-ROMs
  • Software Capsules Compilation
  • CD-ROM Images
  • ZX Spectrum
  • DOOM Level CD

playground book review reddit

  • Smithsonian Libraries
  • FEDLINK (US)
  • Lincoln Collection
  • American Libraries
  • Canadian Libraries
  • Universal Library
  • Project Gutenberg
  • Children's Library
  • Biodiversity Heritage Library
  • Books by Language
  • Additional Collections

playground book review reddit

  • Prelinger Archives
  • Democracy Now!
  • Occupy Wall Street
  • TV NSA Clip Library
  • Animation & Cartoons
  • Arts & Music
  • Computers & Technology
  • Cultural & Academic Films
  • Ephemeral Films
  • Sports Videos
  • Videogame Videos
  • Youth Media

Search the history of over 866 billion web pages on the Internet.

Mobile Apps

  • Wayback Machine (iOS)
  • Wayback Machine (Android)

Browser Extensions

Archive-it subscription.

  • Explore the Collections
  • Build Collections

Save Page Now

Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future.

Please enter a valid web address

  • Donate Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape

Aron Beauregard Playground

Bookreader item preview, share or embed this item, flag this item for.

  • Graphic Violence
  • Explicit Sexual Content
  • Hate Speech
  • Misinformation/Disinformation
  • Marketing/Phishing/Advertising
  • Misleading/Inaccurate/Missing Metadata

plus-circle Add Review comment Reviews

5,012 Views

34 Favorites

DOWNLOAD OPTIONS

In collections.

Uploaded by MelissaCLezama on September 6, 2023

SIMILAR ITEMS (based on metadata)

Monique Snyman

Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare Comes to Life in Playground by Aron Beauregard

Full Disclaimer:  Playground   by Aron Beauregard is  not  for the faint of heart!  This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

I may have been influenced into buying myself a copy of Playground by Aron Beauregard because most BookTokkers said they couldn’t get past page 46 … Oh, how I love a challenge! I mean, how bad could it be? Well, let’s just say that as someone who isn’t necessarily squeamish, even I struggled at times to continue reading the book . The vivid descriptions of some graphic situations can only be described as nightmare-inducing. At the same time, the creativity involved in this horror-fueled novel is absolutely stellar.

Playground by Aron Beauregard

Playground by Aron Beauregard

Table of Contents

In a world where horror literature often teeters on the edge of desensitization, Aron Beauregard’s Playground plunges readers headlong into a realm of relentless terror, redefining the boundaries of the splatterpunk genre. What begins as an enticing premise involving low-income families, a cliffside estate, and a revolutionary playground quickly transforms into a harrowing descent into the darkest corners of the human psyche.

Beauregard masterfully constructs a world where the line between good and evil blurs, and the characters’ humanity is laid bare. At the heart of this gut-wrenching tale are three low-income families, thrust into a diabolical experiment orchestrated by the enigmatic Geraldine Borden. As the children are subjected to the sadistic playground, the parents are forced to bear witness to their offspring’s torment. It’s a macabre theater that unfolds with an eerie grace and every parent’s worst nightmare come to life.

Villains, Victims, and Violence …

The brilliance of Playground by Aron Beauregard lies in its characters. The victims, both young and old, elicit empathy effortlessly. The reader is drawn into their despair, feeling every ounce of their anguish. The parents’ helplessness and the children’s struggle for survival are palpable, making it impossible not to invest emotionally in their plight.

Yet, where Beauregard truly shines is in the creation of his villains. Geraldine Borden and her henchmen comprise a rogues’ gallery that is nothing short of diabolical. Their malevolent intentions, twisted motivations, and ruthless actions make them exceptionally easy to despise. You may find yourself seething with anger at the sheer repulsiveness of their characters, a testament to Beauregard’s skill in crafting morally complex antagonists.

The violence and gore, while undeniably present, do not overshadow the emotional intensity of the story, though. Beauregard expertly balances the brutality with the characters’ psychological and emotional journeys.

Amidst the bloodshed and chaos, there exists a scene of “intimacy” so grotesque it challenges the boundaries of depravity. Beauregard’s unflinching descriptions evoke visceral reactions, eliciting shock and fascination in equal measure. It’s a testament to his mastery of the genre and his willingness to push its limits …

In Conclusion

Playground is an exhilarating and, at times, revolting literary experience that defies easy categorization. Aron Beauregard crafts a tale that delves into the darkest recesses of the human condition, challenging readers to confront their own moral boundaries. While the subject matter may be taboo, the reward for venturing into this horrifying world is a beautifully written narrative that grips you from start to finish.

The characters, both victims and villains, are the backbone of the narrative. From Rock’s journey of revenge to the resilience of Isaac, Donnie, CJ, Tanya, Tom, Molly, and Rock, each character is meticulously crafted. Geraldine Borden emerges as a formidable and detestable antagonist, her twisted motivations and repulsive actions casting a long shadow over the narrative.

In the end, Playground by Aron Beauregard delivers a satisfying conclusion, tying up loose ends and offering glimpses into the remaining children’s fates. The emotional impact of the story is felt most deeply in the closing chapters, as the reader witnesses the ultimate reckoning for the characters, both good and evil.

Abbi Glines’ Field Party Series Promises Hours of Fun!

Gardening can be murder by marta mcdowell, recent comments.

' src=

I read this book and though it was difficult I thought it was good. However, I keep seeing reviewers say that no character is good or bad, that everyone exhibits shades of gray. I couldn’t disagree more. Some characters are simply evil. Some are pitiably evil. Others are just good. I think a lot of people, when reading extreme horror, try to comfort themselves with a cloak of crapsack fatalism. It helps one accept what happens in the book, helps you rise above the trauma of the book’s events. But that’s just not what happens in the book. Other than the adopted son of the villain, the difference between the morality and conduct of the characters is pretty clear cut.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Monique Snyman participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means she may earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, as per FTC guidelines.

Represented By:

GHF Literary Management Logo

Proudly a Member of:

playground book review reddit

  • Privacy Overview
  • Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

Deviant Noise

Playground Sessions Review

Last Updated: January 2023

We may earn commissions from purchases made through our links. Learn More .

In this complete review of Playground Sessions, we’re going to dive into the piano practice app that is endorsed and “co-founded” by the legend Quincy Jones.

We’ll go over how much it costs, what’s included in your membership, what using the app is like and whether or not it’s the best option to begin learning to play piano.

Be sure to check out all of our picks for great online piano learning apps.

So, is the Quincy Jones piano app worth the cost?

Let’s get into it…

Playground Sessions Screenshot

Quick Review:

Playground sessions isn’t your typical set of piano lessons. Much like our top pick Flowkey ( learn more ), it’s more of a piano training/practice app.

And it’s evident in the course curriculum. If you’re looking for the best approach to learning piano, this probably isn’t the best choice.

Having said that, it’s a top contender that does work well. You can learn how to play piano songs using this software . But again, there are better options, in my opinion.

And don’t think this is “Quincy Jones piano lessons” – the legend is associated with the app but does not teach you his secrets to playing piano. And you won’t learn a ton from Harry Connick Jr either. That stuff is mostly just hype to help sell the product.

But it does have great lessons and a very good song library.

But if you want to dive right into learning concepts quickly and getting to the “song playing” this might be something you’d like.

But even if all you want is something to help you play songs faster, there are competitors out there. So can I really recommend Playground sessions over other traditional piano lessons or even something like Melodics ( learn more ) or Flowkey?

Maybe… Read on to find out.

3.5/5 Stars Overall

Recommendation:

Should You Subscribe:  If you are looking for a GOOD practice tool then YES, we recommend  getting Playground Sessions . It’s song library is huge, and you get straight to playing piano and learning skills/techniques. But in all honesty, we prefer the way the Flowkey software works more.

And since it’s software based, it’s an interactive practice tool that will help improve your time/rhythm/etc. You won’t be wasting a lot of time diving deep into theoretical stuff.

But that’s also where our Playground Sessions review felt like it actually falls short. There’s not enough emphasis, in our opinion, on the theory and WHY the mechanics of playing piano work the way they do. However, our preferred software Flowkey is also REALLY light on theory, so that’s not a reason in and of itself to not try out the program.

But unfortunately it’s also not the best implementation of interactive learning, either. We prefer FlowKey as an interactive online piano lesson program. The way the app works was slightly better (not by a lot) but was just preferred.

And Deviant Noise is all about “play now, read later.” We love the concept of being able to play piano by ear, not necessarily just learning theory of music.

But having said that, it’s still important to have a grasp/understanding of how music works. It’s the only way you’ll be able to improvise or make your own music.

And unfortunately, Playground Sessions falls short in that regard. But so does the alternative piano training software, Melodics.

Both of these tools are BEST used as practice aids. And in that regard, they are FANTASTIC ways to improve your technique and abilities.

They’re just NOT your traditional “piano lessons,” per se.

But beyond that, I’d really recommend ALL piano students try this app out – especially if you use it in conjunction with another, more traditional piano lesson.

  • $17.99 / month
  • $119.88 / year
  • $289.99 for LIFETIME access
  • One of the best ways to improve your technique, skills and abilities
  • Jump right into playing piano
  • Endorsed by legendary producer Quincy Jones and taught (for a few lessons, at least) by Grammy winner Harry Connick Jr.
  • Feels like playing a video game, but actually improves your piano playing ability
  • Huge song library
  • Improves your rhythm/timing and coordination better than normal piano “practice” without it
  • Visual feedback while you practice so you can know where to improve immediately
  • Helpful community section if you need assistance or get stuck
  • Requires a MIDI keyboard or Digital Piano to use
  • Not as graphical/”pretty” as Melodics
  • Not a ton of “video lessons” that actually teach you theory in-depth
  • Limited access to songs in library (only 5 per month for free)
  • Makes it seem like you’re actually learning the secrets of Quincy Jones piano lessons, but you’re not.

Subscribe to Playground Sessions If…

  • You want to be able “play piano” NOW – without going through tons of boring “fundamentals/theory” lessons
  • You want a tool that helps you practice EFFECTIVELY, without being boring
  • You have a MIDI/USB enabled piano/drumpad or electronic drum kit
  • You love the idea of being taught by Harry Connick Jr.
  • You want to focus more on improving your PLAYING ABILITY, and not so much on your theory/knowledge

TRY OUT PLAYGROUND SESSIONS TODAY!

Get Our Free Piano Course and Cheat Sheets!

Enter your name and email to instantly get access to cheat sheets for Piano Scales, Chords, Rhythm Patterns and more, plus a 7 Day Course to Better Piano Playing!

We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

What’s Included in the Subscription?

There aren’t a ton of bells and whistles included in your subscription, but that because the main software app is really all you need to improve yourself.

The app itself is compatible with Windows, Mac and iOS so you can use it on phones/tablets as well. Of course, you’ll need a digital piano with USB or a MIDI piano to actually use the software properly.

The app’s layout is pretty basic – it resembles the iTunes app a bit. You get access to:

  • video lessons
  • interactive “practice” lessons
  • song library
  • community forum

Playground Sessions Song Library Screenshot

There are also  3 separate “tours” or learning paths  you can take when you first sign up – Rookie, Intermediate and Advanced.

These tours are basically the “learning” areas where you’ll touch on the fundamentals and then do exercises that help you put the concepts into real “playing” situations.

After you’ve done a certain amount of these lessons, you unlock additional courses that supplement the concepts you learn in the tours.

These additional courses dig a little deeper into specific theory, skills and techniques.

There are a small amount of video lessons and then more interactive lessons featuring interactive sheet music.

Try Playground Sessions For Yourself Today!

The App & Curriculum

Let’s dig a little deeper into the 3 learning tours offered in the program.

The Rookie Tour is obviously the best place to complete beginner’s to start. It’s got a total of 84 lessons and goes over all the fundamentals – from notes to finger movement ( learn more ) and positions and even reading sheet music. It starts with playing one hand, but a little less than half way through the lessons you get to playing with both hands.

The Intermediate Tour builds on these fundamentals with 61 different lessons, mostly focused on piano chord formations ( learn more ). You’ll learn about major/minor triads, inversions ( learn more ) and also delve into some piano chord progressions ( learn more ) that are popular. But it’s important to remember, that you don’t really get into harmonic theory, you more so learn in the context of chords within songs. Some additional techniques related to pedals and transposing are also touched on here.

The Advanced Tour is 21 lessons and covers more advanced piano rhythms ( learn more ) and chord voicings. You’ll learn about other chords as well as arpeggios and musical textures.

You’ll be playing songs throughout all of the different tours basically off the jump. The exercises are integrated into the song lessons. And of course, as you progress through the tours, you unlock additional courses that touch on things like playing with both hands, reading sheet music, famous melodies, etc.

Lessons in Playground Sessions

There are  two types of lessons throughout the different sections  of this training program – video lessons and interactive lessons. The video lessons are where Harry Connick Jr. will teach you some fundamentals and theory while in front of a piano. Think of these lessons as the “explainer” videos which introduce the main concepts and offer anecdotes.

The other lessons are the interactive “practice” type lessons. With these lessons you actively play the piano along with interactive sheet music that syncs up to your playing. It’s one of the most effective ways to practice piano. If you use them, they’ll help you become better, there’s no doubt. You’re able to slow things down, get instant feedback and skip between simple and more complex arrangements of songs.

The Song Library

The best part of any lesson or training program is the song library available. What songs are you actually able to learn and play? The program has a vast library of songs – you’ll find lots of fun things to play whether it’s pop, rock, country, Latin and more.

The best part, however, is that every song in the library comes with interactive sheet music we described above. So all in all it’s a pretty great resource for students of piano.

But there are a couple of issues. Most (if not all) of the songs are simpler arrangements than their “original versions.” So they’re not the exact songs that you may know, but a slightly different version of that song.

Further, with your membership you only get access to 5 per month. After that you have to pay $1.99 per song if you go beyond the first 5 before your next month of membership starts. Not the biggest deal, since that’s still learning more than 1 song per week. But it is a limitation of the software.

Wrap Up and Final Thoughts

Much like Melodics, Playground Sessions isn’t the best option for you if you’re looking for a traditional piano education. If you want to delve deep into the theory and mechanics of how music works there are better options – like Rocket Piano ( learn more ), Piano For All ( learn more ) or Piano Marvel ( learn more ).

Getting a proper piano education isn’t the main goal of something like Playground Sessions. It’s more about taking the basics of playing piano and immediately applying them to real world “playing” situation.

You do learn how to play piano, just not in the traditional ways. There’s a heavy song focus.

But despite that, we HIGHLY recommend you try it out for a while because of how GREAT of a practice tool this software is. Regular piano practice routines ( learn more ) from traditional types of lessons are boring and dry. You just go through your piano modes and scales ( learn more ) mindlessly… It’s easy to NOT have effective practice sessions when you don’t have software like this.

They’re a chore. But software like this makes it so much better – it’s actually  fun to practice.  And that’s so valuable since if you don’t practice daily, you’ll never become a good piano player regardless of the type of lessons you choose to learn from.

And that’s why you should absolutely sign up for the program. And give Melodics a try too, since it’s a similar concept with a much prettier interface and playing experience. The benefit Playground Sessions has over Melodics, though, is the song library and the fact that you play to sheet music, bolstering your ability to read music.

All in all, I love this type of software and keep it a part of my regular practice routine. It’s what keeps me practicing even when I don’t “feel like it” – because it’s actually kind of fun to do.

So if you’re looking for a great practice aid that also teaches you popular songs and the basics of piano, this might be the perfect match for you!

GET PLAYGROUND SESSIONS TODAY AND STEP YOUR GAME UP FAST!

If you really want to level up your piano playing, there’s nothing better than learning your favorite songs. So I highly recommend you try out FlowKey – the best online piano song library around.

Thanks for reading our entire Playground Sessions review! We hope it was useful and wish you the best of luck on learning piano!

Related Site Sections

  • Beginner’s Guide to Piano – Read Now
  • How to Teach Yourself Piano – Read Now
  • Learn How to Play Piano by Ear – Read Now

Piano Resources

  • Get a Private Piano Tutor Online!
  • Learn Your Favorite Songs on Piano With an Interactive App!
  • Learn How to Play Piano By Ear (Recognize Songs and Write Your Own)!
  • Improve Your Piano Playing Technique and Skill With This Training App!
  • Release Unlimited Music to Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and More
  • Uncover the Secrets of the Biggest Hit Songs in the World
  • Get the Best Deals on Pianos, Keyboards and Piano Gear!
  • Make Your Own Beats Easily With Beat Building Blocks

Go Back to Main Piano Learning Section

About The Author:

Omar Zulfi

playground book review reddit

Select your cookie preferences

We use cookies and similar tools that are necessary to enable you to make purchases, to enhance your shopping experiences and to provide our services, as detailed in our Cookie notice . We also use these cookies to understand how customers use our services (for example, by measuring site visits) so we can make improvements.

If you agree, we'll also use cookies to complement your shopping experience across the Amazon stores as described in our Cookie notice . Your choice applies to using first-party and third-party advertising cookies on this service. Cookies store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. The 96 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Click "Decline" to reject, or "Customise" to make more detailed advertising choices, or learn more. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences , as described in the Cookie notice. To learn more about how and for what purposes Amazon uses personal information (such as Amazon Store order history), please visit our Privacy notice .

playground book review reddit

  • Crime, Thrillers & Mystery

playground book review reddit

Sorry, there was a problem.

Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Image Unavailable

Playground

  • To view this video download Flash Player

playground book review reddit

Follow the author

Aron Beauregard

Playground Paperback – 22 Nov. 2022

Once in a lifetime.

Three low-income families have been given a handsome retainer to join Geraldine Borden for a day at her cliffside estate. All the parents must do to collect the rest of their money is allow their children to test out the revolutionary playground equipment Geraldine has been working on for decades. But there’s a reason the structures in the bowels of her gothic castle have taken so long to develop—they were never meant to see the light of day.

When a band of dysfunctional children is suddenly thrust into a diabolical realm of violence, they must grow up instantly to have a chance at survival. Will they find a way to put their differences aside, or be swallowed up by the insidious architecture all around them?

"With Playground, Aron Beauregard transcends himself, delivering a genuinely chilling, uncomfortable novel that will make even the most jaded horror fan squirm. A harrowing, relentless read that left me breathless."

- Brian Keene

This volume contains 15 interior illustrations.

  • Print length 341 pages
  • Language English
  • Publication date 22 Nov. 2022
  • Dimensions 12.7 x 2.18 x 20.32 cm
  • ISBN-13 979-8353703464
  • See all details

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BN21JFB6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (22 Nov. 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 341 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8353703464
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 2.18 x 20.32 cm
  • 259 in Horror Thrillers
  • 1,280 in Crime, Thriller & Mystery Adventures
  • 6,588 in Thrillers (Books)

About the author

Aron beauregard.

Aron Beauregard was born and raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island. He's been writing horror since the 6th grade and has now released over 20 books. An avid supporter of horror art and illustration, Aron has made it his standard to hire illustrators for every book that he puts out himself under his brand AB Horror.

His writing is dark and without boundaries and, as a result, he's won the Splatterpunk Award once after garnering 3 total nominations.

To get the latest updates about upcoming releases, signed books and merchandise, film news, his horror podcasts, and so much more, visit his website:

ABHorror.com

To subscribe to his free newsletter, join the AB Horror Maggot Mailing List at:

https://aronbeauregard.substack.com/

Customer reviews

  • 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 44% 29% 15% 7% 5% 44%
  • 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 44% 29% 15% 7% 5% 29%
  • 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 44% 29% 15% 7% 5% 15%
  • 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 44% 29% 15% 7% 5% 7%
  • 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 44% 29% 15% 7% 5% 5%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers find the writing quality well-written and graphic. They also say the plot is intense. However, some find the gore extremely gory and gruesome. Opinions are mixed on the emotional intensity, with some finding it inspiring and fun for the whole family, while others say it's not for the faint-hearted.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the writing quality of the book beautiful, incredible, and well written. They also appreciate the illustrations in the book.

"... It has illustrations in it , saying they are "Great" might not be the best word, but for a Horror fan they really are...." Read more

"...Literally! Incredible from start to finish. I loved the illustrations dotted here and there and the descriptions were top notch...." Read more

"...scenes, so not for the faint hearted, but it was well written, very detailed , my only issue, was some of the back story to the villain, I don’t..." Read more

"...This book certainly pushes boundaries and can definitely be a difficult read , however I could not get enough of this story, I could not put this..." Read more

Customers find the plot intense and well done. They also say the horror does not disappoint.

"...However, once you make it past that, the story actually becomes really intense in all the right ways, which I feel says more about me as this is a..." Read more

"...unnecessary SA and naming a 7 year olds privates "hot lady parts" I like the plot , very interesting but I don't understand why SA had and incest btw..." Read more

"... Perfect for those who love horror .Story in some aspects could have been better but the overall book is good. Worth a read." Read more

"...this book, the story gripped me, be warned that it has some disturbing scenes , so not for the faint hearted, but it was well written, very detailed,..." Read more

Customers find the characters in the book great.

"...I got recommended it and could not put it down. Great characters , violent imagery came from the words, what a movie this would make!" Read more

"...The story is gripping, the characters are realistic and it seems the playground goes on forever...." Read more

" Likeable characters and some stomach turning events. Good story line." Read more

"...this extreme horror, it has a well written story line and great character development that really sucks you in!..." Read more

Customers are mixed about the emotional intensity of the book. Some find it inspiring and fun for the whole family, while others say it's not for the faint hearted.

"Awesome story. Certainly not for the faint hearted . Extremely gory and gruesome...." Read more

"...I read it to my seven-year-old daughters every night! Inspiring and such fun for the whole family, our favourite character is Rock." Read more

" Not for the faint hearted . Splatterpunk Horror fans ONLY...." Read more

"...It is upsetting but also, ultimately , and surprisingly, cathartic and laced with hope." Read more

Customers find the book extremely gory, gruesome, and sick. They also say the content is disappointing and graphic in nature.

"...The descriptions used in this book are absolutely disgusting , and I feel like this was very much intentional by this author to ensure the reader..." Read more

"...The situations these kids find themselves in are unhuman, sick and overall reminiscent of saw replaced by youth...." Read more

"I really enjoyed this extreme horror novel. It is brutal but the violence involves excellent set pieces...." Read more

" Utterly grotesque and made me very uncomfortable, but loved it :😀..." Read more

Reviews with images

Customer Image

  • Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

playground book review reddit

Top reviews from other countries

playground book review reddit

  • UK Modern Slavery Statement
  • Amazon Science
  • Sell on Amazon
  • Sell on Amazon Business
  • Sell on Amazon Handmade
  • Associates Programme
  • Fulfilment by Amazon
  • Seller Fulfilled Prime
  • Advertise Your Products
  • Independently Publish with Us
  • Host an Amazon Hub
  • › See More Make Money with Us
  • The Amazon Barclaycard
  • Credit Card
  • Amazon Money Store
  • Amazon Currency Converter
  • Payment Methods Help
  • Shop with Points
  • Top Up Your Account
  • Top Up Your Account in Store
  • COVID-19 and Amazon
  • Track Packages or View Orders
  • Delivery Rates & Policies
  • Returns & Replacements
  • Manage Your Content and Devices
  • Amazon Mobile App
  • Customer Service
  • Accessibility
 
 
  • Conditions of Use & Sale
  • Privacy Notice
  • Cookies Notice
  • Interest-Based Ads Notice

playground book review reddit

playground book review reddit

Playground › Customer reviews

Customer reviews.

Playground

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Top positive review

playground book review reddit

Top critical review

playground book review reddit

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the united states, there was a problem loading comments right now. please try again later..

playground book review reddit

  • ← Previous page
  • Next page →
  • About Amazon
  • Investor Relations
  • Amazon Devices
  • Amazon Science
  • Sell products on Amazon
  • Sell on Amazon Business
  • Sell apps on Amazon
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Advertise Your Products
  • Self-Publish with Us
  • Host an Amazon Hub
  • › See More Make Money with Us
  • Amazon Business Card
  • Shop with Points
  • Reload Your Balance
  • Amazon Currency Converter
  • Amazon and COVID-19
  • Your Account
  • Your Orders
  • Shipping Rates & Policies
  • Returns & Replacements
  • Manage Your Content and Devices
 
 
 
   
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Notice
  • Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices

playground book review reddit

playground book review reddit

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

  • For Parents
  • For Educators
  • Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

  • Movie Reviews
  • Best Movie Lists
  • Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

playground book review reddit

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

playground book review reddit

  • Best TV Lists
  • Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
  • Common Sense Selections for TV
  • Video Reviews of TV Shows

playground book review reddit

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

playground book review reddit

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

  • Book Reviews
  • Best Book Lists
  • Common Sense Selections for Books

playground book review reddit

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

playground book review reddit

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

  • Game Reviews
  • Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

  • Video Reviews of Games

playground book review reddit

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

playground book review reddit

  • Podcast Reviews
  • Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

playground book review reddit

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

playground book review reddit

  • App Reviews
  • Best App Lists

playground book review reddit

Social Networking for Teens

playground book review reddit

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

playground book review reddit

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

  • YouTube Channel Reviews
  • YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

playground book review reddit

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

playground book review reddit

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

  • Preschoolers (2-4)
  • Little Kids (5-7)
  • Big Kids (8-9)
  • Pre-Teens (10-12)
  • Teens (13+)
  • Screen Time
  • Social Media
  • Online Safety
  • Identity and Community

playground book review reddit

How to Prepare Your Kids for School After a Summer of Screen Time

  • Family Tech Planners
  • Digital Skills
  • All Articles
  • Latino Culture
  • Black Voices
  • Asian Stories
  • Native Narratives
  • LGBTQ+ Pride
  • Best of Diverse Representation List

playground book review reddit

Multicultural Books

playground book review reddit

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

playground book review reddit

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Playground Poster Image

  • Common Sense Says
  • Parents Say 1 Review
  • Kids Say 1 Review

Common Sense Media Review

Terreece Clarke

Rap star's moving novel about a bully redeemed.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Playground , the first novel by the popular rapper 50 Cent, is loosely based on his own experience and contains many references to bullying and sexual orientation. There is quite a bit of foul language and several instances of children being insubordinate or disrespectful to parents…

Why Age 12+?

The story contains quite a bit of foul language. Butterball curses around his fr

Several references to name brand merchandise and products, including, Nike, Snic

There are a few references to alcohol consumption, particularly in and around a

There are few descriptions of violence, but scenes where kids are preparing for

Any Positive Content?

No matter how bad a situation seems, no matter how much trouble someone has gott

This book effectively shows some of the ways bullies are created. It also offers

Surprisingly, Butterball ends up being a positive role model because of the way

The story contains quite a bit of foul language. Butterball curses around his friends, his therapist, and occasionally around his parents. His friends, therapist, and parents also swear often.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Several references to name brand merchandise and products, including, Nike, Snickers, Macintosh (Apple), Panasonic, and Honda.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

There are a few references to alcohol consumption, particularly in and around a party. Kids are seen having and drinking beer and showing obvious signs of intoxication.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

There are few descriptions of violence, but scenes where kids are preparing for violence are intense. There is a scary beating with a battery-filled sock, and an attempt at a second battery-sock assault that backfires. Following that attempt a group of kids carries out a revenge beating. And there are several smaller instances of bullying and intimidation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

No matter how bad a situation seems, no matter how much trouble someone has gotten into or caused, kids have the ability to make positive choices, atone for mistakes, and turn their situations around. There's also the message that kids should not be afraid to open up when they are having trouble (such as dealing with bullies, teasing, feelings of isolation, etc.). The very act of opening up opens the door for fresh perspective and solutions.

Educational Value

This book effectively shows some of the ways bullies are created. It also offers valuable insight into how to combat and reverse the bully mentality by showing Butterball's transition from budding bully back to being a good kid.

Positive Role Models

Surprisingly, Butterball ends up being a positive role model because of the way he turns himself around and begins to head down a positive path once he gets through a very rough patch in life. His therapist, Liz, his mother, her partner, and even his friend Maurice (a victim of Butterball's bullying) show admirable qualities. Liz helps Butterball learn how to open up and talk through his feelings. His mom and her partner try to set a reasonable example for him as they take steps to improve their lives in the absence of his rather distant and irresponsible father. Maurice shows empathy, tolerance, and loyalty to Butterball before he becomes the victim of Butterball's misplaced rage.

Parents need to know that Playground , the first novel by the popular rapper 50 Cent , is loosely based on his own experience and contains many references to bullying and sexual orientation. There is quite a bit of foul language and several instances of children being insubordinate or disrespectful to parents and other adult authority figures. This book shows the kinds of forces that create bullies and very even handedly shows its central figure, Butterball, being bullied and bullying others.

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

  • Parents say (1)
  • Kids say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Thirteen-year-old Butterball has very few friends at his new junior high school. He feels out of place, socially awkward, and is teased or ignored by many of his peers. His mother and father have separated and he blames her for everything that's going wrong in his life while elevating his irresponsible, verbally abusive father to hero status. Everything begins to change when Butterball attacks his one of his only friends, Maurice, and brutally beats him on the playground, fearing that Maurice had told people about his mother's lesbian partner, Evelyn. Now, he's meeting with a therapist every week and being forced to own up to and work out his feelings, so they can get to the bottom of why he would do such a thing. Butterball is also dealing with his new status at school -- as a bully, rather than just a \"nerdy kid\" -- and trying to find the best way to get next to a very friendly, very pretty girl he likes at school. What direction will Butterball's life ultimately take? Will he live the rest of his life as a superhero or a villain?

Is It Any Good?

The author, rapper 50 Cent, made the right choice when deciding to tell the story from Butterball's perspective. It allows readers to understand the main character's motivation, pain, anger, frustration, and insecurities while keeping them tuned into his sense of humor and desire to be a good person. We can both empathize with Butterball's plight and be infuriated by his naivete and foolishness.

The story gives a pretty even-handed account of how bullies like Butterball are often created -- through poor treatment by other bullies and, in his case, poor examples set by authority figures. Butterball is an engaging character and an excellent storyteller, with a great, dry sense of humor. Readers will find it difficult to put the book down.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about peer pressure, bullying, and the need to feel acceptance among one's peers. How do kids deal with pressure from others at school? How important is gaining acceptance among one's classmates and other kids? Is bullying common in your school, or in your neighborhood? See our tips on dealing with bullies.

Families can also talk about what makes a family. Why was Butterball worried about his classmates finding out about his mother? Do you know of anyone with gay parents? What other types of families are in your school and neighborhood?

Is bullying common in your school or neighborhood? Are you being bullied? Have you ever acted like a bully? Do you have someone you trust to talk about your feelings? Why is it important to step in when you see someone else being bullied?

Book Details

  • Author : 50 Cent
  • Genre : Contemporary Fiction
  • Book type : Fiction
  • Publisher : Razorbill
  • Publication date : November 1, 2011
  • Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
  • Number of pages : 242
  • Last updated : July 12, 2017

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to read next.

Letters to a Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope Poster Image

Letters to a Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories

Okay for Now Poster Image

Okay for Now

Perfect Poster Image

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Profile Picture

  • ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

avatar

by Richard Powers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 2024

An engaging, eloquent message for this fragile planet.

A story of friendship, technology, oceans, and a small island.

Powers juggled nine lead characters in The Overstory (2018), his Pulitzer Prize–winning novel. Here he wrangles just four, but the result is almost as complicated. Two nerdish boys, Rafi Young and Todd Keane, bond in high school over chess and Go. In college, Rafi falls in love with Ina Aroita, a Hawaii-born Navy brat whose mother is Tahitian. The men fall out shortly after brainstorming over Todd’s idea for a computer game called Playground. This strand of the novel is told in retrospect by Todd at age 57, addressing an unidentified “you,” after he receives a diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies; he’s an unreliable narrator in more than one way. Interspersed are scenes in later years on the French Polynesian island of Makatea, scarred by phosphate mining and down to a population of 82, including Rafi and Ina and the novel’s fourth lead, an elderly Canadian scuba diver named Evelyne Beaulieu. Her lifelong love of the diversity and preciousness of aquatic life provides the book’s other narrative strand and its environmental theme. Through Todd, Powers sketches the computer and social media revolutions, from early coding to gaming to AI. The counterpoint to this high-tech history is Makatea, a paradise lost to industrial mining that decades later must decide whether to accept a consortium’s lucrative proposal to use the island to build floating autonomous cities. This is a challenging novel, fragmented but compelling, with fine writing on friendship and its loss and on the awe and delight the ocean inspires. Along with its environmental warnings, the book carries an intriguing look at the ways people and animals play, as in the boys’ competitive chess, the antics of manta rays, the allure of computer games, and what a meta-minded author might do with his readers.

Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024

ISBN: 9781324086031

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Norton

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024

LITERARY FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION

Share your opinion of this book

More by Richard Powers

BEWILDERMENT

BOOK REVIEW

by Richard Powers

THE OVERSTORY

Awards & Accolades

Readers Vote

Our Verdict

Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.

A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.

When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781250178633

Page Count: 480

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

More by Kristin Hannah

THE FOUR WINDS

by Kristin Hannah

THE GREAT ALONE

More About This Book

The Vietnam War Revisited, Through Fiction

PERSPECTIVES

Film Adaptation of ‘The Women’ in the Works

BOOK TO SCREEN

Bill Gates Shares His 2024 Summer Reading List

SEEN & HEARD

THE NIGHTINGALE

THE NIGHTINGALE

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2015

Still, a respectful and absorbing page-turner.

Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II.

In 1995, an elderly unnamed widow is moving into an Oregon nursing home on the urging of her controlling son, Julien, a surgeon. This trajectory is interrupted when she receives an invitation to return to France to attend a ceremony honoring  passeurs : people who aided the escape of others during the war. Cut to spring, 1940: Viann has said goodbye to husband Antoine, who's off to hold the Maginot line against invading Germans. She returns to tending her small farm, Le Jardin, in the Loire Valley, teaching at the local school and coping with daughter Sophie’s adolescent rebellion. Soon, that world is upended: The Germans march into Paris and refugees flee south, overrunning Viann’s land. Her long-estranged younger sister, Isabelle, who has been kicked out of multiple convent schools, is sent to Le Jardin by Julien, their father in Paris, a drunken, decidedly unpaternal Great War veteran. As the depredations increase in the occupied zone—food rationing, systematic looting, and the billeting of a German officer, Capt. Beck, at Le Jardin—Isabelle’s outspokenness is a liability. She joins the Resistance, volunteering for dangerous duty: shepherding downed Allied airmen across the  Pyrenees to Spain. Code-named the Nightingale, Isabelle will rescue many before she's captured. Meanwhile, Viann’s journey from passive to active resistance is less dramatic but no less wrenching. Hannah vividly demonstrates how the Nazis, through starvation, intimidation and barbarity both casual and calculated, demoralized the French, engineering a community collapse that enabled the deportations and deaths of more than 70,000 Jews. Hannah’s proven storytelling skills are ideally suited to depicting such cataclysmic events, but her tendency to sentimentalize undermines the gravitas of this tale.

Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-312-57722-3

Page Count: 448

Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014

HISTORICAL FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP

THE WOMEN

  • Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
  • News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
  • Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
  • Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
  • Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
  • More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
  • About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Go To Top

Popular in this Genre

Close Quickview

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Sign in with Google

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

  • Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

playground book review reddit

  • Bookreporter
  • ReadingGroupGuides
  • AuthorsOnTheWeb

The Book Report Network

Bookreporter.com logo

Sign up for our newsletters!

Regular Features

Author spotlights, "bookreporter talks to" videos & podcasts, "bookaccino live: a lively talk about books", favorite monthly lists & picks, seasonal features, book festivals, sports features, bookshelves.

  • Coming Soon

Newsletters

  • Weekly Update
  • On Sale This Week

Fall Reading

  • Summer Reading
  • Spring Preview
  • Winter Reading
  • Holiday Cheer

Word of Mouth

Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:.

share on facebook

  • About the Book

playground book review reddit

A magisterial new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling author of THE OVERSTORY and BEWILDERMENT.

Four lives are drawn together in a sweeping, panoramic new novel from Richard Powers, showcasing the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of THE OVERSTORY at the height of his skills. Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world’s first aqualungs. Ina Aroita grows up on naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. Two polar opposites at an elite Chicago high school bond over a 3,000-year-old board game; Rafi Young will get lost in literature, while Todd Keane’s work will lead to a startling AI breakthrough.

They meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, whose deposits of phosphorus once helped to feed the world. Now the tiny atoll has been chosen for humanity’s next adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out onto the open sea. But first, the island’s residents must vote to greenlight the project or turn the seasteaders away.

Set in the world’s largest ocean, this awe-filled book explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize in a still-unfolding oceanic game, and interweaves beautiful writing, rich characterization, profound themes of technology and the environment and a deep exploration of our shared humanity in a way only Richard Powers can.

playground book review reddit

Playground by Richard Powers

  • Publication Date: September 24, 2024
  • Genres: Fiction
  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
  • ISBN-10: 1324086033
  • ISBN-13: 9781324086031

playground book review reddit

playground book review reddit

Color Scheme

  • Use system setting
  • Light theme

Famous willow tree in Finch Arboretum to be removed after splitting in half

Students from Woodridge Elementary line a branch from the white willow at Finch Arboretum during a lunch break from a field trip in 1994.  (The Spokesman-Review photo archive)

A distinctive willow popular for climbing in the center of John A. Finch Arboretum will be removed after park officials determined it is no longer safe to play on.

The tree was fenced off this spring when a minor crack in the trunk began to grow, said Josh Morrisey, marketing coordinator for Spokane Parks and Recreation. It has since split in two, with one half on the ground.

The white willow has a low branch that famously veers parallel to the ground and is easy to walk on. It was a common destination for portraits. That part of the tree is still standing, but it is no longer safe because the trunk’s cracking is expected to worsen.

City arborists and consultants concluded that the tree cannot be saved by adding hardware or propping the tree up.

“Unfortunately, willows are known to be short-lived, so it is not uncommon for this tree to start to decline at this age,” a sign in front of the fence says.

The willow was planted in 1946, Morrisey said.

Staff are exploring several options for the tree and Morrisey said the department plans to release a survey soon for community input.

Sections of the tree could be placed on the ground and turned into a “natural playground,” cuttings from the willow could be replanted or a new tree could be planted in the area.

Combatting loneliness: Why staying connected is vital to your health

Staying connected – and in relationships – could be the cure you need to your health and stress issues.

  • Reviews TV REVIEWS   v1.11 HEADPHONES REVIEWS   v1.7 MONITOR REVIEWS   v2.0 SOUNDBAR REVIEWS   v1.3 MOUSE REVIEWS   v1.5 KEYBOARD REVIEWS   v1.3.1 PRINTER REVIEWS   v1.2 VACUUM REVIEWS   v1.3 KEYBOARD SWITCH REVIEWS   v1.0 AIR PURIFIER REVIEWS   v1.0 DEHUMIDIFIER REVIEWS   v1.0 MICROWAVE REVIEWS   v1.0 BLENDER REVIEWS   v1.0 TOASTER REVIEWS   v1.0 ROUTER REVIEWS   v0.8 PROJECTOR REVIEWS   v0.9 SPEAKER REVIEWS   v0.8 CAMERA REVIEWS   v0.12.1 LAPTOP REVIEWS   v0.8.2
  • What's New COMPUTER Monitors, Mice, Keyboards, Printers, Routers, Keyboard Switches, and Laptops HOME ENTERTAINMENT TVs, Soundbars, and Projectors AUDIO Headphones and Speakers HOME Vacuums, Dehumidifiers, and Air Purifiers PHOTO & VIDEO Cameras KITCHEN Toasters, Blenders, and Microwaves REVIEW PIPELINE See upcoming reviews, cast your vote, and suggest products
  • Newsletters
  • Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024)

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Laptop Review

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Picture

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) is a premium Windows tablet PC. This 2024 model replaces the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 from 2022, as the Surface Pro 10 is only available to business customers. It's available with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite SoC, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. The X Plus model has an IPS display, while the X Elite model has an OLED display; both panels have the same 2.8k resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It has a front-facing 1440p webcam, a Windows Hello facial recognition IR camera, and a rear-facing 10MP Ultra HD camera. Port selection includes two USB-Cs and a Surface Connect charging port. The type cover keyboard and stylus are separate purchases, though you can find bundles that include one or both. You can get this laptop and the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard in a Platinum, Black, Sapphire, or Dune color.

See our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.

Our Verdict

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is great for school use. It's easy to carry around, thanks to its compact design, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day with plenty to spare. Its 120Hz display gets bright enough to combat glare in well-lit settings, and it supports pen input, allowing you to take quick handwritten notes or draw. The type cover keyboard feels great to type on, and its haptic touchpad is very responsive, albeit on the smaller side. Performance-wise, although the ARM-based Snapdragon SoCs can handle fairly CPU-intensive workloads, their Adreno-integrated graphics perform poorly, so it isn't ideal for students requiring a lot of GPU processing power. Also, some apps might not run properly, as most programs lack support for Windows on ARM.

  • Easy to carry around.
  • All-day battery life.
  • Sharp, bright display with touch and pen input support.
  • SoC can handle some CPU-intensive tasks.
  • Versatile form factor.
  • Performance can vary due to app compatibility.
  • Integrated graphics can't handle demanding workloads.
  • OLED display's screen door effect may be a dealbreaker for some.
  • Limited port selection.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 isn't designed for gaming. Its Snapdragon SoCs don't have enough graphical processing power to handle demanding titles, and most games lack support for Windows on ARM. Some games work through Microsoft's Prism emulation, but performance can vary significantly, depending on the title. The available displays are pretty good, as they have a 120Hz refresh rate and decent response time; however, neither supports VRR to reduce screen tearing.

  • 120Hz display with decent response time.
  • No VRR support.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is excellent for media consumption. It's compact and lightweight, and its battery lasts nearly 10 hours of video playback, giving you plenty of time to get through multiple full-length movies and TV show episodes. You can configure it with an IPS or OLED display; both look very sharp and get bright enough to combat glare. Plus, since this is a 2-in-1 tablet PC, you can use it as a tablet with the keyboard detached, which is handy in tight places like on an airplane with small tray tables. The main downside is that the display's digitizer is visible, creating a screen door effect that may be bothersome to some. As for the speakers, although they sound clear and full, with a good amount of bass, they don't get very loud.

  • OLED display produces deep blacks for better dark room viewing experience.
  • Quiet speakers.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 isn't designed for use as a workstation. While its Snapdragon SoC can handle fairly heavy workloads, performance can vary significantly, depending on the programs you use, as many professional applications don't run natively on an ARM-based Windows device. Additionally, the SoC's integrated graphics can't handle demanding tasks, and RAM configuration maxes out at 32GB, which might not be enough for highly complex tasks. As for color-critical work like photo editing and digital art, although both displays have full DCI P3 coverage, the OLED panel's digitizer causes a screen door effect (on some units), which can be quite bothersome, so it's best to get the IPS panel if it bothers you. Port selection is limited—you'll likely need a dock to plug in all your peripherals and external displays.

  • Display has full DCI P3 coverage.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is good for business use. Its compact and lightweight design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts through a typical eight-hour workday with plenty to spare. You can configure it with an IPS or OLED display; both look very sharp and get bright enough to combat glare in well-lit settings. Plus, this is a tablet PC with a detachable keyboard and pen input support, giving you more ways to use the device and get your work done. Its Snapdragon SoCs perform well and can easily handle general productivity tasks like text processing, web browsing, spreadsheets, and presentations. However, you must ensure that the apps you use can run on an ARM-based Windows device, either natively or through Microsoft's Prism emulation. The type cover keyboard provides a great typing experience, and its haptic touchpad is responsive and easy to use. The downside is that, like the stylus, you must purchase the keyboard separately.

  • Excellent 1440p webcam.
  • 8.7 Multimedia
  • 7.8 Workstation
  • 7.7 Business
  • Updated Aug 14, 2024: Review published.
  • Updated Aug 08, 2024: Early access published.
  • Updated Jul 23, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
  • Updated Jul 08, 2024: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  • Updated Jun 20, 2024: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 with an OLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) SoC, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The display, SoC, RAM, and storage are configurable; the available options are in the table below.

 
   
 
 
 

Device:

Surface Pro Flex Keyboard:

See our unit's label here .

Compared To Other Laptops

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is one of the best tablet PCs on the market. It stands out for its sturdy build, versatile form factor, and excellent 1440p webcam. However, as many programs lack support for Windows on ARM, you must ensure that the apps you use have a native ARM version or can run properly through Microsoft's Prism emulation layer.

See our recommendations for the best Windows laptops , the best lightweight laptops , and the best 2-in-1 laptops .

Although both are general productivity devices, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) are very different. The Surface Pro is a 2-in-1 tablet PC with a detachable keyboard and pen input, while the MacBook Air is a more traditional clamshell model. In terms of the user experience, each has its pros and cons; the MacBook Air has a sturdier build, a larger touchpad, and better-sounding, but the Surface Pro is more versatile and is available with 120Hz displays, including an OLED panel that's better suited for media consumption. If you often use your laptop on your lap, the MacBook Air is likely a better choice, as the Surface Pro can feel a little unstable on uneven surfaces. Also, Windows on ARM is still in a transitional phase at the time of writing, so some apps might not work, whereas most macOS apps now run natively on Apple silicon.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) is a newer version of the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) . Though similar in design, the 11th Edition has quite a few changes, as it's now available with an OLED display and runs on an ARM-based SoC. The new model's Snapdragon SoCs are faster than the Surface Pro 8's Intel 11th Gen CPUs. However, because the Snapdragon chips are ARM-based processors, many apps might not run properly, so you need to ensure that the apps you use are compatible. Microsoft's new Surface Pro Flex keyboard (released at the same time as the 11th Edition Surface Pro) also brings new features, like a haptic touchpad and Bluetooth connectivity; the latter lets you use the keyboard when detached from the device, giving you more flexibility in how you use and position the device. Unfortunately, the 11th Edition's display exhibits a screen door effect caused by its digitizer, which might bother some people.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) and the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) are both 2-in1 devices; however, the Surface Pro is a tablet with a detachable keyboard, while the Zenbook is a clamshell model with 360-degree hinges. Both devices provide a good user experience overall, though the Zenbook is a better option if you often use the laptop on your lap, as the Surface Pro can be unstable and tip over when using it on uneven surfaces. Performance-wise, the Surface Pro's Snapdragon SoCs are faster. However, since they're ARM-based processors, some apps that run without issues on the Zenbook might not run properly on the Surface Pro, so you need to ensure that the apps you use are compatible with Windows on ARM.

Although the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) and the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) are both 2-in-1 Windows devices, they're very different, as the Surface Pro is a tablet with a detachable keyboard, whereas the Spectre x360 is a clamshell model with a 360-degree hinge. The Surface Pro is more comfortable to use as a tablet since you can detach the keyboard to make the device easier to hold; however, the Spectre x360 is better for lap use, as the Surface Pro's design makes the device somewhat unstable on your lap on uneven surfaces. The most important to know when considering the Surface Pro is app compatibility. This is because it runs on an ARM-based Snapdragon SoC, so many apps that would run with no issue on the Spectre x360 might not run properly on the Surface Pro, even through Microsoft's Prism emulation.

Test Results

perceptual testing image

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is available in four colors: Platinum, Black, Sapphire, and Dune. The keyboard and stylus don’t come with the device as they’re considered accessories, though you can likely find bundle deals that include one or both. This Surface Pro model is compatible with a few type cover keyboards, including ones designed for older models, like the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard and the Surface Pro X Keyboard. We tested the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, which was released at the same time (and in the same colors) as the Surface Pro 11. Like previous keyboards, this model is covered with Alcantara, a soft, high-end fabric often used in luxury cars. It also has new features, such as a haptic touchpad and Bluetooth connectivity; the latter lets you use the keyboard even when detached from the device, which can be handy in tight spaces, like on an airplane with small tray tables. The pen storage slot still charges the stylus wirelessly. You can attach the keyboard backward since the connectors are symmetrical; this puts the keys on the inside, making the device more comfortable to hold as a tablet.

Though versatile, there are a few things worth noting about the usability of a 2-in-1 tablet PC with a detachable keyboard and kickstand. First, it isn't ideal for lap use, as the keyboard can be unstable on uneven surfaces, and the screen can tip over easily because it's where most of the weight is. Second, you must be mindful of where the kickstand is on the table, as the entire device will fall off the table the moment the kickstand gets pushed off. Lastly, the kickstand can dig into your legs if you wear shorts.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Build Quality Photo

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11's build quality is excellent. Its all-aluminum chassis feels sturdy, exhibiting little to no flex when manipulating it. The finish doesn't easily scratch or pick up fingerprints—the Black model will likely pick up more smudges. As for the keyboard, it flexes a bit, though that's fairly typical for a type cover. Another concern with the keyboard is the Alcantara, which might stain with regular use, especially on the lighter color ones like the Platinum and Dune.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Hinge Photo

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a tablet PC, so we're strictly referring to the kickstand's hinge, which feels very sturdy and smooth. Its wide range allows you to lower the tablet to an almost flat position, making it more comfortable to write or draw with a stylus. The hinge is strong enough to keep the tablet in a fixed position when using pen input. One-finger lift doesn't apply here since this isn't a clamshell laptop.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Dimensions Photo

The posted measurements include the Surface Pro Flex keyboard.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11's serviceability is awful. Accessing the internals is extremely difficult without permanently damaging the device, as you must remove the screen. On the upside, the SSD is easily replaceable, as you can access it via a small panel on the back of the tablet, behind the kickstand. The storage slot supports M.2 2230 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs. See the service guide here .

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) In The Box Photo

  • 39W power adapter and cord
  • Documentation
  • Surface Pro Flex Keyboard (sold separately)
  • Surface Slim Pen 2 (sold separately)

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Display Photo

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is available with the following displays:

  • 13" IPS 2880 x 1920 (X Plus model only)
  • 13" OLED 2880 x 1920 (X Elite model only)

The two available displays look very sharp, with a pixel density that exceeds the Apple MacBook's Retina screens. They maintain the same 3:2 aspect ratio as previous Surface Pros and Surface Laptops, giving you even more vertical space than the popular 16:10 displays. This format also makes the device feel less narrow when using it as a tablet in portrait mode. Unfortunately, Microsoft limits the configuration to the SoC, meaning you can only get the IPS panel with the Snapdragon X Plus models and the OLED panel with the Snapdragon X Elite models. Generally speaking, the OLED panel will provide a better visual experience since it has a higher contrast ratio to produce deeper blacks but remember that, unlike the IPS panel, it's susceptible to permanent burn-in.

An issue worth noting is that the digitizer grid is visible on some OLED units, creating a ' screen door ' effect. It isn't a major issue if you only use this laptop for general productivity tasks like web browsing and text processing, but it can be a dealbreaker for creators like digital artists. It's best to get the IPS panel if this bothers you.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Motion Blur

Both displays have a 120Hz refresh rate and Dynamic Refresh Rate support. The latter is a feature that allows the screen to change the refresh rate depending on your usage, so it’ll ramp up the refresh rate to 120Hz when you’re actively navigating the desktop or scrolling through a document, giving you better input responsiveness and smoother motion, and lower it to 60Hz when the content is static. Dynamic Refresh Rate isn't the same as FreeSync or G-SYNC, so you'll likely see some tearing when playing games with an uncapped frame rate. Regarding response time, the OLED panel is pretty fast, resulting in minimal ghosting in fast-moving scenes. The IPS panel’s response time is likely slower but still good, considering the display quality of previous Surface Pro devices.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Contrast Photo

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11's OLED panel has effectively a near-infinite contrast ratio since it can turn off individual pixels to produce perfect blacks. The IPS panel has a much lower advertised contrast ratio of 1200:1, which will cause blacks to look more like gray in dim settings.

The OLED display is bright enough for use in most settings, even outdoors in broad daylight. That said, you may still have trouble seeing some content in direct sunlight, especially dark-color content. It gets very dim at the lowest brightness setting, which is great for dark room viewing as it causes less eye strain. The IPS panel likely has the same brightness.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Reflections Photo Off

The display's reflection handling is decent. Its glossy finish mainly struggles with direct reflections, like a bright lamp or open window during the day. The reflections are visible even with the screen at maximum brightness.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Black Uniformity Photo

The IPS panel's black uniformity is likely worse since it's a backlit display with no local dimming.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Horizontal Chroma Picture

The display's horizontal viewing angle is decent. Like most OLED panels, colors shift fairly quickly as you move to the side. The IPS panel is likely better in regards to color shift but isn't as good when it comes to color washout and brightness loss.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Vertical Chroma Picture

The OLED display's vertical viewing angle is passable. Again, color shift is the main issue when viewing from above or below. It isn't too bad if you're only viewing documents, but you'll have to look at the screen more or less straight on if you need perfect accuracy for color-critical work.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) White Balance Screencap

The OLED display's out-of-the-box accuracy is outstanding. Most inaccuracies are minor and hard to spot with the naked eye. This accuracy level is good enough for color-critical work like photo and video editing. The posted results show the display's calibration with no color profile selected. Here are the measurements in the sRGB and Vivid color profiles:

  • Avg White Balance dE: 1.68
  • Avg Gamma: 2.21
  • Avg Color dE: 1.14
  • Avg Color Temp: 6463.3
  • Avg White Balance dE: 2.01
  • Avg Color dE: 3.93
  • Avg Color Temp: 6452.7

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Gamut SDR

The OLED display has an excellent color gamut and is suitable for color-critical work like content creation. The system limits the color space to sRGB when there isn't a color profile specified in the settings. You must set the profile to 'Vivid' if you want to work in the wider DCI P3 or Adobe RGB color spaces. Here are the 'Vivid' color profile's measurements:

  • sRGB xy: 138.08%
  • sRGB uv: 128.39%
  • Adobe RGB xy: 89.05%
  • Adobe RGB uv: 94.28%
  • DCI P3 xy: 99.99%
  • DCI P3 uv: 99.99%
  • Rec. 2020 xy: 72.99%
  • Rec. 2020 uv: 74.47%

The IPS panel has the same advertised color gamut, meaning it has full sRGB and DCI P3 coverage.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Flicker Graph

The OLED display's flicker frequency is relatively high, but it may still bother people sensitive to flickering. The IPS panel is likely flicker-free.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Keyboard Photo

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a tablet PC with a detachable type cover keyboard, which doesn't come with the device, so you must purchase it separately or find a bundle that includes one. As mentioned in the Style section, it's compatible with a number of type cover keyboards, including older models designed for the Surface Pro X. The latest version, released at the same time as the Surface Pro 11, is the Surface Pro Flex keyboard. Unlike previous keyboards, this 'Flex' version has Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to use the keyboard when detached from the device, so you have more flexibility in how you use and position the device. There's also a new Copilot key, which lets you quickly access Microsoft's A.I. feature.

The typing experience is great and similar to previous Surface Pro type cover keyboards. The keys are stable, have a decent amount of travel, and provide satisfying tactile feedback. Its layout is standard, but because it's a relatively small tablet, it feels slightly cramped, so it may take some time to get used to and cause some fatigue over an extended period.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Touchpad Photo

The Surface Pro Flex type cover's touchpad is great. Unlike previous type cover keyboards, the Surface Pro Flex type cover keyboard has a haptic touchpad, meaning it has a haptic engine to simulate clicks instead of mechanical buttons, similar to Apple MacBooks. This means you can click anywhere on the touchpad. It tracks all movements and gestures well, and palm rejection works as intended. The touchpad is on the smaller side, so actions like dragging and dropping items over a long distance can be a bit challenging to perform at times.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 has speakers on each side of the screen (in landscape mode) that fire directly at you. They sound natural, clear, and full, with a good amount of bass. However, they don't get very loud.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 has an excellent webcam. The image looks detailed and well-exposed, with true-to-life colors. There's some noise in darker areas, though it's fairly minimal. Voice clarity is good for the most part, but could be a bit better. Thankfully, the microphone is very effective in reducing background noise.

The Surface Pro has a 10MP back-facing camera, which is handy if you need to take a photo of a document; here's a sample photo taken with the camera.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Ports Photo

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 has a limited port selection. The two USB-C ports support USB4 data transfer speed of up to 40Gbps, DisplayPort, and charging. This laptop supports fast charging via its USB-C or Surface Connect port as long as the charger has an output of 65W or above. The Surface Connect port is a proprietary port similar to Apple’s MagSafe, meaning the connector attaches magnetically. This makes the connector easy to remove, preventing the device from getting pulled off a table should you trip on the cable. Unlike previous Surface Pros, this model isn’t on the list of devices compatible with Microsoft’s Surface Dock 2 (sold separately), which uses the Surface Connect port for data transfer and video output; however, it’s compatible with the Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock, also sold separately.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11's wireless adapter is a Qualcomm FastConnect 7800. Like Wi-Fi 6e, Wi-Fi 7 gives you access to the 6GHz band but with even faster speeds and lower latency. However, you need a router that supports Wi-Fi 7 to benefit from these features.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is available with the following SoCs:

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-64-100, 10 cores, up to 3.4GHz, 42MB cache)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100, 12 cores, up to 3.4GHz, 42MB cache)

Both are low-power ARM-based SoCs designed for general productivity ultraportable laptops. You can do some fairly intensive tasks like programming and photo editing on models with an X Elite chip but don't expect to get the raw processing power of a workstation or gaming laptop. Besides, you can only get up to 32GB of RAM. Another key feature of these SoCs is the NPU (Neural Processing Unit), which helps speed up A.I.-based tasks like Microsoft's Copilot and image generation in photo editing apps. Unfortunately, the number of apps that can actually make use of the NPU is pretty small at this time, so it probably isn't worth getting this laptop just for this feature.

The most important thing to know when considering this device is app compatibility. If you mainly use Microsoft Office apps or can access everything through a web browser, you'll likely be fine. However, if you need to use a third-party app for work or school, it's best to check whether it'll run well enough to get your work done. App compatibility will likely get better over time, as many software developers are working on a native ARM version of their apps, and there'll certainly be improvements to Microsoft's Prism translation layer as well.

See more information about the Snapdragon chips here .

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is only available with integrated graphics. Both SoCs (X Plus and X Elite) have the same Adreno GPU, a low-power GPU designed to handle light productivity tasks like web browsing and video playback. You can play some games, like older or puzzle-like titles, but you'll have to play at a lower resolution or with low graphical settings to get smooth gameplay. Also, remember that most games lack support for Windows on ARM, so they likely won't run at all, and games that work through Microsoft's Prism layer might suffer from glitches or poor performance.

You can configure the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 with 16GB or 32GB of RAM; however, the 32GB option is only available on models with an X Elite SoC. The memory isn't user-replaceable.

You can configure the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. The 256GB option is only available on models with an X Plus SoC. You can replace the storage drive; the slot supports M.2 2230 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Geekbench Image

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 scores well in the Geekbench 5 benchmarks. The Snapdragon X Elite's single-thread is slightly behind comparable current-gen processors from Intel, AMD, and Apple; however, its multi-thread performance is quite strong, thanks to the sheer number of cores on the X Elite chip. This performance level is good enough for a variety of productivity workloads, including some demanding tasks like programming. The Snapdragon X Plus SoC is roughly 10% to 15% slower than the X Elite chip.

Geekbench 5 runs natively on ARM, but the GPU compute test doesn't currently support the Snapdragon chip's Adreno GPU, which is why our 9.9 score is abnormally high and isn't representative of the SoC's actual performance. We've performed additional benchmarks in Geekbench 6 to get a better idea of the GPU's performance, and as expected, it performs poorly and isn't suitable for demanding tasks. Here are the results in Geekbench 6:

  • CPU Single-thread: 2,213
  • GPU Multi-thread: 12, 932
  • GPU Compute: 18,676

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Cinebench R23 Photo

Cinebench R23 doesn't run natively on the ARM-based Microsoft Surface Pro 11, resulting in significant performance loss. As such, we've performed additional benchmarks in Cinebench 2024, which has a native ARM version. Here are the results:

  • Single-thread: 104
  • Multi-thread: 831

Similar to the Geekbench benchmarks, the Snapdragon X Elite chip is slightly behind other current-gen processors in single-thread performance but shows strong performance in multi-threaded workloads. Compared to Apple's base M3 SoC, the X Elite is about 35% slower in single-thread and 17% faster in multi-thread. This performance level is suitable for fairly demanding workloads, but again, don't expect to get the processing power of a well-cooled workstation. Also, performance can vary wildly, depending on whether the app runs natively on ARM or through Microsoft's emulation layer.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Blender Image

While you can render 3D images in Blender using the CPU, getting a laptop with a discrete GPU is best, as even an entry-level GPU, like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, can render images much faster. This version of Blender doesn't support GPU rendering with the Snapdragon X Elite's Adreno GPU.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Basemark Image

The Snapdragon X Elite's Adreno GPU is an integrated graphics processor designed for light productivity tasks, so don't expect to play any graphically intensive games. You can play some simple, puzzle-like games or older titles, but you'll have to play at a lower resolution or with low graphics settings to get playable frame rates. Also, remember that the Basemark GPU benchmark is only compatible with x86 Windows devices, so there's likely some performance loss caused by the Prism translation layer.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Storage Performance Image

The Snapdragon X Plus model with an IPS display has a slightly smaller 47Wh battery.

Borderlands 3 isn't playable on the Microsoft Surface Pro 11. The Snapdragon SoC's integrated graphics aren't powerful enough to handle this and other similarly demanding titles. Also, the game doesn't run natively on an ARM-based processor, so there's likely some performance loss from running it through Microsoft's Prism translation layer.

Civilization VI runs terribly at 1080p on the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, even with low graphical settings. Again, this is a combination of the integrated graphics' poor performance and the lack of support for Windows on ARM.

Counter-Strike 2 isn't playable at 1080p. The gameplay is extremely choppy, even with low graphical settings.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs poorly on the Microsoft Surface Pro 11. Although you can get over 30 fps with low graphical settings, the gameplay is still very choppy due to frame drops. Running the game at the display's native resolution (2880 x 1920) with high graphical settings lowers the average frame rate to 11 fps.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Keyboard Temps Picture

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a tablet PC with all of its components behind the display, so the heat doesn't affect the keyboard at all. The tablet itself gets a little toasty, but not enough to cause discomfort. Also, you can always use the type cover keyboard as a protective layer when holding the device. Here are the thermal images for the display and back of the tablet under load. The fan is completely silent, even under a heavy load.

We can't test the performance over time because the software we use to perform the test isn't compatible with Windows on ARM. That said, there's likely some thermal throttling since this is a compact tablet PC with a single fan.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 doesn't have any pre-installed software applications other than those that typically come with Windows 11. As mentioned in the CPU section, this is an ARM-based device, meaning some apps might not work or run properly. So, it's best to check whether the apps you use have a native ARM version or can run well enough through Microsoft's Prism emulation to get your work done.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 has a Windows Hello IR facial recognition camera. You can use it to log in quickly, authorize purchases in the Windows Store, and auto-fill saved passwords on supported websites.

This device supports pen input and is compatible with any Microsoft Pen Protocol styluses. Microsoft has a stylus specially designed for the Surface Pro: the Surface Slim Pen 2. It has 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt support. It also has haptic feedback to simulate the feeling of writing or drawing on paper, though the haptic feedback just makes it feel like a vibrating pen, so if you really need the feel of writing on paper, you're still better off using a screen protector designed to do that. Latency is very low, thanks to the display's 120Hz refresh rate . The stylus storage slot on the type cover keyboard charges the pen wirelessly.

JD Vance endorsed a book calling far-left 'unhumans,' and praising fascist dictators

playground book review reddit

WASHINGTON – Before he was tapped as Donald Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, enthusiastically endorsed a new book by a far-right conspiracy theorist that praises fascist dictators for violently suppressing leftists − or, as the book calls them, "unhumans."

Vance was one of several prominent conservatives to blurb the book, which links current American progressives to past communists and other “unhumans” that need to be “crushed” by any means necessary.

“In the past, communists marched in the streets waving red flags. Today, they march through HR, college campuses, and courtrooms to wage lawfare against good, honest people,” Vance says in a blurb on the back cover of “ Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions (and How to Crush Them) .”

“In Unhumans,” Vance adds, authors “Jack Posobiec and Joshua Lisec reveal their plans and show us what to do to fight back.”

Posobiec, an influential Trump supporter, rose to MAGA-world fame in 2016 by advancing conspiracy theories including "PizzaGate" which falsely claimed Democrats were running a child sex trafficking ring out of a Washington, D.C. pizza parlor that led to a man storming the restaurant with an assault rifle.

Praise for dictators and opposition to democracy

The basic premise of "Unhumans" is that throughout history there has always been an amorphous cabal of leftists who “hate and kill” anyone who stands in their way, including God-fearing, law-abiding Americans. The blob of "the bureaucrats and their activist allies who hold your legal, financial, and social fate in their hands" − are so evil and out to ruin society that they are not worthy of consideration as humans, the book argues.

"Our study of history has brought us to this conclusion: Democracy has never worked to protect innocents from the unhumans. It is time to stop playing by rules they won’t," write Posobiec, a far-right provocateur and Joshua Lisec, a professional ghostwriter.

These "unhumans" need to be suppressed by those willing to emulate right-wing dictators like Spain’s Francisco Franco, they write.

After overthrowing Spain's democratically elected republic in 1936, Franco and his far-right Nationalists instituted martial law. During the ensuing Spanish Civil War, the Nationalists sent more than 500,000 people to concentration camps and executed another 100,000. After the war ended, during Franco's subsequent dictatorship, they killed another 50,000, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum .

The authors dedicate a chapter to how Americans can fight back against the unhumans, titled "The Plan: Counterrevolutionary Strategy and Tactics."

"When the unhumans bring a show of force, team humanity must bring forth an even greater one," they write, urging readers to emulate autocrats such as "Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Pyotr Wrangel, Francisco Franco, Chiang Kai-shek—each with their officers, their soldiers, their fighting men in arms."

It continues: "Whenever such a man has willed communism into submission, it has always been with equitable means. The communist-socialists shoot the priests; Franco’s forces shoot them dead. Caesar’s enemies plotted to arrest him and establish their own new world order; Caesar arrested them first.

Critics pounce

The book – and Vance’s endorsement of it – have received negative coverage from right-wing extremism watchers, historians and left-leaning publications like Mother Jones , the New Republic and Current Affairs .

Critics say the book, released last month, not only idolizes brutal authoritarians but uses false narratives to demonize today’s mainstream progressives and liberals, including Black Lives Matter activists and those opposing Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election he lost to President Joe Biden.

“This book is a homily and apologia that spans centuries of revisionism on murderous dictators and insurrectionists and it's co-authored by someone who lauds far-right extremists and bigots in the United States,” said Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

The Southern Poverty Law Center in 2022 listed Posobiec as an extremist who has “collaborated with white nationalists, antigovernment extremists … and neo-Nazis,” as well as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“Jack Posobiec is a political operative and internet performer of the anti-democracy hard right, known primarily for creating and amplifying viral disinformation campaigns,” the SPLC said, including the “Stop the Steal” campaign that cast doubt on the integrity of the 2020 election. “His disinformation typically focuses on making his political opponents seem dangerous or criminal, while ignoring or downplaying the corruption of authoritarians.”

Levin, a lawyer and former police officer who has monitored political violence for decades, said the book and its strategies for “crushing” unhumans is especially dangerous in the current superheated political environment because it "amplifies and directs aggression" toward progressives.

Given the current climate, Levin questioned Vance’s support of the book, which has climbed many non-fiction best-seller lists, including USA TODAY’s .

“Posobiec is a long-time extremist,” Levin said Tuesday. “Wouldn't that alone be reason enough to question Vance's judgment? But in combination with its embrace of political aggression, it is mind-bogglingly irresponsible as we see a rise in political violence.”

Posobiec, who describes himself in the book as an independent journalist and “veteran U.S. Navy intelligence officer,” is now host of the podcast “Human Events Daily.” The subject of Tuesday’s show, after new Democratic nominee Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate? “TRUMP & VANCE VS TWO DRUNKEN MARXISTS 2024.”

William Martin, a Vance campaign spokesperson, told USA TODAY Wednesday that Vance and the campaign "decline to comment" on the "Unhumans" book and Vance’s support of it.

But Vance's endorsement of the book dovetails with the foreward he wrote for another radical-right manifesto , "Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America" by the architect of the controversial Project 2025 conservative policy agenda. In its original subtitle that book advocates " burning down Washington " in a second Trump administration if he wins this Nov. 5.

Vance’s foreword, the New Republic reported citing an advance copy, ends with this dire call to action: "We are now all realizing that it’s time to circle the wagons and load the muskets. In the fights that lay ahead, these ideas are an essential weapon."

That book was initially scheduled to be released next month, but author Kevin Roberts, who said a "second American Revolution" will be bloodless “if the left allows it to be ” told Real Clear Politics he is delaying publication.

Vance had no comment Wednesday on his foreward for the Roberts book, and whether the publication delay might be related to his selection as Trump's running mate on July 15.

The ‘Secret History of Communist Revolutions’

Posobiec told USA TODAY that the criticism of "Unhumans" – and of Vance − is unwarranted.

In an interview with USA Today, Posobiec said 'unhumans' are not mainstream progressives, but people who participated in violent Black Lives Matter protests, and who have targeted “folks like myself, my family, Trump supporters, anyone who marched peacefully on January 6."

In its 229 pages, the book revisits some of the worst communist regimes in Russia, China and elsewhere to argue that these movements follow a consistent pattern of instilling fear, stripping away human rights and jailing, torturing, and even murdering those they deem a threat.

The book was published last month with a foreword by far-right agitator and former Trump official Stephen Bannon, who praised the authors for arguing that a form of “Cultural Marxism” that emerged in the 1950s in the United States is now resurgent, making “humanity itself currently under threat.”

'Nothing in this book advocates illegal violence'

Posobiec took exception with the many critics who say the book is an open call for attacks on those deemed to be against conservative values.

“Nothing in this book advocates illegal violence," Posobiec said. Instead, he said, “We do advocate for legal weapons of mass persuasion.”

Asked what constitutes “legal violence,” he said: “Police activity. Arrests.”

Yes, the book glorifies the actions of well-known despots like Franco, Caesar and Wisconsin Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy, Posobiec said. But he said all of them have been misunderstood, and that the book sets out to clear their names by showing how aggressive they were in hunting down and neutralizing those seeking to rob their communities of human rights and freedoms.

In “Unhumans,” for instance, McCarthy isn’t described as a zealot who ruined lives of innocent Americans in the 1950s by falsely accusing them of being communist agents. Instead, the book says, “Soviet sympathizers tried to poison the youth with media and schooling; Senator McCarthy poisoned their reputation to make them unemployable. Reciprocity.”

Jackie Singh, a former Biden campaign official and researcher on threats to democracy, said the underlying theme of the entire book – the use of the term “unhumans” − encourages political violence whether the authors intended it or not.

“Any linguistic suggestion that some particular out-groups of human beings are somehow 'lesser', closer to animals, vermin, insects etc. can only drive cultural progression towards acceptance of violence towards those groups,” Singh said. “Those who employ such language are aware of this purpose and exploit humanity's desire for belonging and tendency towards groupthink to advance anti-democratic political goals.”

  • How to watch in US
  • How to watch in UK
  • How to watch in AU
  • How to watch from anywhere
  • How to watch with a VPN

How to watch Vuelta a Espana: Live stream 2024 cycling race free

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

La Vuelta returns for another year to close out the trio of 2024 Grand Tour races. We've combed through the watch options to identify everything you need to know about how to watch the Vuelta a Espana, including a free streaming option.

It's been a long racing season for the world's top male cyclists, many of whom competed in the other two Grand Tour races this year (the Giro d'Italia in May and the Tour de France in June and July), as well as the Olympics just last week. Tadej Pogacar, who won the 2024 Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, will sit out La Vuelta and not attempt a trifecta win this year. Olympic road race champion and third-place winner at the Tour de France Remco Evanpoel has also opted out of the Spanish race, paving the way for a new victor. Defending champion Sepp Kuss is among those scheduled to race.

The race kicks off with a time trial in Lisbon. From there, the cyclists will race throughout Portugal and Spain for 21 intense stages, finishing with a final time trial in Madrid. Below, we've highlighted all the necessary details for tuning into the race, no matter where you are.

  • See also: How to watch MLB | Where to watch Formula 1 | Where to watch MotoGP

How to watch Vuelta a Espana in the US

If you held onto your subscription after the Tour de France, you're in luck.  Peacock , NBCUniversal's streaming counterpart, is the home to all things Vuelta a Espana in the US. Subscriptions start at $8 a month or $80 a year. In addition to old NBC sitcoms and new Universal film releases, the streaming service offers a slate of live sports, with an emphasis on cycling and golf. You can also catch Sunday Night Football here if you upgrade to a Premium Plus account for $14.

playground book review reddit

Peacock is a convenient streaming source for hit NBC TV shows, Universal movies, and select sports like Sunday Night Football. Prices start at $8 a month, with additional discounts on annual plans.

How to watch Vuelta a Espana in the UK

Vuelta a Espana will be available through Eurosport in the UK. This means that fans can live stream all of the action through Discovery+ . To access cycling, you'll need to subscribe to the Standard plan, which goes for £6.99 a month.

How to watch Vuelta a Espana in Australia

Vuelta a Espana will be streamed live for free through SBS On Demand in Australia. The service just requires users to sign up for an account if they don't already have one, and then they're all set to start watching the race.

How to watch Vuelta a Espana from anywhere

If you are traveling away from Australia during any stage of the race, you can still keep up with the above streaming option via VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs let people change their device's virtual location so that it appears as if it's somewhere else, like back at home. This way, individuals can still use their usual websites from anywhere. Plus, turning on a VPN is an instant way to upgrade online privacy. 

Time and time again, we recommend ExpressVPN . It's a straightforward option that has a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee, so there's no sweat if you find that it's not working for you. Check out our ExpressVPN review for additional details, and keep reading to learn how a VPN works.

playground book review reddit

With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that makes it exceptional. Better yet, you can save up to 49% and get an extra three months for free today.

How to watch Vuelta a Espana with a VPN

  • Sign up for a VPN if you don't already have one.
  • Install it on the device you're planning to watch on.
  • Turn it on and set it to an Australian location. 
  • Create an account on  SBS On Demand .
  • Navigate to the live races and enjoy.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

playground book review reddit

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

playground book review reddit

  • Main content

Get the Reddit app

This is a place to discuss horror literature. Any book is up for discussion as long as that discussion is respectful. It doesn't matter if you're into Stephen King, Octavia Butler, Jack Ketchum or Shirley Jackson, this is the place to share that love and discuss to your heart's content.

Has anyone read the book “Playground” by Aron Beauregard? If so is it as bad as people say

The discourse I’ve heard surrounding this book is that it’s too much for people to get past the first 40 pages. This has me thinking I’m either seeing paid adverts disguised as reviews or extremely soft people. Has anyone here read it? It has my curiosity but I’m not trying to fall for simple shock horror or what to me would be a relatively tame horror novel.

Thanks for any suggestions

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

Advertisement

Supported by

‘Alien: Romulus’ Review: Go Ahead, Scream (No One Can Hear You)

The seventh installment of the series centers on Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a contract worker in an outer-space mining colony, and her friend Andy (David Jonsson), an android.

  • Share full article

A woman with a gun stands in front of an android who holds her shoulder. They are on a space station.

By Manohla Dargis

Some movie sequels take a series in new directions, adding original ideas, new characters, different approaches and, at times, heft and myth. Other sequels are more like filler. They help plug the spaces between movies and keep the franchise’s brand in the public’s imagination, all while trying to make some cash. The newest “Alien” movie, “Alien: Romulus,” the seventh installment in this storied, apparently inexhaustible cycle of films, is perfectly adequate filler.

Since Ridley Scott’s “Alien” burst into gripping, gruesome life in 1979, the series has generated hits and misses, tankers of acidic slobber and a sizable body count. The franchise turned Sigourney Weaver into an icon and gave David Fincher his start as a film director. As the movies piled up, they also reminded you that the original “Alien” is a masterpiece and that even the lesser follow-ups that Scott directed, “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” have their virtues, among them striking visuals, filmmaking intelligence, a curiosity about the cosmos, and a twinned appreciation for the mystery of life and the inevitability of death.

“Alien: Romulus” is a nuts-and-bolts action-adventure horror story with boos and splatter. It doesn’t have much on its mind but it has some good jump scares along with a disappointingly bland heroine, a sympathetic android and the usual collection of disposable characters who are unduly killed by slavering, rampaging extraterrestrials. In series terms, the events in “Romulus” take place between those in “Alien” and those in the second film, “Aliens.” Written and directed by James Cameron, and crowded with big guns and bulging biceps, “Aliens” is largely notable for its swaggering action sequences that have become de rigueur in the series and for giving Weaver’s Ripley a muscular makeover while turning her into a surrogate mom.

Directed by Fede Álvarez (“ Don’t Breathe ”), who shares script credit with Rodo Sayagues, “Romulus” tells a familiar, half-baked story of adversity, gritty perseverance, quick thinking and a drag-down fight for survival. It centers on Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a 20-something contract worker in a grim outer-space mining colony. There, along with Andy (David Jonsson), a glitchy android that she loves and calls her brother, Rain yearns to leave the sunless planet and the punishing conditions that condemned both her parents to early deaths. She soon gets her chance when some other friends share that they’re planning an escape in an abandoned space station that has conveniently drifted above their planet.

Álvarez gets through this setup economically, and it isn’t long before Rain and company are creeping through the station’s eerily empty corridors, exploring its topsy-turvy rooms and pondering its not particularly mysterious mysteries. (Álvarez spends a lot of time showing off his sets, which are more engaging than the writing.) Spaeny, who played Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” is an appealing performer — her youth and slight frame deceptively suggest near-childlike vulnerability — and you’re on Rain’s side straightaway. What keeps you rooted there is largely a matter of film-going habit and franchise familiarity: She’s the heroine and Ripley’s symbolic heir, after all, and the monsters are coming.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

  • Election 2024
  • Entertainment
  • Newsletters
  • Photography
  • AP Buyline Personal Finance
  • AP Buyline Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Israel-Hamas War
  • Russia-Ukraine War
  • Global elections
  • Asia Pacific
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • Delegate Tracker
  • AP & Elections
  • 2024 Paris Olympic Games
  • Auto Racing
  • Movie reviews
  • Book reviews
  • Financial Markets
  • Business Highlights
  • Financial wellness
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Social Media

Quake felt from LA to San Diego, swaying buildings and knocking items off shelves but no big damage

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was strongly felt Monday afternoon from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego, swaying buildings, rattling dishes and setting off car alarms, but no major damage or injuries were immediately reported.

Image

A Pasadena firetruck responds to Pasadena City Hall on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Pasadena, Calif, after an earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego. (Sarah Reingewirtz/The Orange County Register via AP)

  • Copy Link copied

A man walks past caution tape through Pasadena City Hall on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Pasadena, Calif, after an earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego. (Sarah Reingewirtz/The Orange County Register via AP)

People walk past caution tape through Pasadena City Hall on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Pasadena, Calif., after an earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego. (Sarah Reingewirtz/The Orange County Register via AP)

An overall view of Pasadena City Hall is seen Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Pasadena, Calif, after an earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

People wait to reenter Pasadena City Hall on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Pasadena, Calif., after an earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego. (Sarah Reingewirtz/The Orange County Register via AP)

Pasadena Fire Inspectors Mitchell Phillips and Roman Castillo lead people up the stairs of Pasadena City Hall on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Pasadena, Calif., after an earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego. (Sarah Reingewirtz/The Orange County Register via AP)

Nemesis R., left, and Zoe Abel sit and eat ice cream on a street in the Highland Park section of Los Angeles on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, after an earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Traffic moves along in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, after an earthquake struck the Los Angeles area. (AP Photo/John Antczak)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was strongly felt Monday afternoon from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego, swaying buildings, rattling dishes and setting off car alarms, but no major damage or injuries were immediately reported.

The temblor caused a pipe to burst at the ornate 1927 Pasadena City Hall building, where TV news helicopters showed water spilling from an upper floor. Elsewhere in the Los Angeles area, an ESPN interview was interrupted, and the ground swayed in Anaheim, where Disneyland is located in Orange County.

Dishes rattled in the storied Los Angeles neighborhood of Laurel Canyon, home to many celebrities, and photos on social media showed shampoo bottles and other items littering the floor of a Target store in LA.

The quake was centered near the Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park, about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers) northeast of LA’s City Hall, and about 7.5 miles (12.1 kilometers) below the surface, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake was felt from greater Los Angeles south to San Diego and east to the Palm Springs desert region, according to the USGS community reporting page. A small number of reports were filed from the southern San Joaquin Valley about 100 miles (160) northwest of LA.

Image

Pasadena public information officer Lisa Derderian confirmed that the water leak at City Hall was caused by the quake. About 200 employees safely evacuated from City Hall, and one person was rescued from an elevator, she said.

There was no obvious damage to Pasadena’s century-old Rose Bowl, but an engineer will do a full assessment, Derderian said. There was no immediate assessment of the city’s 1927 Central Library, which was closed in 2021 for a pending seismic retrofit. “We have not gone inside there to look at it,” she said.

Los Angeles firefighters from all 106 stations surveyed the 470-square-mile (1,217-square-kilometer) city and found no significant damage, spokesperson Margaret Stewart said in a statement.

The quake served more as a reminder of what could happen in a state where a huge population lives above active fault lines.

“Having lived through the Northridge earthquake (magnitude 6.7 in 1994), today’s tremor made me flash back to what we know are lifesaving rules during an earthquake: drop, cover, and hold on,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “It was also a reminder to us all that we live in earthquake country and we need to be prepared.”

The National Weather Service said a tsunami was not expected, and the USGS downgraded its initial estimate of 4.6 for the quake’s magnitude.

Richard Egan was eating lunch with colleagues on the second floor of an office building near the Long Beach Airport, about 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) south of the quake’s epicenter, when there was a sudden jolt.

“It got really quiet,” he said, “and we waited for a bigger quake to follow.”

There was rolling for about 45 seconds, he estimated, but with no more shaking, the lunchtime conversation resumed where it left off, said Egan, who has lived through many quakes during his 59 years in Southern California. He rated this one as average.

The quake struck on the first day of the new school year for 540,000 students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Many schools felt the quake, and at least one high school, John Marshall in Los Feliz, alerted parents that they had evacuated the buildings to check for damage but didn’t see any immediately.

“We have not received reports of any injuries or significant damage to our facilities,” district Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said in a social media post.

The quake comes less than a week after a 5.2 magnitude temblor hit southern California and was also widely felt in Los Angeles. That quake caused no injuries or major damage.

playground book review reddit

Breaking News

Banning defensive back Steven Perez has versatility to guide Pilots

Banning High safety Steven Perez poses for a photo on campus.

  • Copy Link URL Copied!

Eighth in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Steven Perez, Banning defensive back.

When you attend a Banning High football game, it’s hard not to pay attention to Steven Perez. He’s 6 feet 1, 190 pounds and plays anywhere and everywhere. He has been a receiver, running back, linebacker and defensive back. He’ll be playing some quarterback.

“I’m willing to do whatever,” he said. “We do hitting drills and when no one is stepping up if it’s offensive line or defensive line, I’m always, ‘Put me in.’”

The fact Perez will play the first month of his senior year as a 16-year-old gives you a hint about his fearlessness and confidence.

“He reminds me of a kid from the movie ‘Little Giants,’” coach Raymond Grajeda said. “His mentality is he just loves the game.”

Perez loves one position more than all others.

“I’m a safety,” he said. “I like to hit. I’m a defensive player first and foremost. I like being in the box. I want to hit. I’m confident.”

Biggest ive ever been. Strongest ive ever been. Fastest ive ever been. Steady grinding! @CoachGaribayBHS pic.twitter.com/UjkKGPzCoy — steven perez (@steve1k_22) April 7, 2024

During the offseason, he was working out at the beach with the two family dogs, making the sand his playground. The weight room also was a can’t-miss hangout, because he knows strength can send him on a path to even greater success.

He has been playing football since he was 5. His mother was a softball pitcher for Banning. His father played baseball at Bishop Montgomery. His mother’s side of the family has lived in Wilmington for years. When they say, “Once a Pilot, always a Pilot,” they’re referring to Perez.

What a catch by Soph Steven Perez of Banning. pic.twitter.com/QjKmwIMrgd — eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) October 6, 2023

“I think I’m fifth generation Banning Pilot,” he said.

He attends the school’s firefighter/EMS magnet program, and is the co-chief for students. That’s a major honor.

“It’s a huge responsibility for me,” he said. “I lead them, I direct them, I show them what we’re doing.”

Perez has matured and learned how to deal with failure. There were times early in high school that he got so upset when making a mistake he’d have a tantrum and forget about finishing his assignment.

“I’m so competitive,” he said. “I hate losing, so whenever I made a mistake or do something that was not perfect, I would just lose myself. I want to be perfect. I want to be the best player.

“Coach Grajeda was able to get on me a lot and it led me to mature and become a better person and better player. Without someone to tell me what I was doing wrong, I wouldn’t know and now I know how to be more mature on and off the field.”

A review of Banning statistics last season provide a look at Perez’s versatility. He rushed for 335 yards and five touchdowns. He caught 50 passes for 907 yards and five touchdowns. He had 83 solo tackles and five interceptions.

“This guy doesn’t stop,” Grajeda said.”He’s a dynamic player. He’s a trick of all trades. He can do it all.”

Shane Rosenthal of Newbury Park comes up with interception against Thousand Oaks with Jaden Mack looking on.

High School Sports

Complete coverage: Prep football preview 2024

Here is the Los Angeles Times’ nine-part series on top returning high school football players for the 2024 season.

Aug. 13, 2024

There’s no reason Perez can’t be similar to two-time City Section player of the year Peyton Waters, who led Birmingham with his versatility as a defensive back, receiver and wildcat quarterback.

There’s really nothing preventing Perez from being the best player in the City Section this season.

“I’ve been working harder than ever in the weight room,” he said.

Tuesday: Jacob Kreinbring, Loyola kicker.

Defensive backs to watch

Trestin Castro; Upland; 6-1; 170; Sr.; USC commit is cornerback with quickness

Adonyss Currie; Quartz Hill; 6-1; 170; Sr.; Texas A&M commit has size, speed to excel

Daryus Dixson; Mater Dei; 6-0; 180; Sr.; Penn State commit is aggressive, physical cornerback

Dijon Lee; Mission Viejo; 6-4; 190; Sr.; Alabama commit is top athlete with size and instincts

Legend Lyons; Charter Oak; 6-2; 190; Sr.; Minnesota commit makes big plays

Chuck McDonald; Mater Dei; 6-1; 190; Sr.; Alabama cornerback has speed to cover anyone

Steven Perez; Banning; 6-1; 190; Sr.; Has versatility, work ethic to keep raising game

Madden Riordan; Sierra Canyon; 5-11; 165; Jr.; USC commit had three interceptions in season opener

Dylan Robinson; Bonita; 6-3; 190; Sr.; Washington commit had 51 tackles, four interceptions as a junior

Rodney Sermons; Rancho Cucamonga; 6-1; 180; Jr.; Improved speed makes him player to watch

More to Read

Elijah Robinson is a 5-foot-4, 160-pound sophomore running back at Santa Margarita.

Santa Margarita’s 5-foot-4 running back Elijah Robinson is full of energy

Khary Wilder is a 6-foot-4, 250-pound junior defensive lineman at Gardena Serra.

Defensive lineman Khary Wilder next in line to star at Gardena Serra

Aug. 17, 2024

Jake Flores of JSerra is a 6-foot-6, 270-pound standout offensive tackle.

JSerra standout Jake Flores has toed the line since he was 9

Aug. 16, 2024

Get our high school sports newsletter

Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

playground book review reddit

Eric Sondheimer is the prep sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has been honored seven times by the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for best prep sports column.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Long Beach, CA - May 18: Mater Dei varsity football head coach Raul Lara coaches the team after a game with Upland in the Long Beach Tournament of Champions at Long Beach Millikan High School Saturday, May 18, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The Times’ preseason top 25 high school football rankings

Aug. 18, 2024

Linebacker Samu Moala of Leuzinger.

Leuzinger linebacker Samu Moala follows the Samoan way

Maia Helmar throws a pass during a game last season.

Flag football popularity on the rise in Southland

First-year Cleveland coach Mario Guzman with lineman Joshua Reyes (left) and quarterback Domenik Fuentes.

West Valley League football media day: Inspiring players, dedicated coaches ready for season

IMAGES

  1. Book Review: "Playground" by Aron Beauregard

    playground book review reddit

  2. The Next Chapter: Book Review: Playground by Aron Beauregard

    playground book review reddit

  3. Playground Book Review

    playground book review reddit

  4. NEW RELEASE: Playground by Aron Beauregard 🚨 : r/ExtremeHorrorLit

    playground book review reddit

  5. The Playground

    playground book review reddit

  6. Playground Book Aron Beauregard Summary

    playground book review reddit

COMMENTS

  1. Playground by Aron Buereguard book review : r/books

    I haven't finished a book in under two weeks since I was probably in middle school, and I read maybe 5 books a year if that, so it being an easy read to me really added to my takeaway from the book. I'm going to go back through my kindle notes to do my in-depth review and analysis later on my blog, but I did want to mention the heavy ...

  2. Has anybody here read Playground by Aron Beauregard? : r/horrorlit

    My favorite Beauregard so far. The characters are well fleshed out, the kids go through some horrific stuff but you do find people to root for and you will absolutely hate the villains. The plot is definitely a little hokey but I dare anyone to write a book about deadly playground equipment that's actually literary. Reply.

  3. Has anyone read the book "Playground" by Aron Beauregard ...

    The violence wasn't the most disturbing part of the book (though it is disturbing), for me it was part of the beginning descriptions of why the main antagonist is the way she is... it's real fucked up, but if you can get past that, the rest of the book will be fine for you. Book is alright, just shocking.

  4. Playground by Aron Beauregard

    78 books2,496 followers. Aron Beauregard was born and raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island. He's been writing horror since the 6th grade and has now released over 25 books. An avid supporter of horror art and illustration, Aron has made it his standard to hire illustrators for every book that he puts out under his brand AB Horror.

  5. Playground by Aron Beauregard

    Sick and twisted ulterior motives are hidden behind the eye candy of seesaws, slides and monkey bars. Aron Beauregard pens his ultimate splatter novel around a group of children gathered for experimentation. Ghastly images incorporating teeter totters, sandboxes and hopscotch will satisfy any reader's lust for revulsion.

  6. I Tested the Exciting Adventure of 'Playground Book' by Aron Beauregard

    The 'Playground Book' is primarily targeted towards children between the ages of 4-8 years old. However, adults can also enjoy reading it with their kids or simply appreciate the beautiful illustrations and heartwarming message of the book. ... Here's My Honest Review! I Tested the Versatility and Elegance of the O Ring Cut Out Maxi Dress ...

  7. Review for "Playground" by Aron Beauregard

    In this episode, I review the extreme horror novel, "Playground" by Aron Beauregard. This book is not for the faint of heart.Purchase signed copies of Aron ...

  8. Playground by Aron Beauregard

    Aron Beauregard. 330 pages • first pub 2022 ( editions) fiction horror dark tense fast-paced. The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. We earn commission on any purchases made. The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. StoryGraph Preview Personalized. Powered by AI (Beta)

  9. Book Review: Playground by Aron Beauregard

    Title: Playground Author: Aron Beauregard Release date: November 25, 2022 Over the last number of years, Aron Beauregard has emerged as one of Extreme/Splatterpunk Horror's true Heavy Weights. His books are hotly anticipated by his ever-growing throng of fans and he has been raking up the accolades as well - becoming Splatterpunk Award nominated and…

  10. Aron Beauregard Playground : Aron Beauregard : Free Download, Borrow

    This book features: violence towards children, extreme gore, sexual abuse, physical abuse, nazis, extreme language, and manipulation. That being said, it is unlike anything I've ever read before. I devoured this book in only 2 days and was hooked from start to finish. (Spoiler Alert!)

  11. Every Parent's Worst Nightmare Comes to Life in Playground by Aron

    What begins as an enticing premise involving low-income families, a cliffside estate, and a revolutionary playground quickly transforms into a harrowing descent into the darkest corners of the human psyche. Beauregard masterfully constructs a world where the line between good and evil blurs, and the characters' humanity is laid bare.

  12. Playground Sessions Review (Full 2023 Update)

    Quick Review: Playground sessions isn't your typical set of piano lessons. Much like our top pick Flowkey ( learn more ), it's more of a piano training/practice app. And it's evident in the course curriculum. If you're looking for the best approach to learning piano, this probably isn't the best choice. Having said that, it's a top ...

  13. Playground by Richard Powers

    Richard Powers. 4.42. 90 ratings41 reviews. Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world's first aqualungs. Ina Aroita grows up in naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. Two polar opposites at an elite Chicago high school bond over a three-thousand-year-old ...

  14. PLAYGROUND| one of the most disturbing books ever made

    This is not a subsitute to reading the book please read aron beauregards playground to the fullest also i do not own any of the characters in this video exce...

  15. Reddit

    We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us.

  16. Playground: Amazon.co.uk: Beauregard, Aron: 9798353703464: Books

    Product details. ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BN21JFB6. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (22 Nov. 2022) Language ‏ : ‎ English. Paperback ‏ : ‎ 341 pages. ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8353703464. Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 2.18 x 20.32 cm. Best Sellers Rank: 7,875 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books) 76 in Horror Thrillers.

  17. Playground by Aron Beauregard, Paperback

    "With Playground, Aron Beauregard transcends himself, delivering a genuinely chilling, uncomfortable novel that will make even the most jaded horror fan squirm. A harrowing, relentless read that left me breathless." - Brian Keene This volume contains 15 interior illustrations. WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is ...

  18. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Playground

    I purchased this book a while ago, but it wasn't until I started seeing people discussing it on tiktok and reddit when I decided to finally give it a read. I knew that the book was basically about Saw meeting Squid Game, but for children, but I also heard a lot about "the infamous page 40," and how the next few pages were disgustingly awful.

  19. Playground Book Review

    Parents Need to Know. Parents need to know that Playground, the first novel by the popular rapper 50 Cent, is loosely based on his own experience and contains many references to bullying and sexual orientation. There is quite a bit of foul language and several instances of children being insubordinate or disrespectful to parents….

  20. PLAYGROUND

    Along with its environmental warnings, the book carries an intriguing look at the ways people and animals play, as in the boys' competitive chess, the antics of manta rays, the allure of computer games, and what a meta-minded author might do with his readers. An engaging, eloquent message for this fragile planet. 0. Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024.

  21. Playground

    Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world's first aqualungs. Ina Aroita grows up on naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. Two polar opposites at an elite Chicago high school bond over a 3,000-year-old board game; Rafi Young will get lost in literature, while Todd Keane's work will lead to a startling AI ...

  22. Famous willow tree in Finch Arboretum to be ...

    A distinctive willow popular for climbing in the center of John A. Finch Arboretum will be removed after park officials determined it is no longer safe to play on. The tree was fenced off this ...

  23. Playground, recommendations / review? : r/horrorlit

    Aron Beauregard - Playground, recommendations / review? Hi everyone, new to this subreddit. I for one am not a fan of splatterpunk - I find that most books lack any kind of decent writing or storyline behind it and is just over the top ridiculous torture / gore, and I find it slightly concerning that anybody would want to write or read such a ...

  24. Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Review

    Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) Laptop Review. Tested using Methodology v0.8.2. Reviewed Aug 14, 2024 at 10:29 am. By Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas. 8.4. School 6.5. Gaming 8.7. Multimedia 7.8. Workstation 7.7. Business + Create your own. Searching. Finding Store ...

  25. JD Vance endorsed a book calling far-left 'unhumans,' and praising

    The book - and Vance's endorsement of it - have received negative coverage from right-wing extremism watchers, historians and left-leaning publications like Mother Jones, the New Republic ...

  26. How to watch Vuelta a Espana: Live stream 2024 cycling race free

    How to watch Vuelta a Espana in the UK. Vuelta a Espana will be available through Eurosport in the UK. This means that fans can live stream all of the action through Discovery+.To access cycling ...

  27. Has anyone read the book "Playground" by Aron Beauregard ...

    It is our intent and purpose to foster and encourage in-depth discussion about all things related to books, authors, genres, or publishing in a safe, supportive environment. If you're looking for help with a personal book recommendation, consult our Weekly Recommendation Thread, Suggested Reading page, or ask in r/suggestmeabook.

  28. 'Alien: Romulus' Review: Go Ahead, Scream (No One Can Hear You)

    The seventh installment of the series centers on Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a contract worker in an outer-space mining colony, and her friend Andy (David Jonsson), an android.

  29. 4.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Los Angeles area, USGS says

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was strongly felt Monday afternoon from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego, swaying buildings, rattling dishes and setting off car alarms, but no major damage or injuries were immediately reported.. The temblor caused a pipe to burst at the ornate 1927 Pasadena City Hall building, where TV news helicopters showed water spilling from an ...

  30. Banning safety Steven Perez has versatility to guide Pilots

    A review of Banning statistics last season provide a look at Perez's versatility. He rushed for 335 yards and five touchdowns. He caught 50 passes for 907 yards and five touchdowns.