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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Ford v Ferrari (aka Le Mans '66) (2019) in Movies
Oct 29, 2019
Why oh why did they rename this film? I always want to call it Ford v Ferrari and several times I've said "Le Mans '66" and got odd looks so had to follow it up with the original.
Sports films are a weakness of mine, I love them but I'm not really sure why as I'm very much a spectator than a participant. Some racing meant this film got an automatic spot in the LFF planning... even with Matt Damon in it.
We've got another "based on true events" film on our hands and taking a glance at what car and racing experts have to say it seems that the events are fairly well done apart from some Hollywood tweaks here and there.
My main love in car movies is the roar of the engine, you can't beat that sound. I was nearly disappointed as almost instantly we get the engine sound but without the oomph, it was a really upsetting feeling. They did redeem themselves shortly after but I didn't enjoy that first moment at all. I did suffer with the audio in general being rather loud but I'm going to lay that firmly at the feet of old age rather than anything else.
There are a lot of people in this film, you only have to go for a scroll in the listings to see that. They add that busy feeling, the urgency of the project, the eagerness for the win. Some scenes feel crowded but they knew when to hold back and that meant that during the chaos we were still able to see some smaller and more powerful moments, moments that really were needed to break everything up.
Christian Bale did a Christian Bale for this film, after putting on all the weight for Vice he dropped it all again for his role as Ken Miles. Someone please cast him as a regular man, I worry about him. Ken's dedication to the sport and the skill really shines in Bale's performance, would we expect anything less from him? No, of course not. One of the most pleasing things is Bale saying "T'ra" in that accent, so soothing to listen to.
Matt Damon isn't a great love of mine, I'll watch his films with a disgruntled look on my face... Downsizing, that's for you... but... yes, there's a but, I thought he played Carroll Shelby exceptionally well, and without a hint of "Matt Damon" in it. This felt like the first time I've seen him in something where he's committed more to the role.
Great performances don't always mean great chemistry on screen but the two played off each other to great effect throughout. There's one fantastic scene (that you can see in one of the trailers) where they tussle together and it's such fun to watch, the full scene holds so much more than the trailer clips do.
Everything comes together in Le Mans '66 (*cough* Ford v Ferrari *cough*). The era is captured perfectly from all angles, the attention to detail on set looks spot on. The script isn't overly complicated and allowed the viewer (or at the very least me) to follow the story. The scenes on track are beautiful to watch with the truly impressive effect for weather and conditions being consistent in each shot. If you're asking me to find a quibble it would be on the crash effects, during one in particular the CGI seemed a little weak but you're drawn into the next shot fairly quickly so it's just a fleeting view.
Le Mans '66 was genuinely one of the highlights of the London Film Festival for me, Bale gives a stellar performance filled with humour and heart, Damon wowed me with his portrayal of Shelby and the way they managed to bring his character full circle... I didn't expect this to be such an emotional movie, I was taken aback by some of the moments and I genuinely can't wait to see this again.
Full review originally published on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/10/le-mans-66-movie-review.html
Sports films are a weakness of mine, I love them but I'm not really sure why as I'm very much a spectator than a participant. Some racing meant this film got an automatic spot in the LFF planning... even with Matt Damon in it.
We've got another "based on true events" film on our hands and taking a glance at what car and racing experts have to say it seems that the events are fairly well done apart from some Hollywood tweaks here and there.
My main love in car movies is the roar of the engine, you can't beat that sound. I was nearly disappointed as almost instantly we get the engine sound but without the oomph, it was a really upsetting feeling. They did redeem themselves shortly after but I didn't enjoy that first moment at all. I did suffer with the audio in general being rather loud but I'm going to lay that firmly at the feet of old age rather than anything else.
There are a lot of people in this film, you only have to go for a scroll in the listings to see that. They add that busy feeling, the urgency of the project, the eagerness for the win. Some scenes feel crowded but they knew when to hold back and that meant that during the chaos we were still able to see some smaller and more powerful moments, moments that really were needed to break everything up.
Christian Bale did a Christian Bale for this film, after putting on all the weight for Vice he dropped it all again for his role as Ken Miles. Someone please cast him as a regular man, I worry about him. Ken's dedication to the sport and the skill really shines in Bale's performance, would we expect anything less from him? No, of course not. One of the most pleasing things is Bale saying "T'ra" in that accent, so soothing to listen to.
Matt Damon isn't a great love of mine, I'll watch his films with a disgruntled look on my face... Downsizing, that's for you... but... yes, there's a but, I thought he played Carroll Shelby exceptionally well, and without a hint of "Matt Damon" in it. This felt like the first time I've seen him in something where he's committed more to the role.
Great performances don't always mean great chemistry on screen but the two played off each other to great effect throughout. There's one fantastic scene (that you can see in one of the trailers) where they tussle together and it's such fun to watch, the full scene holds so much more than the trailer clips do.
Everything comes together in Le Mans '66 (*cough* Ford v Ferrari *cough*). The era is captured perfectly from all angles, the attention to detail on set looks spot on. The script isn't overly complicated and allowed the viewer (or at the very least me) to follow the story. The scenes on track are beautiful to watch with the truly impressive effect for weather and conditions being consistent in each shot. If you're asking me to find a quibble it would be on the crash effects, during one in particular the CGI seemed a little weak but you're drawn into the next shot fairly quickly so it's just a fleeting view.
Le Mans '66 was genuinely one of the highlights of the London Film Festival for me, Bale gives a stellar performance filled with humour and heart, Damon wowed me with his portrayal of Shelby and the way they managed to bring his character full circle... I didn't expect this to be such an emotional movie, I was taken aback by some of the moments and I genuinely can't wait to see this again.
Full review originally published on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/10/le-mans-66-movie-review.html
Bad writing (1 more)
Mostly romance
Drowning is one of the top fears in the world, and it's also one of the top ways to cover up a murder. In Lie to Me, Ward's fourth YA novel, she uses drowning as the basis of the story. Yet, this book fell very short in the thriller/mystery genre: Ward gives away too many hints at the beginning of the book, that most readers will have the murderer figured out by chapter 7; she also focuses too much on romance, something that should have caused this story to be filed under a different category other than mystery/thriller. But luckily she didn't bring in a wide circle of characters to cause confusion, using only one view point from the main character of Lie to Me: Amelia- - - a teen girl who believes she was pushed down a ravine to be left for dead in the raging water below.
Besides her 'accident,' Amelia leads a normal life with her mother, father and brother, Hunter - - - she also has a small group of friends. After her 'fall,' a body of a teen girl from the same town is found in a nearby river, but the town gossips, and makes it seem that this girl committed suicide, leaving Amelia worried that her family would think the same thing about her. Depression is something that Amelia's family has had to deal with before, but the talk of depression is candid and not very enlightening; her brother, Hunter, who is in therapy for such doesn't even talk about it, instead he's usually seen playing soccer or Fortnite, this seems to be a broad attempt to bring mental health into the story,but without going into that subject, it failed as a story line. Yet, one of the main causes of depression today is social media, which we find Amelia stalking one of her best friends/love interest on- - -if Ward was trying to reach the YA community about depression, she went the wrong way about it.
Another mistake that Ward made was when Amelia receives an anonymous text message from someone telling her to 'Just let it go,Amelia,' this occurs after she has started investigating whether her 'accident' was an accident. Amelia tells us that she is always suspicious of everyone, but when this text message comes around, it's as if she could care less. She even tries to take the anonymous message as advice: " 'Or it's advice.' I feel backed into a corner. It's one thing to believe someone hurt me and another thing to have proof of it. I don't want this to be proof. 'I mean, Sky's always telling me I should let my life get back to normal, and she doesn't even know I'm thinking any of this. Maybe someone else feels that way,too.' " In reality, if you believed that someone attempted to murder you, and suddenly you are receiving a cryptic message about letting it go, wouldn't the logic thing to do is go to the police?? Amelia doesn't!
Ward has written three other YA novels, 'Lie to Me' being her fourth. The writing in this story is bad in some places, for example, a scene with Amelia and her best friend, Sky, meeting up at the 'screen' (technically a giant drive-in movie theater screen); Amelia thinks about how this town is a haven for her, that everyone feels safe, but the very next paragraph, she's stating she doesn't feel safe anymore. This makes sense if you haven't read it, but the way it's written could have been in a much better and concise way. This and most scenes makes the story read like a sloppy diary entry. That, and the killer being predictable so early on in the story made me very disappointed with this book. 'Lie to Me' had great potential from the synopsis, but it lacked story, mystery, suspense and diverse characters.
I can't recommend this book to people who love horror stories, like I do. I think the only ones who would enjoy this story are the die-hard YA fans. It has everything that YA is known for: romance and teen drama, but it's lacking in everything else. Other than that, I don't think I'll read another book by Ward, but as far as Point horror books go, I will still give them a shot.
Besides her 'accident,' Amelia leads a normal life with her mother, father and brother, Hunter - - - she also has a small group of friends. After her 'fall,' a body of a teen girl from the same town is found in a nearby river, but the town gossips, and makes it seem that this girl committed suicide, leaving Amelia worried that her family would think the same thing about her. Depression is something that Amelia's family has had to deal with before, but the talk of depression is candid and not very enlightening; her brother, Hunter, who is in therapy for such doesn't even talk about it, instead he's usually seen playing soccer or Fortnite, this seems to be a broad attempt to bring mental health into the story,but without going into that subject, it failed as a story line. Yet, one of the main causes of depression today is social media, which we find Amelia stalking one of her best friends/love interest on- - -if Ward was trying to reach the YA community about depression, she went the wrong way about it.
Another mistake that Ward made was when Amelia receives an anonymous text message from someone telling her to 'Just let it go,Amelia,' this occurs after she has started investigating whether her 'accident' was an accident. Amelia tells us that she is always suspicious of everyone, but when this text message comes around, it's as if she could care less. She even tries to take the anonymous message as advice: " 'Or it's advice.' I feel backed into a corner. It's one thing to believe someone hurt me and another thing to have proof of it. I don't want this to be proof. 'I mean, Sky's always telling me I should let my life get back to normal, and she doesn't even know I'm thinking any of this. Maybe someone else feels that way,too.' " In reality, if you believed that someone attempted to murder you, and suddenly you are receiving a cryptic message about letting it go, wouldn't the logic thing to do is go to the police?? Amelia doesn't!
Ward has written three other YA novels, 'Lie to Me' being her fourth. The writing in this story is bad in some places, for example, a scene with Amelia and her best friend, Sky, meeting up at the 'screen' (technically a giant drive-in movie theater screen); Amelia thinks about how this town is a haven for her, that everyone feels safe, but the very next paragraph, she's stating she doesn't feel safe anymore. This makes sense if you haven't read it, but the way it's written could have been in a much better and concise way. This and most scenes makes the story read like a sloppy diary entry. That, and the killer being predictable so early on in the story made me very disappointed with this book. 'Lie to Me' had great potential from the synopsis, but it lacked story, mystery, suspense and diverse characters.
I can't recommend this book to people who love horror stories, like I do. I think the only ones who would enjoy this story are the die-hard YA fans. It has everything that YA is known for: romance and teen drama, but it's lacking in everything else. Other than that, I don't think I'll read another book by Ward, but as far as Point horror books go, I will still give them a shot.
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Bad Frank (2017) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
I love it when a movie can come completely out of nowhere and surprise this humble reviewer. Bad Frank is exactly that, A movie that on paper looks and sounds like most other Kidnap Revenge thrillers you may have seen over the years. But let me tell you that Bad Frank is far from some of the copy and paste garbage out there.
I was instantly drawn to this Flick after stumbling upon its Twitter page and hey full disclosure I saw Tom Sizemore and Brian O’Halloran and thought ‘Okay, Im in’. Little did I know that after contacting the movies director I was about to watch a somewhat by the numbers movie that takes all of the numbers and turns them on there head with a great tightly written script and one hell of a powerhouse performance (not by either of the two men I named above by the way).
Bad Frank is about a man named ummmm Frank. Frank (played by Kevin Interdonato) is a seemingly normal guy living a seemingly normal existence. He seems to have it all, but you can tell right from the outset that the man has got some demons. We learn that he is on some serious medication to deal with his head aches from a life of regrets, He is estranged from both his mum and dad and struggling to keep his marriage together. Frank is pulled into an easy money job by his buddy Travis (Brandon Heitkamp) who is in deep to Donny Shakes (O’Halloran). What is promised to be a quick job brings Frank face to face with an old acquaintance he would rather forget. Things really go sideways on the job and in turn his life, when Franks wife Gina (Amanda Clayton) is kidnapped by face from the past Mickey Duro (Sizemore). I am gonna stop plot wise now because anymore and I am giving too much away.
Tony Germinario has pulled an absolute stormer out of the bag for his debut feature length movie, a fact that was completely lost on me upon viewing. For a budget of roughly 80k he has used all tricks at his disposal to make it look like a multi million dollar flick and Bad Frank looks all the more impressive for it. A lot of the time a the script to a movie like this can get lost in its own simplicity but Tony wrote a script that really didnt conform to what I was expecting and gave the lead a chance to deliver. So lets just talk about the lead, Kevin Interdonato brings an absolute realism and intensity to this role that sucks you right in and leaves you kinda second guessing yourself, anything could happen with this guy at any moment and that to me is scary. I went from feeling sorry for this guy to thinking well he deserved everything and ending up thinking ‘SHIT’.
Tom Sizemore is in fine form as Sizemore always is. An actor that I personally love and wish got more of the beefier roles but it was great to see him on screen and like I say, seeing his name splashed on the poster was one of the reasons I sought this one out. Then there is Brian O’Halloran doing his thing as he does (always liked this dude since his Clerks days nice to see him spreading his wings).
It is easy to see how Tony and his crew took Bad Frank to Film Fest International in London last week and was not only nominated for 5 awards but Tony himself won Best Director.
I am gonna recommend the shit out of this Flick, Bad Frank is not what you expect going in, there are some pretty cool curve-balls, it moves along at a quick enough pace and no spoilers but the final 10 minutes are a Tour-De-Force. Performances wise you are getting more bang for you buck in what the Director himself considers to be an “as Indie as it gets” movie (not that you can tell mind you).
I was instantly drawn to this Flick after stumbling upon its Twitter page and hey full disclosure I saw Tom Sizemore and Brian O’Halloran and thought ‘Okay, Im in’. Little did I know that after contacting the movies director I was about to watch a somewhat by the numbers movie that takes all of the numbers and turns them on there head with a great tightly written script and one hell of a powerhouse performance (not by either of the two men I named above by the way).
Bad Frank is about a man named ummmm Frank. Frank (played by Kevin Interdonato) is a seemingly normal guy living a seemingly normal existence. He seems to have it all, but you can tell right from the outset that the man has got some demons. We learn that he is on some serious medication to deal with his head aches from a life of regrets, He is estranged from both his mum and dad and struggling to keep his marriage together. Frank is pulled into an easy money job by his buddy Travis (Brandon Heitkamp) who is in deep to Donny Shakes (O’Halloran). What is promised to be a quick job brings Frank face to face with an old acquaintance he would rather forget. Things really go sideways on the job and in turn his life, when Franks wife Gina (Amanda Clayton) is kidnapped by face from the past Mickey Duro (Sizemore). I am gonna stop plot wise now because anymore and I am giving too much away.
Tony Germinario has pulled an absolute stormer out of the bag for his debut feature length movie, a fact that was completely lost on me upon viewing. For a budget of roughly 80k he has used all tricks at his disposal to make it look like a multi million dollar flick and Bad Frank looks all the more impressive for it. A lot of the time a the script to a movie like this can get lost in its own simplicity but Tony wrote a script that really didnt conform to what I was expecting and gave the lead a chance to deliver. So lets just talk about the lead, Kevin Interdonato brings an absolute realism and intensity to this role that sucks you right in and leaves you kinda second guessing yourself, anything could happen with this guy at any moment and that to me is scary. I went from feeling sorry for this guy to thinking well he deserved everything and ending up thinking ‘SHIT’.
Tom Sizemore is in fine form as Sizemore always is. An actor that I personally love and wish got more of the beefier roles but it was great to see him on screen and like I say, seeing his name splashed on the poster was one of the reasons I sought this one out. Then there is Brian O’Halloran doing his thing as he does (always liked this dude since his Clerks days nice to see him spreading his wings).
It is easy to see how Tony and his crew took Bad Frank to Film Fest International in London last week and was not only nominated for 5 awards but Tony himself won Best Director.
I am gonna recommend the shit out of this Flick, Bad Frank is not what you expect going in, there are some pretty cool curve-balls, it moves along at a quick enough pace and no spoilers but the final 10 minutes are a Tour-De-Force. Performances wise you are getting more bang for you buck in what the Director himself considers to be an “as Indie as it gets” movie (not that you can tell mind you).
Darren (1599 KP) rated Shallow Hal (2001) in Movies
Nov 28, 2019
Verdict: Sweet Little Comedy
Story: Shallow Hal starts as we meet Hal (Black) who was given advice from his father to never settle always shot for the stars when trying to meet women. Now in adult life he is a nice guy but he only targets models, always striking out, even if his friends try to convince him to learn about the women first.
After getting trapped in an elevator with Anthony Robbins a television hypnotist, he pulls a trick on him to see women for their inner beauty, which sees him meeting Rosemary (Paltrow) seeing her as a beautiful women, when she is really a bigger women, somebody Hal would never give a second glance to, Hal’s best friend Mauricio (Alexander) is getting worried his friend has changed.
Thoughts on Shallow Hal
Characters – Hal saw his father die young giving him one piece of advice, never settle when it comes to the ladies. Keeping that in his mind he has only ever tried to date models, without much success. He gets hypnotised into seeing the inner beauty only which to meet Rosemary a bigger woman he only sees as a beautiful woman, which sees him learn the lesson in life that people are not just what the outside shows. Rosemary is the woman Hal sees as a beautiful model, but she is a bigger girl with a heart of gold, which under the spell that Hal is under he doesn’t see, she is reluctant to let Hal into her life, but eventually believes him to be good. Mauricio is the shallow best friend of Hal’s, they have both only tried to date the beautiful women, he sees something wrong with his friend and tries to fix it. Steve Shanahan is Rosemary’s father and Hal’s boss who sees the positives in Hal, but will protect his daughter at any cost.
Performances – Jack Black in the lead of a comedy like this works wonders, he can play both sides with ease being the charmer that isn’t afraid whether he strikes out or not. Gwyneth Paltrow is great too showing she can handle comedy without needing to be the one running with the jokes. Jason Alexander provides fun supporting role that shows his skills in comedy.
Story – The story here follows a man Hal that believes he can only date models after being raised to never settle for less, when he gets hypnotised he learns to admire the inner beauty in women never seeing any of their outside flaws like the rest of the world, we are left to see if he can learn to just ignore everything once the spell wears off. This is an interesting look at romance, it shows us just how important trying to find love can be and getting to know a person is more important than anything else. This aside we do seem to have one flaw in the story and that is only some of the people change, while others remain completely the same, which does seem strange and it also only seems to show people that volunteer being less attractive, while the career driven women more than men are seen to be ugly inside. That aside we are focusing more on the struggles that Hal’s friend is facing with his change, more than Hal needing to learn about his changes.
Comedy/Romance – The comedy largely comes from Jack Black, while some of the lines seem awkward when we know the difference between the two Rosemary’s he delivers his comedy in such a confident way it shines through, with the romance being about how falling in love can happen with the person you least expect at times.
Settings – The film is set in the big city and shows how people can be ignored at times, while other times they could be right there in your life.
Scene of the Movie – Leaving Party.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We do seem to imply that women who volunteer are beautiful on the inside, not career women.
Final Thoughts – This is a comedy that hits most of its marks, it plays into Jack Black’s strengths proving that giving him the right material he can improve any movie.
Overall: Funny for the Most Part.
After getting trapped in an elevator with Anthony Robbins a television hypnotist, he pulls a trick on him to see women for their inner beauty, which sees him meeting Rosemary (Paltrow) seeing her as a beautiful women, when she is really a bigger women, somebody Hal would never give a second glance to, Hal’s best friend Mauricio (Alexander) is getting worried his friend has changed.
Thoughts on Shallow Hal
Characters – Hal saw his father die young giving him one piece of advice, never settle when it comes to the ladies. Keeping that in his mind he has only ever tried to date models, without much success. He gets hypnotised into seeing the inner beauty only which to meet Rosemary a bigger woman he only sees as a beautiful woman, which sees him learn the lesson in life that people are not just what the outside shows. Rosemary is the woman Hal sees as a beautiful model, but she is a bigger girl with a heart of gold, which under the spell that Hal is under he doesn’t see, she is reluctant to let Hal into her life, but eventually believes him to be good. Mauricio is the shallow best friend of Hal’s, they have both only tried to date the beautiful women, he sees something wrong with his friend and tries to fix it. Steve Shanahan is Rosemary’s father and Hal’s boss who sees the positives in Hal, but will protect his daughter at any cost.
Performances – Jack Black in the lead of a comedy like this works wonders, he can play both sides with ease being the charmer that isn’t afraid whether he strikes out or not. Gwyneth Paltrow is great too showing she can handle comedy without needing to be the one running with the jokes. Jason Alexander provides fun supporting role that shows his skills in comedy.
Story – The story here follows a man Hal that believes he can only date models after being raised to never settle for less, when he gets hypnotised he learns to admire the inner beauty in women never seeing any of their outside flaws like the rest of the world, we are left to see if he can learn to just ignore everything once the spell wears off. This is an interesting look at romance, it shows us just how important trying to find love can be and getting to know a person is more important than anything else. This aside we do seem to have one flaw in the story and that is only some of the people change, while others remain completely the same, which does seem strange and it also only seems to show people that volunteer being less attractive, while the career driven women more than men are seen to be ugly inside. That aside we are focusing more on the struggles that Hal’s friend is facing with his change, more than Hal needing to learn about his changes.
Comedy/Romance – The comedy largely comes from Jack Black, while some of the lines seem awkward when we know the difference between the two Rosemary’s he delivers his comedy in such a confident way it shines through, with the romance being about how falling in love can happen with the person you least expect at times.
Settings – The film is set in the big city and shows how people can be ignored at times, while other times they could be right there in your life.
Scene of the Movie – Leaving Party.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We do seem to imply that women who volunteer are beautiful on the inside, not career women.
Final Thoughts – This is a comedy that hits most of its marks, it plays into Jack Black’s strengths proving that giving him the right material he can improve any movie.
Overall: Funny for the Most Part.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4) in Books
Jan 21, 2020
Usually I don't read romance novels since they really aren't my thing. However, there was something about the synopsis of Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis that caught my attention. Perhaps it was the fact that there were family secrets involved! Luckily, I really really enjoyed Almost Just Friends.
Piper is a young woman who has always been in control, so much so that she even has a bullet journal to help her through life. She's raised her siblings since she was 13, and when they return home, Piper eventually learns what secrets her brother and sister are keeping from her. During this, she is falling head over heels for her next door neighbor's son, Cam, who is home from the military. These feelings for Cam might just be her undoing!
I will say that I loved the plot for Almost Just Friends. Everything about it felt very realistic and like something that happens almost every day in small town America. I enjoyed the love story between Cam and Piper and how it took its time developing instead of just being instalove. I also enjoyed the narrative between Piper and her siblings. I could picture every single scene in my mind quite clearly thanks to Jill Shalvis' fantastic story telling! Almost Just Friends answered all my questions by the end of the book, and there were no cliffhangers which I was thankful for.
I enjoyed every single character in Almost Just Friends. They all brought their own personality to the table, and they were each very interesting to read about. All of the characters in this novel felt like they could be someone I could relate to as well as making fantastic friends. Piper starts off being too self reliant. It was nice to see her start letting others help her. She was forced to grow up at a young age after the death of her parents, so I could understand why she was scared of losing control and putting faith in other people. I loved how patient Cam was with Piper. He was so loving and helpful. It was also nice to see him blending in so well with Piper's siblings and wanting to help out. Cam was such a charming man with such a larger than life personality. Gavin, Piper's brother, had been fighting his own demons. I kept wondering if he'd go back to his own ways or not. I loved his relationship with CJ and how he wasn't going to let CJ walk away from him so easily. Gavin always was great at relieving tense and awkward situations which one thing I really loved about him! Winnie, Piper's sister, was the youngest out of Piper, Gavin, and herself. Winnie decided it was time for her to start being more adult like instead of child like. Her news was the biggest, in my opinion, and while I could understand why she wanted to keep it from Piper, I wish she would have told Piper from the get go. However, Winnie had me smiling whenever I read about her. I admired her tenacity to want to be Miss Fix It. Emmit, Cam's dad, was ever the comedian! I loved how happy go lucky he was and his sunny disposition on life was. It was as if nothing ever bothered him, and I admired that about him. Every single character in Almost Just Friends made it such a fantastic read!
Trigger warnings for Almost Just Friends include profanity, some sexual situations (although nothing too graphic), death, and mentions of prescription drug abuse.
All in all, Almost Just Friends is such a heartwarming read with a fantastic set of characters and a solid plot. This was my first book I read by Jill Shalvis, but it certainly won't be my last! I would definitely recommend Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis to those aged 17+ who are after an uplifting novel that deals with family with a sweet romance thrown in.
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(A special thank you to William Morrow with a paperback of Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Piper is a young woman who has always been in control, so much so that she even has a bullet journal to help her through life. She's raised her siblings since she was 13, and when they return home, Piper eventually learns what secrets her brother and sister are keeping from her. During this, she is falling head over heels for her next door neighbor's son, Cam, who is home from the military. These feelings for Cam might just be her undoing!
I will say that I loved the plot for Almost Just Friends. Everything about it felt very realistic and like something that happens almost every day in small town America. I enjoyed the love story between Cam and Piper and how it took its time developing instead of just being instalove. I also enjoyed the narrative between Piper and her siblings. I could picture every single scene in my mind quite clearly thanks to Jill Shalvis' fantastic story telling! Almost Just Friends answered all my questions by the end of the book, and there were no cliffhangers which I was thankful for.
I enjoyed every single character in Almost Just Friends. They all brought their own personality to the table, and they were each very interesting to read about. All of the characters in this novel felt like they could be someone I could relate to as well as making fantastic friends. Piper starts off being too self reliant. It was nice to see her start letting others help her. She was forced to grow up at a young age after the death of her parents, so I could understand why she was scared of losing control and putting faith in other people. I loved how patient Cam was with Piper. He was so loving and helpful. It was also nice to see him blending in so well with Piper's siblings and wanting to help out. Cam was such a charming man with such a larger than life personality. Gavin, Piper's brother, had been fighting his own demons. I kept wondering if he'd go back to his own ways or not. I loved his relationship with CJ and how he wasn't going to let CJ walk away from him so easily. Gavin always was great at relieving tense and awkward situations which one thing I really loved about him! Winnie, Piper's sister, was the youngest out of Piper, Gavin, and herself. Winnie decided it was time for her to start being more adult like instead of child like. Her news was the biggest, in my opinion, and while I could understand why she wanted to keep it from Piper, I wish she would have told Piper from the get go. However, Winnie had me smiling whenever I read about her. I admired her tenacity to want to be Miss Fix It. Emmit, Cam's dad, was ever the comedian! I loved how happy go lucky he was and his sunny disposition on life was. It was as if nothing ever bothered him, and I admired that about him. Every single character in Almost Just Friends made it such a fantastic read!
Trigger warnings for Almost Just Friends include profanity, some sexual situations (although nothing too graphic), death, and mentions of prescription drug abuse.
All in all, Almost Just Friends is such a heartwarming read with a fantastic set of characters and a solid plot. This was my first book I read by Jill Shalvis, but it certainly won't be my last! I would definitely recommend Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis to those aged 17+ who are after an uplifting novel that deals with family with a sweet romance thrown in.
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(A special thank you to William Morrow with a paperback of Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Where the Crawdads Sing in Books
Feb 3, 2019
The beautiful prose (2 more)
The interesting plot
The well written characters
A Beautifully Written Novel
I have to admit that when I first heard about Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, it didn't sound like a book I'd want to read. However, as I kept seeing rave reviews for it, I decided to take a chance on it, and I am so glad I did because this book was amazing!
The plot for Where the Crawdads Sing was an interesting one. I found myself immersed in it throughout, even the parts about nature and poetry which I'm not into. Delia Owens wrote this book beautifully where ever piece fit together perfectly. Where the Crawdads Sing felt so realistic and like I was there every step on the way. The prose was amazing, and I can honestly say that I have not read a more beautifully written book. There are a few plot twists, and I didn't see them coming! I didn't even get the death of Chase right! There are no cliff hangers in this book, and all of my questions where answered.
I thought each and every character in Where the Crawdads Sing were written superbly. I loved the main character of Kya. It was so interesting watching her grow up without a family and turn into a beautiful, intelligent, and kind young lady. Her innocence was reassuring even if did get her in trouble. The character of Kya was such a breath of fresh air. It was amazing how she was able to look after herself when she had no one else even at a young age. Jumpin' was another one of my favorite characters. He was such a larger than life character, and he always seemed so optimistic was was fantastic! I loved how caring Tate was and how patient he was with Kya. I was always hoping those two would end up together. I didn't trust Chase from the get go, but even he was written really well. I loved how the author, Delia Owens, even included what happened to most of the characters years in the future. The only minor thing that bothered me was that when the characters spoke, they spoke in their own dialect which could be annoying at times, but it did not ruin this book for me at all.
The pacing in Where the Crawdads Sing was done so well. I was hooked from the very first page. Never once did the pacing slow down where I found myself bored. I was constantly enthralled by every page in this book. I could not get enough! The words flowed beautifully.
Trigger warnings for Where the Crawdads Sing include profanity, child neglect and abandonment, child abuse, attempted rape, violence, possible murder, sexual situations, alcoholism, racial slurs, and overly judgmental people.
All in all, Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautifully written book through and through. The writing was brilliant, and the characters were written beautifully. The plot is just as fantastic and very interesting. I would definitely recommend Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens to everyone aged 16+. This is one of those books that needs to be read!
The plot for Where the Crawdads Sing was an interesting one. I found myself immersed in it throughout, even the parts about nature and poetry which I'm not into. Delia Owens wrote this book beautifully where ever piece fit together perfectly. Where the Crawdads Sing felt so realistic and like I was there every step on the way. The prose was amazing, and I can honestly say that I have not read a more beautifully written book. There are a few plot twists, and I didn't see them coming! I didn't even get the death of Chase right! There are no cliff hangers in this book, and all of my questions where answered.
I thought each and every character in Where the Crawdads Sing were written superbly. I loved the main character of Kya. It was so interesting watching her grow up without a family and turn into a beautiful, intelligent, and kind young lady. Her innocence was reassuring even if did get her in trouble. The character of Kya was such a breath of fresh air. It was amazing how she was able to look after herself when she had no one else even at a young age. Jumpin' was another one of my favorite characters. He was such a larger than life character, and he always seemed so optimistic was was fantastic! I loved how caring Tate was and how patient he was with Kya. I was always hoping those two would end up together. I didn't trust Chase from the get go, but even he was written really well. I loved how the author, Delia Owens, even included what happened to most of the characters years in the future. The only minor thing that bothered me was that when the characters spoke, they spoke in their own dialect which could be annoying at times, but it did not ruin this book for me at all.
The pacing in Where the Crawdads Sing was done so well. I was hooked from the very first page. Never once did the pacing slow down where I found myself bored. I was constantly enthralled by every page in this book. I could not get enough! The words flowed beautifully.
Trigger warnings for Where the Crawdads Sing include profanity, child neglect and abandonment, child abuse, attempted rape, violence, possible murder, sexual situations, alcoholism, racial slurs, and overly judgmental people.
All in all, Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautifully written book through and through. The writing was brilliant, and the characters were written beautifully. The plot is just as fantastic and very interesting. I would definitely recommend Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens to everyone aged 16+. This is one of those books that needs to be read!
Mothergamer (1571 KP) rated Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
The Frozen Wilds is the new DLC for the game Horizon Zero Dawn. I was excited to revisit that world and play as Aloy again. The content can be done after the main story is finished and it integrates very well with it. You get to explore a beautiful new area and learn even more about the nomadic tribe, the Banuk. I always liked the Banuk because their spirituality and structure were interesting. Frozen Wilds brings Aloy to a snowy mountain area known as The Cut and a Banuk tribe in order to investigate new machines that are incredibly strong and aggressive. It should be noted that the new area is challenging so players should be at least level 40 or higher before attempting it.
Aloy arrives at The Cut.
The combat is as great as it always was. There's also new skills that can be unlocked such as repairing machine mounts. There are new weapons as well that can be modified and upgraded via a quest. I had a lot of fun with these because they did some excellent damage and were just fun to play with. There is also new armor which is great for the new area because it adds protection from the elements and various attacks from the new machines.
The machines in The Cut are definitely dangerous. They're stronger, challenging, and the sense of danger is quite high. The battles are intense making you think about strategies in order to take down enemies. Adding to this is the introduction of Control Towers, machines that look like spindly flowers and emit a pulse which heal the machines in the area. The new weapons are incorporated into this and they make the fights a lot of fun.
Aloy battles a new machine in the Frozen Wilds.
Aloy is still as endearing as ever while being a wonderful strong female character. The new people she meets are also strong and terrific adding more depth to the story. The story for the Frozen Wilds is complex and interesting while adding more insights into the main story. It also answers some questions about some familiar characters in the main story.
The world of Frozen Wilds is a snowy tundra that is challenging yet beautiful and a lot of fun to explore. There are plenty of side quests to do along with the side quest. These offer more insights into the Banuk tribe as well and explores where their faith and spirituality belong in a world that is harsh and unforgiving. Just stopping in to take the view while playing was worth it. There are so many spectacular scenes in the game and I relished every minute of it.
A great view.
Frozen Wilds is amazing. It's 15 hours of fantastic gameplay and story. I enjoyed all of it and the completionist in me unlocked everything. It adds a lot of great elements to the main story and the entire game overall. It's a grand adventure and I was happy that I visited Aloy's world again.
Aloy arrives at The Cut.
The combat is as great as it always was. There's also new skills that can be unlocked such as repairing machine mounts. There are new weapons as well that can be modified and upgraded via a quest. I had a lot of fun with these because they did some excellent damage and were just fun to play with. There is also new armor which is great for the new area because it adds protection from the elements and various attacks from the new machines.
The machines in The Cut are definitely dangerous. They're stronger, challenging, and the sense of danger is quite high. The battles are intense making you think about strategies in order to take down enemies. Adding to this is the introduction of Control Towers, machines that look like spindly flowers and emit a pulse which heal the machines in the area. The new weapons are incorporated into this and they make the fights a lot of fun.
Aloy battles a new machine in the Frozen Wilds.
Aloy is still as endearing as ever while being a wonderful strong female character. The new people she meets are also strong and terrific adding more depth to the story. The story for the Frozen Wilds is complex and interesting while adding more insights into the main story. It also answers some questions about some familiar characters in the main story.
The world of Frozen Wilds is a snowy tundra that is challenging yet beautiful and a lot of fun to explore. There are plenty of side quests to do along with the side quest. These offer more insights into the Banuk tribe as well and explores where their faith and spirituality belong in a world that is harsh and unforgiving. Just stopping in to take the view while playing was worth it. There are so many spectacular scenes in the game and I relished every minute of it.
A great view.
Frozen Wilds is amazing. It's 15 hours of fantastic gameplay and story. I enjoyed all of it and the completionist in me unlocked everything. It adds a lot of great elements to the main story and the entire game overall. It's a grand adventure and I was happy that I visited Aloy's world again.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Sausage Party (2016) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Utterly Ridiculous
Just when Sharknado: the 4th Awakens made you think film-making couldn’t get any more ridiculous, a movie like Sausage Party comes along to remind you that Hollywood can always go that one step further to mind-boggling peculiarity.
Of course, that’s not always a bad thing, there have been countless weird and wacky films over the years that have gone on to become cult classics – look at Kick-Ass or even Pulp Fiction for examples of that. But for every Pulp Fiction there’s a Sharknado. So is Sausage Party good weird or as stale as a month-old bagel?
From the mind of Seth Rogen, Sausage Party is a strictly adults only animation that combines hugely offensive language and racial stereotypes with surprisingly meaningful religious undertones. And do you know what? It’s a breath of fresh air.
Life is good for all the food items that occupy the shelves at the local supermarket. Frank (Seth Rogen) the sausage, Brenda (Kristen Wiig) the hot dog bun, Teresa Taco and Sammy Bagel Jr. (Edward Norton) can’t wait to go home with a happy customer. Soon, their world comes crashing down as poor Frank learns the horrifying truth that he will eventually become a meal. After warning his pals about their similar fate, the panicked perishables devise a plan to escape from their human enemies.
Directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan take Rogen’s intriguing premise and inject a warmly familiar animation style, distancing itself just enough to make any comparisons simply inconceivable. Sausage Party is like nothing you will have ever seen.
The voice-acting is great too. Rogen plays his usual film staple – in sausage form – with the spicy Salma Hayek outdoing everyone else as a lustful taco. Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Michael Cera and Jonah Hill also lend their familiar voices to a hot-dog bun, a bottle of spirit and two other frankfurters respectively.
Elsewhere, the comedy, for the most part, hits the spot. As dreadful as it sounds, the racial stereotyping works incredibly well in food form. British tea, Mexican taco shells and German sauerkraut will have you rolling about the aisles with their outrageous vulgarity, but everyone needs to release their inner teenager once in a while.
Unfortunately, the films standout sequence has already been shown in the trailer – a side-splitting food-eye view of a normal kitchen, before every edible item is butchered; that poor Irish potato didn’t stand a chance. This is a real shame as the rest of the film doesn’t quite match up to the standard of that scene.
Nevertheless, there’ll be chuckles throughout as numerous celebrities are parodied in food form. One in particular, immortalised in chewing gum, is incredibly well thought out.
And that’s where Sausage Party succeeds the most. Underneath the polished animation and crude humour, this film is actually kind of clever. It tackles religion, war, race, sexuality and food waste very well indeed and that’s something the genre doesn’t ask for. It’s just unfortunate that it’s not quite as funny as the trailer would have you believe.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/09/03/utterly-ridiculous-sausage-party-review/
Of course, that’s not always a bad thing, there have been countless weird and wacky films over the years that have gone on to become cult classics – look at Kick-Ass or even Pulp Fiction for examples of that. But for every Pulp Fiction there’s a Sharknado. So is Sausage Party good weird or as stale as a month-old bagel?
From the mind of Seth Rogen, Sausage Party is a strictly adults only animation that combines hugely offensive language and racial stereotypes with surprisingly meaningful religious undertones. And do you know what? It’s a breath of fresh air.
Life is good for all the food items that occupy the shelves at the local supermarket. Frank (Seth Rogen) the sausage, Brenda (Kristen Wiig) the hot dog bun, Teresa Taco and Sammy Bagel Jr. (Edward Norton) can’t wait to go home with a happy customer. Soon, their world comes crashing down as poor Frank learns the horrifying truth that he will eventually become a meal. After warning his pals about their similar fate, the panicked perishables devise a plan to escape from their human enemies.
Directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan take Rogen’s intriguing premise and inject a warmly familiar animation style, distancing itself just enough to make any comparisons simply inconceivable. Sausage Party is like nothing you will have ever seen.
The voice-acting is great too. Rogen plays his usual film staple – in sausage form – with the spicy Salma Hayek outdoing everyone else as a lustful taco. Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Michael Cera and Jonah Hill also lend their familiar voices to a hot-dog bun, a bottle of spirit and two other frankfurters respectively.
Elsewhere, the comedy, for the most part, hits the spot. As dreadful as it sounds, the racial stereotyping works incredibly well in food form. British tea, Mexican taco shells and German sauerkraut will have you rolling about the aisles with their outrageous vulgarity, but everyone needs to release their inner teenager once in a while.
Unfortunately, the films standout sequence has already been shown in the trailer – a side-splitting food-eye view of a normal kitchen, before every edible item is butchered; that poor Irish potato didn’t stand a chance. This is a real shame as the rest of the film doesn’t quite match up to the standard of that scene.
Nevertheless, there’ll be chuckles throughout as numerous celebrities are parodied in food form. One in particular, immortalised in chewing gum, is incredibly well thought out.
And that’s where Sausage Party succeeds the most. Underneath the polished animation and crude humour, this film is actually kind of clever. It tackles religion, war, race, sexuality and food waste very well indeed and that’s something the genre doesn’t ask for. It’s just unfortunate that it’s not quite as funny as the trailer would have you believe.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/09/03/utterly-ridiculous-sausage-party-review/
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Girl Before in Books
Jan 21, 2018
Suspenseful and different novel
Two wounded women reeling from personal issues are looking for a new apartment. For Emma, she requires a safe place after being the victim of a break-in while her loyal boyfriend, Simon, was out. For Jane, it is a new place that holds no reminders of the baby she lost. For each woman, the house at One Folgate Street seems to offer exactly what they are looking for. It is designed by well-known architect, Edward Monkford, and comes with a set of rules created by the inscrutable man himself. In fact, to live at One Folgate Streets means signing off on over 200 rules, ranging from no books or personal mementos, to total tidiness, to agreeing to showing the house on architectural tours, to accepting to the intense technology that it comes with, including the house monitoring your well-being and moods. At first, the rules and clarity that come with One Folgate Street seem comforting to Emma and Jane. But as they spend more time in the house--and learn about its past, including its mysterious builder--they become terrifying and stifling.
THE GIRL BEFORE is a fascinating novel told solely from the point of view of Emma, One Folgate Street's previous tenant, and Jane, its current tenant. All activities are filtered through the lens of these two women. The novel effectively builds suspense with the parallel nature of the two women's stories, but it also can get a little repetitive at times (and sometimes a little confusing, as you have to remind yourself, mostly in the beginning, who is talking). The book starts off exciting, as you are drawn into both Emma and Jane's tales while they acclimate to the house and all the oddities it offers. The house itself almost becomes another character in the novel. It starts to drag a bit halfway through as you wonder what will happen in the next half (people living in a technologically advanced house can only be so exciting, right?). But then, suddenly, the novel takes some odd turns (there are some interesting sexual plot twists) and eventually grows quite interesting again with some psychological and thrilling revelations. Perhaps my favorite part about this book is that many of these developments truly surprised me, which isn't always easy to do in a thriller.
Overall, this is an interesting novel. It's certainly suspenseful and different. To enjoy it, you really have to set your disbelief aside at the actual conditions of living at One Folgate Street (no books, what?!) and accept that the two women are so broken (and perhaps broke, as the house apparently comes at a great discount) that they will go along with anything. It has a lot of varied plot threads and some of them aren't always fully explored or truly necessary, which can be a little frustrating. Still, the book truly surprised me with its twists and kept me entertained, with a deep desire to get to the end. Overall, 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
THE GIRL BEFORE is a fascinating novel told solely from the point of view of Emma, One Folgate Street's previous tenant, and Jane, its current tenant. All activities are filtered through the lens of these two women. The novel effectively builds suspense with the parallel nature of the two women's stories, but it also can get a little repetitive at times (and sometimes a little confusing, as you have to remind yourself, mostly in the beginning, who is talking). The book starts off exciting, as you are drawn into both Emma and Jane's tales while they acclimate to the house and all the oddities it offers. The house itself almost becomes another character in the novel. It starts to drag a bit halfway through as you wonder what will happen in the next half (people living in a technologically advanced house can only be so exciting, right?). But then, suddenly, the novel takes some odd turns (there are some interesting sexual plot twists) and eventually grows quite interesting again with some psychological and thrilling revelations. Perhaps my favorite part about this book is that many of these developments truly surprised me, which isn't always easy to do in a thriller.
Overall, this is an interesting novel. It's certainly suspenseful and different. To enjoy it, you really have to set your disbelief aside at the actual conditions of living at One Folgate Street (no books, what?!) and accept that the two women are so broken (and perhaps broke, as the house apparently comes at a great discount) that they will go along with anything. It has a lot of varied plot threads and some of them aren't always fully explored or truly necessary, which can be a little frustrating. Still, the book truly surprised me with its twists and kept me entertained, with a deep desire to get to the end. Overall, 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street #1) in Books
Oct 9, 2018
The Plot (3 more)
The Characters
The Pacing
The World Building
R.L.Stine Does It Again!
I was a huge R.L. Stine fan back when I was in school. I was constantly reading every book I could read by R.L. Stine. I credit him with my love of horror books. Anyway, when I heard R.L. Stine was writing new Fear Street books, I had to read them! The first in this series is You May Now Kill the Bride. I absolutely loved it!
The pacing for You May Now Kill the Bride is fantastic! This book really was a page turner. I found myself not wanting to put it down. Each page had me hungry for me.
I really enjoyed the plot of You May Now Kill the Bride. Part of this story takes places in 1924 where we learn about the Fear/Goode curse. A Fear wedding takes place, but it really doesn't good as planned and tragedy ensues. The other part of the story takes place in present day. Another Fear wedding is about to take place, but it doesn't happen because the bride has gone missing. Will this Fear wedding end in tragedy as well? There were a few plot twists which I really enjoyed even if a couple of the plot twists were somewhat predictable. Even though You May Now Kill the Bride is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. There were no cliffhangers at the end of the book, and all of my questions were answered.
R.L. Stine did an amazing job with the world building like always. I always felt like I was part of the story. Even though this is a work of fiction, everything felt real. I found myself even holding my breath at the most climactic parts of You May Now Kill the Bride.
I felt that all the characters in You May Now Kill the Bride were fleshed out very well. I enjoyed all the characters very much. My favorite character was Ruth-Ann. It was hard not to like her as I could really relate to her on a personal level. However, all the characters were interesting to read about even the minor characters. Most of the story is told in first person from Harmony's point of view. While I did find Harmony annoying right at first, I quickly ended up liking her.
Trigger warnings for You May Now Kill the Bride include magic, the occult, murder/death, and minor violence. There's also one scene where a character hurts their hand which isn't overly graphic, but those who are a bit squeamish may not like it too much. There's also another scene about a body being found after being found at the bottom of a cliff. The description isn't very graphic, but some may find it unsettling.
Overall, You May Now Kill the Bride was such a really good and quick read. The plot is fantastic, and the characters are written very well. Fans of R.L. Stine will truly love this story especially those that loved the original Fear Street series. I would definitely recommend You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine to everyone aged 15+. It was so good!
The pacing for You May Now Kill the Bride is fantastic! This book really was a page turner. I found myself not wanting to put it down. Each page had me hungry for me.
I really enjoyed the plot of You May Now Kill the Bride. Part of this story takes places in 1924 where we learn about the Fear/Goode curse. A Fear wedding takes place, but it really doesn't good as planned and tragedy ensues. The other part of the story takes place in present day. Another Fear wedding is about to take place, but it doesn't happen because the bride has gone missing. Will this Fear wedding end in tragedy as well? There were a few plot twists which I really enjoyed even if a couple of the plot twists were somewhat predictable. Even though You May Now Kill the Bride is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. There were no cliffhangers at the end of the book, and all of my questions were answered.
R.L. Stine did an amazing job with the world building like always. I always felt like I was part of the story. Even though this is a work of fiction, everything felt real. I found myself even holding my breath at the most climactic parts of You May Now Kill the Bride.
I felt that all the characters in You May Now Kill the Bride were fleshed out very well. I enjoyed all the characters very much. My favorite character was Ruth-Ann. It was hard not to like her as I could really relate to her on a personal level. However, all the characters were interesting to read about even the minor characters. Most of the story is told in first person from Harmony's point of view. While I did find Harmony annoying right at first, I quickly ended up liking her.
Trigger warnings for You May Now Kill the Bride include magic, the occult, murder/death, and minor violence. There's also one scene where a character hurts their hand which isn't overly graphic, but those who are a bit squeamish may not like it too much. There's also another scene about a body being found after being found at the bottom of a cliff. The description isn't very graphic, but some may find it unsettling.
Overall, You May Now Kill the Bride was such a really good and quick read. The plot is fantastic, and the characters are written very well. Fans of R.L. Stine will truly love this story especially those that loved the original Fear Street series. I would definitely recommend You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine to everyone aged 15+. It was so good!