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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside in Books
Mar 20, 2023
32 of 235
Book
The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside
By Jessica Ryn
⭐️⭐️⭐️
She’s not lost. She’s just waiting to be found…
‘Completely beguiling – a messy, loveable cast of characters with Dawn at the centre, bringing the light. A truly lovely read’
Beth Morrey, Sunday Times bestselling author of Saving Missy
Dawn Elisabeth Brightside has been running from her past for twenty-two years and two months, precisely.
So when she is offered a bed in St Jude’s Hostel for the Homeless, it means so much more than just a roof over her head.
But with St Jude’s threatened with closure, Dawn worries that everything is about to crumble around her all over again.
Perhaps, with a little help from her new friends, she can find a way to save this light in the darkness?
And maybe, just maybe, Dawn will finally have a place to call home….
It was good sad in places and makes you think that life’s events can change our lives. It was an easy read not something I usually pick up! Overall it was a 3 star as nothing really jump out and grabbed me.
Book
The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside
By Jessica Ryn
⭐️⭐️⭐️
She’s not lost. She’s just waiting to be found…
‘Completely beguiling – a messy, loveable cast of characters with Dawn at the centre, bringing the light. A truly lovely read’
Beth Morrey, Sunday Times bestselling author of Saving Missy
Dawn Elisabeth Brightside has been running from her past for twenty-two years and two months, precisely.
So when she is offered a bed in St Jude’s Hostel for the Homeless, it means so much more than just a roof over her head.
But with St Jude’s threatened with closure, Dawn worries that everything is about to crumble around her all over again.
Perhaps, with a little help from her new friends, she can find a way to save this light in the darkness?
And maybe, just maybe, Dawn will finally have a place to call home….
It was good sad in places and makes you think that life’s events can change our lives. It was an easy read not something I usually pick up! Overall it was a 3 star as nothing really jump out and grabbed me.
Harshini (25 KP) rated The Bunker Diary in Books
Jan 4, 2018
Knew it would win
Contains spoilers, click to show
I read this book for my book club back when it was on the shortlist for the Carnegie award. I was the only one who was sure it was going to win. The theme that year was abuse - I think - though you wouldn't exactly get the idea from the book. The Bunker Diary isn't really an abuse book, but it does have some very jarring and very creepy undertones.
Since Linus is captured by the strange 'blind' man, all he wants to do is figure out where he is and why he's there. His family was rich, though he had lived for a while as a homeless boy since he hated his family, so he assumed it was for the money, but when more people enter the bunker Linus appears to be locked in, he realises that money cannot be the reason. Soon, a strange rag-tag bunch of people are assembled in the bunker and they have to learn to live together. Slowly, though, they realise things about the way they live. They cannot communicate directly to the person who kidnapped them, but they can write notes in the only exit - an elevator. The entire book is Linus' diary.
Since Linus is captured by the strange 'blind' man, all he wants to do is figure out where he is and why he's there. His family was rich, though he had lived for a while as a homeless boy since he hated his family, so he assumed it was for the money, but when more people enter the bunker Linus appears to be locked in, he realises that money cannot be the reason. Soon, a strange rag-tag bunch of people are assembled in the bunker and they have to learn to live together. Slowly, though, they realise things about the way they live. They cannot communicate directly to the person who kidnapped them, but they can write notes in the only exit - an elevator. The entire book is Linus' diary.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Down and Out in Paris and London in Books
Sep 9, 2017
George Orwell, a man of many experiences
I adore George Orwell, not only is he an incredibly gifted writer, he's a cat with nine lives. From living in Burma to fighting in the Spanish Civil War, Orwell has a lived a life rich with experiences hence he is able to make observations many journalists cannot. In this case, Orwell lived in squalor and absolute poverty in both Paris and London, not out of choice mind, but because he had become destitute and extremely poor during his early 20s.
His life living with an extrovert Russian in Paris is vivid, describing real hunger, having had nothing to eat for several days. He ends up working in a few godforsaken squalid hotels in Paris as a dishwasher, with long hours just to make ends meet and quench his hunger. Eventually, after working with rats, he has no choice but to return to England (borrowing money) and finds that it isn't much different. The homeless shelters are basically prison cells, dark and dangerous, but a way to keep off the streets.
In the end, he attempts to give recommendations to what can be done to alleviate the plight of the poverty stricken. It is another interesting chapter of his short but eventful life.
His life living with an extrovert Russian in Paris is vivid, describing real hunger, having had nothing to eat for several days. He ends up working in a few godforsaken squalid hotels in Paris as a dishwasher, with long hours just to make ends meet and quench his hunger. Eventually, after working with rats, he has no choice but to return to England (borrowing money) and finds that it isn't much different. The homeless shelters are basically prison cells, dark and dangerous, but a way to keep off the streets.
In the end, he attempts to give recommendations to what can be done to alleviate the plight of the poverty stricken. It is another interesting chapter of his short but eventful life.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated The Exact Location of Home in Books
Jun 18, 2018
The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner is a story that will pull at the readers heart. In the story Zig and his friends spend a great deal of time together going to garage sales, skipping rocks, and just being together. When Zig gets a gps, they begin geocaching. But Zig hides a secret from his friends that has changed his entire world. As Zig grows, he finds support from an unexpected ally and gives support to a young boy, both facing similar circumstances as Zig.
Messner has given us a compassionate and necessary middle grade story about the reality of homelessness for many children today. This story has a unique premise with the geocaching theme and I love that while the main character is in 8th grade he will be relatable for students both much younger and much older than he is. I would love to get this book into the hands of all teachers and administrators who struggle to understand how difficult school can be for children without a stable home life, and who make well-intended but thoughtless comments about the homeless population.
I received this ARC from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books and Bloomsbury USA Childrens via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Messner has given us a compassionate and necessary middle grade story about the reality of homelessness for many children today. This story has a unique premise with the geocaching theme and I love that while the main character is in 8th grade he will be relatable for students both much younger and much older than he is. I would love to get this book into the hands of all teachers and administrators who struggle to understand how difficult school can be for children without a stable home life, and who make well-intended but thoughtless comments about the homeless population.
I received this ARC from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books and Bloomsbury USA Childrens via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Blue on Blue - Single by Just Loud in Music
Jun 17, 2019
Just Loud is a New York-based singer-songwriter from Virginia. Not too long ago, he released a music video for his “Blue on Blue” single.
The Ben Guzman-directed audiovisual is all about getting to know who Just Loud is and his constantly changing character. The music video reflects him as an entertainer, artist, and his real self.
‘Blue on Blue’ tells an interesting tale which echoes the aftermath of a toxic relationship and downward spiral of a young guy who self-medicates.
The likable tune contains a relatable storyline, Prince-style falsetto vocals, and neo-funk instrumentation scented with an alternative-pop fragrance.
Written by Just Loud with Dave Katz “Sluggo” (Neon Trees, Good Charlotte) and Patrick Nissley (Thirty Seconds to Mars, Yungblud.
Just Loud was raised around a small county church, but his rebellious and inquisitive nature saw him cast away at the age of 15. Shortly afterward, he found himself homeless in New York on a pursuit to pursue music.
Not too long ago, he released his debut EP, entitled, “Episode 1”. The pleasant project features the Top 25 US Alternative Radio hit, “Electrified”, which has amassed millions of streams online.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/just-loud-blue-on-blue/
The Ben Guzman-directed audiovisual is all about getting to know who Just Loud is and his constantly changing character. The music video reflects him as an entertainer, artist, and his real self.
‘Blue on Blue’ tells an interesting tale which echoes the aftermath of a toxic relationship and downward spiral of a young guy who self-medicates.
The likable tune contains a relatable storyline, Prince-style falsetto vocals, and neo-funk instrumentation scented with an alternative-pop fragrance.
Written by Just Loud with Dave Katz “Sluggo” (Neon Trees, Good Charlotte) and Patrick Nissley (Thirty Seconds to Mars, Yungblud.
Just Loud was raised around a small county church, but his rebellious and inquisitive nature saw him cast away at the age of 15. Shortly afterward, he found himself homeless in New York on a pursuit to pursue music.
Not too long ago, he released his debut EP, entitled, “Episode 1”. The pleasant project features the Top 25 US Alternative Radio hit, “Electrified”, which has amassed millions of streams online.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/just-loud-blue-on-blue/
Awix (3310 KP) rated Sorry We Missed You (2019) in Movies
Nov 5, 2019
Another fiercely committed piece of social drama from Ken Loach. The husband and father of a family on the breadline takes a job as a delivery driver in the so-called 'gig economy'; meanwhile, his wife is on a similar zero-hours contract for her work as a carer. The sheer relentless grind of the work and the ceaseless stress that accompanies it - along with the gradual realisation that they have no rights or protection - slowly tears the family apart.
A fairly typical Loach movie, in that it doesn't really aspire to entertain, nor does it attempt to be impartial. The film's thesis - that zero-hours contracts and the gig economy are just mechanisms to exploit the most vulnerable section of the workforce - is left implicit, but is put across with the customary power. This is no-frills film-making, and rough around the edges in places - but the decision to cast non-professionals in key roles pays off as they give deeply affecting performances. I have seen movies about homeless children in Syria which were less emotionally wrenching to watch than this one. An angry film, and one which seeks to communicate that anger to the audience; quite possibly a very important film, but not at all easy viewing.
A fairly typical Loach movie, in that it doesn't really aspire to entertain, nor does it attempt to be impartial. The film's thesis - that zero-hours contracts and the gig economy are just mechanisms to exploit the most vulnerable section of the workforce - is left implicit, but is put across with the customary power. This is no-frills film-making, and rough around the edges in places - but the decision to cast non-professionals in key roles pays off as they give deeply affecting performances. I have seen movies about homeless children in Syria which were less emotionally wrenching to watch than this one. An angry film, and one which seeks to communicate that anger to the audience; quite possibly a very important film, but not at all easy viewing.
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