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Rent-A-Pal (2020)
Rent-A-Pal (2020)
2020 | Horror, Thriller
6
6.8 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A man sits down to watch a vhs tape, it looks like one of those dating videos you used to be able to get years ago before the Internet. He fast forwards a few women but doesn't find any who takes his interest, so he sets about his daily tasks of taking care of his elderly mother with dementia and the household chores, before heading out to re record his own dating video.
Whilst collecting a few more dating profiles, he finds a tape called 'rent a pal' which promises that whoever watches will have a new best friend. Being someone who is lonely he decides to purchase the tape. He plays a little of the tape when he gets home before stopping it and watching a movie with his mum instead.
After putting his mum to bed he heads back to the basement to continue watching his new tape, he decides to talk to the guy on the tape as if he can hear him and passes out drunk.
The next day he finds out he got a match on his dating profile and goes to the store to collect the video, however, he forgets his wallet and goes back home to collect it, but when he returns, his match had already matched with someone else. He asks to take the video home anyway, so he could see what he missed.
He is devastated to see that the girl had similar interests to him and was also a carer. He soon turns to his rent a pal video again to talk to it like a real person. Eventually he is watching it over and over again each day, to the point where it becomes an obsession. Even when he goes on a date, he comes home to tell the video about his day and starts letting the guy in the video dictate his life.
It is a very strange movie, the guy in the video isn't actually talking to him but he pretends he is and even calls him his best friend!! It is a well acted movie though, especially by the woman playing David's mother, she really is believable in playing a woman with dementia. It's definitely one of those movies where you become drawn in and eager to see how it ends, but I wouldn't watch it again.
  
I think I'm reading books too fast for the following reasons:

~ It was spring break. I probably got cabin fever. 101°F most likely
~ It was short, compared to a lot of other books I typically really, which are usually 350+
~ It really was action-packed and suspenseful

The last part is a fact, and to my embarrassment, I didn't realize April Henry was the exact same author who wrote Girl, Stolen which I actually loved (I forgot if it was Book Battle, Truman Readers Award Nominee, or both). Or maybe I just forgot who the author was. Whoops.

The Body in the Woods follows multiple perspectives – Alexis, Nick, Ruby, and why yes, the murderer on the occasional basis of creepiness. e_e *ominous music* Alexis' is someone who doesn't let others become close to her (sounds like me) and has a delusional mother who hates her medication, Nick had no father figure for most of his life and tries getting attention just to fit in, and Ruby has interests no one else seems to understand. But while all of that is true, there seems to be one thing in common between the three: they're odd and simply want to fit in with the world.

All three are part of Portland's Search and Rescue, which is actually mainly made up of teen volunteers who search for missing people. While on the search for a missing man in Forest Park – no, not the one in Missouri where the Muny is at – they end up finding a girl... dead.

The multiple POVs actually had a handy advantage: it pretty much kept me at the edge of my seat. A chapter ends at a suspenseful part, I turn the page in hopes of finding out what happens and I end up with a different person entirely. Unfortunately though... there were these random POVs from other people that just seem to pop out of nowhere and proved to be a bit of a distraction from the main 4.

Well written and page turning, The Body in the Woods reminded me of CSI from a witnesses' and murderer's point of view instead of law enforcement. Not bad for April Henry's latest novel, even if I only read one other book. It'll be great for mystery peeps though!
-----------------
ARC copy provided by publisher
Original review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/arc-review-the-body-in-the-woods-by-april-henry.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
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Cinderella Takes the Stage
Cinderella Takes the Stage
Tessa Roehl | 2017 | Children
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This childhood tale of Cinderella is simple and light-hearted with beautiful sentiments and messages throughout: perfect for the little reader in your lives. The illustrations by Adrienne Brown are also incredibly beautiful, with pumpkin carriage watermarks and gorgeous details on each page.

Ella is a young girl, surrounded by the love of her parents in a fairly privileged surrounding. Her days are filled with stories about magic, playing with her new puppy Bruno, taking tea with her parents and preparing for the upcoming puppet competition at the midsummer festival.
It is this competition which is the focus of the short tale, as Cinderella displays her sheer determination to compete and win the prized gold coin, despite her lack of talents in sewing and a puppet which, in her words, looks like a potato.

This determination makes the character of Cinderella inspirational to the young reader, whether they realise that at the time or not. Yes her coveted possession is a silver and gold dress but, despite the tales of magic and fairies that surround her, she does not rely on wishes or her parents to obtain the dress: her sole plan is to earn the gold coin through winning the competition and purchase the dress herself, a refreshing change from the bibbidi, bobbidi boo methods which Tessa Roehl could have so easily reverted to.

Cinderella is not quite perfect though and can be headstrong in her beliefs: quickly jumping to conclusions when she meets a girl her own age who is not quite as well off as herself. As a mother to a seven-year-old, I can readily believe this! Luckily, Cinderella’s parents believe that there is good in every person, a theme which mirrors the original tale and films. Thus, Cinderella learns more about the little girl: significantly benefitting from both the practical lessons which the girl can offer; an insight into the world around her which is not straight out of a fairytale; and finally, the laughter, love and secrets that a childhood friendship offers.

Cinderella and Val are from different worlds, they find beauty in different things and their dreams could not be further apart. However, this does not limit their common interests or indeed their friendship in any capacity and this is something we should all instil in our children. As Tessa Roehl so beautifully puts it: “Our hearts don’t always need to want the same thing. As long as they want something.”
  
    Health &amp; Glow

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