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Lost in the Sun (2015)
Lost in the Sun (2015)
2015 |
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – John is a crook, he seems to be freshly out of prison needing to payback debts for protection in prison, he offers to take Louis to his grandparents and starts using him to help pay of the debts, showing him the life of crime, it is clear early on that he does have a connection to Louis, we are left to see what that connection is. Louis is the teenager that has been left orphaned when his mother dies, he reluctantly joins John in the cross-country trip where he gets to learn certain things he wouldn’t have before, including how to drive and how to shoot a gun. We do only meet characters along the way, some help and most are the people they are robbing.

Performances – Josh Duhamel is good in the leading role, it is one of his better performances as she shows how conflicted his character is and just how desperate he is to clear his debts, while trying to guide the teenager. Josh Wiggins is great in his role of the film, he gets to show moments of grief and moments of moving on with life as he is the one that needs to learn the biggest life lessons. The rest of the cast are solid without needing to do that much.

Story – The story here comes down to one man trying to make up for his own mistakes in life by helping a young teenage boy across country to live with his grandparents only along the way we see him teach him life lessons which could one day prepare him for the real-world. This gives us a chance to see a redemption story while also giving us a coming-of-age chapter in Louis’s life, this isn’t going to break any ground in the genre and does everything it needs to do for the characters. We do get moments of questioning moments of what Louis is forced to do and for the most we don’t get enough time to look at the crimes that have left John where he is in life.

Action – The action in the film is simple, we get a couple of weak chases and robberies, they are easy to watch and barely break into a sweat.

Settings – The film takes us across America, we don’t hit any landmarks which just shows us small town after small town or open roads.


Scene of the Movie – The final moment.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Boys don’t just want to drive cars and shoot guns.

Final Thoughts – This is a simple coming of age film, it checks the boxes well without doing anything we haven’t seen before.

 

Overall: Coming-of-age 101
  
Whatever You Do, Be Happy: 400 Things to Think Do for a Happy Life
Whatever You Do, Be Happy: 400 Things to Think Do for a Happy Life
Julia Dellitt | 2020 | Health & Fitness
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

Julia Dellitt's Whatever You Do, Be Happy: 400 Things to Think & Do for a Happy Life is the perfect book for 2020.

I think everyone can agree that 2020 is an incredibly stressful year chock full of negative thoughts. Scrolling through any social media exasperates one's anxiety. This book will lessen your stress.

It is not a book to read in one sitting. Rather, it includes 400 activities, ideas, tips, and quotes to help calm you and relieve your stress.

Not every item was something I was interested in, but you do not need to do all of the activities. They act as a guide or suggestion and doing some made 2020 start to seem manageable.

My favorite activity was to list three things for which you are thankful. It was similar to an assignment I did for a Positive Psychology class. I forgot how reminding yourself of something good that happened to you or how you are grateful for can drastically improve your state of mind.

Dellitt's other works are Get Your Life Together(ish): A No-Pressure Guide for Real-Life Self-Growth and Self-Care for College Students: From Orientation to Graduation, 150+ Easy Ways to Stay Happy, Healthy, and Stress-Free.

This review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/28/20.
  
All My Mothers
All My Mothers
Joanna Glen | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
After reading ‘The Other Half of Augusta Hope’, I was so excited to read ‘All My Mothers’. And I was not disappointed. Joanna Glen is rapidly becoming an auto-buy author for me - and this book is full of the same heart as Augusta Hope.
Eva Martinez-Green has two pivotal , life changing moments when she starts school: meeting Bridget Blume, and her teacher reading a book called ‘The Rainbow Rained Us’. Bridget becomes a lifelong friend, Bridget’s mother helps Eva to learn just what a mother can be like: loving and interested in her, unlike Eva’s own mother who has some serious mental health issues. In fact, Mrs Blume steps in to a mothering role for Eva, when Eva moves in due to her own mother having a prolonged stay in a clinic. Mrs Blume is Eva’s benchmark for being a mother for the rest of her life. For that short time she shows Eva affection, treats her like one of her own. Mrs Blume, along with her childhood book, leads Eva to realise that her mother isn’t her birth mother. And so begins the quest to find her.

Eva’s life in London helps the reader to learn about the characters, and when she starts to study in Cordoba, the real task of finding her birth mother begins.

I don’t want to give anything away, because I want you to read it!! It’s beautiful. I pretty much sobbed through the last couple of chapters, so have your tissues handy. But DO read it!!