evdark's reviews
82 reviews

Zero Cool by John Lange

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

One step forward, two steps back. This book was awful. Not as bad as his first book, but super boring and contrived and the way he writes women is the worst. I love Michael Crichton, but this book had me questioning if he was even a good human let alone a good writer. The hero gets dragged and tortured through generic action set piece after generic action set piece. There is no action in this book and the plot makes zero sense. When he goes into history, that is when the book gets interesting. I love the way he does research and conveys that beautifully, even if the rest of the book is garbage. He has such a unique mind and you can tell he is a genius but he is wasting it on a book like this. It makes me really appreciate his later works to see how far he came.

Funny Story by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

4.0

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

 This was so disappointing. I actually had to look up what the book was about because I forgot it all. There were some parts of it that were interesting but I just did not like this main character or the main hero at all. Duncan is interesting in theory, but he goes off the deep end with his PTSD and it is explored through tropes that I hate. It felt like drama for the sake of drama instead of actually exploring these very different characters who were both recovering from trauma. The school reminded me of a school I worked at so that was interesting, wish we had seen more of the teachers there or any characters outside of the main hero and heroine, that would've made this feel more authentic. The worst one I've read by Katherine Center to date she is usually lovely. 

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My second time reading this book, and it was better than the first time I read it. There is something about listening to these audiobooks that is comforting, like visiting another world with a dear friend. No, Dresden is not perfect, but he knows that and comments on his flaws with zeal. I started to love the characters in this book when before I tolerated them (except Murphy I always loved her). There are some truly badass scenes in this one and the monster of the week Ghost had some truly haunting qualities. Made me immediately want to go out and read the next one.

Easy Go by John Lange

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

This book is largely forgettable, but there are a few glimpses of who Michael Crichton would become in this book. I loved his knowledge of Egyptian history and found the tomb raiding actually fascinating. It's just too bad that wasn't more of the book. Some parts of it were gripping and edge of your seat but those moments were few and far between. The characterization in this book is abysmal.

Psycho by Robert Bloch

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 One of the first books I've listened to and just didn't "get" it. I was half tempted to start again from the beginning but the book is so unenjoyable. I had to go on YouTube and listen to reviews of this book just to understand what he was getting at and the symbolism within. He really does cast an atmosphere all of his own and really does bring out the most bleak, horrific parts of humanity in stark detail that never really lingers on any one horror. I hated this book but I respect it. It did put me in a reading slump though because it felt like, for the first time, something was far far over my head. 

Feed by M.T. Anderson

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

 This is probably better as an audiobook because of the ad interruptions in the Feed. That was my favorite, most authentic part. I really do think that if this book had been written by someone less juvenile, even by YA standards, it would've been so much better. It is an amazing concept but the most fascinating parts of it are not explored at all. Why are there lesions on people? Why does the Feed exist? What are the moral / socioeconomic / social implications of the Feed? Why have teenagers become so shallow and insufferable, was it just the Feed? I hated every character in this and maybe that was on purpose. I do think no matter how short attention spans get and how shallow people get there can still be something interesting, even if its more train wreck than insight, that could've been injected into these cardboard cutouts. What wasted potential. 

Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie Lau

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The characterization of this book was actually pretty good. The male love interest actually had a backstory and growth. I wasn't a huge fan of the main character, but she was at least authentic to herself and felt like a real person with her ladybugs and sunshine. The problem is the plot in this is so thin its ridiculous and I am so over "dead relative gifts house to young person" narratives it is annoying at this point. Everything except the characters was paint by numbers and not great.