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tracithomas's Reviews (1.05k)
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
This was a pretty uneven book. The first section on Brittany was far and away the best section. The author has made a movie about that woman as well as articles etc. She had a great sense of this story and should have done and entire book on it. It felt like she tacked on the other stories to fulfill a thesis that got murky as she added people to it.
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the writing in this fragmentary novel. It is relentless in how fucked up everyday marriages can be. There is nothing extraordinary here and yet it is brutal. The husband here is a total jerk and the author does not let up on that. We can feel how trapped she is. It reads like a memoir. My biggest issue is this book is too long and bc not a lot happens, it could be shorter by 75 pages and been a really tight strong book, instead it get a little redundant in the end.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had so much fun listening to this book. It is a total delight. It is a bit of a send up or maybe subversion of the western genre and I loved it. I loved the characters and the story. It is so wholesome while still having, well, grit. Portis captures the voice of a teen girl so well. There is fun. There is drama. I really liked this one.
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
I liked this one, pretty fast moving (though the pacing does stall out in sections) and interesting. Presented as a mix of true crime and investigative journalism. Enjoyed being embedded in the subcultures of LA gangs, street vendors, and law enforcement. There are moments when I rolled my eyes at the way the author would present certain things, a little copaganda here and there and sometimes little paternalistic.
reflective
fast-paced
A really sharp meditation on memoir, memory, art, power, and of course abuse. I appreciated how Ciment would pull chunks from her memoir to compare with her current thinking. I liked the writing style so much. Its a short book and lost a little focus for me in the middle, but overall really good. I would have loved for her to share why she wanted to go back and tell this story in a new way.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a YA book about a magical Black HBCU, I loved the idea but think the execution was flawed. The book is way too long, and slow, and I felt like most of the twists were just there to twist, but didn't move the plot forward. It was hard to follow and I never really cared about the characters, I also struggled to keep them all straight. The book has potential and the author has a great imagination, but the editor needed to be considerably more rigorous with this story.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is one of those books you have to piece together as you go. There is a murder mystery at the center and you're trying to figure it all out. I liked the world building and the characters. I did sometimes feel lost in the motivations of the characters and who I was supposed to be rooting for (which I think was intentional). I saw the big twist coming from pretty far away (at least 150 pages out). Overall this is a solid book but I do have some smaller nits to pick (pacing mostly). I saw so much growth for the author from their debut to this.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
PRK is a legend of investigative journalism. The complexity, nuance, and detail he puts into his books. He does so much research and then takes all this information and creates a narrative that is captivating and provocative. This book is a major wow. He tells a history of The Troubles and also solves a cold case contented murder. Unreal.
lighthearted
medium-paced
This is a sweet little memoir in essays from a celeb. There isn't anything here about his life as an actor or his journey to becoming one. It is all about his childhood, which he tells us clearly from jump. It isn't a life changing book, but it is also totally unoffensive and readable, with some fun antidotes stories, and childhood mess ups.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
This could’ve been a podcast or article. The subtitle gives it all away and I’m not sure the author earned the full length. I liked it and was entertained but found myself so far ahead of the story.