Reviews

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

lakea's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective medium-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

4.5

parpacifica's review against another edition

4.0

He he he Charley Davidson.

He.

He.

katyanaish's review against another edition

3.0

I just finished, and I can't make up my mind about it. On the one hand, I wasn't bored by it - I read it every chance I had (it has been kind of busy the last 2 days), and I liked the Mimi storyline, so that was all good. But on the other, I feel strung along. We're two books in, and I still feel like I have no idea about Charley's abilities, limitations, role, ... who in holy hell is she? So, okay. Reyes is the son of Satan, as we found out in the last book. He carries on him the key to hell. He elaborates on that a little bit at the end of this book:

Spoiler

apparently, he's like Charley's darker mirror image. Whereas she is a portal to heaven, he's a portal to hell. If the forces of hell got ahold of him - remember, he has essentially run away - they'd control the gate, and could enter our world at whim. Soooooo... what does this mean Charley is? If Reyes is the Antichrist, the son of Satan... is she... the Second Coming, the daughter of God? I hope I haven't lost you all, so please bear with me. Reyes's big revelation in this book is that the two of them are essentially the same - both portals. And connecting some dots... how bright she is, her seemingly limitless superpowers, her role in sending the departed on to heaven... I could see it.

And actually, if something like that is the case, I'm interested. It's a cool storyline. But thus far... I just feel like I don't know anything. And two books is a pretty large amount of time to invest and still not know anything.

Here's the other thing I am of two minds about. Alright, everyone is going to hate me for this, but I am just not fond of Reyes as her love interest. Don't get me wrong, he's hot for sure. He's got a great bad-boy thing going on. But... he's a bit of an emo douchebag. Eh. He spends this entire book

Spoiler

suicidal

, for crying out loud, and doing this really obnoxious schizophrenic song and dance of "I am dying horribly, being tortured... and btw, you have major superpowers and could kill all the demons" and "Don't find me! Don't even look for me! Don't you dare! I will kill you and everyone else if you do!" WTF Reyes, seriously. He needs to be put on medication, because I am getting whiplash. Other schizophrenic Reyes douchebaggery: he spends the first 40% or so of the book insisting that he's evil, and Charley should stop looking at him with rose-colored glasses... and threatening her friends, saying he has no problem hurting innocent people, etc melodramatic menacing etc. But then when Charley finds out that

Spoiler

he's the Antichrist and was born to bring about The End

, he gets all kinds of offended that she is concerned about it. That she would believe that of him. You can't have it both ways, buddy. You're either some big badass who has no qualms cutting down fields of innocent bystanders and she needs to open her damn eyes, or you are a good guy at heart and are looking for a way to change your destiny. But he, in this book, simultaneously insists that he is both. WTF. >.<

He's an interesting character. The overall story - what he his, what he'll do, what Charley is, what she'll do - is an interesting one. But if you want me to buy him / root for him as a romantic lead, you need to make him more consistent, less emo, and just less of a general bitch. Seriously. Also, what was the "whore" thing? That was so out of left field that it ... it just doesn't even make sense. I don't know what the fuck happened there.

Though to be fair, I don't agree with what Charley did in the end.

Spoiler

Though I of course didn't want him to kill himself - that would kind of kill the interesting story - binding him to his body? That was... waaaaaaay too far. Because in the end, it just isn't her call. Try to persuade him, blackmail him, whatever... but she has no idea, really, what she just did to him. Can he even defend himself anymore? His robe and sword disintegrated. She doesn't get to choose to virtually destroy everything he is. She had no right.

If I were him, I'd never fucking talk to her again. Which is fine. Without him saving her ass, she'll likely be dead 15 pages into book 3 anyway. It sounds like that was pretty much a constant job for him over the course of her life, so she's kind of fucked now.

The stuff with her family... also left me baffled. Why would her dad not tell her?

Spoiler

I get the choice he made. Out of all of them, she is the most capable of defending herself. But WARN her! Fuck! Give her a fucking chance to prepare and defend herself.

It was a move that was fucking stupid - from a character that we have been lead to believe is very smart about this kind of thing - that I am just completely lost. And the stuff with Gemma... WTF, seriously.

Spoiler

She really never spoke to her or looked at her because they had some fight when she was 12, and Charley screamed at her to never talk to her again? REALLY? And Gemma is a Ph.D-holding psychologist? REALLY?! I can't count the number of times I have told my siblings to never talk to me again (or they have said the same to me). Thank goodness, I guess, that none of the 4 of us is that fucking dumb.

*eyeroll*

I don't know. Thus far, I like it well enough to keep reading, but I am worried that ... I don't know. That it will never pan out to be what it could be. I am feeling preemptively disappointed. Which is maybe unfair, but I don't care. I'll read the third out of morbid curiosity, but if there isn't some real development, I don't know how much longer I'll hang in there.

recreated's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

kelseywoodburn's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

labunnywtf's review against another edition

3.0

My Timehop tells me that two years ago today, I finished reading [b: First Grave on the Right|8788554|First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)|Darynda Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1439659304s/8788554.jpg|13662358]. I had no idea, but I'm tickled by the fact.

There's an interview at the end of this audiobook, between the narrator and Darynda Jones. When asked who she based Charley on, she said she's a combination of that chick from the Janet Evanovich books, Lorelai Gilmore...and Buffy.

Goddamit. FINE, I'll bump you up a star.

See, I went in thinking I was really going to like this. Because I liked the first book. And looking at that review, I went in thinking I was going to hate it.

I really need to stop going into books with expectations. Or just always assume I'm going to hate them, and hope they surprise me. Because this one.

In the interview, Ms. Jones also mentioned that she is a huge fan of romance. And yes. Yes, I know. I get it. I GET IT. You're three sentences away from talking about her quivering mound, woman, WTF.

I was so over the Reyes storyline about two chapters in, and it just. didn't. stop. I was far more interested in the Mimi storyline. I was more interested in the dead guy in the trunk than I was about Reyes' precious corporeal body. And if I had to hear one more goddamn time about the heat emanating off his non corporeal body, I was going to throw my phone out the car window.

That's not to say there weren't plenty of good points to the book. They just all revolved around the Mimi storyline. When she stopped thinking about Reyes for 10 goddamn seconds, that was VERY good. I love Charley the investigator. Less interested in Charley the love struck idiot.

I was hoping the "You're more powerful than you know" shtick was going to end up being that she's a hot chick with super powers. Which I guess is kind of what happened, only instead of kicking ass, she...sparkles. Or something. Meh.

Meh.

Meh.

Meh.

World of meh.

Also, as anyone who has seen my reviews of anything combining knitting and murder mystery, I despise writers who focus on a character's deep love for coffee. If I had to hear about her love affair with "Mr. Coffee", or how much she loved her "java", I swear to fucking god.

I may wait three years before trying again with the series, despite the lovely Buffy shout out.

keberwick's review against another edition

4.0

I'll admit the lack of Reyes in this book kind of hurt my heart but I still consider this series to be one of the most original urban fantasy series and definitely one of my favorites. Charley remains as funny and as headstrong (in the best way possible) as she was in the first novel. I absolutely love Cookie and the duos dependence on caffeine is one that I identify with completely. And even though Reyes was more of an absentee character, I feel as though that actually strengthens the book (as well as the series) as it shows that Charley doesn't need Reyes' presence to be one of the most kickass heroines in Urban Fantasy literature (okay so I'm using that word loosely. Deal with it) When I finish the series, a more wholistic and detailed review will come. Eventually.

amkay's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

samrushingbooks's review against another edition

5.0

This was a great continuation of the series. It had plenty of suspense and humor, while still being able to pull off romantic tension between Charley and Reyes...you know, the Grim Reaper and the Son of Satan. Cookie was awesome as always and I enjoyed seeing Charley's interactions between a mostly disbelieving Swopes and a new-ish believer in Neil. Jumping into book 3 very soon.

hrokhsaz's review

fast-paced

4.25