amandagstevens's reviews
1184 reviews

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

4.0

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

reflective

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I do respect the deft craft of the final revelation, which changes the entire story on the last page; but I’m also left feeling that Tony isn’t the narrator I wanted. Not only is he endlessly entitled, but the story never belonged to him, and I find myself annoyed with the author for making his voice primary when Adrian’s and Veronica’s ought to be. 

Then again, is this Barnes’s very point? From a craft perspective, I can respect that too. But I don’t have to like it.

A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan

4.5

The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

The Lost Man by Jane Harper

slow-paced

2.75

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

4.0

Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews

4.0

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

4.0