donnyeatsbooks's reviews
65 reviews

The Dove in the Belly by Jim Grimsley

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

My favorite kinds of stories are those that drop you into their worlds, at very particular moments in the characters’ lives, and let you live with them for a little while. In ‘The Dove in the Belly,’ Ronny and Ben are conflicted lovers who explore their identities in a world that denies them and ultimately find themselves in each other. It’s somber and sweet, and intensely moving, tackling themes of love and loss, and the essence of being. Jim Grimsley’s prose is powerful in its simplicity and his depiction of the young, gay experience hurts like a fresh wound. Just as I got to live with Ronny and Ben for a little while, I anticipate they’ll live with me for even longer.

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

dark fast-paced

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

2.0

11/22/63 by Stephen King

adventurous emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-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? No

5.0

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

5.0

An utter triumph and a masterclass in pure, unbridled storytelling that stokes the imagination with lush prose, rich mythology, vivid characters, and a world completely unlike any I’ve ever experienced or will ever experience again.

In this bold narrative that spans generations, Simon Jimenez tackles human greed and divine intervention with the subtlety and incisiveness of a well-honed blade.

The Troop by Nick Cutter
Did not finish book. Stopped at 56%.

Unlikable characters, a lack of any real suspense or terror, and an insufferable reliance on similes.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

East of Eden by John Steinbeck is the closest I’ll ever get to a religious experience.

With sweeping prose and impeccable insight into the human soul, Steinbeck weaves a story of love, loss, jealousy, guilt, and forgiveness that spans generations and transcends time.

It’s an allegorical tale that draws heavily from the Bible (specifically, the Book of Genesis) to illustrate its many themes, and it does so with the utmost humility; never once coming off as judgmental or self-righteous. In fact, at multiple points, Steinbeck challenges the Bible’s interpretation of morality and ponders the questions: What defines a good person? And can ‘good’ be explicitly defined at all?

The answer to the latter is, largely: No.

The human condition is infinitely complex, and this complexity is reflected in Steinbeck’s writing and in the characters themselves; some of whom behave irrationally and commit irreparable harm, but are still not below redemption.

And it’s this ultimate theme of redemption that makes East of Eden perhaps the most spiritually invigorating novel I’ve ever read. Its message isn’t a unique one, by any means, but John Steinbeck’s memorable characters, intricate storytelling, and many, many nuggets of wisdom (that I’ll be carrying with me for the rest of my life) make it all the more impactful.

Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten

adventurous informative tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

Moves at a rapid pace but still manages to be boring. The characters, including Jonas, are woefully uninteresting and Steve Alten’s clinical writing makes all the more action-packed sequences feel like lectures, as he spends more time describing the Meg’s anatomy than any of the action.

I can see, now, why they went the pulpy, B-movie route with the film, as it’s infinitely more entertaining.

Tom at the Farm by Michel Marc Bouchard, Linda Gaboriau

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

Slow-paced and thought-provoking, and blurs the lines between sex and violence with increasing and almost unbearable tension.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The way S.E. Hinton wrote about socioeconomic inequality, the value of friendship between boys and men, and the way we’re conditioned by society to suppress our emotions and despise vulnerability (often leading to more harmful outlets—such as violence) was well beyond her mere 15 years at the time of this book’s inception. I mean, seriously, it’s incredible that a teenage girl managed to capture my childhood, as a sensitive kid who grew up on the poor side of town with tough-as-nails brothers, with more emotional insight and intelligence than most male authors I’ve read.

The Shadow of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee

adventurous medium-paced

3.0