dreynoldsbook's reviews
106 reviews

The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camilleri

funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I read the first four or five of these novels a few years ago. I found them very entertaining. This one seemed weaker. The jokes didn’t quite hit the mark a lot of the time. Even the poissonally in poisson joke starts wearing a bit thin! Also, the plot was a bit of a mess and not very satisfying.

Still an enjoyable enough read though. I’ll try another of his later ones to see if this was part of a trend or just a one off.

Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller

dark mysterious tense 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

I don’t know why I didn’t like this novel more. The atmosphere and set-up appealed to me. Perhaps it didn’t live up to it. But there was also something about the prose that made it less readable and more of a chore to read. Staccato is the word that springs to mind. The narrative would be concerned with one major thing and then something totally unrelated would be brought up and it seemed muddled.

Also what about the suggestion of another person living in the house? This was left unresolved as though it was just there for atmosphere. Stick a ghostly figure in the attic window - that’ll be a good gothic touch!

The Guest by Emma Cline

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

The narrative is told from the perspective of a very unlikeable, depressing character. Despite this I found it quite readable. There’s quite a bit of suspense built up although it isn’t resolved.

Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis

emotional tense slow-paced

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

2.25

I had to speed read that last 100 or so pages to get through it. It was very ponderous and bloated. The conversations between Cora and ‘the alien’ were tedious and became rather silly. I didn’t think much of the prose either and the characters were bland and forgettable. 

All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

I actually gave up on this with a bit over 100 pages left. I decided that it wasn’t going anywhere interesting by then. The initially set up was okay if a bit unlikely, but after that it became very ponderous and repetitive. It also had a YA vibe to me but a lot of novels like this seem to nowadays.

Also, I couldn’t help comparing it unfavourably with The Terror throughout, a much more sinister and satisfying read. 

I'm Thinking Of Ending Things by Iain Reid

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I’ll have to think about this one. Iain Reid writes books you could reread immediately after finishing. I felt the same way about Foe, which I think is the better novel. But I’m not sure. I still have some working out to do.

It’s good when a novel leaves you feeling like this. It’s not a novel you’ll forget as soon as you turn the final page, that’s for certain. 

How they adapted it for tv I don’t know. Not sure I’m interested in watching it. I’d rather reread it!

The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon

funny informative sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Although it seems a quite short novel it can be laborious to read. At one point I counted 9 pages without a paragraph break. There’s is no narrative drive to pull you along as it is a series of anecdotes. The strength of the novel are the characters and the way they are evoked. And the quiet humour.

She Died a Lady: A Sir Henry Merrivale Mystery by Carter Dickson

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

Sir Henry Merrivale almost ruined this well plotted, old fashioned mystery. As soon as he entered the novel, which up until that point had been quite well written and serious minded, declined into farce. I think he was meant to be funny but he was just annoying and mostly incoherent.

Thankfully he didn’t completely ruin the book. But it would have been better without him. The ending would have been different but it could have worked. The ending could have been better, in fact. If sadder.

Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom

informative mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

I really enjoyed the first 100 or so pages of this novel. The period detail and political machinations are its strength. As it progressed, however, I felt it was flabby and the plot, which wasn’t the strongest element to the book, meandered. It is very overlong and it overstayed its welcome. I was happy to get it finished in the end.

Why You Like This Photo: The Science of Perception, and How We Understand Photographs by Brian Dilg

informative medium-paced

2.75

Interesting premise but didn’t have that much to say in the end.

Also the text referring to the images was almost unreadable it was so small.