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ivyldc's Reviews (416)
I love J.G. because he is really committed to providing legal representation to the poor through his charitable contributions to various organizations, and he is a great human. However! Rogue Lawyer is really really bad. Their is no plot, the main character is not believable, the writing is repetitive and not particularly evocative (certainly as a character study, we never get to really know Sebastian Rudd's motives or what drives him). I also found it a bit too preachy, with whole paragraphs that seemed to be downloaded from websites about mass incarceration and the death penalty, and I am an attorney who actually works on these issues! The legal hooks in the story were incredibly weak and were the one place where Grisham could have dug into his story. It also drove me crazy that he didn't indicate where in the country "the City" is, or what state he's in that has a death penalty and a big enough sky scraper to have a 25th floor penthouse, but isn't Texas, Georgia, Illinois, or New York (by process of elimination). Truly disappointing read.
Enjoyed some of the deeper emotional passages, but so many passages of people "grinning" at each other. Who grins? It is not that common!
I read this is, loved it, and know it will remain a favorite for a long time. It is heartwrenching, beautiful, and complete in its story telling.
Erik Larson weaves his two subjects together in such a way they completely compliment each other. I learned so much from the World's Fair stories and I was in the thrilling grasp of the serial killer narrative. It was a tough book in some sections where the details felt overwhelming, but by the end, no small detail was extraneous.
A fun romp poking fun at all the latest and greatest fitness trends. The premise is silly but it is fun and a fast, brain candy read.
I gave up on this book. It was reviewed as so funny, but I was just sad to me. The melancholy premise that starts the book never really fades.
This is a story that needed telling, and it was well told. The focus on one family helped drive the narrative, but even so there were numerous names to keep track of throughout. The story moved swiftly none the less. Best of all, I feel I gave witness to the suffering of the Osage by learning their history.
This swift little novella has the reader pulling for Korede, the sister/narrator even knowing her complicity in her sister's killing ways. But, rooting for her is futile because Korede decides what is the truth and what matters most in her life. She and her serial killer sister never face the consequences of their actions. This is because of who they are in life and their roles in their family and larger culture. Having little knowledge of the cultural intricacies at play, I could still feel the weight of those social norms throughout the book. A reader with a background in the Nigerian culture would likely find it even more nuanced than a Western reader.
I read this as an adult. I don't remember if I read it as a child. I give it three stars because the characters are a little flat, even Meg, and because it dragged a little through the middle. That said, the theme that children can do difficult things for themselves, and need to, was powerful. And, that everyone feels like they are awkward and failing sometimes. The text itself asks young readers to stretch by remembering math concepts, thinking about time and space, and learning about all the people/works Mrs. Who quotes. As others have mentioned, the first three chapters are great. I found the last chapter compelling as well.