jackdziatkowiec's reviews
219 reviews

Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts by Samuel Beckett

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

I have no understanding of what I just read. It's absurd and nonsensical. A post apocalyptic exploration of hope, and history repeating? If we forget where we come from, we are doomed to repeat our mistakes? Though provoking and abstract.

The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman

adventurous informative lighthearted sad 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? No

3.25

Magical journey around the world on a talking train. I learned some new facts about trains and endangered animals; not many, but I had fun doing it. Has a good message for young people, about the changing climate and how it impacts the creatures we share the planet with. Drawings are nice addition.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Well, damn. People are f'd up.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

funny lighthearted 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? No

3.25

Grandma is a firecracker. She's always one step ahead of everyone. She's always saving the day.

Black Coffee by Charles Osborne, Agatha Christie

challenging mysterious tense 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? No

2.75

I would have preferred to read the play. I had a difficult time distinguishing between the characters. 

Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn

adventurous mysterious tense slow-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? No

3.25

Two young boys try to solve a murder, in their small town. It's not much of a mystery as to who the killer is... or is it? Either way, the heart of the story is the friendship between the two boys, which I enjoyed.

An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I very much enjoyed the character of Dr. Stockmann. He put up a hell of a fight. Determined and righteous to the end.

Euripides 1: Alcestis/Medea/Heracleidae/Hippolytus by Euripides

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Equally feminist and misogynistic. A capsule of the time in which it was written. Shocking and thought provoking. Definitely unforgettable.

The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I found this book in a little free library. It is the third book in a series, but fully enjoyable as a standalone novel. Cute puzzles and curious characters. I hope whoever finds this book next enjoys it like I did.

Armada by Ernest Cline

adventurous tense 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? No

2.5

Some of this reads like a first draft.