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jackdziatkowiec's reviews
236 reviews
The Color of Culture by Mona Lake Jones
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Simple and direct. Loving and supportive. Some of these poems hit hard.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
emotional
sad
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
4.0
The writing is very romantic. Feels like a memory. Lovely book.
Room by Emma Donoghue
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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
3.75
The first half of the book was, for me, far more interesting than the second. I wouldn't call this a thriller.
The Royal Rabbits Of London by Simon Sebag Montefiore, Santa Montefiore
adventurous
inspiring
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? No
3.25
Rabbits on a daring mission to save the Queen from the evil Ratzis, who want to steal her soul! My animal companion is a rabbit; It was fun imagining him as the hero of this book.
Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Sleepy Hollow is gray and gloomy horror. Rip Van Winkle is a warning not to become idle, or life will pass you by.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
A collection of short stories about terraforming Mars. It takes about twenty seven years. That's also how long it took me to finish reading this book. My favorite chapter was a love letter to Edgar Allen Poe. It helped me to realize that both Bradbury and Poe's stories usually have a sense of doom and foreboding.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
lighthearted
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? No
3.0
Matilda is mistreated by her parents; Matilda fights back. Matilda and her schoolmates are mistreated by the principal, so she uses her brain power to overcome their oppressor. Everything is well in the end.
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.