jackdziatkowiec's reviews
236 reviews

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. 

Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton

emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

3.5

Teenage angst and rebellion. Very moody. SE Hinton writes great characters. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

dark funny reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Masterpiece. Endlessly quotable. Charming, witty, smart, and romantic. Also, rude and ghastly, and patronizing. I imagine Oscar Wilde was all these things.

Sounder by William H. Armstrong

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

3.0

Boy searches for his father, and his dog.