jenwestpfahl's reviews
295 reviews

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Very compelling thriller. It kept me guessing at the truths pretty much right until each was revealed. One small plot device doesn’t really make sense to me after the fact. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Stalking

Minor: Sexual assault

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

informative fast-paced

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

3.5

I was excited to read about Hedy Lamarr because I knew she did some sort of scientific/research work but didn’t know any more than that.

The first half of the book about her life in Austria was fascinating and well written. The second half started out just as good but then when we finally got to the part where she was inventing things, it felt slightly rushed. There were mentions of “our new project” being on the flipboard while they waited for answers on the first project but never any info on what that was. We also got no insight into what happened when her mother arrived in California.

The last chapter felt like a huge letdown, and the last page or two was so cheesy. 

It just seems like there was so much of her life still to explore and we were just cut off abruptly.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

challenging 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

4.75

Some parts were hard to stomach but it’s an excellent book. The characters were so well researched and written. It all felt very real. 

Would be a 5 except for a couple of courtroom scenes that felt a little cribbed from Aaron Sorkin.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Suicide

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

While the writing style is excellent, I found it hard to follow the through-line of the story as the point of view and timeframe changed with each chapter. I also didn’t feel like we spent enough time with any of the characters to really connect with them. I liked the idea of getting the backstories of what led each person to a specific terrible moment in time, but it just didn’t hit home for me.  

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
Did not finish book.

Library loan expired. Didn’t care enough about the story to get back on the loan list.

Yellow Medicine by Anthony Neil Smith
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.

Hard to follow. Not really into following the memories of a cop who sleeps with teenage girls. Looked up a plot synopsis and was not one bit interested. How did this even get on my tbr list?

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

dark medium-paced

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

3.0

The ghost story was compelling enough to continue and the answers were obvious to the reader just the right amount of steps before the characters. I liked the descriptions of Maddy’s antics.

The instant romance was rather hard to believe and kind of weighed down the story. I was not at all expecting the graphic descriptions that went along with this part of the story and wasn’t a fan. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Suicide and War

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

adventurous fast-paced

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

4.5

I loved the writing in this book and the themes of perseverance and female solidarity. It was so well-researched - from the rural horse book delivery routes and women coal miners to the blue people of Kentucky and forest fire prevention - to set a realistic scene and plot. I was taken aback by how hard life was so recently in these mountain regions.

Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray

informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I hadn’t heard of Frances Perkins and she was a remarkable woman! This was an engrossing tale about her personal and professional life. The depiction of FDR was also very interesting.

The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness by Maureen Murdock
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.

I didn’t understand much of the first chapter or two. And what I did understand maybe felt relevant in 1990 but none of it resonated with me.