jkaufman's reviews
48 reviews

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Thought this was a good debut novel, and I am intrigued to see how it plays out on the small screen, as Emma Stone and Dave McCary’s Fruit Tree has gained the rights with HBO Max to make this a series. Think the twists and turns and psychological aspect could be interesting on screen- if done well- the ending will shock some, but for me I found it a bit predictable. Still enjoyed it though. Nice pallet cleanser from my usual gruesome reads of Karin Slaughter.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

I really enjoyed the first 70 pages, but then it fell flat for me, and I just became uninterested. The book has nice prose- idk just didn’t really connect with some of the characters or felt bored learning about some of them. And yes I realize they are supposed to be “unlikeable”- so maybe that was the point

Be interesting to see how they adapt this for film, because it’s definitely going to be a slow burn- interested to see who they cast!

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Go to review page

emotional sad tense medium-paced

Glad that Jenette was able to finally tell her story about Nickelodeon and the complicated relationship and trauma in which happened to her. It takes great bravery to publish your private life, so I have to commend her.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted reflective 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

3.75

“It was always a strange thing coming home. Coming home meant that you had, at one point, left it and, in doing so, irreversibly changed. How odd, then, to be able to return to a place that would always be anchored in your notion of the past. How could this place still be there, if the you that once lived there no longer existed?” (Pg. 111)

A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

“I learned quickly of the power, the absolute nuclear power, of the deceit attached to any kind of storytelling”

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Go to review page

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Not my favorite TJR, but it was a quick read. Kept going back on forth on it, but it’s a plot that is very real, as marriages and love ebb and flow

Kisscut by Karin Slaughter

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

This one fell flat for me unfortunately. Don’t know if it’s that I have a lack of connection with the characters (Jeffery, Sarah, Lena) or if I have to be in a particular mood to read Karin Slaughter, as she is quite a dark, eerie, gruesome writer; but I wasn’t jiving with the second book of Grant County.

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced