probablyjenna's reviews
351 reviews

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

4.0

This is a fantastic collection of short stories, ending on more of a novella - the titular My Monticello. While most elements of the novella I found really incredible, I did feel it had chapters that felt less necessary and sort of brought down the pacing.

However, concept-wise all of these stories were really incredible. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys short stories, esp ones that deal with systems of oppression.

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan

slow-paced

3.0

This is a hard book to review. First, the title is wildly misleading & feels completely random. Second, I keep seeing this labeled as horror and there are no horror elements at all.

This is honestly a very sad love story, as well as an almost equally sad family story. It’s really beautifully written, but had too many characters & random elements for me to fully enjoy.

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

4.0

This is a very fun book that really takes you into the old western state of mind. While I felt it stated a bit slowly, once the action picks up it really does not stop.

**Possible spoiler below**

There is a magical realism element. It sort of felt like an afterthought to me & I probably would have liked the book more without it.

The One by John Marrs

fast-paced

2.5

If you don’t stop to think about this book at all, it’s a fun ride.

But if you allow your brain to do even the teensiest amount of heavy lifting…well, I hope you have a book club to talk with like I did because there’s a lot to unpack here 🤣

The One is very Black Mirror esque - a futuristic dating app pairs you with your DNA matched soulmate! This new technology causes a lot of drama and builds a divide between the “matched” and “unmatched” of society.

During our book club meeting, we deduced that author John Marrs has either 1) never met a woman, or 2) hates women. Either way, not great!! Also, this book follows like five million different characters who kind of all run together? We had to refer to them by their trusts rather than names because we couldn’t remember who was who 😂

But let just say, the audiobook was legitimately fun. This is a very fast read, and it doesn’t require a ton of focus lol so it’s a great one to listen to while you’re doing chores or something tedious!

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

4.0

Jesmyn Ward is one of the best writers doing it today. She writes so poetically, so powerfully, and is not afraid to use her words to peak into the bleakest situations.

Sing, Unburied, Sing is a really bleak book; it’s pretty much nonstop sadness and despair, made even more difficult by the fact that one of the main narrator’s is a child. My heart felt heavy the whole time I read, and I appreciate Ward’s commitment to showing the reality of hardship.

There is a magical realism element in this book, and it added an interesting layer to exploring trauma & pain. I’m not sure it felt entirely necessary to me, but it did lead to some powerful moments of character reflection.

Overall, a beautifully written book. 

Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

4.0

This is a mostly solid sequel, although I felt like the last 60ish pages should have been the actual focus of the book. There were a lot of new characters introduced, and a lot of plot elements that just ultimately were not as interesting as the BIG event of Tarisai going into the underworld.

Overall, I’m happy I read it but definitely was not as enamored as I was with the first book…but also the first book is just PERFECT fantasy, so that’s a pretty impossible bar to reach!

The Guest by Emma Cline

3.0

I can’t say I really enjoyed The Guest, but it definitely did capture my attention - I read it super quickly because I was very curious about how things would shake out for our problematic protagonist, Alex. 

I love stories about slightly unhinged women making questionable choices, but ultimately there are just better books than this one if you’re trying to scratch that itch. While a lot of things happen throughout the story, I never felt like I understood Alex in the slightest. There was an opportunity to create a really rich, intriguing character - but instead, we’re given more of a shell. I had a similar issue with Emma Cline’s first novel, The Girls. The ideas are all there, the writing is really nice, but there’s a lack in terms of characterization that just doesn’t work for me. Emphasizing for me! I don’t think this is a bad book at all, just not one that worked for my particular reading needs.

I am grateful to the publisher for the eARC, and I like Cline’s writing style enough to probably continue reading her books in the future. 

Come & Get It by Kiley Reid

emotional funny reflective 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

4.0

My first through after finishing Come and Get It was that this won’t be a book for everyone, but the people who love it are REALLY going to love it. I fall into the love it category, and I’m super excited to discuss why.

Kiley Reid is incredible at building a clear  portrait with vivid, sometimes humorous, descriptions of characters. Come and Get It does not have a very clear plot; instead, it relies on the development of three main characters - and a handful of minor characters - to strong the novel along. Each of these characters are flawed, and some are straight up unlikable…yet each one fits into the ongoing narrative of life at college.

It almost felt like I was reading three separate vignettes that tied together through the minor characters they all interacted with and the shared setting, and it was a really effective way to tell a story where there isn’t really a central plot bringing everything together.

I love the way Reid writes; it’s at times quite funny and wry, while also having many moments of deeper reflection and complexity. The character focus made me feel intimately involved in the events of the story, even when the events were seemingly small or insignificant. 

There were some loose ends I wanted more closure on, and some moments that felt a bit over the top and/or unnecessary. For those reasons, this is more in the 4 star range for me than a 5 star.

Basically, if you’re a fan of character-driven stories that feel a bit meandering in terms of plot, this would be a great fit for you. If you need a bit more of a straight forward storyline, I could see this boring or frustrating you. Me personally, I am thrilled to be in the group of folks this was perfect for & I will be eagerly awaiting Reid’s next book!

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

emotional funny reflective sad fast-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

4.5

Caroline O’Donoghue has perfected the formula for a meandering novel about the messiness of one’s early twenties. From the very start of The Rachel Incident, I felt a sort of melancholy nostalgia for those years of my life - when everything felt exciting and terrifying all wrapped up in one. 

By telling those story through adult Rachel’s lens, we’re able to see how these years unfolded while also getting a note of reflection. I mostly enjoyed this, although at times the time jump from past to present felt a little jarring.

The friendship between Rachel and James was really captivating. While toxic in some ways, their love for each other really makes this novel stand out. Again, O’Donoghue is masterful in the way she shows the bittersweet moments of friendship as one grows up. I truly felt for the two of them as they navigated the depressing reality of the recession, while also living through some extremely messy and complex relationships. 

This is a beautiful story about messy people trying to make their way. There are a few things that didn’t work perfectly for me, but overall I loved this book and will absolutely seek out this author’s work in the future.

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

3.25

It’s possible that gothic horror just isn’t for me. I found this pretty boring, as well as predictable. I was interested in the story, but not really wowed at any point. It reminded me of Mexican Gothic, another gothic horror I just didn’t really love. So again, the problem is probably me. If you like slow & relatively not scary horror with a sprinkle of romance, this could be a great read for you!