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emlawley's reviews
83 reviews
After Hello by Mhairi McFarlane
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
The Travelling Companion: For as Long as it Takes to Get There by Ian Rankin
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry
funny
informative
medium-paced
4.5
A really informative book, and fabulous to listen to as Stephen Fry is both a great narrator and author. I love his writing style as he adeptly uses a fantastic mixture of detail, witticisms, knowledge and humour. The structure of the book also means it is easy to dip in and out of which I enjoyed, to break up the level of detail with other reading/listening. I can’t wait to listen to the other books in this series.
Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Rebus: Long Shadows: The New Play by Ian Rankin, Rona Munro
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Every Mother's Son by Alex Smith
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I got into Alex Smith’e Kett novels off the back of JD Kirk’s DCI Logan and David J Gatward’s DCI Grimm series - Kett was highly recommended on the other novelists’ respective Facebook groups! I rattled through the preceding stories as audiobooks, but was a little nervous about the subject matter of this one upon reading the synopsis. While it is challenging, as is always the case in this series, Smith handles the subjects sensitively and I couldn’t stop listening once I braved starting the book! The crimes in this series are definitely darker and less-easy to read/listen to than other similar detective series. However, the strong main cast, injections of well-timed humour throughout and the refreshing human and likeable side to Kett through details of his experience of fatherhood (as opposed to the lead male detective being an absent father a la Rebus and Logan) balances the sometimes-more-challenging elements of the books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Rape, and Sexual violence
The Beat Goes On by Ian Rankin
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
3.75
Where the Pieces Lie by JD Kirk
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Another absolutely cracking book from JD Kirk. His writing is as masterful as ever, making me laugh and gasp in surprise in equal measure. The way he has created Logan and his team is unrivalled in the genre - I feel so connected to each character because he knows them inside out which means I can’t wait to “spend time with them” each time a new book comes out. This book was particularly great from that perspective due to some extra insights about Sinead, Hamza and Jack Logan’s lives which I loved. And the cliffhanger at the end of the book means waiting until September for the next instalment is going to be ridiculously difficult!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
At the Table by Claire Powell
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I took advantage of Amazon's 99p Kindle book deals to download this one after I liked the sound of the blurb. Sadly, the book did not live up to my expectations. None of the characters were likeable really which made the book intensely sad and problematic at times due to the evident trauma each family member was not dealing very well with. If I had felt more affection for and/or connection with the characters that would have been easier to read. I found myself feeling very annoyed at both main male characters, Gerry and Jamie, and Nicole's boss for their sexist, disrespectful and, in the case of Nicole's boss, vile behaviour and the fact they faced zero consequences for it! The story could have explored other aspects that were hinted at, and it would have been better if it had I think. The characters could also have developed much more as the story went on, and I feel very little happened over the course of the year in their lives.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Vomit