Scan barcode
ginger_curmudgeon's reviews
370 reviews
Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson
3.75
I have mixed feelings about Boys of Alabama. The story has a lot of potential. I was invested in Max and his family. There are moments where Pan is likable, but overall he’s not a likable person.
I can’t tell if Max is finding himself, or just going along with everything to be liked. He comments about wanting to fit in, but he goes along with EVERYTHING. Granted, he is also new to the US.
I thought we were going to get some sort of comeuppance for the Judge or maybe for any of the boys, but we don’t.
At times the whole “did it really happen?” vibe annoys me, particularly as it relates to the camp scenes. Speaking of the camp, I don’t like that Max’s power disappeared after, only to come back at a crucial moment. It feels like there’s an implication that the religious zealotry is valid and not the evil that the book sets it up to be.
From the camp scenes to the end, Hudson lost me. There is more happening off page in this part of the book than the rest of the book, which says a lot. The end particularly frustrated me because it basically ends with nothing resolved in the middle of things happening. Almost worse than wrapping things up neatly.
Generally, I enjoy Hudson’s writing style. I just wish the ending parts of the story (camp onward) had more to it. Another 20 - 30 pages would have probably done been enough to flesh it out more.
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes
4.0
I enjoyed Murder Your Employer for a lot of reasons. I’m kind of a nerd for books that have things like maps, random illustrations, formats where the introduction isn’t an introduction, but is part of the story, and for books that are pretending to be something different, in this case a manual or textbook.
Cliff is kind of a loser in the way where he’s the one doing things, but not getting credit and he flies under the radar. His nemesis (boss) consistently bests him resulting in him losing two people important to him. A mysterious benefactor sends him to McMasters so he can learn the art of murder. Cliff is the focus of the story, but we get the stories of two other students as well.
At times this reminds me of a lesser stakes Hunger Games with more wit.
The one thing that kind of bothers me is how things wrap up for one or two of the characters. It’s a little too convenient, but I’m hoping it serves a purpose in the second book.
The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
dark
mysterious
3.25
The Grownup is a brief ghost story. At first I didn’t understand why it’s only 61 pages, but after reading it, I appreciate that it is so short.
It might have been nice, though, to have another 20-40 pages to flesh some things about more. Maybe the father or more about the house or the mother. I suppose she left that all to the reader’s imagination though.
There’s a cyclical feel to how Flynn tells her story. You’re left not knowing who is real, what is real, or what to believe. If she a continued in this way for the length of a full novel, it would have grown old quickly.
I was a little surprised, but not disappointed, by all of the talk about handjobs in the beginning of the book. I found it amusing.
The Sluts by Dennis Cooper
dark
- Loveable characters? No
3.75
I’ve read some pretty weird or twisted books. I enjoy them sometimes. “The Sluts” might be the most twisted that I have read, and, yes, I enjoyed it. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in two evenings.
One of the things that made it a quicker read is the structure. The story opens as a series of online reviews about a male escort. There’s a section that’s a message board on the same website, a section of emails, and then another section of reviews.
Part of the story is the growing depravity of the men reviewing, discussing and debating the escort and his pimp/handler/co-conspirator. Another part of the story is that you’re not entirely sure what’s real and what isn’t. There’s a conspiracy/con or two at play throughout the novel.
There’s not a lot of humanity found in these characters. They’re fairly awful people. But, is this all just a reflection of how horrible people can be in real life and/or of how the internet has given people a forum to explore the dark corners of their minds? Either way, Cooper certainly knows how to keep your attention while showing a dark side of life.
TW: sexual assault, graphic violence, taboo
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
The Twat Files by Dawn French
funny
lighthearted
4.0
I’m a fan of Dawn French, and not because of a certain wizard-related movie she appeared in. Vicar of Dibley is hilarious and is one of my favorite shows.
I digress.
I watched her “Dawn French is a Huge Twat” special and it was hilarious so I expected the book to be funny as well. It delivered. There are stories in here that weren’t in the special and details included in others that weren’t in the special either.
The stories that made me laugh the most are the ones where she peed herself.
There’s a part toward the end where she talks about owning our mistakes, the moments where we’re twats. She talks about how owning our mistakes takes away their power while also allowing for growth. I wasn’t expecting that part, but I appreciate that she included it.
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
The pace is probably my biggest gripe with this book. The story is broken into three parts. The first part and some of the second, have a rather slow, inconsistent pace. Not that I’d want every minute detail of everything done, but there are times where something is glossed over or happens out of view of the reader. I don’t hate that, but I don’t love it. It throws off the pace of the story.
I liked just about all of the main characters in this found family. They have Ocean’s Eleven vibes with more of a connection. They actually care about each other. I think they were all my favorite at some point. One might have become my most disliked, but I’ll skip the details to avoid spoiling anything.
Is it weird that I found myself wanting to open a tea shop/bar?
There’s a lot of snark among the characters and I love it, of course. My favorite line, though, is “why save the world when you can have tea?”.
When do we get book two?!
The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
I don’t know what to say about this one. There are a lot of . . . words on pages. There’s not much more going for it.
These characters are so dull they’re hard to care about or root for. The most interesting character is one of the side characters, Henry Dale. Sure, it makes sense I enjoy the character referred to as a curmudgeon, but even still. Everything about them is dull - the dialogue, the romance, the fighting, the drama.
That the characters are shape shifters, vampires, or witches feels like an afterthought of the story. Maybe that’s intentional, but it takes away a big part of what could make this book more interesting.
The most unbelievable part of this book? It isn’t the author’s first book. This is related to a three-book series! Kudos to anyone who managed to read all three. I don’t know how or why you’d do that.
Also, someone please find an editor for this author. Please.
Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham
adventurous
dark
tense
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
I don’t quite know how I feel about this book. I had a hard time getting into it and it was a very slow go for me. It’s not that it’s a bad story, but I just didn’t get as invested as I hoped. I don’t know what kept me from enjoying it as much as I expected. Maybe it just wasn’t the right time for me to read it?
I do enjoy Durham’s writing style. It’s a bit more literary than I expected.
I cared about Caroline and Mark, but Eamon was the only character I really felt invested in. That said, the revelation about him was not a surprise for me. There were signs.
For a while I sort of cared about Runny and Flackwell, but that didn’t last.
One of the things I enjoyed the most is how Durham created the lore about the book, the author, the island . . . all of it.
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There’s a lot that I like about this book. First, the writing. The dialogue that opens the book had me hooked. It’s been a while since I was drawn in so quickly. I will say that I did not enjoy the two chapters told in first person, but that’s likely more to do with my dislike for that character.
Second, the characters. Most of them are awful people, that’s true. But, Frank grows and matures. He becomes a better version of himself as the book moves forward. Cleo does grow and heal in her own way. It’s been a while since I finished this book and that time has made me appreciate her arc more. Granted, I wanted things to go differently for them, but life doesn’t work that way.
Two things I dislike: 1) the sugar glider’s story. TW: it doesn’t end well for the sugar glider and I had to take a break after that chapter; 2) Quentin. He feels too much like a gay stereotype and I don’t appreciate that. Maybe it has to do with his character also being wealthy, but still. His storyline was a letdown for me.
All that said, I am looking forward to Mellors’ next book.