jackdziatkowiec's reviews
246 reviews

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

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funny lighthearted 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? No

3.25

Grandma is a firecracker. She's always one step ahead of everyone. She's always saving the day.
Black Coffee by Charles Osborne, Agatha Christie

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challenging mysterious tense 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? No

2.75

I would have preferred to read the play. I had a difficult time distinguishing between the characters. 
Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-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? No

3.25

Two young boys try to solve a murder, in their small town. It's not much of a mystery as to who the killer is... or is it? Either way, the heart of the story is the friendship between the two boys, which I enjoyed.
An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen

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emotional reflective tense 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

4.5

I very much enjoyed the character of Dr. Stockmann. He put up a hell of a fight. Determined and righteous to the end.
Euripides 1: Alcestis/Medea/Heracleidae/Hippolytus by Euripides

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dark reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.75

Equally feminist and misogynistic. A capsule of the time in which it was written. Shocking and thought provoking. Definitely unforgettable.
The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I found this book in a little free library. It is the third book in a series, but fully enjoyable as a standalone novel. Cute puzzles and curious characters. I hope whoever finds this book next enjoys it like I did.
Armada by Ernest Cline

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adventurous tense 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? No

2.5

Some of this reads like a first draft. 
Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton

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emotional reflective tense 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

3.5

Teenage angst and rebellion. Very moody. SE Hinton writes great characters. 
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

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dark funny reflective slow-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

5.0

Masterpiece. Endlessly quotable. Charming, witty, smart, and romantic. Also, rude and ghastly, and patronizing. I imagine Oscar Wilde was all these things.
Sounder by William H. Armstrong

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sad slow-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? No

3.0

Boy searches for his father, and his dog.