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jstilts's reviews
116 reviews
Art in the Blood by Bonnie MacBird
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is the first in this authors series of Sherlock Holmes novels, and while this is a very strong start she gets even better. I've read a lot of post-Doyle Holmes and MacBird is easily one of the best: smart, funny, complex - and not afraid to explore and develop the characters of Holmes and Watson more than Conan Doyle ever did.
This is probably the most gruesome of her series - not that it is particularly gruesome, but the themes are enough to shock even the usually emotionally removes Holmes- so be aware it has it's serious turns moreso than her later even more brilliant works.
This is probably the most gruesome of her series - not that it is particularly gruesome, but the themes are enough to shock even the usually emotionally removes Holmes- so be aware it has it's serious turns moreso than her later even more brilliant works.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Slavery, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
It's a well enough written murder mystery, but the characters are all so unlikable or all so miserable (and stay unlikable and miserable) that I found myself hoping they would all get killed. The structure of the book puts the actual murder off for far longer than I had patience for, some of the twists/revelations were built up too much for what they turned out to be (or were easily guessed) except for the final twists - who died and whodunnit - by which time I'd given up caring.
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.25
For a "what if Hitler won" sci-fi novel this completely confounded all my expectations of what the book would be about, where it would be set, who it would feature and what their attitudes would be. More a reflection on the nature of the ancient Chinese divination text the "I Ching" the World War 2, more an exploration of Japanese Inner Culture and Class than Fascism, more a road trip to the nature of reality than an struggle against oppression - this book spends serious time on jewellery and antiques and the search for honour and integrity.
Once you have read this book, I highly recommend you seek out an interview with the author "Vertex Interview with Philip K. Dick" which will give you further insights into the nature of this books relationship to the I Ching. Also, look up "Atlantropa" on Wikipedia, it's in relation to a minor and what seemed to be a somewhat fantastical note in the book, but was actually something genuinely planned by the Nazis.
Once you have read this book, I highly recommend you seek out an interview with the author "Vertex Interview with Philip K. Dick" which will give you further insights into the nature of this books relationship to the I Ching. Also, look up "Atlantropa" on Wikipedia, it's in relation to a minor and what seemed to be a somewhat fantastical note in the book, but was actually something genuinely planned by the Nazis.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and War
Four Dogs Missing by Rhys Gard
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
3.25
A riveting rural Australia murder mystery set in the vineyards of Mudgee that follows - let's call him a victim of crime - trying to navigate the worlds of Art and Wine to solve a murder rather than a detective duo. It's at times hard to root for the protagonist, but that's intentional - and the author carefully navigates that potential pitfall to throw doubt on their reliability as a narrator. It's more mystery than thriller, but definitely a page turner.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting
Nothing but the Rain by Naomi Salman
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A very short book that reveals the circumstances of it's world and characters swiftly but naturally through plot devices utterly intrinsic to the story. This is a delightfully shocking slice of apocalyptic domesticity, with an acerbic lead that lets the author cut straight to the point of every thought and situation. Brilliant, satisfying, horrifying - with the occasional twist of dark humour. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Dementia
Ichiro by Ryan Inzana
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A graphic novel that doesn't signal where it is going and - aside from what appears at first to be a short story prologue - very much a book of two halves, one set and grounded in our world reflecting on Japanese culture and it's early 20th Century history, the other half a fantasy. I would have been happier if the book had either stuck to the real world, or had more trips between the two to better show how the fantasy aspects were informing Ichiro's views of his real life.