jenknox's Reviews (494)

Awesome collection of essays. Love the humor and grit and up-close scenes that, as will all good nonfiction, make me feel as though I'm in good company. I can't believe it took me so long to find this book. I need to find more like it... I'm facing a shortage of good essay collections.

I'm a fan of Maria Savva, so I was delighted to read her new short story collection. Having read her longer work, I wasn't sure what to expect--often a novelist has trouble mastering the compact form of the short story. But Savva rises to the challenge and excels.

The stories here are intimate and, as is the case with all her work, I feel as though I really know each character immediately. Each story in this collection is very different, some genre stories and others more subtle and literary, but the collection is bound by keen insights and the characters' unique longings. A tell of Savva's work is that her characters always feel real, never overdone or overly glamorized. I can honestly say that there wasn't a story in here that didn't pull me in and keep me close. Some of the stories have a melancholy feel, but never without a sense of purpose or drive, and each delivers an immaculate portrait that speaks to a necessary truth that is at the same time universal and uniquely delivered.

One of my favorite authors, so I expect miracles from his writing... this book is 80% miraculous. In Pharaoh's Army was safely at 120%, so these things even out.

Six Weeks to Yehidah is the story of Annalise, a young girl who enters a wondrous dreamscape. With the company of two very special friends, she takes a journey and meets a variety of intriguing and highly entertaining characters. Ultimately, it is up to Annalise to solve the greatest riddle of all: why she’s here, and what it all means. Her each step towards this answer is both delightful and thought-provoking. Six Weeks to Yehidah is a must read for any young person who knows there is more to life than what is right in front of our eyes.

listening to this one on audio - good audio/good story. maybe i'm a bit generous with the five stars, but i have a soft spot for a lovable/wise dog as the narrator, and the story really was pretty good. :)

Bled Out is a smart, scary, thrilling book that really does hook and pull to the end. I was invested throughout. What really drives Bled Out is the idea that Ken (the protagonist) is so perfectly drawn, so wonderfully flawed and fun to follow. And man is his spirit tested! Parts of the book were a bit gruesome but well-drawn, and I found it impossible to stop reading as Ken risks his lifeblood to take on the potentially insurmountable responsibility of saving others' lives (I apologize for the bad pun). Bottom line: a fabulous book from a truly original author.