jenknox's Reviews (494)

Amazing. Brave. I'm so surprised so many people read this willingly, what with our addiction to happy endings and grandiose versions of reality.
Cheers for raising awareness and telling a good story at the same time.
If it disturbs you, good. You probably needed to be disturbed.

The Raven Affair is a fast-moving book that pulls you in from page one. The sense of urgency that Nedelton creates from the get-go grows exponentially as the tale progresses. Raven is a hired hand, on the trail of a war criminal, but he soon finds his assignment isn't what it seems. This book is dynamic and frighteningly believable, full of complex plot twists and sinister intellectual questions that, remarkably, kept this reader hooked.
The Raven Affair is destined to be adapted for the big screen. I found myself envisioning the scenes as I went along--quickly--unable to put the damn thing down.

Unique voice. The narrative offers a strong sense of vulnerability and, at the same time, ownership.

Just great writing. I was so excited to read such a strong collection, and just about every story had the complexity and depth of a novel. Atwood is a masterful writer.

Jeffrey Eugenides is one of my absolute favorite authors. Although this was my least favorite book by him, it didn't lack his meticulous research, precise storytelling and thorough character studies. The story is a tri-fold coming-of-age with the requisite love interest and confusion. The book focuses on manic-depressive disorder, religious exploration and the concept/reality of marriage. It's a good book. It's no Middlesex.

There are very few writers who can take a true, gritty story and render it in such a manner that it is digestible but not romanticized or greyed by the forced constraints of storytelling. Dickinson is one of the few authors I know who hits soft and still knocks the reader out. She does not overdo or under-represent. She portrays a sickeningly sad story with the refinement of an expert wordsmith. One girl's story is all our story, and Dickinson reminds us of that in this powerful novel.

These poems, together, create a sort of chorus. Writing that strikes me wants to know about the world, to value the true beauty within it - that which is found in nature and despite it. It wants to understand but also to step back and throw up its hands and admit what it does not know, to ask the question.

I felt so close to the writing in many of these poems that, although I rarely write poetry, I felt as though these stories and rhythms and word choices summarized my own thoughts and feelings precisely. I love that sensation after reading a book, and it doesn't happen often.