joemkl's Reviews (193)

Being British, I found myself very out of my depth with the AAVE used in this book and as such don't feel like I can truly appreciate it.

This book is not an easy read, but there are some absolute bangers in it. For example, referring to a murder attempt on Immanuel Kant:

It's worth reading for just these quips alone but it hasn't aged the best, especially when things like Descartes are written out as Des Cartes. I get language changes but I'm of the opinion names are a little jarring.

Oh my god. What a book. Something in the Water has been something I've dipped in and out of, and my god this is even better. I didn't see the twist coming, the pacing is perfect, and the plot is exciting.

My only criticism is that the lust the main character feels towards another character doesn't really add to the plot at all and is a bit unnecessary and arguably demeaning.

A fantastic read though, I read it in one sitting and would highly recommend.

I wish I didn't but I absolutely hated this book. Whilst it's written with the clear understanding that asexuality is a spectrum, as someone on that spectrum I found it incredibly crass that the authors would feel the right to make sweeping statements like "we believe this" or "the community uses this term".

The writing style itself is good, which is why the rating isn't lower, but the content is just not for me whatsoever.

I realised it was written for employers rather than disabled people, so it wasn't right for me.

I hated this play. I'd planned to read it for ages and it was just so disappointing. Brief premise is "woke is bad", framed by teachers doing a Thanksgiving play. It's meant to be satire but it's so blindingly obvious and unfunny that it's just sad. This audiobook version highlights that FastHorse got a MacArthur Genius Grant, and if this is the quality of their work, god only knows why.

Ehh, it's fine. I was a big fan of Alex Day before his downfall so now I've finally got to read the book that was sold as a magnum opus, the nicest thing I can say is "ehh, it's fine."

Evelyn Hugo is a duplicitous slut. Evelyn Hugo is a philanthropist. But most of all, Evelyn Hugo is a woman who has been systematically failed by society.

This book will 100% go down as a modern classic. The writing is stunning and alludes to questions you might have all the way through, and then when you get to the last 25% or so, you get bombarded with answer after answer. I cried, I laughed, I was shook, and I was angry. For a piece of fiction to invoke these intense emotions and for me to be grateful for it truly shows that Taylor Jenkins Reid has written a masterpiece.

Please, my god, read this book as soon as you can. I promise you that you aren't going to regret it.

This anonymously written book absolutely wrecks The Secret Barrister. Written in a far more accessible way, this book is reminiscent of Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt or other similar books.

The Good
This book is absolutely hilarious. A particular part that jumps to mind is when Fendem learns that in Crown Court, if you aren’t dressed properly the judge will feign deafness. His internal monologue upon learning this – quite rightly – was wanting to say “Can you hear me now you miserable old cunt?”. If you dislike swearing this probably isn’t one for you but if you want to see horse shit called horse shit then this is something you’d probably quite like.

Fendem does not pull punches on the failings of the justice system, and does so in a way that’s accessible, informative, and still funny as hell.

The Bad
About two thirds in, there’s a part where the pacing totally changes. It feels as if the book is getting ready to end, and faces with another 60 pages of that I wasn’t sure I could muster the energy to keep reading. It does pass though so I’m glad I persevered.

I read Dirty Briefs on the Kindle app on a Boox ereader and it contained a considerable number of formatting mistakes, especially relating to the start of paragraphs. As this is an advance reader copy, I am confident these will be corrected, but it would be remiss to not mention them.

Final Verdict
The Secret Barrister’s working class equivalent is hilarious and isn’t afraid to challenge what you think lawyers are like. Recommended.

I received a free copy of Dirty Briefs via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

A damning critique of slavery, capably read.