rickjones's Reviews (1.66k)

Endlessly disturbing and breathtakingly creative, Jawbone is a story of adolescent daring and purity that descends into violence. Ojeda's use of language, bodily disgust, and topical pop culture references create a story that is unique to the point of mythological. The horror draws the reader in and then clamps down its teeth, culminating in an ending soaked in madness and terror. One of the greatest horror stories I've ever read, and not recommended for the faint of heart.

Small Spaces is a spookily creative novel with an excellent heroine. Ollie was a clever, interesting, and stubborn character that I would have looked up to as a young reader. However, I also felt that it took too long for the story to move past the beginning exposition and into the frightening scenes. I was having trouble staying engaged as an adult, so I can only imagine how impatient I would have felt as a middle schooler! Regardless, I thought the book had many strengths and I look forward to reading the remaining novels in Arden's series. 

This is a brief book that is perfect for readers like me who know very little about physics. Rovelli speaks of discovery and science with a philosophical awe towards learning and the fabric of our world. He successfully kept me engaged and interested in a subject that has intimidated me for years.

Had to return to the library... sorry to the person in the holds queue behind me. 

This book is incredibly helpful as a patient education guide. I wish I had pushed myself to read it when I was first diagnosed, as I desperately needed information on drug intervetions that were effective and safe. Reading it now has reaffirmed that I am taking useful medications and focusing on the right areas of self-improvement. I appreciate that every chapter in the book is focused on one area of intervention, with references to past chapters and chapter wrap-up that includes bulleted lists of information and suggested actions. This is an extremely useful layout to people with fibromyalgia, since we often have memory and concentration problems. However, since the book is nearing ten years old, I would love to see an updated edition. 

Cursed is an angry, honest story about living with chronic pain as a teenager with imperfect parents, friendships, and teachers. I put off reading this book even after I checked it out from the library because it reminded me of a very painful time in my life I try not to remember. Thankfully Silverstein offers Ricky her first supportive figures early on in the story, so that her suffering and loneliness aren't dragged out long after they're made apparent to the reader. Ricky remained endearing even with all her resentment and the major mistakes she made to avoid hurt and humiliation. Today's teenager with arthritis and other chronic pain disorders are lucky to have Ricky and her author to understand their pain, because they've been there too. 

The Devil's Teeth is a vivid and enchanting story of Casey's obsession with white sharks, and the lengths she went to continue living in a wild place where sharks ruled the sea. Despite the numerous hardships of living on the Farallon Islands, and later, the logistical nightmare of returning to them, Casey never loses her sense of wonder for the island and the inhabitants that made it their home. I truly enjoyed the time I spent with this book. Casey is a skilled writer who made every chapter engaging, while also humorous or poignant when appropriate. I appreciate her pull towards the ocean and look forward to reading her newest book about deep sea exploration. 

Quit reading because the book's tone and aggressive stigmatization of individuals with borderline personality disorder was distressing and confusing. Why propose that there are only two types of separately dysfunctional people who have borderline personality disorder when also stating that black and white thinking is a symptom of the disorder? Outdated and unhelpful.