zak_martell's Reviews (277)

challenging dark lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This book is a 3/5, but I give it the extra half point because I love that books like this exist. It's unapologetically gratuitous in every way. It's the book equivalent of those old Exploitation films of the '70s and I love it for that.
The setting wasn't really my thing, or else I think it would have been higher.
emotional funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Technically very well done, but not necessarily my thing.
adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Something really special, but I found it a little slow in the middle and there was a lot of reading for a comic book.
challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Great name. If You're a fan of Jonathan Sims' podcast, this will be right up your alley. He sticks to what he's best at here -- getting us to know and love a character in a short space of time, just before something awful happens to them. 
challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Well put and important.
adventurous lighthearted mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Enjoyable enough, but some of the stories were real flops and only a few felt like standout successes.
adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

A bit hit or miss.

The Gulag Archipelago, Abridged Edition

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

DID NOT FINISH: 10%

Caught up in the next exciting book. I’ll definitely revisit it.
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A slow burn, especially at the start. I found that I enjoyed it whenever I returned to the book, but still found it hard to do so each time.
The characters were fairly predictable and didn't change much from the start. The problems of the book never seemed to ask interesting questions, and when morals were questioned, things often got in the way before characters were forced to think about them too much.
adventurous dark emotional lighthearted relaxing sad 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: No

Enjoyable and short, but I felt as though there was not enough exploration of the Redemption of the title.