Kimberly

Uneven

Revisado: 04-21-25

The story is partially predictable. The last surprise was the least surprising. The main character has an uneven reaction to some of the relationships she has and with the events that happen. Her husband takes altruism to the extremes. There’s too much grieving in some parts of the story and a complete absence of feeling or conscience to the point of psychopathy in other sections. It feels like an editor let a lot slide.
But I hear this is a wildly popular book. Like the characters, they were promising but a couple of them didn’t turn out too well.

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Ugggghhh

Revisado: 04-06-25

I don’t know how else to title this except to say that I’m very frustrated that any time I try to get into this story, one of the characters has to talk about their sexuality. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very happy for everyone who finds their someone no matter what. But must we have a teachable moment on every single page?? It feels gratuitous, like there is a box that needs to be checked. Gay married couple- check. Bi women have a history of a fling in high school - check. Who knows what’s going on with the journalist? I’m only about 30 minutes in.
Can we please stop?? I just want to enjoy the story.

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Researchers will get it.

Revisado: 06-19-24

If you’ve ever done research, academic or industrial, you know this scenario as a junior researcher to someone more senior. Every thought you have belongs to them.
This story was very relatable to anyone who has ever had to write papers or give a presentation at a conference. That might be a niche audience but it’s a niche that needs to be occupied. This is a first rate story. It would make a great movie- for the geeky types.
The narration occasionally took me out of the narrative. Maybe it was because accents changed. Maybe it’s because the narrator sounded too young. I’ll bet she got the Latin right though.

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Inspiring

Revisado: 09-28-23

Cassidy Hutchinson was a natural in Washington DC. She was good at what she did and didn’t shy away from playing political hardball with congressmen whose cooperation she needed for Trump. But she came from a modest working class background and when she was asked to testify about the chaotic and illegal activities in the White House after Trump lost the 2020 election, she found herself in a bind financially and with her conscience. This book is about what she did to resolve that almost inescapable reality. She tells about the people who made the greatest impression on her and helped her decide to come forward with what she knows.
Very well written. I finished it in a day. Gripping, heartbreaking, frightening.
It has a happy ending, hopefully for all of us. I hope this book makes her insanely rich. She deserves it.

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Not gonna lie, it was good and hot.

Revisado: 07-04-23

Maybe a bit too hot. This is the tale of one horny heroine. If it weren’t for the excellent plot featuring dragons, treason and friendships, I might have just rolled my eyes with all of lust. The good part of that lust is that it acknowledges that young women have it and think of sex is as natural as breathing.
It’s sure to be banned in Florida.
There is an intriguing mystery in this plot and I’m looking forward to book 2, as exhausting as the sex is going to be.
If you liked Outlander, you’ll like this. Different place and time but two unforgettable characters.

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Can’t bear to see it end

Revisado: 05-05-20

I’ve been holding off reading the last hour. I know how it’s going to end but for some reason I am waiting for history to change. This is a LOOOOONNG book. There are places where it seems to slow down too much. But Hilary Mantel is incapable of writing a bad sentence. Every word captures the sights and sounds of sixteenth century England. There is so much here that applies to the present time including the social distancing precautions back in the day when there was no remedy for sweating sickness, measles or the plague.
I will have to read it again- provided I can get through the last heartbreaking hour.

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Conventional wisdom

Revisado: 04-30-20

A lot of this book consists of conventional wisdom like, “make sure you get enough sleep”. It also says not to drink coffee. Really?? I’ve recently read that coffee is good for your general level of alertness.
How about “supervisors shouldn’t drink to excess, resulting in poor memory, and blame their shortcomings on their direct reports”? I can’t remember hearing that.
Look, it’s very simple: go read any Jane Austin novel and you will quickly learn how to be amiable and agreeable. There is a time, place and good reasons for being passionate and/or demanding. But in general, your goal is to make people comfortable with you no matter what you have to accomplish.
This book does not at all address the socially tone deaf. I suspect that this is because it’s very difficult to train people who do not have an ear for hearing how offensive they are. Somehow in their upbringing, they didn’t have a very attentive grandmother to correct them.
I don’t recommend this book.

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Scariest first part ever

Revisado: 01-02-19

I can’t remember when a book made my skin crawl. Not even Stephen King does that to me. But the first part of this book was horrifying, especially a harrowing train ride. I shuddered the whole trip from start to finish.
The second part starts off promising but left me with too many unanswered questions and improbabilities. Then it devolved into an ensemble cast of characters that I mostly just couldn’t identify with.
Good premise, interesting concept, amazing heroine. But I was glad when it ended and didn’t read the second book. Nothing could match the first part of the first book.

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Ok, I'm in. Where is book 2?

Revisado: 01-18-16

For a first time novelist, this was pretty damn good. The characters are colorful, the zeitgeist infuses the story, and except for a couple of Bullwer-Lytton contest contenders early in the book, well written. Mckenzie keeps the story moving with few dead spots.
That being said, there are a few things that kept it from being a 5/5 for me. For one thing, the main character puts up with a lot of insults with the stoic patience of a saint. The backstory suggests that this is a guy who can react with extreme prejudice so I had to wonder what the hell all his restraint was about. He was almost passive. Things happened to him. I think the author needs to explain that or develop the character in the next book but he can't do it this way again.
Nice reference to Agatha Christie.
Makes me want to stay the hell out of Arizona. This was a sentiment I had heard previously from younger relatives who lived there recently. I don't think the author exaggerates much.
Bring on book 2, brother.

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Get on with it already

Revisado: 09-08-15

I tried. I really did. The plot blurb sounded promising and I love historical fiction. I even like the setting.
But I could not understand why the author wrote the book this way. It's frustrating to listen to and it turned out that neither plot in this book could hold my attention for long. I could not lose myself in this book.
The writing definitely needed a better editor. There were long stretches where the author concentrated her attention on the coins in the electricity meter in her cottage and the tea set in a library in a private home. Was she writing a novel or a Small Planet entry for semi-remote attractions in Scotland?
As for the narrator, she sounded like the voice over for a butter commercial. Four hours in, I still have no idea what this book is aboot and I've just given up caring.
Moving on...

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