Anónimo

Exquisite Gem Of a Story

Revisado: 03-10-22

The characters are brilliantly and sympathetically rendered. The format, in which classic novels form a perfect backdrop for the narrative to unfurl, is genius. This is a heartening novel, never cloying. Adams' novel will stay with me.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Gorgeous Writing, A Story That Stays In the Soul

Revisado: 10-26-21

Riveting, honest, beautifully rendered chronicle. A celebration of the spaces of uncertainty that hold the most exquisite people, experience and places. A raw study of ways in which loss offers gifts of healing and humanity.
Jaouad's story will stay with me.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Depressing!

Revisado: 08-24-21

Beautiful descriptive prose but so depressing! Swoops into a rushed- feeling ending. Glimpses of the braver, better aspects of humanity. Overall, just sad.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Sentimental Romp

Revisado: 08-09-21

Addiction, the sexual revolution, women's liberation, ongoing civil rights-- topics that were brought to national attention in the seventies--are reduced to shallow soap opera vignettes in Mary Jane. If you're looking for a glossy account of how we were, Blau delivers, ala sit com snapshots.
The characters are entitled, making it challenging to emphasize with their self absorbed lives. Stereotypes of exotic hippies, juxtaposed with staid conservatives are delineated in hackneyed simplicity.
This is a sentimental romp through a time of dizzying cultural and political relevance. Pure, shallow entertainment.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 48 personas

Needed This Nudge

Revisado: 04-21-21

Kiley Reid's novel further r opened my mind to the subtle and overt ways in which racism and privilege continue to seep into our culture. The narration was excellent, which may matter to some of us more than is warranted. Especially Nicole Lewis's child's voice, so often rendered cloying and saccharine by lesser narrators--spot on and heartfelt.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Riveting Historical Fiction

Revisado: 04-13-21

Relatable characters, riveting drama and a beautiful narration! This is an engaging glimpse into lives of characters facing moral crossroads, forming bonds of loyalty and overcoming daunting challenges by strength of character and trust.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Irresponsible journalism: Audible: Why?

Revisado: 06-11-20

Like millions, Shubaly is an addict in recovery. His ten years of sobriety are impressive. He is NOT qualified to pose as an expert on substance withdrawal. He is NOT a doctor. His book clearly claims to be a "how to" book, and his major premise is to just quit.

Among Shubaly's erroneous claims:

AA and NA are predicated on Christian values and the purpose of these organizations is to force introverts to disclose confidential details of their lives in a forum in which the primary purpose is conversion.

The DT's can be weathered solo and without medical support.

In the first couple of days of withdrawal, junk food, pornography and lots of water are recommended to ameliorate symptoms. I'm not kidding. He recommends Pornhub and donuts to the chronic user as a means of getting through withdrawal.

Audible, I'm extremely disappointed this is one of your offerings. If a person is in the throes of addiction, seeking a way out and happens to reach for this guidebook with its unsubstantiated suggestions and prompts, he or she is in a world of misinformation and potential danger.

Furthermore, Shabaly's delivery is very angry and pendantic. If he's strident in his views of addiction and recovery, that's worthy of an autobiographical story. It is not a legitimate guide to recovery, lacking the peer review of so many sound publications founded on solid research into addiction.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Interminable!

Revisado: 04-15-19

I don't grasp all the accolades for this interminable saga. The main character, Pino, isn't credible. His propensity for being in the right place at the perfect time is the stuff of action-packed films, each sequel eclipsing the former with dazzling special effects.
The novel drags on, begging the editorial cinching of spare but compelling writing. This novel is like the 'song that does not end!'
The romantic elements are one-dimensional. Pino's first and obsessive love, Anna, was a woman he met by chance. He was attracted to her beauty. Pino imbues her with depth that just isn't substantiated by wisdom, courage or talent. Anna is quickly elevated to "love of one's life" status and remains so, even though she remains a shallow character: Beautiful, smells nice and has a lovely smile.
The postscript, like the body of the novel, is painfully detailed and just too lengthy. The denoument also takes pains to tidy up all the loose ends of several characters' lives--endlessly. I was relieved to finish "Beneath a Scarlet Sky."

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

The Meandering Road

Revisado: 03-10-19

The positive reviews of The Road Beyond Ruin have merit, as assessments of decent historical fiction.
I love well crafted historical fiction. I found Liviero's prose to be flat, almost like a news story. The characters are interesting, although I immediately figured out good guys and bad guys and took sides. No surprises there. Tragedy, romance, pathos are all covered. Was I pulled in by any of the characters or events? Not really.

The narration may have been this novel's downfall. The male narrator sounds exactly like Rod Serling. I kept expecting him to tell us, "It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity...an area which we call the Twilight Zone." This reader's intensity never wavered, even when he was describing something as mundane as sleeping. The characters' dialogue was even more laughable. The German accents kept reminding me of SNL's eccentric art dealer couple, Nuni and Nuni Shoener. Because of these accents and inflections, I had a difficult time taking the characters seriously, even as emotional events unfolded.

The story also meanders. I felt it could have used some editorial tightening. I was relieved to finish the long saga.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 15 personas

Eloquent Creepiness

Revisado: 02-13-19

"Then She Was Gone" was riveting. Jewell rendered each character with just the right amount of quirkiness, tragedy and subtlety. My curiosity was continually picqued,as I theorized about suspects and perpetrators, victims and villains. This would be a suspenseful indulgence, but for the fascinating narrative and descriptions that disclose truths and nuances without verbosity.
The narration was unobtrusive, while lending drama to the edgy narrative. The pleasant British accent enhanced the story, pairing well with the backdrop of England. Some readers were disturbed by some of the criminal behaviors portrayed. Jewell's skilled emphasis on thought provoking elements of human connections and alienation helped soften the darker details. All in all, a highly engaging, well crafted novel.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas