Zoe Adams

At times, this verged on the ridiculous, but on the whole, this was very well done. I'm glad I stuck with it, because my first impression was ‘this is not for me'. However, it actually had profound depth, and explored some extremely complex issues in a surprisingly nuanced way. I'm really glad I stuck with it.

This was really well done. It erred on the farcical at times, but it was well written, easy to read, and interesting.

Easy to read....but you you don't want to. Everything is predictable, formulaic, artificial and ‘twee'. The characters are completely fake, the storyline something you would buy off a ‘ready to write' shop shelf, and the entire book extremely frustrating. But it's easy to read.

I really enjoyed this. The first two chapters were absolutely terrible, but I'm glad I pushed through. I didn't really feel for the characters, but it was definitely a well-crafted novel, and it explored the theme so well that I can appreciate its quality even though I would never name it as a ‘favorite' book. I don't usually like books that jump around in time, but this was done really well, and despite all the jumping, you felt like the author was building up the characters' pasts and experiences in a logical way. My only complaint is that the characters need to ‘go for a slash' far too often for my liking; and that phrase really jarred against what was otherwise quite lyrical writing.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this. My only complaint was that occasionally the colloquial language grated on me - references to ‘jocks', and the odd unwelcome contraction (should've') etc, all of which were unnecessary and somewhat out of line with the rest of the book - but apart from that, it was such a lovely story (without being cheesy), and much deeper and more complex than I expected. Definitely a feel good book.

This is the second time i've tried to read this, and it's just boring. And the author's excessive use of the third person pronoun is unnecessary, and just means you have no idea who is saying what. It may be brilliantly researched - but there's not much point in all that research if it cannot be effectively cmmunicated.

This book should not have been written (or not by a man). The author makes no attempt to understand how women think, or to think realistically about the experiences faced by overweight people (and women in particular). The result is a rather crude, and unbelievable character, that is neither likeable nor realistic.

I really did not like this. As with all Murakami's books, the writing captures you, and there is something lyrical and beautiful about all his books as a result. But I genuinely did not like this story, and felt uncomfortable the whole time. If the language had not been so capitivating, I would not have finished it. Absolutely not a love story, contrary to the comments on the book's cover!

This was by far the best of the books so far. They're well written, the characters are believable and interesting, and the book is full of ethical dilemmas. By far the best ‘law' fiction out there.

This is the second time I'm reading this book, having read the first three three times or more. These books are such truly remarkable works of fiction; not so much because they are beautifully written (they are well written, but that is not what makes them stand out) but because the world they create, the characters through which that world is expressed, and the ideas that are brought to life are so profound, so moving, and so incredibly insightful, that the book just moves you in such personal ways that it feels like it's been written for you. While I think this book had perhaps a bit too much plot (and thus, was a bit long), it was such a beautiful way to round off the series. It won't have the same place in my heart as Shadow of the Wind,but it's certainly close.

I think this should really be 3.5 stars. It was extremely well-written, and very interesting. The characters were well developed, and the story was actually interesting and compelling. It just wasn't my ‘sort' of story. I did think ‘I'd rather be reading something else' frequently, and yet, it was so well done that I couldn't give up on it. It was definitely a well-crafted narrative, and a well-written novel, just not a book I could fall in love with or feel particularly attached to.

The four stars represents how much I enjoyed this book; but as a piece of art, or a remarkable piece of literature, it deserves a 5. The book is so incredibly clever; it is a meditation on the boundaries (or lack thereof) between fiction and reality, between friendship, and enmity, between love and resentment - no other author captures the complexity of the human condition like Ferrante. This is not a book to read for enjoyment, to like the characters, to escape; it is a book to appreciate from afar, to respect. It is by far the best of the four novels.

This was one of the best court-room/legal novels I have ever read. It was beautifully written, and was so much more than an interesting case. The ethical issues it addressed, and the social issues it explored, made it a joy to read, and while I wish it had been longer, so we had got to know the characters more, I look forward to reading the next in the series.

This is definitely the best of what are, ultimately, 4 excellent books. I haven't enjoyed a series so much in a long time - and I don't generally ‘like' crime novels. The characters, the subtle political and social commentary, and the quality of the writing, really make these novels standout, and once again reinforce the brilliance of JK Rowling.

This was actually much better than The Familiars, well written, and explored some much more complex themes. My only complaint was that the ending was too hurried, and as such, not entirely believable. While I understand why Alexandra was portrayed as she was, aspects of her character did not add up, and the sudden shift we see in her towards the end just added to this. However, as a vehicle for an exploration of class and other social issues, the book was a success.

I had such high hopes for this, but it was terrible. It had no sub-plot, no character development; nothing - simply a murder, and a man who decided to investigate it, and we simply follow him as he asks questions to different people. It was such a simplistic and somewhat amateurish approach to the crime genre, and even the historical element was dull and common knowledge. I cannot believe this book gets such good reviews.

Each one of these books is better than the last. The character development is really very good, and it is this, more than the plot, that makes these books worth the read. However, there is no doubt that they are cleverly done as far as ‘who dunnits' are concerned. But it is Rowling's ability to combine believable characters and social commentary with a compelling plot that really makes these book stand apart.

I thought this was beautifully written, very clever, and very insightful. However, it was just too long. The way the different voices were inter-woven together was clever, and helped provide some continuity, but in essence, the book is a collection of short stories, and it was simply too much of a good thing. Having enjoyed what I read immensely, I couldn't wait for it to end.

This was definitely readable, and an interesting exploration of how people cope in light of disaster. However, the narrative technique just did not work. Each chapter was written from the perspective of a different character, but there was no real shift in voice between each. Nor did the author spend enough time developing the characters before disaster struck, making it difficult to believe in their grief. It's not a book I think I'll remember; but it wasn't bad by any mean.

Again, 4 stars as a crime novel. This was better than Cuckoo's calling, and reminded me of why I liked the Harry Potter books: behind a complex and exciting plot there is a much more subtle social commentary full of insightful observations and critical analysis. The character development is also very good.

On a re-read, I was reminded how good this is. It's probably my least favourite of the strike novels, but it's still brilliant.

This is well-written, a lovely idea, and started off so well. But I just found it so boring. There were so many relationships that were inadequately explored or developed, and story lines that were pursued to breaking point. It was a real struggle to get to the end.

Not as good as the first, but still interesting. The writing seemed forced at times, hence the three stars.

While I tend to rate ‘crime' novels with a different scale to other novels, as far as crime novels go, this was good. I read the audiobook version, and thought Robert Glennister was excellent as the narrator.

This was MUCH better than the first Lord John novel. Whereas that read like an extended short story, this was much more like the ‘full' outlander novels. Lord John is my favourite outlander character, and I loved the personal nature of this book. It's not anywhere near as rich in depth and detail as the outlander books, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I wanted to try this because, despite the title, I knew it got good reviews. But it really was as bad as the title suggests. It was so predictable, and even where there were twists, they were somehow cliche. It was readable, but not particularly compelling.