Official Review: The Kokuran II by Jordin Mack

[Sicily Joy]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Kokuran II" by Jordin Mack.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Astrid is recovering from the death of her ex-fiancé. She is overwhelmed with grief and depression when a new friend, Sage, enters her life. Sage helps Astrid deal with her grief and other past traumas. With a new view on life, Astrid attempts to date again. As a result, she ends up in a love triangle. Unfortunately, drama and tragedy seem to follow Astrid. While dealing with her complicated relationships, past secrets and betrayals reemerge that could ruin Astrid's life.

The Kokuran II: In Full Blossom is the second book in the series. However, it works as a standalone as Mack gives enough backstory to catch the reader up on the current state of Astrid’s life.

When I first started reading this book, I had a hard time getting interested in Astrid’s story. A sufficient amount of the beginning narrative is Astrid thinking a lot and doing nothing. While it makes sense that she would be passive due to her grieving, it was frustrating to read. I think the beginning could be improved by having more action and more two-way dialogue. The dialogue in the book is mostly characters monologuing to each other in unrealistic ways. At times, the writing was repetitive with Astrid thinking and saying the same things over and over. This repetition paired with all the exposition slowed the pacing of the beginning chapters.

The energy of the story picks up when Gigi's (Astrid’s grandmother) health takes a turn for the worst. Gigi leaves Astrid her journals to read. Astrid also receives a video from her mom, Di. The journals and video correspondence were some of my favorite parts of the novel. These items tell the stories of Gigi and Di. Gigi's and Di’s lives are filled with great trauma and resilience. They are both quite stubborn and active characters. Astrid, on the other hand, is very passive at the beginning of the novel. However, after she learns about her family's past, she becomes proactive in confronting her past and seeking answers about her lineage. From this point on, the story quickens its pace as many secrets are revealed.

While I consider myself quite intuitive, there was one twist in the story that I didn’t see coming. This revelation wasn't something Mack threw in to shock the reader. Mack skillfully left subtle clues throughout the novel.

While all the drama was fun to read, my favorite part of this story was the discussion of sensitive issues including mental health, sexual assault, grief, and trauma. I felt that these issues were written with great empathy. I found the characterization of characters who suffered from mental illness to be very sympathetic. Even when they were making horrible mistakes, I found their actions to be understandable.

Other than the slow beginning, the only element of the story I didn’t care for was the love triangle. The scenes between Astrid and her love interests were not romantic or sexy. I think the descriptions used in the sex scenes were childish. For example, Astrid refers to her sexual secretions as "my lava". Also, there was not enough romantic buildup between characters. Mostly, the love triangle felt like a distraction from the more significant plot lines.

By the end of the novel, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I grew to like Astrid. The ending gave closure to the main plot points but left enough unknowns for Astrid’s future that I am eager to read the next installment.

I decided to rate this 3 out of 4 stars. I found no errors in the novel. Therefore, the book seemed professionally edited. I took off a point for the slow beginning and the flawed romantic storyline. However, all the family drama and surprising revelations make The Kokuran II: In Full Blossom a worthwhile read. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy a good twist and like reading about flawed characters. Due to the sexual context of the book, I would only suggest this for adult readers. Readers should be prepared for scenes depicting sexual assault and abuse.

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The Kokuran II
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Like Sicily Joy's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Sahar Majid]

Thank you for the good review! I actually think I may pick this book up later; it seems like it has quite a few interesting elements. I find it very intriguing that the focus was on her lineage as well and that more effort may have been put into that than the love triangle.

[r3ch1rd]

It seems to be like others novels but has a more unique content

[daydreaming reader]

The flaws you mentioned are usually the ones that turn me off a book. However, the discussions surrounding the sensitive issues arouse my interest. Thank you for your honest review.

[Allyseria]

Thank you for your review. It's a shame that the beginning was a bit slow. I also don't like books that keep repeating themselves. I think I'll have to give this book a pass.

[Debjani Ghosh]

Thanks for the honest review! A slow beginning along with a distracting romantic angle to spice up the plot would definitely put me off. Hence, I will pass this one.

[Rosemary Khathibe]

Astrid seems to encounter a lot of challenges in relationships. It's sad to hear that non were romantic. And like you, I also get irritated by slow-paced beginnings, so I will pass the book. Thanks for the intriguing and helpful review!

[asere_maryanne]

I am also not a fun of books with boring beginnings. The beginning of a book is supposed to be appealing, anyway your review makes me want to read it. Thank you

[Bianka Walter]

I feel like love triangles have been overdone in books these days. There has to be something unique to set them apart from the rest, and it falls flat if there isn't.
Great review!

[Sicily Joy]

I feel like love triangles have been overdone in books these days. There has to be something unique to set them apart from the rest, and it falls flat if there isn't.
Great review!

I agree. I personally need to be convinced that the two love interests are equally good for the main character. I want to be as torn as the main character. But, this love triangle left me indifferent. Thanks for your comment.

[Jackie Holycross]

I love a good plot twist but veer away from more explicit sexual content so this one probably is not for me. Thanks for a good review.

[Mindy Conahye]

This is a very thorough review. I like that you don't have to read the first book to know what is going on in the second book. It sounds like it was lacking in the romance department, but that the rest of the book would be intriguing.

[jcoad]

Great review! Interesting story for the book and it feels like I could learn something while enjoying a good thriller. I will add this one to my bookshelf!

[Amy+++]

Sounds like a good read. I am pleased to hear that the more delicate situations where handled carefully. But the book sounds slow. Great review.

[CasualBookReader]

The book sounds like a version of my past life. I don't mind slow plot development as long as the purpose is for character development. Stephen King is notorious for taking his time building the story by first letting us get acquainted with the principal characters before actually getting to the action.

It seems like Jodin Mack has only published the two books in this series. I'd like to read the first book before trying #2. Thanks for the review.