Kathleen’s review of Copper Script > Likes and Comments
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MAP wrote: "What discord? 👀"
@MAP I'll DM you
Same what discord? And it's the second time after X that I read some disappointment on this book :/.
Ugh fair. But I'm sticking with the good time I had and dropping my rating by just one star.
What? I can be stubborn!
Omg I’ve been linked?! Now I can say I’ve officially made it. 🥳 Also major lol at “viscerally negative reaction” you’re not wrong but I meant it in a very loving way, I swear…
Oooh I agree with you! I'm sad because this was so subpar with everything kj already done with similar concepts . My bet is she doesnt had enough time and energy to dedicate to this story as she had with the other ones that will be more tradiotionally published.
Re: writing cops, I feel like a fundamental tension within the KJC oeuvre is that she thinks of herself as - or wants to be - more leftist than she is. So she feels uncomfortable writing cops because ACAB but also she wants to write cops because they tickle her id, and the result is this weird half-in, half-out approach that doesn't satisfy anyone. As with a lot of authors, I think her books were better when she was less conscious of potential reader backlash - compare Aaron with Ben Spenser and the basic ideas are still there, but Ben's role and his evolving views on the justice system feel much more earned than "I gotta write him quitting so people won't be mad (but also the token female character will stay a cop because girl power.)" It's very muddled.
@Laura wow I was racking my brain trying to think of KJC cop characters and I totally forgot about Ben! Some great points.
ancientreader wrote: "Ugh fair. But I'm sticking with the good time I had and dropping my rating by just one star.
What? I can be stubborn!"
look, it's all just vibes on these here intertubes. be the stubborn you wanna see in the world!
X wrote: "Omg I’ve been linked?! Now I can say I’ve officially made it. 🥳 Also major lol at “viscerally negative reaction” you’re not wrong but I meant it in a very loving way, I swear…"
nooooooooo, i know i've linked you before, c'mon!! you've got so many banger reviews, give my link skills some credit.
also, edited to ensure that your loving visceralness comes through ;)
morganarosana wrote: "Oooh I agree with you! I'm sad because this was so subpar with everything kj already done with similar concepts . My bet is she doesnt had enough time and energy to dedicate to this story as she ha..."
@morganarosana, she has written on her blog that the inspiration for this story (the graphology angle) came to her in a flash and that she wrote it ridiculously quickly . . . I do wonder if she had a bit of a soft spot for this one because it felt easy, while all the other stuff she has lined up (and this is total webweaving on my part) feels hard.
Laura wrote: "Re: writing cops, I feel like a fundamental tension within the KJC oeuvre is that she thinks of herself as - or wants to be - more leftist than she is. So she feels uncomfortable writing cops becau..."
@Laura, this!!! And I was also thinking of Ben when reading this, particularly how he managed his own ethics about being in an (illegal) gay relationship while still a cop, versus Aaron's less reflective, self-imposed (mostly) celibacy. And how Ben's betrayal was experienced on a more personal level, if that makes sense -- not his betrayal by Jonah, which obviously was personal, but by his colleagues, which was a personal wound, because they were supposed to be his mates. I never got the sense that Ben expected the institution to defend him, but he did expect his friends to; whereas Aaron is written as so friendless that all he really has is the institution (except Challice, eventually), and that is just not as interesting a relationship.
I'm gasping at the ho-hum KJC rating! Lovely review, all very valid points (and plot holes). You're making me side-eye my five-star rating. LOL.
@Sully Smutty, I definitely talked my way down in this case, b/c I enjoyed it when I read it!
All the credit to your link skills!! 😉 and thank you, I feel accurately described lolol
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Jun 03, 2025 04:28AM
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MAP wrote: "What discord? 👀"@MAP I'll DM you
Same what discord? And it's the second time after X that I read some disappointment on this book :/.
Ugh fair. But I'm sticking with the good time I had and dropping my rating by just one star. What? I can be stubborn!
Omg I’ve been linked?! Now I can say I’ve officially made it. 🥳 Also major lol at “viscerally negative reaction” you’re not wrong but I meant it in a very loving way, I swear…
Oooh I agree with you! I'm sad because this was so subpar with everything kj already done with similar concepts . My bet is she doesnt had enough time and energy to dedicate to this story as she had with the other ones that will be more tradiotionally published.
Re: writing cops, I feel like a fundamental tension within the KJC oeuvre is that she thinks of herself as - or wants to be - more leftist than she is. So she feels uncomfortable writing cops because ACAB but also she wants to write cops because they tickle her id, and the result is this weird half-in, half-out approach that doesn't satisfy anyone. As with a lot of authors, I think her books were better when she was less conscious of potential reader backlash - compare Aaron with Ben Spenser and the basic ideas are still there, but Ben's role and his evolving views on the justice system feel much more earned than "I gotta write him quitting so people won't be mad (but also the token female character will stay a cop because girl power.)" It's very muddled.
@Laura wow I was racking my brain trying to think of KJC cop characters and I totally forgot about Ben! Some great points.
ancientreader wrote: "Ugh fair. But I'm sticking with the good time I had and dropping my rating by just one star. What? I can be stubborn!"
look, it's all just vibes on these here intertubes. be the stubborn you wanna see in the world!
X wrote: "Omg I’ve been linked?! Now I can say I’ve officially made it. 🥳 Also major lol at “viscerally negative reaction” you’re not wrong but I meant it in a very loving way, I swear…"nooooooooo, i know i've linked you before, c'mon!! you've got so many banger reviews, give my link skills some credit.
also, edited to ensure that your loving visceralness comes through ;)
morganarosana wrote: "Oooh I agree with you! I'm sad because this was so subpar with everything kj already done with similar concepts . My bet is she doesnt had enough time and energy to dedicate to this story as she ha..."@morganarosana, she has written on her blog that the inspiration for this story (the graphology angle) came to her in a flash and that she wrote it ridiculously quickly . . . I do wonder if she had a bit of a soft spot for this one because it felt easy, while all the other stuff she has lined up (and this is total webweaving on my part) feels hard.
Laura wrote: "Re: writing cops, I feel like a fundamental tension within the KJC oeuvre is that she thinks of herself as - or wants to be - more leftist than she is. So she feels uncomfortable writing cops becau..."@Laura, this!!! And I was also thinking of Ben when reading this, particularly how he managed his own ethics about being in an (illegal) gay relationship while still a cop, versus Aaron's less reflective, self-imposed (mostly) celibacy. And how Ben's betrayal was experienced on a more personal level, if that makes sense -- not his betrayal by Jonah, which obviously was personal, but by his colleagues, which was a personal wound, because they were supposed to be his mates. I never got the sense that Ben expected the institution to defend him, but he did expect his friends to; whereas Aaron is written as so friendless that all he really has is the institution (except Challice, eventually), and that is just not as interesting a relationship.
I'm gasping at the ho-hum KJC rating! Lovely review, all very valid points (and plot holes). You're making me side-eye my five-star rating. LOL.
@Sully Smutty, I definitely talked my way down in this case, b/c I enjoyed it when I read it!
All the credit to your link skills!! 😉 and thank you, I feel accurately described lolol
