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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Rating: 2.5/5
Even though this was a quick read for me, I found myself pretty underwhelmed.
This book absolutely delivers on having an unexpected ending, but beyond that it didn't really capture my attention. The media element of the drawings added a bit to the enjoyment and kept me reading, but I found the pacing of the story itself to be pretty slow (until the end). I found myself getting a bit bored by the repetitive plot. For me, the tension wasn't there, and I didn't get immersed in an atmosphere that made it particularly thrilling. There didn’t really seem to be any true stakes or danger (until the end; unbalanced, in my opinion).
Even though the story is plot-driven, I found myself more interested in Mallory's character and learning more about her because the mystery aspect itself wasn't engaging to me. becoming even less so as the story went on. I still wasn't able to be compelled by the other characters, however, aside from Teddy.
I will say that the 'twists' at the end were absolutely unpredictable for me. Usually, I absolutely love when a book of any genre is unpredictable, but in this case it lent to unbelievability. Towards the end, the pacing picked up too quickly for me, and the twists were overdone, taking away from the punch of the story. While the twists were unpredictable, I didn't feel them as shockingly as I hope for with thrillers (again, perhaps because too many came at once). I also didn't particularly enjoy the twists themselves, which draw in 'commentary,' or at least the topics of relevant commentary, which were then just brushed over really quickly in a way that didn't acknowledge the weight of that particular topic
My favorite parts were definitely the drawings themselves, Mallory's character/history, Teddy, and the 'epilogue.' The epilogue, particularly was the highlight and actually brought a heartwarming element to the story.
All of that said, this wouldn't necessarily be a book that I recommend, but I can definitely understand why a lot of people enjoy it. If you're looking for something that is unique in format (i.e., the drawings) and that will absolutely go wild in ways you can't guess at the end, this might be for you, but it just wasn't for me.
Even though this was a quick read for me, I found myself pretty underwhelmed.
This book absolutely delivers on having an unexpected ending, but beyond that it didn't really capture my attention. The media element of the drawings added a bit to the enjoyment and kept me reading, but I found the pacing of the story itself to be pretty slow (until the end). I found myself getting a bit bored by the repetitive plot. For me, the tension wasn't there, and I didn't get immersed in an atmosphere that made it particularly thrilling. There didn’t really seem to be any true stakes or danger (until the end; unbalanced, in my opinion).
Even though the story is plot-driven, I found myself more interested in Mallory's character and learning more about her because the mystery aspect itself wasn't engaging to me. becoming even less so as the story went on. I still wasn't able to be compelled by the other characters, however, aside from Teddy.
I will say that the 'twists' at the end were absolutely unpredictable for me. Usually, I absolutely love when a book of any genre is unpredictable, but in this case it lent to unbelievability. Towards the end, the pacing picked up too quickly for me, and the twists were overdone, taking away from the punch of the story. While the twists were unpredictable, I didn't feel them as shockingly as I hope for with thrillers (again, perhaps because too many came at once). I also didn't particularly enjoy the twists themselves, which draw in 'commentary,' or at least the topics of relevant commentary, which were then just brushed over really quickly in a way that didn't acknowledge the weight of that particular topic
Spoiler
(gender identity/sexuality/expression, etc.).My favorite parts were definitely the drawings themselves, Mallory's character/history, Teddy, and the 'epilogue.' The epilogue, particularly was the highlight and actually brought a heartwarming element to the story.
All of that said, this wouldn't necessarily be a book that I recommend, but I can definitely understand why a lot of people enjoy it. If you're looking for something that is unique in format (i.e., the drawings) and that will absolutely go wild in ways you can't guess at the end, this might be for you, but it just wasn't for me.
Ngl the drawings were kinda scary LOL but idk it wasn’t rly v exciting either cuz most of what was happening seemed to mainly be Mallory’s paranoia. She wld think a thump on the window was spooky, or hallucinate a knock on the door etc. but honestly it was all just her imagination… and i guess it makes it less scary because the ghost in here isn’t malevolent, but just a mother trying to protect her child.
So the story is basically, a ghost haunting a family and possessing their kid to draw some creepy shit. So Mallory is hired as their babysitter and she keeps seeing these creepy drawings by their kid, Teddy. She tries to figure out what they mean and suspect that the death of the previous owner is related to the hauntings. The big twist is revealed that the ghost is actl a mother whose daughter had been stolen from her, by the couple living in the house (so Mallory’s current employer) as they’ve been trying for a kid but kept failing. They forced her daughter to live as a boy to avoid detection and buried the mum’s body somewhere. And so ya, Mallory saves the kid and goes on her merry way
It was interesting I guess, I never saw the plot twist coming either but honestly it wasn’t much special either. The whole ordeal abt Mallory’s drug addiction didn’t rly add much to the story and idk, the couple’s behavior was hard to understand too. Anyway it was fun I guess
So the story is basically, a ghost haunting a family and possessing their kid to draw some creepy shit. So Mallory is hired as their babysitter and she keeps seeing these creepy drawings by their kid, Teddy. She tries to figure out what they mean and suspect that the death of the previous owner is related to the hauntings. The big twist is revealed that the ghost is actl a mother whose daughter had been stolen from her, by the couple living in the house (so Mallory’s current employer) as they’ve been trying for a kid but kept failing. They forced her daughter to live as a boy to avoid detection and buried the mum’s body somewhere. And so ya, Mallory saves the kid and goes on her merry way
It was interesting I guess, I never saw the plot twist coming either but honestly it wasn’t much special either. The whole ordeal abt Mallory’s drug addiction didn’t rly add much to the story and idk, the couple’s behavior was hard to understand too. Anyway it was fun I guess
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
not gonna lie i GOT SCAREDDD everytime i saw the illustration picture on this book
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No