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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
3 stars
I really wanted this to be more than what it was. I wanted it to be spooky and creepy and claustrophobic. I wanted to feel dread and I wanted that feeling of running out of time.
Sadly I didn’t get any of those vibes. The story meanders along at its own pace, told more like a western than a thriller or suspense novel.
The story felt less about Carol than about everyone else involved.
I really wanted this to be more than what it was. I wanted it to be spooky and creepy and claustrophobic. I wanted to feel dread and I wanted that feeling of running out of time.
Sadly I didn’t get any of those vibes. The story meanders along at its own pace, told more like a western than a thriller or suspense novel.
The story felt less about Carol than about everyone else involved.
Malerman has this ability to create a setting and atmosphere that is so immersive, its probably the thing that I love most about his writing. I think that was one of the things that I loved the most about this book. Here we have sort of an old west setting which I really loved. I also really liked most of the characters in this book. The depiction of the trail and the different outlaws on it was the best part. Aside from that, I didn't really feel any type of connection to Carol and the pacing felt a little off at times. I think those things pulled me out of the story and I wasn't as invested as I could have been. I did enjoy this book.
(But Bird Box is still my favorite!)
(But Bird Box is still my favorite!)
4.5. Malerman does it again; his characters have depth & his way of writing makes you beg for more. Set in what seems to be the Wild West, Carol Evers waits to be helped as Smoke leaves destruction in his wake while trailing James Moxie.
Awesome! I loved this book! It would make a great movie!
Buoyed by compelling characters, the book nevertheless fails to take its bizarre premise to its macabre potential, creating an overall disappointing experience.
I loved this. I thought it was creepy and weird and confusing a little bit which is perfect for me. I loved the characters I loved the writing. I didn’t know this was kind of a western going into it but the way this dude wrote about the “outlaw” character was so vivid i felt like i was watching a a twilight zone western episode. I think a lot of the repetition makes it feel like people almost have theme songs like those old timey western ones. And it just worked so well for me!! I already wanna reread it.
My thoughts on this book were pretty all over the place.
I went from distinctly feeling that this book wasn't for me - good, potentially, but just not for me - to really enjoying it, but maybe thinking I wouldn't rate this highly.
Very much a western, but anyone who denies that this has horror elements is just wrong. There were a few scenes that were distinctly creepy (Rot definitely is a scary character) and Smoke is horrifying as an antagonist.
The tricky thing about this is that this story is really NOT about Carol. While she is a driving force, Moxie is who you care about and while we are getting multiple POVs following the two portions of the story line, Moxie's is really where the tension is.
One thing I will say is, definitely check out the audio book if you are looking to pick this up. The narrator is so good and the character voices are varied and just generally well done. Also, I suspect I would have DNFed this at 15% like a lot of other people did if I wasn't listening to the audio to drive me thorough, as this really feels like *just* a Western story towards the beginning.
I have marked this Read Again because I feel like I had a couple of holes in my understanding that just came from multitasking while listening to the audiobook. And I wonder if my perception of the creepy scenes would be different if I read it as a typical book.
I went from distinctly feeling that this book wasn't for me - good, potentially, but just not for me - to really enjoying it, but maybe thinking I wouldn't rate this highly.
Very much a western, but anyone who denies that this has horror elements is just wrong. There were a few scenes that were distinctly creepy (Rot definitely is a scary character) and Smoke is horrifying as an antagonist.
The tricky thing about this is that this story is really NOT about Carol. While she is a driving force, Moxie is who you care about and while we are getting multiple POVs following the two portions of the story line, Moxie's is really where the tension is.
One thing I will say is, definitely check out the audio book if you are looking to pick this up. The narrator is so good and the character voices are varied and just generally well done. Also, I suspect I would have DNFed this at 15% like a lot of other people did if I wasn't listening to the audio to drive me thorough, as this really feels like *just* a Western story towards the beginning.
I have marked this Read Again because I feel like I had a couple of holes in my understanding that just came from multitasking while listening to the audiobook. And I wonder if my perception of the creepy scenes would be different if I read it as a typical book.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
SOOOOOOOOO this, as i have said many times, WOULD BE AN AWESOME MOVIE!
but...i just cannot justify all the extra pieces that had to be added (apparently) to further to storyline.
like Smoke? why?? why did we hear so much of his story when he was only supposed to be a background character?? i like the development of the characters but it was just a bit overdone for me.
two stars because i had to force myself to read this. also, the resolution to the plot could very well have been explained in a much shorter fashion. JUST SAYIN!
it isn't something i would have chosen for myself to read but for our book club it was a good first read.
but...i just cannot justify all the extra pieces that had to be added (apparently) to further to storyline.
like Smoke? why?? why did we hear so much of his story when he was only supposed to be a background character?? i like the development of the characters but it was just a bit overdone for me.
two stars because i had to force myself to read this. also, the resolution to the plot could very well have been explained in a much shorter fashion. JUST SAYIN!
it isn't something i would have chosen for myself to read but for our book club it was a good first read.