Reviews

Withered + Sere by TJ Klune

nicjmorrow's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book is SUPER dark but a good time and very enjoyable! Def a make sure you want to read a dark book at the End of the world.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cannibalism, Blood, Murder, Mental illness, and Torture

popcornqueen's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

littletooey's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

4.75

A weird horror/scifi/dystopia that's set in North Idaho and named for a line in my favorite Poe poem and includes a goofy Data-esque robot character?! Absolutely. Heavy and emotional but not without comedic relief that usually works but sometimes really doesn't, this is a strange, depressing, and somehow very fun read.

the_gare_bear's review against another edition

3.0

This one was really hard to get through and feel as if I connected with the characters on some level. Some of the situations that were brought up were quite shocking in a way. But this was a sci-fi dystopian future sort of book. I suppose one could say anything of this sort is possible if something like this were to happen.

This book has a lot of trigger issues that some may find hard to grasp and/or understand. Like a lot of Mr. Klune's books, this one does not shy away from mental health and the many complications that can come with it. I will save my final thoughts until I finish the other book in the series.

kp_khera's review against another edition

3.0

I know I read you,
and I know I bingeread the hell out of you.
You were amazing.
And now that I'm starting to write this review,
I'm starting to remember again all the things you made me feel.

3.5 Stars

dorota19842000's review

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jddufour56's review against another edition

3.0

2.5 stars
Sometimes I feel like such a downer. I would love to have seen what everyone else apparently saw in this book, but I found it mostly boring and honestly the focus on "psychosis" and "spiral into darkness" trite and not as deep as everyone makes it out to be.

Honestly I can't even fully articulate how tired I am of these books that posit that humans are basically cannibal dumpster fires just waiting for the nuclear fall out to emerge. Seriously, someone tell me, what was new about this take on a post apocalyptic world? Anything? Nothing?

I'll spoiler the rest of my review not because I think there's honestly any big spoilers to reveal, but just in case.

Spoiler

The best relationship in this book is between Cavalo and Bad Dog. Otherwise the whole book is him agonizing over his wife and kid and spending the whole time telling us how crazy he his. We barely get any interaction between him and Lucas. Its constantly hammered home how terrible they both are and congrats folks, they're both terrible. Why do we waste so much time wanting to have redemption arcs for terrible people? At least Lucas has the excuse of being raised in apparently a sadistic cannibal society and horrifically abused.

I'm going to try to read the second for completionist sake and I am curious what will happen but if I have to read 40 pages about the f*cking bees again I'M gonna lose it.

teresab78's review against another edition

5.0

****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****

TJ Klune promised this series would be a romance but that we would have to work for it: it would be dark and a slow burn; he wasn’t lying. Withered + Sere is bleak and sad and yet there are rays of sunlight that peek through. It is beautiful in its desolation and wholly mesmerizing. It is brilliant.

Woven through the dark is light. Bad Dog is one of those bright spots. Oh how I love Bad Dog! His sincere dogginess saved me from falling into a complete depression as everyone else is f**ked in this post-apocalyptic world. Insanity runs rampant but you can’t help but feel for Cavalo. Death abounds, there are mutated creatures and cannibals. The book transports you to this world and reveals truths in layers.

There is no romance in this first installment of the series. It is getting to know the world and the players in that scene. The only sex is mostly off page M/F, as Cavalo is bi-sexual. This does not detract from the story at all. In fact, it may help bring new readership as this is a far different type of story than Mr. Klune has written before.

This book is not for everyone. It does not leave you feeling hopeful or happy. There is very little happiness to this story. However, it is a striking book that will make you feel other things, and there is TJ’s promise. I, for one, cannot wait until August and the release of Crisped + Sere.

aftgandreil's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars!

This book was so much more than i thought it would be...maybe it was because this isn’t the type of book i typically read and its much closer to movies i watch instead. but, whatever it was it worked so well for me. i was confused a couple times but for the most part i loved the way the story flowed, how different it all was and how the characters were wrote. and, i’m really looking forward to reading the second book!!

pippin's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0