You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Literary horror? All I can say is this shouldn’t be a genre. Not entertaining. Not thought provoking. Not particularly well-written. Sometimes when you go for the trifecta you miss on every count. An attempt at being genre expanding ends in horrific death by bored disgust.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik was SO close to being a perfect read for me. The writing is wonderful and the characters are engaging, however, the first half of the book is far more successful than the second half. Still, I love Kolesnik’s prose and I’m a big fan. Will be reading more.
this was bleak, brutal, and uncomfortable, but the portrayal of the potential effects of trauma was incredible. the author perfectly captured the pain, disgust, shame, emptiness, and debilitating rage that can result from trauma. she also managed to get me to feel for the narrator (which is quite a feat seeing as she’s, yknow, a murderer) because of the insight we get into her traumatic upbringing and the lasting effects it has on her
“I wondered how the world made its villains and why it never apologized for making them.”
Before I start, definitely look up the trigger warnings for this. It can be a lot, especially if you aren’t used to the genre.
That being said – fucking great. I was hooked to begin with, did not want to put it down at all. So many memorable quotes for such a tiny book. Just absolutely fucking phenomenal. I do wish we knew more about Lim, mama, Alice, and the others‘ no one missed’. It gave so much but I still wanted more. Definitely going to pick up waif
Before I start, definitely look up the trigger warnings for this. It can be a lot, especially if you aren’t used to the genre.
That being said – fucking great. I was hooked to begin with, did not want to put it down at all. So many memorable quotes for such a tiny book. Just absolutely fucking phenomenal. I do wish we knew more about Lim, mama, Alice, and the others‘ no one missed’. It gave so much but I still wanted more. Definitely going to pick up waif
This short book blew me away. From the first page to the last, I couldn't pull my eyes away. Dark, sad, disturbing, and beautifully written. I will absolutely read it again and definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror.
Again, this is very dark and graphic. But not gratuitously graphic. So good though.
Again, this is very dark and graphic. But not gratuitously graphic. So good though.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
disturbing! the pacing was effective and kept me engaged. "true crime" has the atmosphere of "bones and all", but definitely a little heavier in content. please check trigger warnings before going in because there are ALLLLL kinds of upsetting topics present within the story. something i'm very sensitive to is violence surrounding animals, and that is something present at the opening, middle, and conclusion of the storyline.
i found the ending to be a little unsatisfying, as i felt like there was not any character development for suzy. some of her actions felt very unrealistic and unjustified, particularly in the very last chapter. don't get me wrong, i love a storyline where we see a character's psyche unravel and crumble, but with kolesnik's "true crime", i think it held the overall plot back.
i think it would've been interesting to have the backstory on suzy and lim's father a little more–i felt like that wasn't thoroughly addressed and would have built more character info for our two main characters.
trigger warnings:
- abuse
- child molestation
- incest
- death of family members
- SA and rape
- animal death
- animal cruelty/torture (pigs, dogs, cat)
- murder
i found the ending to be a little unsatisfying, as i felt like there was not any character development for suzy. some of her actions felt very unrealistic and unjustified, particularly in the very last chapter. don't get me wrong, i love a storyline where we see a character's psyche unravel and crumble, but with kolesnik's "true crime", i think it held the overall plot back.
i think it would've been interesting to have the backstory on suzy and lim's father a little more–i felt like that wasn't thoroughly addressed and would have built more character info for our two main characters.
trigger warnings:
- abuse
- child molestation
- incest
- death of family members
- SA and rape
- animal death
- animal cruelty/torture (pigs, dogs, cat)
- murder
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes