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shiftyelliott's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
p_t_b's review against another edition
3.0
Wanted to like this more than I did. I really enjoyed Zoo City, though it dragged on too long. This was a faster and more compact read. Very imaginative central conceit (time travel, serial killer) but the killer is kind of boring, and the main character just doesn't really have all that much to do. Mostly you're just waiting for their big collision at the end, which doesn't quite satisfy. Also I am not a doctor but some people live a long time after suffering catastrophic blood loss in this book. Another quibble: This book is set in Chicago, and the author does a pretty amazing job of throwing her voice into the setting (she's South African). But there are a handful of flubs that totally clank at inopportune times. The weird thing is that they're the kind of thing a good copyeditor should have caught. Americans don't call sports fans punters and we don't call plexiglass "Perspex" and a half dozen other things. A tiny tiny thing but it really farted up the read for me.
mcbibliotecaria's review against another edition
3.0
This is a fun Chicago book. Combines murder and time travel with lots of history sprinkled in. It follows a survivor of attempted murder attempt to track the man who did it to her, and continues to do it to other women throughout the ages. The end seemed a bit rushed but the accurate references of Chicago and detail to the scene were done very well.
samdej's review against another edition
Stopped reading at the chapter where the white South Africa author started writing in a bad blaccent
vanessa177's review against another edition
3.0
There are a lot of great things about the book. The plot is interesting. I love all the characters. The setting is full of details that add to the story. Unfortunately, it feels glacially slow. It is one of those books where you look up how long it is when you're reading the e-book, because it feels like it may never end.
becasaur27's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This one was a Sword and Laser book club "laser" selection. I guess because it has time-travel but it really was more of a thriller/suspense. And it didn't really grab me. I kept putting it down for a long while and then getting the hero and villain names confused. I've heard that Lauren Beukes is supposed to be a very talented author. I've also heard this is maybe not the best entry point. I guess I'll try something else of hers if someone else ever winds up enthusiastically recommending it, but I probably won't seek her out.
greathornedowl's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
nooneyouknow's review against another edition
3.0
Not creepy enough to be scary. Thought the story telling could have been a little tighter and that some of the characters could have been better developed so we actually cared a little. Wanted to like this more, but didn't dislike it enough to give it 2 stars.