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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The greatest horror, capitalism.
This is real life horror; start with a friendly donation to help the local police raise money to hire more deputies. Things go so well that they ask for more donations, sure, I guess that’ll be all right. Then it comes to subtle threats, accidents around town, and suddenly you don’t dare say no.
Metaphorically, is this the government taking from the constituents? The haves taking from the have nots? Or is this like religion, with threats of hell if you don’t tithe to the church? Possibly it is all three.
Follow John and his family, his community, as this idyllic New Hampshire town spirals out of control. Should you run and leave all you know? Should you stand and fight and risk your family? Or would you become one of the enforcers as a deputy?
Reading this felt like it should be mentioned with the best dystopian classics. Animal Farm, 1984, Brave New World, This Perfect Day, The Auctioneer.
Metaphorically, is this the government taking from the constituents? The haves taking from the have nots? Or is this like religion, with threats of hell if you don’t tithe to the church? Possibly it is all three.
Follow John and his family, his community, as this idyllic New Hampshire town spirals out of control. Should you run and leave all you know? Should you stand and fight and risk your family? Or would you become one of the enforcers as a deputy?
Reading this felt like it should be mentioned with the best dystopian classics. Animal Farm, 1984, Brave New World, This Perfect Day, The Auctioneer.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
This book is- unsettling. It isn't exactly a thriller or horror, though it may be listed in those genres.
It's definitely a slow burn.
Keep in mind the time period when reading it. People didn't have the internet, cell phones, or access to public offices outside their particular jurisdiction. The family this book follows don't even have long distance phone service. They are isolated in every sense of the word.
This sense of isolation, of being hedged in, is very claustrophobic. And that's the atmosphere of this story- claustrophobia.
I grew up in a very rural area. We had a "party line" telephone and there were no other kids in the neighborhood. At least we had running water and indoor plumbing, though not all of my neighbors did. I think that's why I could clearly sense the unease as tensions rise in this small farming town. You have to put yourself in the shoes of someone who can't appeal to a higher authority. Their town is it- that's all there is.
The best way I know how to describe the writing is tense. I actually had to put it down for a day- I was getting a little too stressed out- but of course I had to find out what happened.
A surprisingly good read, and all the more important as the author's only work. It's too bad. I would have enjoyed reading more from Joan Samson.
It's definitely a slow burn.
Keep in mind the time period when reading it. People didn't have the internet, cell phones, or access to public offices outside their particular jurisdiction. The family this book follows don't even have long distance phone service. They are isolated in every sense of the word.
This sense of isolation, of being hedged in, is very claustrophobic. And that's the atmosphere of this story- claustrophobia.
I grew up in a very rural area. We had a "party line" telephone and there were no other kids in the neighborhood. At least we had running water and indoor plumbing, though not all of my neighbors did. I think that's why I could clearly sense the unease as tensions rise in this small farming town. You have to put yourself in the shoes of someone who can't appeal to a higher authority. Their town is it- that's all there is.
The best way I know how to describe the writing is tense. I actually had to put it down for a day- I was getting a little too stressed out- but of course I had to find out what happened.
A surprisingly good read, and all the more important as the author's only work. It's too bad. I would have enjoyed reading more from Joan Samson.
The book started off at a fast pace, and it kept my attention until about 2/3 of the book. I found it difficult to read that particular part I think because I just couldn’t understand some of the choices the main characters made which affected the suspense level for me. Ending was kind of cool.
Horror in a real way. You could picture this happening. Beautifully written. Would have loved to have read more from the author. I forget that stories like this don't have to be supernatural or whatever to be horrifying. In fact the "reality" of the situations are often what is so frightening about them. Stephen King does this sometimes. I'm glad I read this book. The copy I got was falling apart but affordable so I can't complain. I'd recommend this book.
Anxiety-inducing and subtle, The Auctioneer is my favorite kind of horror. There’s no gore here, and nothing supernatural, but some people are terrifying enough to make up for all that. My only regret is that I didn’t read this in the winter!
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:
Complicated