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livlamentloathe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I knew it but I didn’t want to know it. Unforgettable. This one is gonna sit with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Car accident
Minor: Grief and Toxic friendship
becca_w_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Alcohol
ahumblebard's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It's really hard to discuss this book without getting into the spoilers, but the non-spoilery version is...it's absolutely not what I expected. I came into it sort of expecting a fun monster-movie romp. Spoilers below (SERIOUSLY spoilers below, I cannot stress enough not to click if you plan on reading it and want to be surprised.)
It wasn't that. At all. The story is told from a first-person perspective, in a sort of rambling teenage-boy voice (which makes sense, because he's a teenage boy), and while we're able to follow along with his thought processes, I guess, it was still a let-down for me to get to the end of the story and realize that there wasn't going to be a twist where his delusions turn out to be true. It really just was all in his head. It just made it all so much darker and bleaker that way, because it was all for nothing.
No shade if you really liked this one or anything, but it really wasn't for me.
No shade if you really liked this one or anything, but it really wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Mental illness and Grief
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
gitli57's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
3.5
This book reminds me that I am into writers much more than genres. I hardly ever read horror books and refuse to see slasher movies. But I love Stephen Graham Jones' writing, so I took a deep breath and gave this a shot. It's short and to the point. Like everything I have read by Jones, it is beautifully written. While definitely dark and twisted, it is also laugh out loud funny at times.
Since it is a slasher book, the bad stuff happens "on screen" and it is bad. Still, Jones' depictions and descriptions of violence are never so over the top and graphic that they feel gratuitous. And they are driven by character and psychology. I would NOT call this violence porn. But, as always, your mileage may very.
If you are at all disturbed or triggered by realistic depictions of violence, give this one a pass.
Since it is a slasher book, the bad stuff happens "on screen" and it is bad. Still, Jones' depictions and descriptions of violence are never so over the top and graphic that they feel gratuitous. And they are driven by character and psychology. I would NOT call this violence porn. But, as always, your mileage may very.
If you are at all disturbed or triggered by realistic depictions of violence, give this one a pass.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
sofipitch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
4.25
Not quite sure how to feel about this one, I saw the plot twist coming from a mile away but not completely. SGJ's writing style was wonderful as always (other than once, idk what was up with "Demon Theory" I'm considering that one a fluke)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder
cheye13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I think I took too long to read this one, and the tension slipped right through my fingers. I'm not typically a horror fan, but I didn't find this all that scary. I'd call it more of a psychological thriller.
I did go in without having read the full synopsis, which I think really helped. I quite enjoyed the front half, not seeing a lot of the reveals coming. I really appreciated the nuances within the content: Sawyer is very much an Indigenous teen boy with a very specific experience, but he also has a very Everyman vibe to him. He has parents, friends, hopes, dreams – just like everyone else. It feels like any of his friends could step into his role and the story would be the same, which brings the mannequin concept full circle, imo.
The writing style and voice is very unique; it fits the story so well and is very fun to read. It's very evocative of a film and also a campfire/sleepover story, but still takes moments to use written word to full effect. There are a few sentences that stopped me short to either send a chill down my spine or an ache through my heart.
I think the writing style was spectacular, but the brevity and predictability of the storyline crossed with the universailty of the main perspective didn't really let me sink my claws in.
I did go in without having read the full synopsis, which I think really helped. I quite enjoyed the front half, not seeing a lot of the reveals coming. I really appreciated the nuances within the content: Sawyer is very much an Indigenous teen boy with a very specific experience, but he also has a very Everyman vibe to him. He has parents, friends, hopes, dreams – just like everyone else. It feels like any of his friends could step into his role and the story would be the same, which brings the mannequin concept full circle, imo.
The writing style and voice is very unique; it fits the story so well and is very fun to read. It's very evocative of a film and also a campfire/sleepover story, but still takes moments to use written word to full effect. There are a few sentences that stopped me short to either send a chill down my spine or an ache through my heart.
I think the writing style was spectacular, but the brevity and predictability of the storyline crossed with the universailty of the main perspective didn't really let me sink my claws in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Blood, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Alcoholism, Body horror, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment
There is an early line in which Sawyer mentions he "stopped taking his meds" but it is never revisited or explained. Treads a very thin line toward an ableist trope.booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
NIGHT OF THE MANNEQUINS is an absorbing thriller, expertly balanced and engrossing until the last moments.
Sawyer is a careful but unreliable narrator. He faithfully tells what happened, but his idea of what is literally happening versus what he's merely convinced is happening leaves a lot of very unsettling possibilities open. By the end I settled on an answer, but part of me still thinks the second option is viable. It shook me on a fundamental level and I’m still thinking about it days later. The story is told mostly linearly, and those small deviations from linearity start to add up as Sawyer gradually decides to tell backstory when it becomes necessary (but usually well after it’s first relevant).
It’s fantastic, I loved every minute! I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Sawyer is a careful but unreliable narrator. He faithfully tells what happened, but his idea of what is literally happening versus what he's merely convinced is happening leaves a lot of very unsettling possibilities open. By the end I settled on an answer, but part of me still thinks the second option is viable. It shook me on a fundamental level and I’m still thinking about it days later. The story is told mostly linearly, and those small deviations from linearity start to add up as Sawyer gradually decides to tell backstory when it becomes necessary (but usually well after it’s first relevant).
It’s fantastic, I loved every minute! I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Ableism, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Medical content, and Car accident
TW for Harry Potter reference (brief).kstericker's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
irenemarie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Violence
teaandtales1's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I am not quite sure if I really like this book or just think it's weird. On one hand, if you're looking for a book about killer mannequins, this book is not what you're looking for (despite its title). On the other hand, if you want a really dark comedy, psychological horror book, then you might be into this one.
This book is told from the perspective of a delusional psychopath. He is darkly funny, but also a serial killer. I've read quite a few of Jones's books at this point, and this is definitely his most comedic, but also one of his weirder tales (which says a lot).
I think I really liked it, but I'm still not sure.
This book is told from the perspective of a delusional psychopath. He is darkly funny, but also a serial killer. I've read quite a few of Jones's books at this point, and this is definitely his most comedic, but also one of his weirder tales (which says a lot).
I think I really liked it, but I'm still not sure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Violence