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sandra_suarez's review
dark
mysterious
slow-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
2.0
janeger's review
3.0
The story and narration is brilliant, but the mean character is is a narcissistic, patronising misogynist. Typical objectification of all the women in the book, and the main female character being sacrificed to make the men look good.
That being said, I still enjoyed it.
That being said, I still enjoyed it.
iolanthex's review
2.0
Although my star rating may not seem like it I did quite enjoy reading this book. However a number of things led to me giving it the rating of being okay rather than saying it's a book I enjoyed so just hear me out.
Summary:
This novel follows Jefferson Winter the son of a serial killer who now works as a consultant with the police when they need help with a case. Recently in London a number of women have been abducted and tortured before being lobotomised and dumped to be found by police. The police aren't making progress with the case and the assailant is beginning to escalate so they know they have a limited amount of time before another woman is taken. Jefferson Winter is brought in to help them solve the case.
What I liked:
James Carol has a really nice style of writing and its so easy to read, honestly if not for this I'm not sure I would have finished reading the novel. His writing is immersive for the most part and it's easy to read 100 pages or so without realising it.
The plot was also somewhat different to most crime novels as Carol decided to have the victims lobotomised rather than murdered which isn't something I've seen as often and could have been influenced by Jeffrey Dahmer who also attempted to lobotomise some of his victims (though Dahmer was never successful).
What I hated:
Hate may seem like a strong way to feel towards what are at the end of the day very small aspects of the novel but they really stuck with me and did affect how much I enjoyed the experience of reading this book. In fact some of them led to me putting the book down for a while out of annoyance.
First of all is how smart Winter is. We're never allowed to forget it. Not only through his actions and how he helps solve the case but also because every other character brings it up every 5 minutes.In the end it was so repetitive and even began to make me hate Winter as a character, which I suppose is unjust because it's not his fault everyone else is amazed by his intelligence.
Secondly is the fact that despite being praised as a guy who knows everything Winter does get things wrong. And these mistakes don't come across as a humanising 'everyone gets things wrong sometimes' kind of thing but rather feel like Carol wanted Winter to say smart things without doing the research first. One example that really annoyed me was a comparison between leeches and lobotomies which doesn't really make sense because leeches are still used in modern medicine. Its a silly mistake that takes seconds to google and find out the truth.
My last major criticism is that women in this novel are objectified to an extent that it made me uncomfortable. It doesn't matter who the female character is if she can be she will be objectified. Characters who are strong women like Templeton are described in a ridiculously over-sexualised way before Winter has a one man pity party over the fact hot girls don't like smart nerdy guys like him. Even nameless characters who Winter might just pass by in a street are commented on in how attractive they are and an older woman is described as probably being attractive when she was younger. It really just broke the immersion of Carols writing and made me not like Winter as a character if that's his only way of viewing women.
Final Thoughts:
I really promise I didn't hate this book. The plot was interesting and for the most part the writing was enjoyable but the issues I have with the way it was written and some of the characters really made me not enjoy it as much as I could have. It had a lot of potential to be something I'd give 4 stars or so but as things are I couldn't. I'm probably going to read more of the books in this series and hope that maybe things are better in later novels but I'm not in a rush and it's probably going to be a while before I get around to it.
Summary:
This novel follows Jefferson Winter the son of a serial killer who now works as a consultant with the police when they need help with a case. Recently in London a number of women have been abducted and tortured before being lobotomised and dumped to be found by police. The police aren't making progress with the case and the assailant is beginning to escalate so they know they have a limited amount of time before another woman is taken. Jefferson Winter is brought in to help them solve the case.
What I liked:
James Carol has a really nice style of writing and its so easy to read, honestly if not for this I'm not sure I would have finished reading the novel. His writing is immersive for the most part and it's easy to read 100 pages or so without realising it.
The plot was also somewhat different to most crime novels as Carol decided to have the victims lobotomised rather than murdered which isn't something I've seen as often and could have been influenced by Jeffrey Dahmer who also attempted to lobotomise some of his victims (though Dahmer was never successful).
What I hated:
Hate may seem like a strong way to feel towards what are at the end of the day very small aspects of the novel but they really stuck with me and did affect how much I enjoyed the experience of reading this book. In fact some of them led to me putting the book down for a while out of annoyance.
First of all is how smart Winter is. We're never allowed to forget it. Not only through his actions and how he helps solve the case but also because every other character brings it up every 5 minutes.In the end it was so repetitive and even began to make me hate Winter as a character, which I suppose is unjust because it's not his fault everyone else is amazed by his intelligence.
Secondly is the fact that despite being praised as a guy who knows everything Winter does get things wrong. And these mistakes don't come across as a humanising 'everyone gets things wrong sometimes' kind of thing but rather feel like Carol wanted Winter to say smart things without doing the research first. One example that really annoyed me was a comparison between leeches and lobotomies which doesn't really make sense because leeches are still used in modern medicine. Its a silly mistake that takes seconds to google and find out the truth.
My last major criticism is that women in this novel are objectified to an extent that it made me uncomfortable. It doesn't matter who the female character is if she can be she will be objectified. Characters who are strong women like Templeton are described in a ridiculously over-sexualised way before Winter has a one man pity party over the fact hot girls don't like smart nerdy guys like him. Even nameless characters who Winter might just pass by in a street are commented on in how attractive they are and an older woman is described as probably being attractive when she was younger. It really just broke the immersion of Carols writing and made me not like Winter as a character if that's his only way of viewing women.
Final Thoughts:
I really promise I didn't hate this book. The plot was interesting and for the most part the writing was enjoyable but the issues I have with the way it was written and some of the characters really made me not enjoy it as much as I could have. It had a lot of potential to be something I'd give 4 stars or so but as things are I couldn't. I'm probably going to read more of the books in this series and hope that maybe things are better in later novels but I'm not in a rush and it's probably going to be a while before I get around to it.
arathi's review
5.0
clearly a very creepy book - teaches you to be careful about who you choose to meet and interact with online, how much info to share and not to share!
anovelbookworm's review
5.0
Jefferson Winter is an ex FBI agent, who now works as a freelance consultant on difficult cases, which mainly involve serial killers. In this book it’s a little different as they are hunting a psychopath who kidnaps and lobotomises women, rather than killing them. At the start of the book the fourth victim has just been found, and Winter must act quickly before there is a fifth.
Something about this book gripped me from the start and I read it within two days. It is well written, fast paced, and the characters are interesting and well developed. Winter has a very high IQ and is always one step ahead, and it is fascinating to follow his thought process and the story progresses.
The narrative changes between Winter’s perspective and the victim’s perspective, which just makes it even more gripping because the reader is aware of exactly what the victim is going through while the police are trying to solve the case.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers and crime fiction, but be prepared for some fairly gruesome scenes. The second book in the series is due for release in August (2014) and I look forward to buying it and revisiting the world of Jefferson Winter.
Something about this book gripped me from the start and I read it within two days. It is well written, fast paced, and the characters are interesting and well developed. Winter has a very high IQ and is always one step ahead, and it is fascinating to follow his thought process and the story progresses.
The narrative changes between Winter’s perspective and the victim’s perspective, which just makes it even more gripping because the reader is aware of exactly what the victim is going through while the police are trying to solve the case.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers and crime fiction, but be prepared for some fairly gruesome scenes. The second book in the series is due for release in August (2014) and I look forward to buying it and revisiting the world of Jefferson Winter.
theresab's review
4.0
Unrealistic but sure crime novels don't need to be overly convincing. I enjoyed this; gruesome, entertaining, and kit overly predictable. I'll probably read more in the series.
in_love_with_bookish's review
2.0
Broken dolls by James carol was the most unexpected disappointed for me this year. I did not see it coming. I really believed that the book is going to be a new favorite of mine. It turns out I could not be further from the truth. I didn’t hate it but that’s not saying much because I rarely hate books. I didn’t love it either. I didn’t even like it. So where does that leave me? The simple truth is that I did not care, not about the story, not about the characters, not about the ending, not about anything. The book is just blank story for me that I’ll probably forget about by the next day.
The story is forgettable. The plot is so predictable and it lacks the thrill and the suspense this genre is well known for. There’s a lack of urgency and frantic despair to solve the case and the pace is unbelievably boring. I knew exactly how the story is going to end, I just did. These kinds of books are known for their ability to keep you hostage till the final chapter and deliver an emotional thrilling punch that leave you in awe of the genius reveal. Every reveal was like shrugging and saying HUH instead of screaming, what the hell just happened. The lack of twists and turns also contributed to this lackluster average experience. Every important thing that could’ve made the book more suspenseful, I figured out before it was revealed. Let’s count them down:
1. There are two unsubs, one male and one female
2. The character EVE does not actually exist, it’s one of the serial killer’s mind games
3. The female unsub is actually the dominant one
4. They are son and mother
5. Sophie Templeton will get into trouble with the serial killer
6. Jefferson winter will end up killing one or both the unsubs in order to save her
So either I’m genius or the plot is not that complicated. Take your pick
The main character is an ex-FBI profiler and the son of a notorious serial killer who killed fifteen women. So we have a complex dark past that should’ve been exploited better or at least mentioned in a more profound way so we get drawn to the main character more. What I liked about him is that he keeps a clear head during the whole investigation and he’s in control of his emotional response to what’s happening to the victim. And my admiration pretty much ends there. He was too smug, too confident and too detached from the other characters which created a predictable, if not boring dynamic between him and the rest of the characters. The author sometimes dug deeper and revealed a glimpse of the man underneath the facade of the confident successful profiler. I honestly don’t know if that’s enough to lure me in for another book of the series. Definitely not right away, but maybe in the far future there’s a slight chance that I’ll give the books and the character another chance.
The story is forgettable. The plot is so predictable and it lacks the thrill and the suspense this genre is well known for. There’s a lack of urgency and frantic despair to solve the case and the pace is unbelievably boring. I knew exactly how the story is going to end, I just did. These kinds of books are known for their ability to keep you hostage till the final chapter and deliver an emotional thrilling punch that leave you in awe of the genius reveal. Every reveal was like shrugging and saying HUH instead of screaming, what the hell just happened. The lack of twists and turns also contributed to this lackluster average experience. Every important thing that could’ve made the book more suspenseful, I figured out before it was revealed. Let’s count them down:
1. There are two unsubs, one male and one female
2. The character EVE does not actually exist, it’s one of the serial killer’s mind games
3. The female unsub is actually the dominant one
4. They are son and mother
5. Sophie Templeton will get into trouble with the serial killer
6. Jefferson winter will end up killing one or both the unsubs in order to save her
So either I’m genius or the plot is not that complicated. Take your pick
The main character is an ex-FBI profiler and the son of a notorious serial killer who killed fifteen women. So we have a complex dark past that should’ve been exploited better or at least mentioned in a more profound way so we get drawn to the main character more. What I liked about him is that he keeps a clear head during the whole investigation and he’s in control of his emotional response to what’s happening to the victim. And my admiration pretty much ends there. He was too smug, too confident and too detached from the other characters which created a predictable, if not boring dynamic between him and the rest of the characters. The author sometimes dug deeper and revealed a glimpse of the man underneath the facade of the confident successful profiler. I honestly don’t know if that’s enough to lure me in for another book of the series. Definitely not right away, but maybe in the far future there’s a slight chance that I’ll give the books and the character another chance.
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