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daniela12's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as I remembered. This was my first Steve Mosby novel 10 years ago. Today I've read most of his books, and the twist in Black Flowers is not as clever as the twist in other books. Still a solid crime thriller, though the characters feel a bit flat.
worldsinink's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
jackwhyles's review against another edition
4.0
This is a well crafted book with twists and turns, and is not what I expected from the synopsis. In fact it was better.
This was not your regular mystery book like I expected, this is something more.
It was about a book that was a true story (in the book).
It was about a girl who turned people into flowers.
It was simply amazing.
I found the story about the girl with Sullivan in unnecessary and can be skipped - you will still understand what is going on in the story - but adds extra.
Overall this is a beautifully crafted novel and I am looking forward to future novels by this author.
This was not your regular mystery book like I expected, this is something more.
It was about a book that was a true story (in the book).
It was about a girl who turned people into flowers.
It was simply amazing.
I found the story about the girl with Sullivan in unnecessary and can be skipped - you will still understand what is going on in the story - but adds extra.
Overall this is a beautifully crafted novel and I am looking forward to future novels by this author.
lbast's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
llamadragon's review against another edition
4.0
Black Flowers is the first of Steve Mosby’s books that I’ve read so I wasn’t sure what to expect but I certainly wasn’t let down. I did find the first 50 pages of the book to be slow and I did feel a little lost as it introduced the various characters and some elements that would play a role in the story later on. I found throughout the book that some of the changes between character points of view was a little jarring as it didn’t specify who’s view you were getting at the start of a chapter and it sometimes took a few paragraphs before it became clear. The book was split into parts and it wasn’t until the end of part one when the plot really seemed to pick up and that my interest was piqued. The story itself was quite different from what I’ve read before and kept me guessing as to what was true and how it was going to end which is what I want from these kinds of books. As it got into the last 100 pages the pace and the tension definitely picked up. Overall this was a very satisfying read though I would say it was not as scary or thrilling as the reviews on the book cover suggested.
bitterindigo's review against another edition
4.0
OMG, so good. A layered, multi-generational mystery, reality echoed in fiction, which bounces back to reality, good people that might be bad, people that might actually be other people, and just when you think there might be too many plates spinning in the air he brings it all home beautifully. Entirely satisfying.
angelicathebookworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Mosby’s novel makes for a great thriller as he truly nails those really important elements, such as the haunting yet beautiful scenery, with his descriptive and uncomplicated writing style. Mosby also includes the ‘novel within a novel’ element which was well written and has a really nice tie in with the themes of flowers, growth, and family. The novel contains a cast of realistic and well-developed characters which is so vital in a novel such as this where the plot is complex and the narrative voice is constantly changing. Neil Dawson, one of our main characters and a key narrator, is portrayed as a version of the everyman figure. He’s realistic with very relatable flaws and overcomes common, mundane problems throughout the course of this hair-raising narrative. In contrast with Neil, our other key narrative voice, Hannah Price, is a strong and independent figure with a fierceness about her that isn’t all that surprising given her upbringing. Both narrators have strong morals but have to combat not only the past with all its secrets, but have to deal with the skeletons in the closets of each of their fathers.
The pace of the novel slowly builds from the beginning so it’s not as fast-paced as many other thrillers. Once the pacing speeds up, though, it doesn’t lead to a rushed climax, which can occur in slow-burning novels, and I’m glad that wasn’t the case here. Mosby’s novel contains many red herrings and surprises and, while they’re all believable and well-executed, there are a few that are fairly easy to figure out before the final reveal. The constant movement between the various narrative voices, alongside the non-chronological structure and the many twists and turns, make for the novel to be a little bit hard to follow at times so it’s vital that you give this novel your full attention so you don’t miss any of the important details.
For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
The pace of the novel slowly builds from the beginning so it’s not as fast-paced as many other thrillers. Once the pacing speeds up, though, it doesn’t lead to a rushed climax, which can occur in slow-burning novels, and I’m glad that wasn’t the case here. Mosby’s novel contains many red herrings and surprises and, while they’re all believable and well-executed, there are a few that are fairly easy to figure out before the final reveal. The constant movement between the various narrative voices, alongside the non-chronological structure and the many twists and turns, make for the novel to be a little bit hard to follow at times so it’s vital that you give this novel your full attention so you don’t miss any of the important details.
For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Body horror, and Gore
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