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claraturney's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It was a page turner but feels like every book I read at the minute is about far right ideology and how it will be our downfall, with an older, male character who struggles at first to get with the programme and then has a redemption arc. Definitely some plot twists and unexpected surprises, just find the narrative of the protagonist a little tiring and predictable.
cataja's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
kellyvandamme's review
5.0
Hi and welcome to my review of The Box!
Wow, just wow!
….
Can I get away with leaving it at that? No? Tough crowd.
Okay, let’s start with the prologue, makes sense, I’m sure you’ll agree. The prologue is absolutely EVIL! Obviously, I like my crime thrillers on the evil side, so I have to admit those pages had me rubbing my hands in a very Mr Burns manner.
As I read on, I kinda lost that initial sense of excitement. There was no doubt in my mind that The Box was a solid crime thriller / police procedural and I was very much invested in the story and the characters, yet based on that prologue, I expected something to distinguish it from all other thrillers I’ve read, something to make it stand out big time, and I wasn’t getting it…
UNTIL! Literally everything is kicked up a notch or twenty and The Box was going full throttle! I was glued to my e-reader, GLUED I tell you! There it was, the bit that lifted up the great crime thriller and made it brilliant.
I’m not going to say anything about the plot. The blurb raises questions and I’m not answering them for you. I will just say I loved some of the characters and loathed others. It’s been a while since I wanted a character to die this badly! I had a sneaking suspicion about a supporting character, which turned out to be right, always fun, but others managed to pull the wool over my eyes completely. Some of them have a huge character arc, which I really appreciated, especially considering the believable manner in which their journey is portrayed.
Ending with the epilogue, I can only say I’m a massive fan of these final scenes.
I had a fantastic time with this cleverly plotted crime thriller, this is definitely an author whose past and future work I will need to explore. Recommended!
The Box is out tomorrow 16 June in digital formats, audio and hardcover.
Massive thanks to Viper Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Wow, just wow!
….
Can I get away with leaving it at that? No? Tough crowd.
Okay, let’s start with the prologue, makes sense, I’m sure you’ll agree. The prologue is absolutely EVIL! Obviously, I like my crime thrillers on the evil side, so I have to admit those pages had me rubbing my hands in a very Mr Burns manner.
As I read on, I kinda lost that initial sense of excitement. There was no doubt in my mind that The Box was a solid crime thriller / police procedural and I was very much invested in the story and the characters, yet based on that prologue, I expected something to distinguish it from all other thrillers I’ve read, something to make it stand out big time, and I wasn’t getting it…
UNTIL! Literally everything is kicked up a notch or twenty and The Box was going full throttle! I was glued to my e-reader, GLUED I tell you! There it was, the bit that lifted up the great crime thriller and made it brilliant.
I’m not going to say anything about the plot. The blurb raises questions and I’m not answering them for you. I will just say I loved some of the characters and loathed others. It’s been a while since I wanted a character to die this badly! I had a sneaking suspicion about a supporting character, which turned out to be right, always fun, but others managed to pull the wool over my eyes completely. Some of them have a huge character arc, which I really appreciated, especially considering the believable manner in which their journey is portrayed.
Ending with the epilogue, I can only say I’m a massive fan of these final scenes.
I had a fantastic time with this cleverly plotted crime thriller, this is definitely an author whose past and future work I will need to explore. Recommended!
The Box is out tomorrow 16 June in digital formats, audio and hardcover.
Massive thanks to Viper Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
om_nom_nomigon's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
1.0
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review
5.0
The Box is a one-of-a-kind novel that can only be described as INSTANT BUY.
When this beauty dropped through my letterbox, I was instantly excited. A missing daughter. A strange box structure imprisoning her. A handsome man with more than an air of danger. I haven’t read the author’s previous work, so I had no idea what I was in store for – boy was I in for the surprise of my life.
So, what does The Box offer? A hard and sharp look at society.
Ed Truman on the surface has it all. His law firm is thriving, he supports the victims of domestic abuse and does a lot of work pro bono. He is an upstanding member of the community. His home life, however, is less than perfect. His wife harbours resentment for only getting her career back on track now after raising their two children, Ally, and Mitchell. Mitchell is awkward and socially distant and has developed a certain distaste for his father. Ally is like any teenage girl…well she was before she started getting harassed by an Alt-Right group that has some very strange thoughts about women’s rights, and trans rights and they are extremely homophobic. Ed takes out an injunction against them and then his daughter goes missing, coincidence or connection?
Dan Malakin’s writing although of an incredibly dark nature feels incredibly right. The trajectory of the plot is like a rocket but somehow you know to trust the author’s vision. Let’s face it, there are so many new emerging voices in the thriller genre that it is very freeing to just trust the road they are taking you down. It might be dark and have many things that go bump in the night, but with resolve, you will get through it. I told you The Box was an experience.
Enter Detective Jackie Rose. Now, this is a characterisation powerhouse. She heads up the serious crimes division. She’s brave, intelligent, and resourceful. She suffers from PTSD and is haunted by visions of the past. When recruit to the division, Charlotte enters the fray, and they disagree with each other’s methods. Jackie thinks Charlotte couldn’t catch a killer even if they hand-signed a confession and Charlotte thinks Jackie partakes in too much aggression. She takes no shit from anyone!
The subject manner is a hard pill to swallow. The author sees a boundary and kicks it to the side. Men Together is an incel group that quite literally had my piss boiling. The part that is so utterly frightening is the fact that these people exist and are trying to get their message across to young boys and being the impressionable young men, they could be taken in by it. Intelligent individuals making preposterous claims are unfortunately believed in our right-wing media channels.
The Box is an unsettling and disturbing tale examining how society treats others that are different. It may only be the author’s second novel, but it has the finesse of a master.
When this beauty dropped through my letterbox, I was instantly excited. A missing daughter. A strange box structure imprisoning her. A handsome man with more than an air of danger. I haven’t read the author’s previous work, so I had no idea what I was in store for – boy was I in for the surprise of my life.
So, what does The Box offer? A hard and sharp look at society.
Ed Truman on the surface has it all. His law firm is thriving, he supports the victims of domestic abuse and does a lot of work pro bono. He is an upstanding member of the community. His home life, however, is less than perfect. His wife harbours resentment for only getting her career back on track now after raising their two children, Ally, and Mitchell. Mitchell is awkward and socially distant and has developed a certain distaste for his father. Ally is like any teenage girl…well she was before she started getting harassed by an Alt-Right group that has some very strange thoughts about women’s rights, and trans rights and they are extremely homophobic. Ed takes out an injunction against them and then his daughter goes missing, coincidence or connection?
Dan Malakin’s writing although of an incredibly dark nature feels incredibly right. The trajectory of the plot is like a rocket but somehow you know to trust the author’s vision. Let’s face it, there are so many new emerging voices in the thriller genre that it is very freeing to just trust the road they are taking you down. It might be dark and have many things that go bump in the night, but with resolve, you will get through it. I told you The Box was an experience.
Enter Detective Jackie Rose. Now, this is a characterisation powerhouse. She heads up the serious crimes division. She’s brave, intelligent, and resourceful. She suffers from PTSD and is haunted by visions of the past. When recruit to the division, Charlotte enters the fray, and they disagree with each other’s methods. Jackie thinks Charlotte couldn’t catch a killer even if they hand-signed a confession and Charlotte thinks Jackie partakes in too much aggression. She takes no shit from anyone!
The subject manner is a hard pill to swallow. The author sees a boundary and kicks it to the side. Men Together is an incel group that quite literally had my piss boiling. The part that is so utterly frightening is the fact that these people exist and are trying to get their message across to young boys and being the impressionable young men, they could be taken in by it. Intelligent individuals making preposterous claims are unfortunately believed in our right-wing media channels.
The Box is an unsettling and disturbing tale examining how society treats others that are different. It may only be the author’s second novel, but it has the finesse of a master.
kris27y's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
book_worm23's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mayabee92's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
munchkim's review
5.0
I could not leave this book alone once I started reading, it's totally unputdownable!
It's an engrossing story which draws you in, makes you care about the main characters, need to know what is going on and why. It's not an easy book to read, it really shows the darkness that hides inside some people but once the ending comes so does relief from all the tension that has been expertly crafted to keep you on edge.
There are some guessable twists and some which were a total surprise but understandable really. I'm going to have to find more books by this author!
It's an engrossing story which draws you in, makes you care about the main characters, need to know what is going on and why. It's not an easy book to read, it really shows the darkness that hides inside some people but once the ending comes so does relief from all the tension that has been expertly crafted to keep you on edge.
There are some guessable twists and some which were a total surprise but understandable really. I'm going to have to find more books by this author!