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trinkets_jar's review against another edition
1.0
John Darnielle is the primary member of The Mountain Goats? How am I just learning this?? I love his music, but I wish he would stop writing novels. This is the second book of his that I’ve read in the last year, and I wouldn’t have picked it up if I’d made the connection to Devil House. I’m mainly upset because I love the conceit of the story so much, and the writing itself is solid. It’s like he lays out all these cool toys and then throws them in the trash with how everything fizzles into nothingness. I like a bit of literary horror, but I still want my literary books to have a point
sarahjx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.25
accacianepote's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
1.5
heyimaghost's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hbrxnnxmxn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Universal Harvester stands out as such an odd novel less because of its content (although parts of the content are also bizarre) and more in its form. Told in multiple POVs through the course of several decades, the central focus is a disturbing series of videos that are added into movies being distributed by a VHS store and the surrounding events as a part of it. This is not the kind of book you can skim through in any regard, there were times I found myself reading paragraphs multiple times to try to understand what was being told due to the sort of winding, folky writing. Regardless, I did still enjoy reading this book. There’s something distinctly small town America about it, more Ethel Cain in nature then say, Friday Night Lights, striking an interesting balance between resenting the place you are in and knowing it’s an essential part of you, mixed with themes of loneliness, grief, and the passing of time. Worthwhile read for something thought provoking and at times out of reach.
wiltedlavender's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
avalin1's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
finnthehuman217's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the slowest burn possible. The way this trickles down like a candle until we finally get to part 4 is fucking wild. This book is good! I love JD. I just wish he would've chose somebody else to read the audiobook.
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Abandonment
al_sloan's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0