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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I agree with the perspectives that others had. This is not a thriller, at best it’s a story regarding memory loss. But it’s ok.
Good book that felt like it was going somewhere interesting but it was let down by a very rushed and kind of silly ending.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Misery-esque. Eerie!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Confinement, Medical trauma, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
Protagonist cannot move
I’m in a new era of my life where if I get halfway and I still don’t have interest, I put it down and stop. In a last ditch effort I looked up what happens in a summary online and I went Yup, exactly as I thought as it brought nothing new to the “Misery” inspiration.
Another thing that was incredibly unsatisfying wasthe fact that the wife’s character was completely laid to the wayside when her development and relationship with the protagonist is crucial to the whole twist of the thing? We only saw minor defiance and not the world of how she loathed him enough for her mother to exact this living hell of a revenge on him. Also the unrealistic lengths his mother went in torture to not have any reason that makes sense, and the lack of intervention from anyone else outside of it. But hey, I also didn’t finish this book so take this with a grain of salt.
Maybe this would’ve been better as an audio book? But the endless details that didn’t build the story up at any sort of speed for a short book was draining to read. Great idea for a short story, too bad it was made into a long one. Or if it was to be a long one, there definitely needed to be more depth than this. Why was I able to guess everything while also having the details lack depth?
Another thing that was incredibly unsatisfying was
Maybe this would’ve been better as an audio book? But the endless details that didn’t build the story up at any sort of speed for a short book was draining to read. Great idea for a short story, too bad it was made into a long one. Or if it was to be a long one, there definitely needed to be more depth than this. Why was I able to guess everything while also having the details lack depth?
Not sure how this was marketed, but I would categorize it as psychological horror. It truly disturbed me, but in a very different way than any "horror" novel ever has.
THE PLOT
After a terrible car accident that killed his wife, Oghi is suffering through the aftermath, one in which his body is in complete shambles. He barely survived the crash, and the only family he has left is his mother-in-law, whom takes it upon herself to take care of Oghi in his grueling recovery process. Oghi cannot do anything for himself—he is at the mercy of everyone around him. This helplessness starts to suffocate him, especially when his mother-in-law begins to behave rather strangely. There is no way out of his disabled state. Oghi feels trapped, as if he were in a deep, dark hole. Much like the hole that his mother-in-law is digging in his yard...
WHY I LIKED IT
The translation is fantastic—the grittiness was perfectly delivered.
The narrative was a chasm, one in which I felt I was being dragged into, deeper and deeper until it was no longer easy to breathe.
This book certainly delivered the uneasiness I was expecting, as well as a complex cast of characters. We see the world through Oghi's eyes, and he is very blunt in pointing out everyone else's flaws, including his own. Even after discovering his wrongdoings, I couldn't help but fear for Oghi. I felt trapped alongside of him. His situation—being bedridden in a body no longer under his control—triggered my fear of incompetence. To be completely exposed and vulnerable with no escape, unable to fight back...it was bone-chilling to read from that perspective.
Apart from successfully instilling fear and discomfort, I also appreciated the more subtle themes sprinkled throughout. I think this book would be a fun one to dissect for a book club or something like that.
I don't really have any specific cons to mention.
I think this delivered on what it promised, so I wasn't disappointed in any way. Am I completely obsessed with it and find it utterly flawless? No, hence why it's not a 5 star read for me.
THE PLOT
After a terrible car accident that killed his wife, Oghi is suffering through the aftermath, one in which his body is in complete shambles. He barely survived the crash, and the only family he has left is his mother-in-law, whom takes it upon herself to take care of Oghi in his grueling recovery process. Oghi cannot do anything for himself—he is at the mercy of everyone around him. This helplessness starts to suffocate him, especially when his mother-in-law begins to behave rather strangely. There is no way out of his disabled state. Oghi feels trapped, as if he were in a deep, dark hole. Much like the hole that his mother-in-law is digging in his yard...
WHY I LIKED IT
The translation is fantastic—the grittiness was perfectly delivered.
The narrative was a chasm, one in which I felt I was being dragged into, deeper and deeper until it was no longer easy to breathe.
This book certainly delivered the uneasiness I was expecting, as well as a complex cast of characters. We see the world through Oghi's eyes, and he is very blunt in pointing out everyone else's flaws, including his own. Even after discovering his wrongdoings, I couldn't help but fear for Oghi. I felt trapped alongside of him. His situation—being bedridden in a body no longer under his control—triggered my fear of incompetence. To be completely exposed and vulnerable with no escape, unable to fight back...it was bone-chilling to read from that perspective.
Apart from successfully instilling fear and discomfort, I also appreciated the more subtle themes sprinkled throughout. I think this book would be a fun one to dissect for a book club or something like that.
I don't really have any specific cons to mention.
I think this delivered on what it promised, so I wasn't disappointed in any way. Am I completely obsessed with it and find it utterly flawless? No, hence why it's not a 5 star read for me.
challenging
dark
tense
slow-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
dark
medium-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
I don’t know that I would say this is a horror book, maybe more a slow-burn. I think the author did a good job narrating what it would be like to wake up completely paralyzed and how much we take for granted when we are healthy. A tense revenge story.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes