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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
A slow burn but enjoyable! If you need non stop action this isn’t the book for you. Took me a moment to get into it but it was definitely worth my time
John Langan is a study in patience. This was a slow burn that carefully revealed the horror in mundanity through the lives of Veronica and her husband Roger.
I can see where this horror wouldn't work for some, but I find Langan's work irresistible in his ability to achieve dread through a slow mounting tension with no precipice to how the horror will appear. Sometimes it lingers like a shadow trailing behind the narrative, continually menacing and present until it's not. Other times it's in the quiet moment that it suddenly makes its presence known and does so viscerally.
I do wish the climax had contained more horror as odd as that might sound. The peak, in my opinion, was the scene in the diner and it was so sudden and so disarming that the climax didn't quite hold up in comparison.
That said the thrill of the horror is there if one has the patience to be enveloped in the narrative.
I can see where this horror wouldn't work for some, but I find Langan's work irresistible in his ability to achieve dread through a slow mounting tension with no precipice to how the horror will appear. Sometimes it lingers like a shadow trailing behind the narrative, continually menacing and present until it's not. Other times it's in the quiet moment that it suddenly makes its presence known and does so viscerally.
I do wish the climax had contained more horror as odd as that might sound. The peak, in my opinion, was the scene in the diner and it was so sudden and so disarming that the climax didn't quite hold up in comparison.
That said the thrill of the horror is there if one has the patience to be enveloped in the narrative.
I wouldn't call this book bad, but it's definitely not for me. The prose and character voices are evocative, but the pace is slow and meandering and the narration constantly goes off on odd tangents. It's going for a sort of 'literature academic journal' vibe, which it achieves, but man is it boring.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This first novel of John Langan offers a detail rich and unique story for the horror genre, not one that leaves you quaking in your boots, but one that draws you into the story by making the characters relatable, especially in the realm of regret. A fascinating read.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes