Reviews - Dead Eleven | The StoryGraph

1.41k reviews for:

I enjoyed this more than I expected. Is it perfect? No. But was it enjoyable and did I continue to look forward to picking it back up? Yes. I'm trying to better understand the library collection where I volunteer and will recommend this to patrons in the future if they are looking forward for a horror-esque book.

jwicks's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

sayoes's review against another edition

2.5

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

hschmit's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kellyreadingbooks's review against another edition

3.0

emotional mysterious medium-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

🌲 “It’s just that, it’s not about the monster at all, really. It’s about people. No one wants to be the one to do things differently, because this is just life up here. It’s our culture. And us kids go along with it, because this is the world we live in." 🌲

📼 blurb:
On a creepy island where everyone has a strange obsession with the year 1994, a newcomer arrives, hoping to learn the truth about her son's death--but finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into the bizarrely insular community and their complicated rules...

🌊 thoughts:
This was pretty good! I felt super invested the first quarter and then half-wayish it started to get a little repetitive in themes and writing. I think 438 pgs was overkill, 350-375 would've maybe told the story a bit more effectively in my opinion. The ending felt a little anti-climactic for some reason. But it was a really fun idea for a horror book and I did enjoy overall even though it started to feel long. Also loved the local to me Illinois and Wisconsin settings. I'd definitely read another book by this author.

3/5 ⭐️
📖 438 pgs

sh4r's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

mx_v's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I think this book would be awesome if it had gone through another round of edits. There's some great, effective stuff in here, but I struggled to care the fourth time Willow realized the theme of her story was grief.