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neavevmcc_'s review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
teegy's review
Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this upcoming book.
I’m disappointed with this book. I could not get along with it at all. I read the prologue and felt a little cringed out; it’s too pre-teen for me. I hate text-speech; I’m not a fan of it shown in written context and the dialogue for the characters was too childish for my liking. It was very much a high-school read with school crushes and antics and the language used from the narrator but also the characters. My preference is clearly for faster paced mystery novels and I went into it with high expectations. I may come back to this at a later date but for now I’ve left it at that.
In the few chapters I read, the characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked. They lacked personality and were childish - the beginning is set in a secondary school for the “elite” and tagged as a Young Adult book however I feel as though it relates more to a middle-grade rating.
With that being said, the storyline is a good premise. I like the idea of a teen-detective discovering the disappearance of a fellow student; it’s giving me A Good Girls Guide to Murder vibes and I love it. I thought this would be a creepy thriller/mystery book and I was so excited to read it, but after 4 chapters it just wasn’t gripping me and I’m sad to say I did DNF it.
Another positive note: I LOVE the cover! This is right up my alley and looks like something I’d enjoy reading, hence the high expectations. The orange and black compliments one another so well and it’s giving me Halloween vibes!
I’m disappointed with this book. I could not get along with it at all. I read the prologue and felt a little cringed out; it’s too pre-teen for me. I hate text-speech; I’m not a fan of it shown in written context and the dialogue for the characters was too childish for my liking. It was very much a high-school read with school crushes and antics and the language used from the narrator but also the characters. My preference is clearly for faster paced mystery novels and I went into it with high expectations. I may come back to this at a later date but for now I’ve left it at that.
In the few chapters I read, the characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked. They lacked personality and were childish - the beginning is set in a secondary school for the “elite” and tagged as a Young Adult book however I feel as though it relates more to a middle-grade rating.
With that being said, the storyline is a good premise. I like the idea of a teen-detective discovering the disappearance of a fellow student; it’s giving me A Good Girls Guide to Murder vibes and I love it. I thought this would be a creepy thriller/mystery book and I was so excited to read it, but after 4 chapters it just wasn’t gripping me and I’m sad to say I did DNF it.
Another positive note: I LOVE the cover! This is right up my alley and looks like something I’d enjoy reading, hence the high expectations. The orange and black compliments one another so well and it’s giving me Halloween vibes!
goreimm's review against another edition
3.0
Closer to 2.8 - it was interesting but I wasn't a fan of the ending.
tossmetothesea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stinas_fav_books's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, full disclosure coming. I used to love scary/horror/creepy books. They were my favorite. I, unfortunately, stopped reading them several years ago as I felt they were all starting to "run together". The same plot, the same overall "feel", and I didn't find them as intriguing as I once did. Well, I decided this year that I was going to give new authors of scary/horror/creepy books a chance, and WOW am I glad I did! The character building, along with the build-up of the plot in this book was spot on. I had to continue reading and did not want to put it down. The mystery that continued throughout this book was the best I have read in a while. And let's talk about the setting for a minute. For me, the setting is very important when writing a book of this genre as it sets the mood and lines up the plot and this setting was top-notch. Thank you to the author for restoring my love for this genre!
readingsusan's review against another edition
3.0
This was a creepy and chilling YA horror book. I enjoyed it. The ending played out in my mind like a movie. It was a little too rambly at times and I really disliked the random religious stuff thrown in but if you like a manageable horror check this one out.
lyssa_lee's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rhiadav1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Sadly, this book just wasn’t for me.
Both the cover and the synopsis had me hooked and I was expecting a horror that could make the hairs on my arms rise. Unfortunately, the writing style was very simple - a lot of the time I had to remind myself that the characters aren’t 12/13 years old.
The plot itself was overly complicated and I felt a bit deflated when it was revealed that The Changing Man is just the leader of the replicas. Personally, I thought it was a ridiculous idea and not scary at all.
A lot of the plot is rushed and I quickly disengaged from the story. I’m glad to have finally finished the book.
Both the cover and the synopsis had me hooked and I was expecting a horror that could make the hairs on my arms rise. Unfortunately, the writing style was very simple - a lot of the time I had to remind myself that the characters aren’t 12/13 years old.
The plot itself was overly complicated and I felt a bit deflated when it was revealed that The Changing Man is just the leader of the replicas. Personally, I thought it was a ridiculous idea and not scary at all.
A lot of the plot is rushed and I quickly disengaged from the story. I’m glad to have finally finished the book.