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kerasalwaysreading's review
4.0
Incredibly painful, but strangely hopeful at the same time.
Poor Jack is dealing with so much. He is freshly 16 years old with an abusive father and enough trauma baggage to fill a semi! We follow him through a couple weeks at the end of December and it’s just a nonstop shit show. He is forming this obsession with an older man, who seems to be just a different vein of abusive, and this push and pull he feels in the situation is caustic.
I absolutely fell hard for Jack. He was such a tender young character that you, as the reader, want to just scoop up and protect. So much happens in such a short span of time. The people he comes in contact with, the ways in which he is used and abused… but he is still someone you really and truly want to root for.
I really enjoyed this book but it was hard to read. The author captures obsession and pain so well. The cyclical pattern that one can find themselves in… really just a great, painful read.
Poor Jack is dealing with so much. He is freshly 16 years old with an abusive father and enough trauma baggage to fill a semi! We follow him through a couple weeks at the end of December and it’s just a nonstop shit show. He is forming this obsession with an older man, who seems to be just a different vein of abusive, and this push and pull he feels in the situation is caustic.
I absolutely fell hard for Jack. He was such a tender young character that you, as the reader, want to just scoop up and protect. So much happens in such a short span of time. The people he comes in contact with, the ways in which he is used and abused… but he is still someone you really and truly want to root for.
I really enjoyed this book but it was hard to read. The author captures obsession and pain so well. The cyclical pattern that one can find themselves in… really just a great, painful read.
artemis's review
4.0
MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS: abusive parent, rape, pedophilia, victim blaming, underage drinking & drug use, self-destructive mechanisms & possibly more that i forgot
Disturbing, disgusting, a complete mess. That’s all I’d ever need from a book. It was definitely not an easy read. I had to stop many, many times, drop it for a few days, think about it and only then would I be able to get back to it. The story starts with the main character’s sixteenth birthday, and at this point, his life seems to be, to put it very simply, bad. I didn’t expect how much worse it would get in the span of the next few weeks. Reading this book, the reader gets into the mind of a victim; and it’s a really, really dark place. You can see how much he’s falling, down, down with every day and you can’t help him in any way. You can only watch. Which was probably the thing that kept me so invested in the story. You want to ask him to get help, you want to explain to him that these things are wrong and he shouldn’t suffer so much, he’s only a kid, you want to get him away from all this bad stuff that nobody around him seems to mind. But ultimately, you can only watch. And things keep getting worse. This book dug deep into my head. This book was probably the most fucked up thing I’ve read this year, and I never thought I’d be meaning this in a positive way, but here we are. I loved it. I just hope Jack will eventually seek help. The ending would seem happy at first, but obviously it wasn’t. I’m guessing there’s no sequel but in my imagination all these disgusting pedos and abusers are locked up and the main character gets the mental assistance that he so much needs.
I received an epub copy of this book through netgalley which I'm thankful for.
Disturbing, disgusting, a complete mess. That’s all I’d ever need from a book. It was definitely not an easy read. I had to stop many, many times, drop it for a few days, think about it and only then would I be able to get back to it. The story starts with the main character’s sixteenth birthday, and at this point, his life seems to be, to put it very simply, bad. I didn’t expect how much worse it would get in the span of the next few weeks. Reading this book, the reader gets into the mind of a victim; and it’s a really, really dark place. You can see how much he’s falling, down, down with every day and you can’t help him in any way. You can only watch. Which was probably the thing that kept me so invested in the story. You want to ask him to get help, you want to explain to him that these things are wrong and he shouldn’t suffer so much, he’s only a kid, you want to get him away from all this bad stuff that nobody around him seems to mind. But ultimately, you can only watch. And things keep getting worse. This book dug deep into my head. This book was probably the most fucked up thing I’ve read this year, and I never thought I’d be meaning this in a positive way, but here we are. I loved it. I just hope Jack will eventually seek help. The ending would seem happy at first, but obviously it wasn’t. I’m guessing there’s no sequel but in my imagination all these disgusting pedos and abusers are locked up and the main character gets the mental assistance that he so much needs.
I received an epub copy of this book through netgalley which I'm thankful for.
brewsandbooks's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
thisgayreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
3.0
3 / 5 ⭐️‘s
“Four Darks” by Alex Vogel
This was an intense read that follows sixteen-year-old Jack as he navigates a cruel winter in London. Jack's story is marked by a toxic relationship with an older man, a violent father, and a missing mother. As Jack seeks refuge from his abusive home life, he meets James, who seems to offer him hope and escape. However, their relationship soon becomes a dangerous game of courtship and rejection, leaving Jack on a path of self-destruction.
The book is narrated in first person, allowing the reader to connect with Jack on a personal level as he faces the challenges of adulthood. Vogel's writing is compassionate and humorous, yet unapologetically honest about the struggles that Jack faces. The story touches on heavy themes, such as the cycle of abuse and neglect that victims can fall into, but also offers a sense of hope through Jack's perseverance.
This ARC was provided by @BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
nickthebooktoker's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
3.25
Four Darks by Alex Vogel follows teenaged Jack as he wanders the streets of a snow-covered London in the lead up to Christmas and the new year. But don't be fooled—this definitely isn't a cosy festive read!
Over the course of roughly ten days, Jack plunges headfirst into a world of debauchery, as a chance meeting with an older man on his sixteenth birthday kicks off a string of questionable hook-ups, fuelled by alcohol, drugs, and violence, ultimately culminating in a disastrous New Year's Eve party.
This is not an easy read. It's full of a lot of potentially triggering material, not to mention the fact that Jack has only just turned sixteen which—whilst he is technically of age in the eyes of UK law—just made the graphic content that much more icky. However, I do respect the unadulterated lens through which Vogel writes. I can imagine a lot of people hating this book, but I think it serves as a gritty and unforgiving cautionary tale that speaks to one side of the gay experience. Whether it's looking for love in all the wrong places, being taken advantage of by older men, or finding escape in substance (ab)use, Jack's experiences are unfortunately not uncommon in the gay community.
I do wish the book was a bit more balanced in its characterisation, as Jack's potentially more positive relationships took a backseat in favour of a series of unlikeable characters. Lisa, for example, seemed like a sweet girl and their budding friendship could have been developed more. Jack's boxing coach could have been written as more of a supportive father figure but, instead, he kind of just disappears from the story. And whilst we have a touching depiction of Jack and his older brother, who he looks up to and misses greatly, we only learn about this relationship through flashbacks. By the end, I felt like there was a lot left unxplored and many questions unanswered. Do not expect a neat and tidy resolution but rather a snapshot into the struggles of a young man burdened by his identity. In many ways, this feels like merely the start of Jack's journey.
Four Darks is bound to be a divisive debut, but I do hope Vogel finds an audience, as he's clearly a skilled writer able to tackle tough subjects.
Many thanks to BookSirens for providing me with a free digital review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Over the course of roughly ten days, Jack plunges headfirst into a world of debauchery, as a chance meeting with an older man on his sixteenth birthday kicks off a string of questionable hook-ups, fuelled by alcohol, drugs, and violence, ultimately culminating in a disastrous New Year's Eve party.
This is not an easy read. It's full of a lot of potentially triggering material, not to mention the fact that Jack has only just turned sixteen which—whilst he is technically of age in the eyes of UK law—just made the graphic content that much more icky. However, I do respect the unadulterated lens through which Vogel writes. I can imagine a lot of people hating this book, but I think it serves as a gritty and unforgiving cautionary tale that speaks to one side of the gay experience. Whether it's looking for love in all the wrong places, being taken advantage of by older men, or finding escape in substance (ab)use, Jack's experiences are unfortunately not uncommon in the gay community.
I do wish the book was a bit more balanced in its characterisation, as Jack's potentially more positive relationships took a backseat in favour of a series of unlikeable characters. Lisa, for example, seemed like a sweet girl and their budding friendship could have been developed more. Jack's boxing coach could have been written as more of a supportive father figure but, instead, he kind of just disappears from the story. And whilst we have a touching depiction of Jack and his older brother, who he looks up to and misses greatly, we only learn about this relationship through flashbacks. By the end, I felt like there was a lot left unxplored and many questions unanswered. Do not expect a neat and tidy resolution but rather a snapshot into the struggles of a young man burdened by his identity. In many ways, this feels like merely the start of Jack's journey.
Four Darks is bound to be a divisive debut, but I do hope Vogel finds an audience, as he's clearly a skilled writer able to tackle tough subjects.
Many thanks to BookSirens for providing me with a free digital review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Abandonment, Blood, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Confinement, Classism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Vomit
james1star's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.0
Thank you to BookSirens and Alex Vogel for accepting me to be a pre-publication reviewer of this book. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
In all honesty I’m quite conflicted on how to review this book. I will try to do it like normal so here goes.
Quick plot summary is we follow the main character Jack, starting on this 16th birthday on a freezing London day where he goes to the Tate Modern. An older man James sits next to him, gives a private tour then later go back to his because Jack has an abusive father that he doesn’t want to return to. This is one plot line, another deals with a fellow man at Jack’s gym: Marcus and a relationship of sorts. He is yearning for love and affection but is looking in all the wrong places, his vulnerability means people take advantage of him and it’s a very gritty and unpleasant read at times. The somewhat mysterious disappearance of his mother and older brother Thomas is something he’s dealing with too but this isn’t explored all that much.
From the start to about 30% in I was really invested with the story and our MC but it did lose me as the book developed. From page 1 I was totally hooked and Jack pulled on my heart, he seemed like a really interesting and likeable character that you just wanted good things to come his way. This does remain true for the most part and even when he does things that we know are not right for him or right in general, I still felt like he’s clearly messed up and in need of help - but some things were I dunno? I was less quick to jump to his defence as it progressed. I think this is because some of the bad things happening to Jack were repetitive and I wanted to be like ‘Jack just leave, don’t go there, turn around’ and when it keeps happening I did feel more removed and less emphatic towards him. This is especially the case in regards to drug and alcohol consumption. There is for sure ebbs and flows in how I viewed Jack but after a certain bit I couldn’t really get it back - this is when his dad makes a remark about his fiancée’s weight and then Jack repeatedly talks about a man in regards to his size and this fatphobia was really horrible to read in my opinion, I usually don’t mind as much if maybe things are being said to the MC or it’s dealt with well but when the MC is making the remarks and belittling someone it’s just… I dunno uncomfortable I guess and especially because we’re supposed to emphasise with Jack. He also shows some other hurtful traits further pushing me away.
All the characters, except for Jack, I did really really hate. There is development and some nuance - specifically with James (but nope, no way in hell could I forgive certain things), Lisa (goodish but ehh, couldn’t bring myself to like her), Marina (didn’t see that much of her, had potential but then again meh), Rob (he’s good but a certain viewpoint he holds means I can’t go further then alrightish) - that I did like. However some were rather shallow and extremely detestable like Gerald (ugh), Marcus (f you to hell! Nopeeeeeeeee!!!!!) and Jack’s dad (I hate you sooooo much) but you are meant to hate them. I’d say there was room for more complexity but they are done well and written quite realistic. The side characters were again quite shallow but it’s understandable given their limited exposure.
To follow on from the realistic-ness, this is don’t well in terms of the writing and gritty elements. It’s all rather real invoking a visceral sensation in the reader at points as it’s believable that these things are happening. It’s quite detailed, really allowing you to imagine the locations, characters and events taking place - something I highly commend Vogel on. But, this is somewhat at odds with the reality of certain things actually happening, just a few things I couldn’t quite rationalise which takes away from the effect the book has at times.
Like I said, the writing is very good and it’s for sure an intriguing read that pulls you along. I found it hard to put this down because I just wanted to read on and on, you’re left at end of chapter cliff hangers at times with no other choice but to turn the page. I appreciated how Vogel stayed true to the London setting with the references and lingo (at times some American words/phrases slipped in like sidewalk and shrink though). It stayed true to the grittyness and this book certainly delivers in this regard - it’s not an enjoyable read with multiple trigger warnings and uncomfortable parts, things I didn’t really like reading but even more so when you know it’s happening to a 16 year old, very unpleasant. I’d also add that the sex scenes are kind of written with nuance and blurring the line of consent where something might happen to Jack which he didn’t explicitly say yes or no to, he goes along and doesn’t mind or even enjoy it but we know it’s a very tricky situation - I guess this adds to the confusion Jack is feeling in this regard but maybe it’s not the best example of sexual assault as he doesn’t fully understand how he was used. Following on from this is that I don’t mind reading about mistreat in books but I always yearn for some form of justice and when I don’t see it explicitly it proves irksome to me.
The mysterious disappearance of Jack’s mum and brother Thomas I wish was maybe explored a bit more. I think my favourite parts of this book was him reminiscing about times with them and how they left. It’s touched on but definitely could have done with more attention as you’re left with quite a lot to the imagine as to how this plot line would wrap up.
Overall, this is a good book and is clearly written well. It’s a page turner and gripped me. But I do have my reservations too and as I went on I became less connected to the MC and the story. I’m glad I read it and would be interested in more of Vogel’s work so I do suggest supporting him. This is not like my usual 3 stars where I have limited interest neither good or bad as Four Darks has both in plenty but I would say they equal each other out. Would recommend but do check the trigger warnings and please don’t do anything these characters do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
Minor: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Homophobia
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