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woolpierogi's review against another edition
4.0
Genre: Thrillers and suspense
Character: Flawed; Twisted
Storyline: Intricately plotted
Pace: Fast-paced
Tone: Darkly humorous; Gruesome; Menacing; Strong sense of place; Suspenseful
Writing Style: Compelling; Gritty
Character: Flawed; Twisted
Storyline: Intricately plotted
Pace: Fast-paced
Tone: Darkly humorous; Gruesome; Menacing; Strong sense of place; Suspenseful
Writing Style: Compelling; Gritty
talismanlangley's review against another edition
2.0
I picked up "Heartsick" on a whim one day in the bookstore, and LOVED it. I was so excited when I found out there were sequels. I got each of them as soon as I could, and tried to ignore how strained the storylines started getting ...
And now we've gotten to this point, where Gretchen is now apparently Felicity from "Arrow" - she can hack security systems, computers, and even old cars! And she and Archie go crimefighting together!
Then we get to the most stunningly egregious part, the part where I actually questioned my sanity in sticking with this series ... the only reason that Chump Sheridan didn't die from being shot IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE that she stuck him with a scalpel was ... because she removed his spleen when she was torturing him back in the events preceding "Heartsick". That's right, ladies and gents, Gretchen Lowell SAVED Archie Sheridan by torturing him years earlier! She's really not so bad! /eyeroll into infinity
At that point, I decided that I'm not running to pick up any more of these ... if there are any more, which I really hope there aren't.
I also think it's ridiculous that Susan's apparent only romance choices are the drug lord's son (who's screwed up) or Archie (who I had sympathy for in the first couple books but at this point I'm just yelling WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU at the book) and jesus Susan come on. There is no way you should be considering Archie even remotely acceptable romance material.
This book was severely disappointing. I was interested in the series for Gretchen Lowell, and how Archie handled that entire mess in his life, not for Mary Sue Lowell And Her Perfect Adventures Of Why She's So Great. At this point, it's almost like Cain has run out of gas for "shocking" (ooh how edgy, we'll have them hook up at a crime scene that's SHOCKING) and so we just have to trot out more and more things that make Archie practically impossible to sympathize with.
I picked up "Heartsick" again, wondering if maybe I was giving it too much of a rosy glow because of how long ago I read it, but no, I'm flying through it again, and it's actually interesting ... unlike this book, which felt like a total slog, and by the time I realized I was sick of it, I was so far into it that I may as well finish it.
And now we've gotten to this point, where Gretchen is now apparently Felicity from "Arrow" - she can hack security systems, computers, and even old cars! And she and Archie go crimefighting together!
Then we get to the most stunningly egregious part, the part where I actually questioned my sanity in sticking with this series ... the only reason that Chump Sheridan didn't die from being shot IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE that she stuck him with a scalpel was ... because she removed his spleen when she was torturing him back in the events preceding "Heartsick". That's right, ladies and gents, Gretchen Lowell SAVED Archie Sheridan by torturing him years earlier! She's really not so bad! /eyeroll into infinity
At that point, I decided that I'm not running to pick up any more of these ... if there are any more, which I really hope there aren't.
I also think it's ridiculous that Susan's apparent only romance choices are the drug lord's son (who's screwed up) or Archie (who I had sympathy for in the first couple books but at this point I'm just yelling WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU at the book) and jesus Susan come on. There is no way you should be considering Archie even remotely acceptable romance material.
This book was severely disappointing. I was interested in the series for Gretchen Lowell, and how Archie handled that entire mess in his life, not for Mary Sue Lowell And Her Perfect Adventures Of Why She's So Great. At this point, it's almost like Cain has run out of gas for "shocking" (ooh how edgy, we'll have them hook up at a crime scene that's SHOCKING) and so we just have to trot out more and more things that make Archie practically impossible to sympathize with.
I picked up "Heartsick" again, wondering if maybe I was giving it too much of a rosy glow because of how long ago I read it, but no, I'm flying through it again, and it's actually interesting ... unlike this book, which felt like a total slog, and by the time I realized I was sick of it, I was so far into it that I may as well finish it.
ksfmcdaniel's review against another edition
3.0
Had a hard time getting into this one at first, but it picked up. It would actually be a decent ending to the series - and I think it's time.
sydneyaussie93's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
piepieb's review against another edition
3.0
This sixth (and final??) installment of the Archie-and-Gretchen saga will leave you gasping for breath and hungry for more! Susan is as badass and devil-may-care as ever, and Archie just... well, he seems to have superhuman strength and always seems to beat the odds. If there is another book in this series, great, and if this is the end, well, I'm pretty content with how it ended.
liz1004's review against another edition
4.0
In the serial killer series category, the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain is a clear front-runner for me. It is edge-of-your-seat suspenseful and features, in my opinion, one of the creepiest and most intriguing serial killers to come along since Thomas Harris introduced Hannibal Lecter. Both Dr. Lecter and Gretchen Lowell are unique in the sense that they are two of the most gruesome killers in modern fiction and yet for some reason you find yourself drawn in and almost fond of them. Maybe it's like looking at an apex predator through the bars of a cage - while fascinating, there is also relief that you are on the outside looking in.
Summary: This novel focuses a little more Jack Reynolds' drug enterprise and Leo's involvement in trying to bring it down. Archie and Susan are "persuaded" to attend a huge masked Halloween party on Jack's island and the next morning a young woman's body washes ashore. Archie is missing a huge chunk of the evening and there is evidence that Gretchen Lowell may have been on the island as well. Did Gretchen kill the girl or are there two killers operating in Portland?
What I enjoyed: Like I said before, I love this series. Gretchen is one of the most disturbing and evil villains of all time and the relationship between her and Archie is so nuanced and complex that you never know what's going to happen next. Let Me Go was one of the more viscerally frightening books of the series for me because while the others had plenty of gore and violence, this one just plain creeped me out. The kind of creep-out that makes you look over your shoulder if you're home alone. There is a point where it seems like someone is in one of the character's backseats and I literally had to stop and take a break.
Where it lost a star: I've reached a point where the series is starting to become repetitive. Gretchen's escaped AGAIN, Archie is looking for her AGAIN, there is ANOTHER serial killer, and of course, Susan's in the middle of all of it. While it's still suspenseful and every book is different, it's starting to seem like I'm reading the same plot devices over and over. I just want some sort of different storyline and resolution to the ongoing ones. If Archie and Susan don't admit they love each other soon, I'm going to throw something. I will continue to read because Chelsea Cain is an amazing storyteller and I am incredibly invested with the plot and characters, but COME ON. Let's move the plot forward a bit.
Summary: This novel focuses a little more Jack Reynolds' drug enterprise and Leo's involvement in trying to bring it down. Archie and Susan are "persuaded" to attend a huge masked Halloween party on Jack's island and the next morning a young woman's body washes ashore. Archie is missing a huge chunk of the evening and there is evidence that Gretchen Lowell may have been on the island as well. Did Gretchen kill the girl or are there two killers operating in Portland?
What I enjoyed: Like I said before, I love this series. Gretchen is one of the most disturbing and evil villains of all time and the relationship between her and Archie is so nuanced and complex that you never know what's going to happen next. Let Me Go was one of the more viscerally frightening books of the series for me because while the others had plenty of gore and violence, this one just plain creeped me out. The kind of creep-out that makes you look over your shoulder if you're home alone. There is a point where it seems like someone is in one of the character's backseats and I literally had to stop and take a break.
Where it lost a star: I've reached a point where the series is starting to become repetitive. Gretchen's escaped AGAIN, Archie is looking for her AGAIN, there is ANOTHER serial killer, and of course, Susan's in the middle of all of it. While it's still suspenseful and every book is different, it's starting to seem like I'm reading the same plot devices over and over. I just want some sort of different storyline and resolution to the ongoing ones. If Archie and Susan don't admit they love each other soon, I'm going to throw something. I will continue to read because Chelsea Cain is an amazing storyteller and I am incredibly invested with the plot and characters, but COME ON. Let's move the plot forward a bit.
bokelskerinnen's review against another edition
5.0
So saf that this is the last book in the series. I want more books about Gretchen and Archie
woolpierogi's review against another edition
4.0
Genre: Thrillers and suspense
Character: Flawed; Twisted
Storyline: Intricately plotted
Pace: Fast-paced
Tone: Darkly humorous; Gruesome; Menacing; Strong sense of place; Suspenseful
Writing Style: Compelling; Gritty
Character: Flawed; Twisted
Storyline: Intricately plotted
Pace: Fast-paced
Tone: Darkly humorous; Gruesome; Menacing; Strong sense of place; Suspenseful
Writing Style: Compelling; Gritty