Reviews

Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus

Only show reviews with written explanations

felixtrom's review

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adventurous mysterious 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

3.0

trippyotter's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

OH. MY. The ending?! It'd make Stephen King proud.

Content Warnings

look, I'm not gonna lie and say this was good, because it really wasn't, but I REALLY appreciate YA with the guts to be the most disturbing thing some kid has ever read. if I had read this as a Youth, it would have changed the trajectory of my life forever. this shit was gnarly and visceral, with some really great bits of imaginative writing (the eyeball jar bit...whoough). if you want a YA horror book that'll feed you visions of fucked-up creatures, and fucked-up kids, and fucked-up war crimes, this is it. just make sure you don't squint at the plot too hard, or it'll fall apart.

esquires1214's review

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5.0

3.75 stars

katharinaxx's review

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3.0

I absolutely adore the writing. Unfortunately I guessed the real identity of

Spoiler

A the first time it appeared

, and that took away some of the joy of the big reveal. In my opinion, towards the grand finale the book regrettably turned into a cheap Hollywood drama and

Spoiler

Doug's

character fell super flat.

Spoiler

The original quest of getting information about Liv's Dad from A seemed to be all but abandoned.

crystalblu's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

jenny313's review

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4.0

Slow beginning but the ending was something I never expected.

chelsraealberto's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was another hit by Daniel Kraus!! If you love sci-fi and horror this is a perfect quick and captivating page-turner. This book may challenge the faint of heart or those who are new to the genres of horror and sci-fi, but any longtime fan will not at all be dismayed by the details of the story. Kraus does a beautiful job of implying graphic details without forcing the audience to uncomfortably live through the execution of them. Elements of horror are used incredibly effectively throughout the narrative and not for the sake of spectacle.

I’m actually surprised at the amount of reviews admonishing the torture scenes in the story which compared to most shows/movies you can watch on any streaming site, regardless of age, or any number of thriller novels, seem benign. There are scenes where torture is sparingly described amongst huge dialogues of debate around the ethics and guilt of it, all due to the two main characters believing, supported by all previous evidence, that the captured alien is part of the clan which is responsible for the abduction and probable murder of the main characters father. They use torture to interrogate the creature in the desperate attempt of finding and retrieving her father. Towards the end of the novel the results of torture become more graphic but again we are rarely, if ever, privy to the moments of torture as they are occurring. As an audience for the most part we find out about the results long after the acts have occurred. The Torture is absolutely not endorsed and is a huge point of contention and catalyst of change among the characters.

In this chilling tale you will find all the classic markers of a great Alien story but with enough twists to keep the narrative refreshing and worthwhile. As with all good monster stories, the themes and messages conveyed throughout this story run much deeper than what lies at the surface and will have you questioning what constitutes a monster.