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electricbloom's review against another edition
5.0
I got this ARC ebook from NetGalley.
HOLY CRAP. THIS WAS FANTASTIC.
Crazy deaths. Concerned neighborhood. Supernatural entities. This book was a whirlwind. Grasped you from the first chapter and didn't stop until the last page. SO amazing.
Incredibly well written. The story just pulled you in. I love that when you think you had it figured out, things turned and you were left questioning again. You kept trying to figure out what was causing all this trouble and it just kept you guessing! It moved fast; but no so fast it felt rushed. I think the superb writing quality, along with magnificent story telling just made this an all around wonderful story. Also, through the horror, chills, and thrills - there were even parts that made me chuckle. Just very well rounded.
The characters were so genuine and all very believable. They were easily likable. You got attached to them; when something happened you rooted for them. You really wanted everything to go well for them! You just felt like you were right there with them; you felt what they felt.
I really loved the supernatural aspect. I love that eerie, "things in the dark" spookiness. I also love cryptozoology and that played a huge part in this story. It was really awesome that a crytpozoologist was included in the cast of characters.
I also love that it was set in Arlington and D.C. - went there two years ago and I could just see the neighborhoods and the scenery and it brought back really great memories.
So, yeah. I LOVED this book. It was spooky, fun and just a non-stop thrill. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read the followup! Great job, Mr. Schweigart!
HOLY CRAP. THIS WAS FANTASTIC.
Crazy deaths. Concerned neighborhood. Supernatural entities. This book was a whirlwind. Grasped you from the first chapter and didn't stop until the last page. SO amazing.
Incredibly well written. The story just pulled you in. I love that when you think you had it figured out, things turned and you were left questioning again. You kept trying to figure out what was causing all this trouble and it just kept you guessing! It moved fast; but no so fast it felt rushed. I think the superb writing quality, along with magnificent story telling just made this an all around wonderful story. Also, through the horror, chills, and thrills - there were even parts that made me chuckle. Just very well rounded.
The characters were so genuine and all very believable. They were easily likable. You got attached to them; when something happened you rooted for them. You really wanted everything to go well for them! You just felt like you were right there with them; you felt what they felt.
I really loved the supernatural aspect. I love that eerie, "things in the dark" spookiness. I also love cryptozoology and that played a huge part in this story. It was really awesome that a crytpozoologist was included in the cast of characters.
I also love that it was set in Arlington and D.C. - went there two years ago and I could just see the neighborhoods and the scenery and it brought back really great memories.
So, yeah. I LOVED this book. It was spooky, fun and just a non-stop thrill. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read the followup! Great job, Mr. Schweigart!
nick_borrelli's review against another edition
4.0
The Beast of Barcroft is a ripping-yarn that I would classify in the supernatural thriller genre. At 200 pages, it is a fairly quick and fun read that I knocked out in two days. The gist of the story centers around the small neighborhood of Barcroft, just outside of Alexandria, Virginia. Strange things have been happening in the once-quiet colonial-era neighborhood lately. A local eccentric resident, Madeleine Roux has been slipping deeper and deeper into depression and has allowed her home to become a magnet for vermin and feral cats, to the dismay of the other residents. Not only that, her home is in extreme disrepair. Madeleine's new next door neighbor Ben McKelvie isn't exactly pleased about all of this, frequently complaining to the local animal-control board and authorities. Then one cool November evening, while letting his dog out in the backyard, Ben hears an inhuman growl coming from the nearby woods that couldn't possibly be coming from his faithful pal Bucky. What Ben encounters that night can only be described as otherworldly in nature. A beast that he knows can't possibly exist in modern-day Barcroft has taken up residence and begun feasting on the local residents. What connection, if any, does Madeleine Roux have in the bizarre creature's appearance? It is at this point that Ben enlists the help of a curator from the Simthsonian's National Zoo to help him try to uncover the secret of Barcroft's past and the possible origin of the creature that is on the loose and hungry for blood.
I found this book to be very entertaining and something akin to Blake Crouch in its excitement level. The mystery behind the Beast of Barcroft is handled extremely well and the payoff is worth the ride. The characters are well crafted and even though the story is relatively short, I still felt I had a good grasp of each character's backstory. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good supernatural thriller involving mythical creatures.
I found this book to be very entertaining and something akin to Blake Crouch in its excitement level. The mystery behind the Beast of Barcroft is handled extremely well and the payoff is worth the ride. The characters are well crafted and even though the story is relatively short, I still felt I had a good grasp of each character's backstory. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good supernatural thriller involving mythical creatures.
caidyn's review
DNFed at 26%
Eh. Just didn't do it for me. I couldn't keep characters straight, nor did I really want to find out what was going on with the animal. The sort of horror this was going for didn't intrigue me enough to want to find out what this monster was. I'm more of a fan of psychological thrillers than monster stories. Still, the writing was good and engaging enough to let me read as much as I did.
Eh. Just didn't do it for me. I couldn't keep characters straight, nor did I really want to find out what was going on with the animal. The sort of horror this was going for didn't intrigue me enough to want to find out what this monster was. I'm more of a fan of psychological thrillers than monster stories. Still, the writing was good and engaging enough to let me read as much as I did.
lilyn_g's review
4.0
The title and the blurb both interested me. The comparison to King made me hesitate. Its been stated before that I'm not a huge King fan. This is still true. So, I looked it up on Goodreads, and when I saw the page count, decided I'd give it a shot. I'm happy to report that the comparison to King - thankfully - is only in regards to the twisted story with an interesting ending. Schweigart does not fumble the ball and go off into tons of extraneous detail or unneeded character exposition like King does. He just delivers an awesome, somewhat corny at times, story that definitely fits the bill for a spooky afternoon read.
The author does a good job of plopping you down in the middle of a situation, and hitting the ground running. The main character has realistic flaws, needs his happy pills, and is a bit of a toe-rag. He still manages to be someone you root for, though. The other characters are all individuals in their own ways, no cardboard cutouts, and you find yourself cheering them on quite happily.
The action is fun, the pace is quick, and the imagery is great. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good afternoon horror story. Especially if you're also a King fan.
Visit Scifi and Scary's Book Reviews for many other Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller, and Kids' Books reviews.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The author does a good job of plopping you down in the middle of a situation, and hitting the ground running. The main character has realistic flaws, needs his happy pills, and is a bit of a toe-rag. He still manages to be someone you root for, though. The other characters are all individuals in their own ways, no cardboard cutouts, and you find yourself cheering them on quite happily.
The action is fun, the pace is quick, and the imagery is great. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good afternoon horror story. Especially if you're also a King fan.
Visit Scifi and Scary's Book Reviews for many other Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller, and Kids' Books reviews.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
ranaelizabeth's review
3.0
Monster story with lots of creepiness. I'm really hoping this leads to a monster-fighting crime series because I would totally read the shit out of that.
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