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starryknight231's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Murder, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child abuse
blueskyvibes1point0's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
**This is book 2 in the Haven’s Rock series. It is a standalone story but there is a connecting story arc so I recommend that you start with book 1, Murder at Haven’s Rock.**
In the wilderness town of Haven’s Rock, Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton find solace in its familiar surroundings, reminiscent of their past in Rockton. As they settle into their roles, they recognize the importance of safety in the wilderness, especially for residents unfamiliar with its dangers. When Max, the town’s youngest member, alerts them to a possible bear threat with human-like eyes, Casey and Eric delve into investigating, wary of the peculiar events unfolding around them, including the discovery of a dead body.
Rating:
1. Plot and Storytelling: 3/5. The plot was well developed and written, but it didn't quite resonate with me as much as other books in the Rockton/Havens rock series.
2. Characterization: 5/5 I adore Casey, Will, and Sheriff Dalton, and witnessing their growth throughout the series has been captivating. This book particularly marks significant changes for Casey and Dalton, and I'm eager to see how their journeys unfold together.
3. Writing Style: 5/5 Kelley Armstrong's writing style is a delight for me. It's wonderfully paced, engaging, descriptive, and encompasses everything I look for in a book.
4. Originality: 4/5 The mystery in this book brings a unique twist, and the setting presents intriguing challenges for both the reader and the author. Overall, I found it refreshingly original.
5. Emotional Impact and Resolution: 3/5 While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it didn't evoke strong emotions in me one way or another. However, I appreciated the well-wrapped-up resolution and look forward to seeing how the interpersonal relationships and character journeys unfold in the future.
Overall score: 4/5
If you enjoyed this book, I do recommend that you check out the beginning of the series in Stockton Kelley Armstrong also has a supernatural series, the otherworld, that exhibits her strong writing and storytelling style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Child abuse and Pedophilia
readingwithleslie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was so good, like hard to put down good. When life gave me no choice but to pause, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Of course, I love these characters and following their growth, from Rockton to Haven’s Rock. But this story jumped right in, and gave an entirely new feel because of the changes (having families/children) to the town setup. It was very interesting, and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Great read!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for giving me an eGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for giving me an eGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Racism
Moderate: Pedophilia and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, Child abuse, and Kidnapping
pagesofkenzie's review against another edition
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
“We underestimated the human capacity for blame. In the real world, I wouldn’t have made that mistake. I’ve seen how the most innocent of victims are treated…No crime is so horrific that someone won’t blame the victim.”
First off, thank you @minotaur_books @netgalley and @kelleyarmstrongauthor for the advanced copy of A Boy Who Cried Bear in exchange for an honest review.
The Boy Who Cried Bear is the second book in the Rockton spin off series, Haven’s Rock.
If you have seen my review of the first book in this series you would known that I was apprehensive about this spinoff at first. I felt that Rockton had run it’s course & I wasn’t sure how a new spin off series would work. But boy did it work!
The mix of old faces from Rockton with new characters, original to Haven’s Rock, allows for more diverse characters allowing for complex themes to arise in this series that were only lightly touched on before. Which is exactly why I’m rating this five stars. Armstrong is not shying away from important conversations, nor beating her readers over the head with them. She is able to balance important social commentary that has the reader self reflecting while enjoying a well paced story.
Because, not only are we seeing rare disability rep in regards to Parkinson’s Disease, Prosopagnosia, and Autism but the central theme of this particular novel revolves around the treatment of a Latinx mother and the damage that racial stereotypes have on protecting victims, especially those part of marginalized communities.
Besides the above mentioned, the story is well written, we have fantastic character development, the pacing is spot on and that ending leaves you with so many questions that you need more.
I will mention that this series is not without its content warnings. There are some very dark themes here that I haven’t even mentioned so I strongly suggest checking out the warnings before reading. StoryGraph is a fantastic place for this!
But overall I’m very excited to see where this series goes!
First off, thank you @minotaur_books @netgalley and @kelleyarmstrongauthor for the advanced copy of A Boy Who Cried Bear in exchange for an honest review.
The Boy Who Cried Bear is the second book in the Rockton spin off series, Haven’s Rock.
If you have seen my review of the first book in this series you would known that I was apprehensive about this spinoff at first. I felt that Rockton had run it’s course & I wasn’t sure how a new spin off series would work. But boy did it work!
The mix of old faces from Rockton with new characters, original to Haven’s Rock, allows for more diverse characters allowing for complex themes to arise in this series that were only lightly touched on before. Which is exactly why I’m rating this five stars. Armstrong is not shying away from important conversations, nor beating her readers over the head with them. She is able to balance important social commentary that has the reader self reflecting while enjoying a well paced story.
Because, not only are we seeing rare disability rep in regards to Parkinson’s Disease, Prosopagnosia, and Autism but the central theme of this particular novel revolves around the treatment of a Latinx mother and the damage that racial stereotypes have on protecting victims, especially those part of marginalized communities.
Besides the above mentioned, the story is well written, we have fantastic character development, the pacing is spot on and that ending leaves you with so many questions that you need more.
I will mention that this series is not without its content warnings. There are some very dark themes here that I haven’t even mentioned so I strongly suggest checking out the warnings before reading. StoryGraph is a fantastic place for this!
But overall I’m very excited to see where this series goes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Minor: Pedophilia, Racism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, and Murder
More...