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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Weird, witty and hilariously addictive! The Stranger Times is a Neil Gaiman/Terry Pratchett-esque paranormal Fantasy that I had soo much fun reading.
The prose was incredibly engaging with plenty of laugh out banter and the magic system was really intriguing. I loved the little newspaper articles that begin each chapter, an enjoyably immersive element that brought The Stranger Times newspaper (and employees) to life.
The pacing was a bit slow at first but as we get further into the story (alternating between the shadowy dealings of our mysterious villain & protagonist Hannah as she embarks on her new job at The Stranger Times) the action and page-turning mystery really amps up.
But it wasn’t just the action and intrigue that had me soo invested. I also really liked the cast of eccentric but loveable characters, each of whom had their own unique personalities, motivations and secrets that kept me fully invested and eager to know more about them. Especially Manny who, though not in very many scenes, was easily one of my favourite characters (along with Banecroft, Stella, Hannah and Grace.)
Though, I have to say for a book as humorous as this, I was rather impressed with the nuance and emotion that C.K. McDonnell skilfully weaves into the lives of soo many characters. Divorce, death, grief (and even the desperate attempts of a parent trying to save their child) all play a role in propelling the narrative and giving us a deeper understanding of what made each character tick.
I genuinely loved every second and cannot believe it took me soo long the finally read this—it’s AMAZING!
Overall, an incredibly strong series starter that has me super excited to read the rest of the series. If you love misfit-esque, found family dynamics and tons of humour with your mystery —then I highly recommend picking this up.
Also, a huge thank you to Transworld for the finished PB copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Cursing
Minor: Gun violence, Murder, Cancer, and Toxic relationship
tessamcevan's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Death of parent, Torture, Cancer, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Medical content
annilane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book was so so good, funny and interesting and different from other murder mysteries. I read it on audible and the narrator flawlessly used each accent that was included for the characters (probably a dozen in total). The narration was perfect, and the story was fantastic. Can’t wait to read the next ones.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Grief, Death, and Alcohol
Minor: Terminal illness
jemmabrown's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Drug abuse, Suicide, Child death, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Racism, Sexism, Blood, Torture, Animal death, Violence, Bullying, Drug use, Kidnapping, and Murder
isaacmcw's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
tiredcreature's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Terry Pratchett vibes, but darker;
In hindsight it feels like I should've known from the start, but I didn't realize it's a murder mystery until maybe about a third of the way in; however, I find that it has improved my experience, as the genre bait-and-switch matches the events of the plot and the information available to the characters
In hindsight it feels like I should've known from the start, but I didn't realize it's a murder mystery until maybe about a third of the way in; however, I find that it has improved my experience, as the genre bait-and-switch matches the events of the plot and the information available to the characters
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Suicide by jumping is a running theme throughout the plot, though none are shown on-screenabbiesbones's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I bought this book excited by the premise of the newspaper itself. but, after I started this book i was determined not to like it (i hate comedy that relies on it's 'britishness' as a selling point) but as the book went on i got completely hooked in by the plot. Stella was by far my favourite of the Stranger Times bunch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
its_kievan's review
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
Would have read this in a day if I could have. Say what you will about British people but no one’s funny the way they are.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
sanguinejester's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
4.75
This is an excellent, darkly comedic and incredibly imaginative take on the urban fantasy genre. Choosing to follow journalists as the protagonists instead of the typical mystical warriors or cops is hugely refreshing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
liseyp's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
This is my new favourite book - not just of 2020. It is absolutely brilliant. Funny characters, dark humour, great plotting and fantastic writing it has been a breath of fresh air to end the year on. I got access to read this via Pigeonhole, but have pre-ordered the hard copy as I know I’ll want to read it again and again.
The story is part fantasy, part mystery. Set in a newspaper which reports on the weird things people believe in (haunted toilets, alien abductions, that kind of thing), the editorial staff are about to discover that there are far weirder things out there.
If you like the humour of Terry Pratchett and Christopher Brookmyre you’ll love this. Heartily recommended.
The story is part fantasy, part mystery. Set in a newspaper which reports on the weird things people believe in (haunted toilets, alien abductions, that kind of thing), the editorial staff are about to discover that there are far weirder things out there.
If you like the humour of Terry Pratchett and Christopher Brookmyre you’ll love this. Heartily recommended.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
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