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kayteaface's review against another edition
3.0
Well, this was surprising~. I spent the first third enjoying it, the second not really liking it, and for the last third I just couldn't put it down; I have quite mixed feelings about it.
Like a lot of people, I guess, I went into this in the mood for a good, realistic YA crime/thriller. Let me tell you, I didn't get what I was expecting. Wells threw the biggest plot twist into the works that left me a bit dazed and not so pleased, to be honest, because I didn't dig the direction in which the story was taken. The summary doesn't hint that there's going to be elements of another genre in there. I must admit, though, that it grew on me eventually and I really found the latter part of the book really entertaining. It was an exciting read, and really quite an interesting insight into the mind of an unstable teenage boy struggling to refrain his urge to kill.
Like a lot of people, I guess, I went into this in the mood for a good, realistic YA crime/thriller. Let me tell you, I didn't get what I was expecting. Wells threw the biggest plot twist into the works that left me a bit dazed and not so pleased, to be honest, because I didn't dig the direction in which the story was taken. The summary doesn't hint that there's going to be elements of another genre
Spoiler
paranormal goddamn demon serial killers, yojelenar620's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Coming of age of a serial killer - oddly sweet protagonist
flying_lotus's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rjdenney's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it was crazy, odd, and entertaining.
Full review to come. :)
Full review to come. :)
makeshift_human_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sootandcinder's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
marieintheraw's review against another edition
1.0
try as I might, apparently I'm not as into the "I'm trying not to be a killer" books as I used to
fictionaladventures's review against another edition
4.0
Somehow hilarious and gory! Perfectly plotted with the most fascinating characters. I was hooked right away!
badseedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Dan Wells, you may very well be my best author discovery this year. I Am Not A Serial Killer is the second book of his I have read this year, and I am enjoying his unique take on the genre more with each reading.
When I first started reading I Am Not A Serial Killer I immediately started to make comparisons to “Dexter” from Jeff Lindsay’s fabu novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter. And rightly so. Both are about Sociopaths dealing with their aberrant behavior by following a strict self-imposed set of rules. I thought to myself, well this novel is what Dexter would have been like as a teen. I can dig that. Right up until chapter 7. That is when Mr. Wells turned the whole damn book on its ear, and then smacked me upside the head with the same book. There is no way to give this book the justice it deserves without giving away major plot spoilers, so am not going to really try to give a book description.
I would like to discuss John Wayne Cleaver for just one moment. I found him to be a rather difficult character to love. His response to the events was deeply disturbing to me, and unlike Dexter,who repeatedly told the reader that he did not feel emotions or have empathy, I did not believe Dexter, because his actions at time betrayed his words. But when Mr. Cleaver said he did not have empathy, I truly, truly believed every word of it. The scene with his mom in the kitchen still gives me the shivers, not because of the actions he took, but because of the utter glee he experienced.
I would qualify this novel as a YA novel. Not because the main character is a teen, but because the writing felt young adult. By that I don’t mean simplistic, I mean it just had the voice of a YA book. This makes sense, because his other series “Partials” is also a YA series.
I definitely plan to red more about John Wayne Cleaver in the near future.
3.5 of 5 stars.
When I first started reading I Am Not A Serial Killer I immediately started to make comparisons to “Dexter” from Jeff Lindsay’s fabu novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter. And rightly so. Both are about Sociopaths dealing with their aberrant behavior by following a strict self-imposed set of rules. I thought to myself, well this novel is what Dexter would have been like as a teen. I can dig that. Right up until chapter 7. That is when Mr. Wells turned the whole damn book on its ear, and then smacked me upside the head with the same book. There is no way to give this book the justice it deserves without giving away major plot spoilers, so am not going to really try to give a book description.
I would like to discuss John Wayne Cleaver for just one moment. I found him to be a rather difficult character to love. His response to the events was deeply disturbing to me, and unlike Dexter,who repeatedly told the reader that he did not feel emotions or have empathy, I did not believe Dexter, because his actions at time betrayed his words. But when Mr. Cleaver said he did not have empathy, I truly, truly believed every word of it. The scene with his mom in the kitchen still gives me the shivers, not because of the actions he took, but because of the utter glee he experienced.
I would qualify this novel as a YA novel. Not because the main character is a teen, but because the writing felt young adult. By that I don’t mean simplistic, I mean it just had the voice of a YA book. This makes sense, because his other series “Partials” is also a YA series.
I definitely plan to red more about John Wayne Cleaver in the near future.
3.5 of 5 stars.