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seekerxr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
From the very first page, the writing style of this book is just incredibly gripping. There is no easing you into this book's particular flavor of suspense and horror and revulsion; you're in the deep end from day one. You know exactly where this book is going, exactly how it's going to end, and all you can do is just watch uneasily as the bitter end grows closer and closer. The writing in this book is truly like nothing I've ever seen: first person from Joe's point of view yet also second person, as if his entire narration of the book is a story he is telling TO Beck. It's chilling and vicious and so incredibly unsettling you just can't look away.
Joe really is the worst sort of criminal and internal monologue tells you that clear as day. The worst part is he doesn't think he's bad, which is probably par for the course when it comes to people like him, but it still makes you a bit incredulous to read how he justifies the absolutely insane things he thinks about and does. The way he claims that Beck is the love of his life but half the time literally all he thinks and cares about is her body and when he'll next get to sleep with her.
That being said, I did have some problems with this book. It definitely shows its age at being early to mid-2010s literature with just a smattering of bigotry. I don't if the author put that in deliberately to show it was how Joe thought or if it was just a product of the attitudes at the time it was written. For me it was just on the border of too much sometimes, but never bad enough to stop reading the entire book.
I would say definitely do a bit more in-depth research on the trigger warnings before deciding to pick them up because the tags on Storygraph missed some important ones, but otherwise this book was pretty great. I won't be continuing the series, because having someone like Joe Goldberg as the main character and being in his head is a LOT, but I did enjoy this book!
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia
kiwichill's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Stalking, Gore, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Suicide, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Excrement, Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Addiction, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gaslighting, Classism, and Confinement
Moderate: Medical content, Blood, Alcohol, and Drug use
Very graphic tale from the POV of a stalker obsessed with a girl after a brief encounter. I watched the series so I knew how this obsession takes over and leads to violence. There is nothing redeeming about the character Joe. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the book, more like disturbed by its natureshysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
mithridatic's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcoholism
urfriendash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
so i bought this because i loved the show, and everyone told me 'joe is so much darker in the book!' and i was like okay ill bite
i don't think joe is like super darker in this, but because we are limited to his inner dialogue in the show, we miss out on some of the crazy creepy stuff he thinks about. plus, the show made a lot of changes to the plot. like the paco plot doesn't exist in the books, and yk in the show ur like 'oh he a terrible guy but at least he's helping paco' well you cant say that in the book..
this book was actually scary, not cuz of some monster or vampire yk but because this could happen to anyone irl! plenty of people don't figure out their being stalked for years.. joes narrating was so crazy to me, like people actually think this shit. he's super perverted and he's great at gaslighting and manipulating!
anyway super good book, very disturbing, anddddd id say 13+. if your mature. there's a bunch of perverted stuff and sex scenes, as well as detailing of murder and stalking (obviously)
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Murder, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Toxic friendship, Torture, Physical abuse, Stalking, Medical content, and Gaslighting
lots of perverted contenttthatguyty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Gaslighting, Addiction, Murder, and Death
zarakoconnor's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Gaslighting, Murder, Cursing, Infidelity, and Sexual content
zoeblair's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Stalking, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Murder
krispiefries's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Violence, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Stalking, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Blood, Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Confinement, Drug abuse, Murder, and Sexual content
keestan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Stalking, and Violence
Moderate: Torture and Gaslighting
Minor: Abandonment