Scan barcode
bearystarry's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
A very quick and time-passable read if you're into this type of thing, but definitely check trigger/content warnings before you pick it up. Also there were some mistakes that I think could've used editing, weird turns of phrase and typos and a few clunky sentences. I think the character POV switching was a little much at times, too.
Overall this was Fine for me. The characters are very trope-y and the plot is pretty typical.The motive the killer gives at the end feels very... flimsy. Your dad is a cop so you have to die? Ok. And the whole book had a kind of conservative air to me. But I do think it was very readable.
Overall this was Fine for me. The characters are very trope-y and the plot is pretty typical.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, Car accident, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Murder, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, and Cursing
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Cancer, and Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
kuritsahreads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I won this book in a StoryGraph giveway. All opinions in this review are my own.
This was a very quick read that I enjoyed overall. The intrigue definitely had me turning the pages, as I tried to figure out how the different POVs connect to each other.
This is a very dark book, and I can't say that the ending left me happy. The book touches on a handful of topics in gloomy details, from self-harm to alcoholism to how families can fall apart after losing a child. After each reading session, the story weighed on me, but I must say that I like how to author described and navigated through these topics.
Two things I sadly did not enjoy were the POVs with time changes (I think ? There were 2 really bizarre passages aboutKevin ), as well as the first few chapters that felt like the author was trying to cram in as many American brands, bands and locations as possible. While naming all the roads and highways makes sense, I could have done without all the food brands and album names. I felt like I was reading a commercial.
This was a very quick read that I enjoyed overall. The intrigue definitely had me turning the pages, as I tried to figure out how the different POVs connect to each other.
This is a very dark book, and I can't say that the ending left me happy. The book touches on a handful of topics in gloomy details, from self-harm to alcoholism to how families can fall apart after losing a child. After each reading session, the story weighed on me, but I must say that I like how to author described and navigated through these topics.
Two things I sadly did not enjoy were the POVs with time changes (I think ? There were 2 really bizarre passages about
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Grief, Car accident, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death, and Drug use
sophee_568's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Disclaimer: I won this book in a giveaway on The Storygraph. The author sent me the book, but all opinions are my own. This review is for readers only.
The Fear of Winter is a multiple-POV crime thriller/mystery set in Fraser, Colorado. On a cold December night in 1996, Megan Floyd went missing without a trace. A year later, Tom Floyd, her father, hires a private investigator, Marshall York, to uncover what happened to Megan. Both Marshall and Tom are ex-policemen with sad backstories. Marshall works with a 24-year-old assistant - Hannah Jacobs. They are Tom's last hope of learning what happened to his daughter. Will the two private investigators be able to solve the mystery of Megan's disappearance?
The Fear of Winter is a classic thriller mystery with no plot twists, no red herrings, a surprising lack of suspense, and a dark atmosphere. It offers nothing new or original to the genre. The characters are painfully one-dimensional, and their personalities are formulaic. As a character steps on the scene, you know to what archetype they belong: alcoholic ex-cop turned PI, a drug addict young woman forced into prostitution with a heart of gold...
The plot is interesting enough to keep you mildly entertained and turning the pages, but you have to suspend your disbelief.
The Fear of Winter is a plot-oriented novel, but when the plot hangs on by a thread, you do not feel satisfaction when you reach the end. One of the plot inconsistencies is the lack of follow-up after Tom's car accident. The book starts with Tom hitting a deer on the highway. He might have a concussion, his car is damaged, and he killed a deer. Nowhere in the book is the incident mentioned or alluded to. Did he see a doctor? Did he fix his car? Why did he not tell his wife he was in an accident? He immediately forgets about it when he arrives home.
While reading, I could not help but notice the infamous 'men writing women' phenomenon. Hannah is described as a 'petite female' because she is 5'5" and weighs under 100 pounds (165cm and 45kg). She survives by eating cereal. She constantly gets hit on by men wherever she goes, which could be a small-town thing. All of that shows how this author does not know how to write a proper woman without turning her into an object of desire.
Another problem I had with Hannah's character is her alleged OCD. The author aimed to paint her as obsessive by having her constantly avoid cracks in the pavement, checking if she locked her door once, and claiming she becomes obsessive about other people's issues if she pays attention to what they are saying. That is only an appalling but horrid OCD representation.
Tom's wife, Lisa, is grief-stricken to the point of becoming an alcoholic and mixing alcohol with Xanax. Her and Tom's inability to cope with Megan's disappearance wrecks their marriage. Lisa admits she hates Tom. Although their struggle is realistic, both characters remain bland and invoke no sympathy.
Katie is Megan's friend and a drug addict. Katie's character is a plot device that compensates for the lack of communication between Marshall and Tom. Tom and Marshall share two conversations throughout the novel. The first conversation is their first meeting, which is crucial to the plot, but the second one has little relevance. It is a poor attempt at them bonding over their similar histories.
Furthermore, Marshall and Hannah are disorganized in how they run this investigation. They share maybe 3 or 4 conversations in total. Their communication is sparse and short. Hannah attempts to call Marshall twice, and both times goes to voicemail. How do they even cooperate during this investigation if they do not have proper communication? Also, they never remember to share any findings with Tom. Instead of teaming up with them, Tom is on his own. Not to mention that Marshall's lack of reliance on other people puts him in danger.
This book lacked emotion. I did not care about any of the characters. I had no idea who they were or what they looked like. Megan is the only character with an actual, albeit vague, description, even if it's on a missing persons poster.
The writing style is detailed and creates a strong sense of place. The author lives in Colorado, and he perfectly transferred that experience to his story and characters. I could easily imagine every scene. A good sense of place and orientation is important to me.
In conclusion, if you want to read The Fear of Winter, suspend your disbelief to the maximum. That's why I think it's a perfect airport/flight read. Content warning for heavy alcohol use, graphic depictions of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide, domestic violence, mentions of drug abuse.
The Fear of Winter is a multiple-POV crime thriller/mystery set in Fraser, Colorado. On a cold December night in 1996, Megan Floyd went missing without a trace. A year later, Tom Floyd, her father, hires a private investigator, Marshall York, to uncover what happened to Megan. Both Marshall and Tom are ex-policemen with sad backstories. Marshall works with a 24-year-old assistant - Hannah Jacobs. They are Tom's last hope of learning what happened to his daughter. Will the two private investigators be able to solve the mystery of Megan's disappearance?
The Fear of Winter is a classic thriller mystery with no plot twists, no red herrings, a surprising lack of suspense, and a dark atmosphere. It offers nothing new or original to the genre. The characters are painfully one-dimensional, and their personalities are formulaic. As a character steps on the scene, you know to what archetype they belong: alcoholic ex-cop turned PI, a drug addict young woman forced into prostitution with a heart of gold...
The plot is interesting enough to keep you mildly entertained and turning the pages, but you have to suspend your disbelief.
The Fear of Winter is a plot-oriented novel, but when the plot hangs on by a thread, you do not feel satisfaction when you reach the end. One of the plot inconsistencies is the lack of follow-up after Tom's car accident. The book starts with Tom hitting a deer on the highway. He might have a concussion, his car is damaged, and he killed a deer. Nowhere in the book is the incident mentioned or alluded to. Did he see a doctor? Did he fix his car? Why did he not tell his wife he was in an accident? He immediately forgets about it when he arrives home.
While reading, I could not help but notice the infamous 'men writing women' phenomenon. Hannah is described as a 'petite female' because she is 5'5" and weighs under 100 pounds (165cm and 45kg). She survives by eating cereal. She constantly gets hit on by men wherever she goes, which could be a small-town thing. All of that shows how this author does not know how to write a proper woman without turning her into an object of desire.
Another problem I had with Hannah's character is her alleged OCD. The author aimed to paint her as obsessive by having her constantly avoid cracks in the pavement, checking if she locked her door once, and claiming she becomes obsessive about other people's issues if she pays attention to what they are saying. That is only an appalling but horrid OCD representation.
Tom's wife, Lisa, is grief-stricken to the point of becoming an alcoholic and mixing alcohol with Xanax. Her and Tom's inability to cope with Megan's disappearance wrecks their marriage. Lisa admits she hates Tom. Although their struggle is realistic, both characters remain bland and invoke no sympathy.
Katie is Megan's friend and a drug addict. Katie's character is a plot device that compensates for the lack of communication between Marshall and Tom. Tom and Marshall share two conversations throughout the novel. The first conversation is their first meeting, which is crucial to the plot, but the second one has little relevance. It is a poor attempt at them bonding over their similar histories.
Furthermore, Marshall and Hannah are disorganized in how they run this investigation. They share maybe 3 or 4 conversations in total. Their communication is sparse and short. Hannah attempts to call Marshall twice, and both times goes to voicemail. How do they even cooperate during this investigation if they do not have proper communication? Also, they never remember to share any findings with Tom. Instead of teaming up with them, Tom is on his own. Not to mention that Marshall's lack of reliance on other people puts him in danger.
This book lacked emotion. I did not care about any of the characters. I had no idea who they were or what they looked like. Megan is the only character with an actual, albeit vague, description, even if it's on a missing persons poster.
The writing style is detailed and creates a strong sense of place. The author lives in Colorado, and he perfectly transferred that experience to his story and characters. I could easily imagine every scene. A good sense of place and orientation is important to me.
In conclusion, if you want to read The Fear of Winter, suspend your disbelief to the maximum. That's why I think it's a perfect airport/flight read. Content warning for heavy alcohol use, graphic depictions of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide, domestic violence, mentions of drug abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Self harm, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Misogyny
More...