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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
neat concept, but I feel like it could’ve been executed a lot better. a lot of it felt like it just. didn’t make narrative sense? n the ending was. hmmmm. again cool concept but could’ve been done better.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not quite what I expected. I liked the direction it seemed to be taking in the first chapters, but ended up indifferent to the protagonist's struggles. Some of this is due to flaws in the book (it's repetitive, the pacing's off, it's fuzzy on the details of the evil machinations), but mostly my indifference to it reflects my personal tastes.
Cults and cult leaders hold no fascination for me, and this particular cult leader wasn't even charismatic (he's supposed to be, of course, but it didn't come through at all, unless you think looking like Johnny Depp is some kind of plus). So the flashbacks are full of the cult stuff, which doesn't add much to the plot as you already know what's going to happen, and it's not even "masks-and-weird-rituals" cult stuff, just "let's-all-bump-our-uglies-and-steal-some-groceries" cult stuff.
Writers in novels I normally like, but in this case true crimer writer Lucas is so full of self-loathing and self-pity that he doesn't really get any writing done. Remarkably, he realises that he is being a shitty dad, yet goes on making shitty parental decisions because god forbid he'd just get a regular job instead of trying to revive his career by living in the haunted house of a serial killer. I ended up feeling sympathetic towards his wife, which is quite a feat considering she is portrayed as a coldhearted, unfaithful shrew.
Finally, twelve-year-olds. Lil' emo Jeanie/Vee/Vivi/Virginia is fine as far as fictional tweeners go, being all sullen and hurting over her parents impending separation. Problem is, a twelve-year old's inner life isn't that riveting, so the many, many passages told from her perspective were a little, sorry kids, dull.
But hey, these are my personal quirks and a lot of readers seemed to love it, so maybe my aversion to cults, writers as precious snowflakes and angst-ridden twelve-year olds got in the way of appreciating the novel's other qualities.
Cults and cult leaders hold no fascination for me, and this particular cult leader wasn't even charismatic (he's supposed to be, of course, but it didn't come through at all, unless you think looking like Johnny Depp is some kind of plus). So the flashbacks are full of the cult stuff, which doesn't add much to the plot as you already know what's going to happen, and it's not even "masks-and-weird-rituals" cult stuff, just "let's-all-bump-our-uglies-and-steal-some-groceries" cult stuff.
Writers in novels I normally like, but in this case true crimer writer Lucas is so full of self-loathing and self-pity that he doesn't really get any writing done. Remarkably, he realises that he is being a shitty dad, yet goes on making shitty parental decisions because god forbid he'd just get a regular job instead of trying to revive his career by living in the haunted house of a serial killer. I ended up feeling sympathetic towards his wife, which is quite a feat considering she is portrayed as a coldhearted, unfaithful shrew.
Finally, twelve-year-olds. Lil' emo Jeanie/Vee/Vivi/Virginia is fine as far as fictional tweeners go, being all sullen and hurting over her parents impending separation. Problem is, a twelve-year old's inner life isn't that riveting, so the many, many passages told from her perspective were a little, sorry kids, dull.
But hey, these are my personal quirks and a lot of readers seemed to love it, so maybe my aversion to cults, writers as precious snowflakes and angst-ridden twelve-year olds got in the way of appreciating the novel's other qualities.
Too much descriptions and not enough action happening. Where were the scary parts? It seems to me that Maggie meet Jeff in Veldt but it was a reference that wasn't expanded on. And what's up with Echo? How did she become just like Jeff and his followers? She was too young to have been influenced to that extent. Was she the one who was visiting him in prison? There were never any clear answers.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
medium-paced
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No