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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
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
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5 stars
My 2023 reading year started off great, and Head Like a Hole was one of the reasons for that. I tend to be boring and stick to my favorite horror subgenres (hauntings and folk horror) and I like a good, slow burn. Looking at this cover (beautiful as it is) caused me to pass this one by at first, thinking it would be too bizarre for me. But I couldn’t get the title out of my head (maybe has something to do with the fact that my first concert was NIN), so I read the sample describing Louis’ crab trap find and I knew I had to keep reading. I’m a sucker for a New England coastal setting. This was a weird, cosmic, sometimes gory read, all things I didn’t think I would enjoy but all things I found delightful in this novel. So thanks to Andrew Van Wey for proving me wrong. This was a fun, unforgettable read with excellent writing and interesting characters. It deserves more attention. I’ll be checking out more of the author’s work.
My 2023 reading year started off great, and Head Like a Hole was one of the reasons for that. I tend to be boring and stick to my favorite horror subgenres (hauntings and folk horror) and I like a good, slow burn. Looking at this cover (beautiful as it is) caused me to pass this one by at first, thinking it would be too bizarre for me. But I couldn’t get the title out of my head (maybe has something to do with the fact that my first concert was NIN), so I read the sample describing Louis’ crab trap find and I knew I had to keep reading. I’m a sucker for a New England coastal setting. This was a weird, cosmic, sometimes gory read, all things I didn’t think I would enjoy but all things I found delightful in this novel. So thanks to Andrew Van Wey for proving me wrong. This was a fun, unforgettable read with excellent writing and interesting characters. It deserves more attention. I’ll be checking out more of the author’s work.
Maybe 3.5 stars but I’m not sure. I’m withholding final judgement until after the book club discussion but this book just didn’t do it for me. It was very confusing and while it did keep me hooked, I gained some clarity only to lose it again at the ending. It is an interesting concept but the three intertwining timelines and whole cast of characters made it really hard to know what’s real and what’s not— which is nice in a horror in general but I think it was taken a step too far in this particular horror book. Overall the story was original and had “good bones” but i found the execution very wanting.
Note I originally gave it 3 stars but since I keep thinking about it (rent free head inhabitant) it got bumped up to 4 stars.
Note I originally gave it 3 stars but since I keep thinking about it (rent free head inhabitant) it got bumped up to 4 stars.
dark
mysterious
i don’t think i can rate this book, i enjoyed the wildness immensely, i’m still uncertain of what i just read lol
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes