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corikane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Racial slurs, Incest, Suicide, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Blood, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
There are several distinctive characters in this story and it's a great ensemble with the story told from multiple points of view. The primary narrator is retired police detective Bill Hodges who finds himself bored and frequently despondent as he sits daily in his armchair watching TV and without the feeling that his life serves any serious purpose since leaving law enforcement. Bill is isolated with only a handful of people to interact with from time to time. This all changes when he's contacted by the villain whose crime is described in the opening pages of the book. The killer wants to remind Bill that he failed to catch them and let him know they may have a new plan to surpass the body count achieved in their last murderous act.
The book is about a twisted cat and mouse game between Bill Hodges and an intelligent sociopathic killer, each narrating their own chapters to tell their respective stories. Throughout, the reader learns about the people that Bill and the killer encounter in their daily lives. In fact, those who end up joining Bill on his quest to subvert the killer are a pure delight and where the SK sense of humor comes through load and clear. The storytelling in this book is very rewarding, giving the reader a complex character study for both of the primary characters. There's a lot of tension in the story, especially in the ending, and it was a definite page-turner for me. Constant Readers will find little SK Easter Eggs planted here and there and a joy to come across.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Will Patton who did a magnificent job voicing all the characters and bringing each to life. Mr. Patton is a stellar actor and brings his finely honed skill to create a unique voice and emotional range for each character. I'll be continuing with the next two books in this series, and I'm thrilled to see that Mr. Patton is the narrator for all the Mr. Mercedes books.
Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Cursing
Minor: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Sexual content
aaronhill2334's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Genocide, Suicide, Car accident, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Incest, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Stalking, Violence, and Vomit
paperbackanggo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Child death, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Homophobia, Child abuse, Cursing, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Violence
imre_karakal's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Car accident, Murder, and Incest
Moderate: Alcohol, Ableism, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Mental illness, and Child death
ripxw's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia
Minor: Suicide attempt
I very rarely post spoilers even if it’s a TW, but there was a scene in here that is making me break that rule: there is couple pages in the book that involve killing a child that has a developmental disability. It is very graphic and leading up to the death it’s rife with ableist abusekeen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Incest, Violence, Child death, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Stalking, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Murder, and Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Excrement