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idk_indigo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Mr Mercedes was my first finished Stephen King novel, and I think maybe a combination of the very white author constantly using racial slurs and the very white narrator constantly saying them, just turned me off so much. I felt like Jerome could not be mentioned once in the entire book without reference to the fact that, yes, he's black. But wait, guys, it's okay that he's black cause he's applying to Harvard and Yale. Like, everyone who meets him points this out and it's constantly brought up as, like, part of his character and I genuinely don't think "Jerome" was ever alone in a sentence without "black." Like, girl...
Sort of similar to Hodges being fat, though there weren't so many comments about weight, but like I don't think I've heard so many fat jokes in a single book before. Like, Hodges fucking hates himself and cannot even talk to his girlfriend without being like "Woe is me, I'm so fat, how could you ever love me?" Or to his neighbor Jerome without a couple self-deprecating jokes about needing to lose 50 pounds. And like how old he is, too, but then he mentions being 62 at some point and I'm like, where is the old?? I felt sort of like Hodges was meant to be a grumpy old man character-turned heartfelt fatherly figure bc of the love from his community, which we all know I love <3 Maybe this trope doesn't work too well with the genre because I was like, girl shut up, you're ugly. And fat too, apparently. Don't care. I hated his character, he drove me nuts & was hella sexist and even openly admits to not taking women seriously because they're "crazy" and women. Then at the end he
The villain/antagonist/perp (not too familiar with the genre, so what's the correct term here?) was I think influenced by like Ted Bundy and other serial killer types, complete with killer Freudian mommy issues. He was very unlikable, which I guess is one thing King did right bc I am sick and tired of these characters being "undercover misunderstood good guys."
Overall.... idk what to tell you. I'm glad I tried out a King novel. However, I believe I will stick to girly horror from now on.
Graphic: Car accident, Incest, Death, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexism, and Stalking
eadrianschmitz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Incest, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Gore, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Homophobia, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Addiction, Body horror, Classism, Genocide, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Stalking, Fatphobia, Medical content, Blood, Biphobia, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Police brutality, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual violence, and Vomit
I don't like the way he writes about the female characters, and if you can get over the unrealistic progression of the plot, it's a pretty good story. Two minor things from the first scene that drove me crazy: Costco doesn't have bags, misuse of the term "baby mama". Can recommend audiobook. Great narrator.fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Grief, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Ableism, Gaslighting, Incest, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Vomit
jonssweater's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcohol, Grief, Death, Gun violence, Incest, Blood, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Classism, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Body shaming, Body horror, Chronic illness, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Misogyny, Bullying, Lesbophobia, Fatphobia, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Vomit
michaelavictoria'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
4.0
Graphic: Car accident, Racial slurs, Child death, Child abuse, Racism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Cursing
Minor: Medical content, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Torture, Chronic illness, Police brutality, Body shaming, Dementia, Eating disorder, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Slavery, Bullying, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Infidelity
crystal689's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Violence, Misogyny, Death of parent, Death, Murder, Stalking, and Racial slurs
sgordon00's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Racism, Cursing, Fatphobia, Xenophobia, Sexism, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Suicide, Stalking, Blood, Sexual content, Death, Racial slurs, Child death, Death of parent, Gore, Incest, and Mental illness
theimposter'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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Blood, Fatphobia, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Murder, and Racism
Minor: Animal cruelty
latham9's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Child abuse, Incest, and Car accident
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Mental illness, and Domestic abuse
booking_along's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
second read: 2023 - 4.5 ⭐️
it’s still a bit bumbling in some places for me - i can see what i disliked in my fist read BUT i was in the right mood this time apparently because this was great!
i really enjoyed this!
after that rather brutal start, the book slowly builds up and up and up and ends in such a fantastic way and even ends in a way that the reader can decide if the want to continue on with this series or not because this book actually closes in a way that works as an ending.
i really enjoyed the characters - how dislikable the bad guy was (who gets a point of view so it’s not a “who dunne it!”) and how i slowly throughout this book i started to like Hodges.
but i really loved the side characters in this! Jerome? great characters! and Janey was fantastic and i really love Holly!
what i disliked was the strange sexualisation that happens in some strange moments in this book.
the stuff with the bad guy was just …. yuck but okay he’s clearly not a good guy anyways and it adds to the whole character of how horrendously unlikable and disgusting he is. but i just didn’t need to read about it.
the character would have been just as disgustingly unlikable and horrible without those unnecessary moments!
but is it necessary to point out the breast of women and how they look? or how someone wouldn’t expect to have a sexual relationship with someone because they are heavier or even fat simply because they are that body type?
why even include those things then?
also there is a tone throughout this story that has a good amount of racist and fatphobic comments - mostly done by the bad guy but they are there.
so i can see why i had issues with this book before because there a things in this book that are noticeable and can be grating outside of the actual main story plot and could have easily be done differently and be done better with those changes.
but i still enjoyed this book and what the actual main plot done here! i liked how the story build up to the big finally and how it ended!
it’s a good story, it has flaws and is not for everyone but i really enjoyed it this time around and can’t wait to continue and get more from those characters -especially the side ones!- in the next one!
Graphic: Fatphobia, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Stalking, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Racial slurs, Incest, and Sexual content