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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
dark
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder
When I first requested an advanced readers copy of The Resident, I was very excited! There has been so much hype on book-twitter and a lot of blogger friends loved it. I am very weary of getting involved in hyped books because I really don’t want to be disappointed. I expected a strong psychological thriller but boy…this beast packed a spine shattering punch! Imagine my delight when from chapter one onwards – I knew this was going to be the kind of dark and depraved that I live for in a crime novel.
The title and that mind-blowing cover set my imagination crazy. Imagine a serial killer actually living in your attic…watching your every move, eating your food, going through your possessions and using your shower. Yikes! The Resident was a slow of burn of mystery and intrigue, a dialogue between himself and his inner voice (truth be told, I wasn’t fully convinced that he didn’t have schizophrenia). The back story was indeed heart-breaking and points I did feel bad for our antagonist, but again, lots of people have traumatising childhoods and don’t go around killing people!
Thomas Brogan is on the run. The police are finally on to him after his latest kill. There’s police helicopters trying to hunt him down – he literally has nowhere left to hide. That is until he finds an abandoned house. He goes on to discover that the houses attic leads into the neighbour’s attic spaces. He can’t believe his luck. Access to food and the even more enticing aspect; access to victims. He gets to know Elsie, the sweet old lady that is still grieving for her long-departed son, the couple who never stop bickering and the fairbrights. The fairbrights are the perfect set of victims for Brogan, they aren’t long married, and they appear to be deeply in love, right? The mind games and plotting begin.
For me, The Resident is at its core a story about pain and suffering and what happens when a mind breaks down. Brogan has had a terrible upbringing. We learn more of that as the story progresses. We learn the truth of what snapped him into starting his killing spree, his awkwardness and difficult times as a child, of the things that brought him happiness. You are given that snippet of life, so you get an inkling into just how far he has fallen from the humanity tree.
David Jackson for me has written a story that is naturally flowing. The characterisation isn’t forced, but it just flows organically. A lot of it will resonate with the readers. It’s a dark and terrifying story, it gives a behind the scenes on newspaper stories, It’s like a rotten apple…it soon spreads to the rest.
The Resident has a lot going on. Secrets are revealed, personalities and behaviours change. I was certainly taken on a whirlwind of a read. The author treaded the line between crime thriller and psychological thriller and had me aching for more more more. Man, this was some book!
The title and that mind-blowing cover set my imagination crazy. Imagine a serial killer actually living in your attic…watching your every move, eating your food, going through your possessions and using your shower. Yikes! The Resident was a slow of burn of mystery and intrigue, a dialogue between himself and his inner voice (truth be told, I wasn’t fully convinced that he didn’t have schizophrenia). The back story was indeed heart-breaking and points I did feel bad for our antagonist, but again, lots of people have traumatising childhoods and don’t go around killing people!
Thomas Brogan is on the run. The police are finally on to him after his latest kill. There’s police helicopters trying to hunt him down – he literally has nowhere left to hide. That is until he finds an abandoned house. He goes on to discover that the houses attic leads into the neighbour’s attic spaces. He can’t believe his luck. Access to food and the even more enticing aspect; access to victims. He gets to know Elsie, the sweet old lady that is still grieving for her long-departed son, the couple who never stop bickering and the fairbrights. The fairbrights are the perfect set of victims for Brogan, they aren’t long married, and they appear to be deeply in love, right? The mind games and plotting begin.
For me, The Resident is at its core a story about pain and suffering and what happens when a mind breaks down. Brogan has had a terrible upbringing. We learn more of that as the story progresses. We learn the truth of what snapped him into starting his killing spree, his awkwardness and difficult times as a child, of the things that brought him happiness. You are given that snippet of life, so you get an inkling into just how far he has fallen from the humanity tree.
David Jackson for me has written a story that is naturally flowing. The characterisation isn’t forced, but it just flows organically. A lot of it will resonate with the readers. It’s a dark and terrifying story, it gives a behind the scenes on newspaper stories, It’s like a rotten apple…it soon spreads to the rest.
The Resident has a lot going on. Secrets are revealed, personalities and behaviours change. I was certainly taken on a whirlwind of a read. The author treaded the line between crime thriller and psychological thriller and had me aching for more more more. Man, this was some book!
dark
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
mentally unstable character and a clear plot? automatic 4 stars. yup,yup,yup.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Suicide, Torture, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Cannibalism
I read "The Resident" via a Pigeonhole readalong and, woah, it was brilliant! Psychological thrillers are my favourite genre, but I have never read one written from the killer's perspective, and we get right inside the head of Brogan, who is the serial killer on the run in this novel. It is sinister and creepy, funny in places, shockingly gruesome and has some excellent twists. Many times I found myself rooting for Brogan, wanting him to get away, before remembering he is a sadistic serial killer! Absolutely superb book. Now excuse me while I check that our attic is completely secure..!
Betul-betul tak dijangka pengakhiran Thomas Brogan si pembunuh bersiri..
Semasa dalam pelarian dari diburu polis, Thomas bersembunyi di sebuah rumah kosong.. Tanpa disangka rumah kosong tu bersambung-sambung di bahagian bumbung dengan rumah yang lain.. Makanya seronoklah si Thomas mendapat mangsa baru.. Thomas mula mengendap 3 lagi penghuni rumah dan memilih mangsanya..
Semasa dalam pelarian dari diburu polis, Thomas bersembunyi di sebuah rumah kosong.. Tanpa disangka rumah kosong tu bersambung-sambung di bahagian bumbung dengan rumah yang lain.. Makanya seronoklah si Thomas mendapat mangsa baru.. Thomas mula mengendap 3 lagi penghuni rumah dan memilih mangsanya..
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
le livre était un peu lent puis vers la fin tout s’accélère ! Donc je mets 3,5 parce que la fin est étonnante !!
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes