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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
It feels good to sink into books without distraction. (That’s what I am taking from this chaos). The Resident is a scary thriller about a serial killer who finds himself in an attic that connects three houses. It’s a slow-burn, angsty novel that plays with your emotions and has a twist that will leave you reeling. This is due to our shelves in August (if all goes to plan).
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really enjoyed this book. Fast paced plot and unputdownable.
Leaves you on the edge of your seat! Interesting character development too. Would recommend a read of this book!
Leaves you on the edge of your seat! Interesting character development too. Would recommend a read of this book!
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
David Jackson’s The Resident is a powerful, spine-chilling and thought provoking thriller. It plays on our greatest fear - not being safe in our own home - but exploits this in a refreshingly unique way, making it an intense and exciting must-read!
Fleeing the police after his latest slaying, serial killer Thomas Brogan discovers an empty end terrace. He decides to temporarily evade the police in the derelict house, before moving on to his next victims. However, upon further exploration, he discovers that the loft space provides him access to the three other terraces in the block. It looks like his next victims have just offered themselves up to him...
I really enjoyed how The Resident is written from the serial killer’s perspective, as it gave the narrative an authentic voice and helped heighten suspense. As well as being chilled by the thought of someone like Brogan being in the house, there were moments of genuine tension when it seemed that he may be discovered. Practically every chapter ended on a cliffhanger that made me want to continue reading and I flew through the book in a couple of days. Jackson has created a narrative that progresses at a lightning pace, which makes The Resident extremely engaging and easy to read. There are a number of surprise twists in events and unexpected shock reveals, so there were moments where I was literally screaming “Noooooooo!!” at my Kindle! Much of the surprise derived from the characters that Brogan terrorises, Colette and Martyn. The married couple seem idyllic at first impression, but very quickly the true nature of their relationship and characters unravels under Brogan’s omnipresent, watchful eye. Neither Colette or Martyn are quite what they seem and Brogan’s astute observations build them into equally intriguing characters. As the novel progressed I definitely didn’t want Brogan to succeed in his plans with them, but as events crescendo to their exhilarating conclusion, there are moments where it’s clear that the couple are far from innocent themselves. Ultimately, I felt that Jackson very aptly demonstrated that none of us are entirely good or entirely evil...although some of us try very hard to prove otherwise.
Writing from Brogan’s perspective also gives the reader an insight into his mind, which adds an additional layer of both intrigue and drama to the proceedings. The conversations between Brogan’s personas are both enlightening and at times heartbreaking. His backstory is affecting - there are events that quite clearly lead him on to his reprehensible path - and garners an element of sympathy for him. Similarly, the relationship he builds with elderly resident Elsie allows the human side of Brogan to be developed and this also helps him become a well-rounded and multi-layered character. There were even points during his interactions with Elsie where I thought Brogan may reform and the human side of his psyche win out. What I found most interesting about Brogan’s characterisation is that he is far from the faceless, unknown killer that meanders menacingly through most thrillers - he is desperate flawed, but very much a product of an unfortunate upbringing and a lonely life. It doesn’t make him any less disturbing or despicable, but it does add substance to him as the perpetrating character and adds layers and complexity to this very well written tale.
I highly recommend this thriller for fans of the genre and those looking for something a little different from the norm.
Fleeing the police after his latest slaying, serial killer Thomas Brogan discovers an empty end terrace. He decides to temporarily evade the police in the derelict house, before moving on to his next victims. However, upon further exploration, he discovers that the loft space provides him access to the three other terraces in the block. It looks like his next victims have just offered themselves up to him...
I really enjoyed how The Resident is written from the serial killer’s perspective, as it gave the narrative an authentic voice and helped heighten suspense. As well as being chilled by the thought of someone like Brogan being in the house, there were moments of genuine tension when it seemed that he may be discovered. Practically every chapter ended on a cliffhanger that made me want to continue reading and I flew through the book in a couple of days. Jackson has created a narrative that progresses at a lightning pace, which makes The Resident extremely engaging and easy to read. There are a number of surprise twists in events and unexpected shock reveals, so there were moments where I was literally screaming “Noooooooo!!” at my Kindle! Much of the surprise derived from the characters that Brogan terrorises, Colette and Martyn. The married couple seem idyllic at first impression, but very quickly the true nature of their relationship and characters unravels under Brogan’s omnipresent, watchful eye. Neither Colette or Martyn are quite what they seem and Brogan’s astute observations build them into equally intriguing characters. As the novel progressed I definitely didn’t want Brogan to succeed in his plans with them, but as events crescendo to their exhilarating conclusion, there are moments where it’s clear that the couple are far from innocent themselves. Ultimately, I felt that Jackson very aptly demonstrated that none of us are entirely good or entirely evil...although some of us try very hard to prove otherwise.
Writing from Brogan’s perspective also gives the reader an insight into his mind, which adds an additional layer of both intrigue and drama to the proceedings. The conversations between Brogan’s personas are both enlightening and at times heartbreaking. His backstory is affecting - there are events that quite clearly lead him on to his reprehensible path - and garners an element of sympathy for him. Similarly, the relationship he builds with elderly resident Elsie allows the human side of Brogan to be developed and this also helps him become a well-rounded and multi-layered character. There were even points during his interactions with Elsie where I thought Brogan may reform and the human side of his psyche win out. What I found most interesting about Brogan’s characterisation is that he is far from the faceless, unknown killer that meanders menacingly through most thrillers - he is desperate flawed, but very much a product of an unfortunate upbringing and a lonely life. It doesn’t make him any less disturbing or despicable, but it does add substance to him as the perpetrating character and adds layers and complexity to this very well written tale.
I highly recommend this thriller for fans of the genre and those looking for something a little different from the norm.
Finally! An original story that was carried out perfectly!!!! If you love a dark thriller then this is for you!
dark
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:
N/A
It was good.
Though I found it weird that the voice was always overly paranoid or stupid. You aren't going to starve to death from being trapped underneath the bed for max 12ish hours. And all the talk about being starving and talk of food was a bit annoying. But maybe that's because my poor ass got used to atleast 24 hours without food and thus doesn't bother me when I can't eat for a while/don't realise it was a while since I last ate. But yeah, the voices paranoia got old very quickly.
And sometimes Thomas was just so stupid too.
I would've rather had more of Thomas background. I know we got snippets but only that. I would like to hear how he and the voice came to be one. When it appeared. I get Thomas accepted the voice with his first and second murder. But what about before that? Am I right in thinking the babies death was sids and not Thomas?
I would've loved more memories with his foster parents too to understand more.
Also, that body would've stunk. When you discover a bad smell, you don't just ignore it, you search for it straight away and attempt to find it.
Though I found it weird that the voice was always overly paranoid or stupid. You aren't going to starve to death from being trapped underneath the bed for max 12ish hours. And all the talk about being starving and talk of food was a bit annoying. But maybe that's because my poor ass got used to atleast 24 hours without food and thus doesn't bother me when I can't eat for a while/don't realise it was a while since I last ate. But yeah, the voices paranoia got old very quickly.
And sometimes Thomas was just so stupid too.
I would've rather had more of Thomas background. I know we got snippets but only that. I would like to hear how he and the voice came to be one. When it appeared. I get Thomas accepted the voice with his first and second murder. But what about before that? Am I right in thinking the babies death was sids and not Thomas?
I would've loved more memories with his foster parents too to understand more.
Also, that body would've stunk. When you discover a bad smell, you don't just ignore it, you search for it straight away and attempt to find it.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
3.5/5
I feel kind of bad giving this a rating under 4/5 as there was technically nothing wrong with the way it was written and it is a solid thriller, just not the kind of thriller I personally enjoy the most. I was hoping it would be more of a psychological, cat-and-mouse kind of thriller involving clever twists and a lot of planning and manipulation on the main character, Brogan’s, part, and a focus on things such as character psyches and backstories; however, those areas were often brushed over and ultimately did not add much depth or have much of an impact on the overall story. The twists were also quite predictable and the ending was not my favourite ().
That being said, there is definitely an audience for this kind of thriller, which I will mention at the end of my review. The main reason I've rounded my rating down to 3/5 is because I can't say I personally ‘enjoyed' the reading experience. There were a lot of uncomfortable and gruesome scenes, which made me feel kind of icky even after finishing the book. I did not like or care much about any of the characters (the most I felt was indifference), and although the premise drew me in and the plot was interesting enough to keep me flipping the pages, it's a reading experience I feel I could have done without.
This book lies squarely and solidly in the ‘thriller’ genre; however, I would hesitate to recommend it to just anyone who typically likes reading thrillers. I think you will enjoy this book if you love watching slasher movies and would like to read a book from the murderer's perspective (although understandably, in this case, the thrill factor is more from Brogan's perspective than that of his targets). A quick warning though — if you are queasy about gore and descriptions of decomposition (cue the maggots), I don’t think this is the book for you.
I feel kind of bad giving this a rating under 4/5 as there was technically nothing wrong with the way it was written and it is a solid thriller, just not the kind of thriller I personally enjoy the most. I was hoping it would be more of a psychological, cat-and-mouse kind of thriller involving clever twists and a lot of planning and manipulation on the main character, Brogan’s, part, and a focus on things such as character psyches and backstories; however, those areas were often brushed over and ultimately did not add much depth or have much of an impact on the overall story. The twists were also quite predictable and the ending was not my favourite (
Spoiler
deux ex machina-y and unbelievableThat being said, there is definitely an audience for this kind of thriller, which I will mention at the end of my review. The main reason I've rounded my rating down to 3/5 is because I can't say I personally ‘enjoyed' the reading experience. There were a lot of uncomfortable and gruesome scenes, which made me feel kind of icky even after finishing the book. I did not like or care much about any of the characters (the most I felt was indifference), and although the premise drew me in and the plot was interesting enough to keep me flipping the pages, it's a reading experience I feel I could have done without.
This book lies squarely and solidly in the ‘thriller’ genre; however, I would hesitate to recommend it to just anyone who typically likes reading thrillers. I think you will enjoy this book if you love watching slasher movies and would like to read a book from the murderer's perspective (although understandably, in this case, the thrill factor is more from Brogan's perspective than that of his targets). A quick warning though — if you are queasy about gore and descriptions of decomposition (cue the maggots), I don’t think this is the book for you.
Note to self if I move check for gaps between houses in the loft! This was exactly what I wanted it to be creepy, spine tingling and made me suspicious of all the noises in my house. While that may not seem like a good time I love books like this.
I also enjoyed that it was from the serial killers pov and seeing the thought process and justifications of their actions.
It's creepy but I like it.
I also enjoyed that it was from the serial killers pov and seeing the thought process and justifications of their actions.
It's creepy but I like it.