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paulabrandon's review against another edition
4.0
Darla O'Neill has grown up moving from place to place with her grifter father, until they wind up in Saffron Hills, where her father blackmails his way into a rental. Darla doesn't fit in with the rich, snooty kids at the high school, though she does find friends of sorts in Sasha and Frank. However, her popularity doesn't improve when she starts receiving visions of students being murdered...and often the one who discovers the body. What is the connection between these murders, and the murder of a pageant beauty queen 20 years earlier?
This was an enjoyable slasher-style horror thriller with shades of Point Horror and Fear Street. There's no explanation given as to why Darla starts receiving these visions. It's really just a device to frame a traditional murder mystery thriller. I love a thriller that contains ties between the past and present, and this book did a great job with that angle. There were a couple of really good plot twists along the way. However, the book is lacking in likable characters. Sure, it's nice to see snotty teens get gutted, but it has more impact if we like them, you know? Even Darla's friends aren't all that likable.
The fact that was very problematic. I'm not sure how that would be received now, even if this was only published in 2015. However, I really enjoyed the 90s YA horror vibes this one sported, and the storyline really kept me engaged. Finally, a real winner after a long row of duds!
This was an enjoyable slasher-style horror thriller with shades of Point Horror and Fear Street. There's no explanation given as to why Darla starts receiving these visions. It's really just a device to frame a traditional murder mystery thriller. I love a thriller that contains ties between the past and present, and this book did a great job with that angle. There were a couple of really good plot twists along the way. However, the book is lacking in likable characters. Sure, it's nice to see snotty teens get gutted, but it has more impact if we like them, you know? Even Darla's friends aren't all that likable.
The fact that
Spoiler
the killer was transgenderella__smithh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hauntedribs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
awxhhlilla's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Its about how a murderer was killing people who only looked 'pretty' and they were known as 'the angel taker'
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Death, Child death, Grief, Body shaming, and Bullying
oliviaemily's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating: 3.75 stars
This is an excerpt from my review of Dark Room. Read the full review here: https://bibliomad.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/dark-room-by-tom-becker-review/
"I clean up the bloody corpses before the guests come round,” Walter replied, deadpan. “Mom insists.”
A spine-chilling horror story with a modern twist, Tom Becker’s Dark Room is written mostly from Darla’s point of view, only ever switching to another character moments before their death. In my opinion, this method is very effective, for it gives you an insight into other people’s minds, before swiftly cutting it off with a bloody murder. There’s also the aspect that once you’ve figured out who’s speaking, you’ve also figured out that they’re next to be slaughtered.
Personally, I very much enjoyed this book – much more than I was expecting. I have never been the biggest fan of horror, testing the waters every now and again by watching American Horror Story, for example. But this book took me by surprise, and – whilst thoroughly creeped out – I was still able to appreciate the story and the plot line Becker had crafted without feeling sick to my stomach. This is something you do not always come across in the horror genre. Plenty of books, films, and TV shows within this genre incorporate gory scenes with no real purpose other than the scare the audience.
Becker does not do this.
Instead, he has created a detailed story line, in which many people could be the murderer. There are times when we’re certain of who it is, times when we think things are a little strange, and this is all pieced together for a great ending to a great book. If you read carefully, you’ll spot a few aspects of foreshadowing from Becker’s hand, which really helped me understand the novel and the murderer’s motives a lot more. It’s also really great to read a scene, and pick up on the backlash of previous moments of foreshadowing.
However, of course, there were a few little things I didn’t like about the book.
Firstly – whilst, granted, not a part of the book – the synopsis for this novel is terrible; it doesn’t do the book justice, and it places more emphasis on Darla trying to fit in to this ‘in-crowd’, which this book is not about, and nor is Darla. Furthermore, not once is the murderer called the ‘selfie-slayer’ in the book – the synopsis, and the cover, give the impression that the victims are murdered through a camera, which (despite cameras being a big part of the story) is not the case.
Secondly, I didn’t like the inclusion of Darla’s visions. They weren’t particularly well written, they didn’t appear realistic, and, unfortunately, I think they were only in the book so as to ensure Darla was the one who found the bodies. As I see it, it would’ve been interesting to not have the visions, and just have the point of view switch. I don’t think it should have been Darla finding the body every time, either. On the first occasion, yes, very effective. On the second occasion it wasn’t her, anyway. But on the third, and progressing from there, Darla seemed less and less haunted by seeing a dead body, mangled and mocked into different positions. There wasn’t enough emphasis on Darla’s reactions to these findings, rendering her either empathetic, or simply not developed enough.
Moreover, and truly unfortunately, the end felt a little rushed. The penultimate chapter was the general conclusion to the book, and it was written speedily, as if Becker was in a hurry to end the book. At some points, I had to go back and reread a few lines because it went by so quickly. Becker did manage to pull it back towards the end of the scene, though, which I am very pleased about.
My final issue with this novel is a common dislike of mine, and includes when authors do things like this!!! Or this??? In their books. And this time, Becker did this: “Okayyyy.” Bleugh. I hate it when people write like this! I don’t know if anyone else feels the same, but to me it just appears childish and sloppy.
Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives with this book. For example, the character development of Darla was astounding. As readers, we witness her in Chapter 1 as a mousy little girl who’s afraid of what her daddy might do next, but in the final few chapters she is badass! I really like Darla as a protagonist, and her developing a ballsy attitude really shone through in an enjoyable light.
Next, the plot twists. God, I love a good plot twist, and this book contains plenty of them. Becker writes in a way that implies things. He gives you the information to work out who the murderer is on your own, before snatching it away and telling you you’re wrong. And I love that! My favourite plot twist occasion was during Frank’s point of view. At that moment, my mouth literally dropped, and for a brief moment, I thought it was he who was the murderer! (Spoiler,it wasn’t.) And the plot twist at the end with Walter! I won’t ruin it for you, but let me tell you this: wow.
Finally, big round of applause to Becker, because Walter is an amazing villain! The prologue started the book with a bang, and Walter Walter Walter was all I was thinking for the rest of it. The complexities with Walter’s story, along with how it linked to other people was really well executed. And the originality of the murderer’s methods was really fresh and unique to read.
Overall, I awarded this book 3.75/5 stars, because of everything I’ve mentioned taken into consideration.
You can find the book here: Goodreads | Amazon
(Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to send a big thank you to NetGalley for this book, and also to everyone at Little Tiger/Stripes Publishing, as well as Tom Becker himself.)
This is an excerpt from my review of Dark Room. Read the full review here: https://bibliomad.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/dark-room-by-tom-becker-review/
"I clean up the bloody corpses before the guests come round,” Walter replied, deadpan. “Mom insists.”
A spine-chilling horror story with a modern twist, Tom Becker’s Dark Room is written mostly from Darla’s point of view, only ever switching to another character moments before their death. In my opinion, this method is very effective, for it gives you an insight into other people’s minds, before swiftly cutting it off with a bloody murder. There’s also the aspect that once you’ve figured out who’s speaking, you’ve also figured out that they’re next to be slaughtered.
Personally, I very much enjoyed this book – much more than I was expecting. I have never been the biggest fan of horror, testing the waters every now and again by watching American Horror Story, for example. But this book took me by surprise, and – whilst thoroughly creeped out – I was still able to appreciate the story and the plot line Becker had crafted without feeling sick to my stomach. This is something you do not always come across in the horror genre. Plenty of books, films, and TV shows within this genre incorporate gory scenes with no real purpose other than the scare the audience.
Becker does not do this.
Instead, he has created a detailed story line, in which many people could be the murderer. There are times when we’re certain of who it is, times when we think things are a little strange, and this is all pieced together for a great ending to a great book. If you read carefully, you’ll spot a few aspects of foreshadowing from Becker’s hand, which really helped me understand the novel and the murderer’s motives a lot more. It’s also really great to read a scene, and pick up on the backlash of previous moments of foreshadowing.
However, of course, there were a few little things I didn’t like about the book.
Firstly – whilst, granted, not a part of the book – the synopsis for this novel is terrible; it doesn’t do the book justice, and it places more emphasis on Darla trying to fit in to this ‘in-crowd’, which this book is not about, and nor is Darla. Furthermore, not once is the murderer called the ‘selfie-slayer’ in the book – the synopsis, and the cover, give the impression that the victims are murdered through a camera, which (despite cameras being a big part of the story) is not the case.
Secondly, I didn’t like the inclusion of Darla’s visions. They weren’t particularly well written, they didn’t appear realistic, and, unfortunately, I think they were only in the book so as to ensure Darla was the one who found the bodies. As I see it, it would’ve been interesting to not have the visions, and just have the point of view switch. I don’t think it should have been Darla finding the body every time, either. On the first occasion, yes, very effective. On the second occasion it wasn’t her, anyway. But on the third, and progressing from there, Darla seemed less and less haunted by seeing a dead body, mangled and mocked into different positions. There wasn’t enough emphasis on Darla’s reactions to these findings, rendering her either empathetic, or simply not developed enough.
Moreover, and truly unfortunately, the end felt a little rushed. The penultimate chapter was the general conclusion to the book, and it was written speedily, as if Becker was in a hurry to end the book. At some points, I had to go back and reread a few lines because it went by so quickly. Becker did manage to pull it back towards the end of the scene, though, which I am very pleased about.
My final issue with this novel is a common dislike of mine, and includes when authors do things like this!!! Or this??? In their books. And this time, Becker did this: “Okayyyy.” Bleugh. I hate it when people write like this! I don’t know if anyone else feels the same, but to me it just appears childish and sloppy.
Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives with this book. For example, the character development of Darla was astounding. As readers, we witness her in Chapter 1 as a mousy little girl who’s afraid of what her daddy might do next, but in the final few chapters she is badass! I really like Darla as a protagonist, and her developing a ballsy attitude really shone through in an enjoyable light.
Next, the plot twists. God, I love a good plot twist, and this book contains plenty of them. Becker writes in a way that implies things. He gives you the information to work out who the murderer is on your own, before snatching it away and telling you you’re wrong. And I love that! My favourite plot twist occasion was during Frank’s point of view. At that moment, my mouth literally dropped, and for a brief moment, I thought it was he who was the murderer! (Spoiler,it wasn’t.) And the plot twist at the end with Walter! I won’t ruin it for you, but let me tell you this: wow.
Finally, big round of applause to Becker, because Walter is an amazing villain! The prologue started the book with a bang, and Walter Walter Walter was all I was thinking for the rest of it. The complexities with Walter’s story, along with how it linked to other people was really well executed. And the originality of the murderer’s methods was really fresh and unique to read.
Overall, I awarded this book 3.75/5 stars, because of everything I’ve mentioned taken into consideration.
You can find the book here: Goodreads | Amazon
(Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to send a big thank you to NetGalley for this book, and also to everyone at Little Tiger/Stripes Publishing, as well as Tom Becker himself.)
kba76's review against another edition
3.0
Three stars for the twist (though, in fairness, we we given some clues along the way).
Darla and her dad are used to running from the things he's done. Darla is used to not fitting in. This is made worse when they end up in Saffron Hills, full of beautiful people that they seem to have nothing in common with.
The town hides a horrible secret and, unfortunately for Darla, her arrival coincides with the return of a killer.
Some nice touches, but essentially we're given a cast of fairly vapid characters who we have to wait to see picked off in pretty gruesome ways. There's little to make us care about those murdered-though Darla is someone we come to admire.
Probably one for fans of this style...not really for me.
Darla and her dad are used to running from the things he's done. Darla is used to not fitting in. This is made worse when they end up in Saffron Hills, full of beautiful people that they seem to have nothing in common with.
The town hides a horrible secret and, unfortunately for Darla, her arrival coincides with the return of a killer.
Some nice touches, but essentially we're given a cast of fairly vapid characters who we have to wait to see picked off in pretty gruesome ways. There's little to make us care about those murdered-though Darla is someone we come to admire.
Probably one for fans of this style...not really for me.
audrey042's review against another edition
4.0
Tom Becker nous propose ici un thriller young adult bien construit et particulièrement efficace pour susciter de nombreux doutes et une certaine angoisse chez les lecteurs. Non dénué de réflexions pertinentes sur des sujets comme l’obsession de la beauté et de l’apparence, ce roman devrait vous tenir en haleine et vous faire passer un moment de lecture des plus intenses !
Chronique complète sur https://lightandsmell.wordpress.com/2019/12/18/photophobia-tom-becker/
Chronique complète sur https://lightandsmell.wordpress.com/2019/12/18/photophobia-tom-becker/
thee_eclectic_eccentric's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
asaph95's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book will be published on 10th September 2015
I didn't really know much going into this book, apart from it was about a serial killer and selfies? What? I was intrigued. I thought it would be ridiculous, but it was surpringly nothing like what I expected. It was dark, creepy and chilling. I could see it being a horror movie, I could picture the gory details of every murder scene so clearly in my head. It has to be one of the creepiest books I've ever read.
Full review on my blog:
http://originalbooker.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/dark-room-tom-becker.html
This book will be published on 10th September 2015
I didn't really know much going into this book, apart from it was about a serial killer and selfies? What? I was intrigued. I thought it would be ridiculous, but it was surpringly nothing like what I expected. It was dark, creepy and chilling. I could see it being a horror movie, I could picture the gory details of every murder scene so clearly in my head. It has to be one of the creepiest books I've ever read.
Full review on my blog:
http://originalbooker.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/dark-room-tom-becker.html
aliciaparry's review against another edition
3.0
Omigosh I remember reading this! It was actually surprisingly gripping and very creepy to read.