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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
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.)
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.
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/
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Omigosh I remember reading this! It was actually surprisingly gripping and very creepy to read.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Ever since her mother's death, it's just been Darla and her dad, Hopper. They move from town to town, often doing moonlight flits to avoid angry people that Hopper has cheated out of money during one of his scams. After the latest move, they find themselves in Saffron Hills, a town that Hopper seems to know but won't elucidate on, but Darla hopes they could finally put down roots. Hopper basically blackmails an old friend to be allowed to rent an abandoned house by the river, where the nearest neighbour is artist, Annie.
Many of the teenagers at her new school are good-looking enough to be models & Darla feels alienated. She manages to make friends with two of the less popular kids Sasha & Frank. Sasha is a rich kid but is in a state of rebellion, dressing goth & dyeing her hair whilst Frank is just well, Frank. Things start going wrong when several of the popular, rich, good-looking kids end up dead, murdered in fact, whilst Darla starts having strange visions where she sees the murders from the point of view of the killer & before they happen. The cops become suspicious of someone who keeps managing to find murder victims - you see it's not the first time a killer has been in Saffron Hills & the fact that Darla & her father roll into town just when the murders restart is the mother of all bad timings.
Darla is an OK main character, she is rather timid to be begin with but through what happens she does eventually become stronger & more able to stand up to people. Hopper is a bit of a drunken lech sad to say & sometimes I wanted to shake some sense into him - flirting with your daughter's teenage friends is not cool. Sasha is typically spoilt & only thinks about herself, whilst Frank is quieter but there's a bit of under-the-surface animosity between him & Darla over Sasha's friendship. Not sure why as she is a rubbish friend.
I started off suspecting one character early on but when something happened to them partway through the book it did throw me a bit. The only other character that I half suspected really didn't fit the profile until the ending when I thought "Oh no, we are not going where I think we're going are we?". Yes, we did. This book would have been 4 stars if it hadn't have been for that ending. Without giving it away, there was absolutely no lead up as to why the killer would have done what they did & it just all felt...wrong & just a bit lazy. It's well written up until that point & I did enjoy reading most of it, but the ending spoiled it for me & I can only award it 3 stars.
Many of the teenagers at her new school are good-looking enough to be models & Darla feels alienated. She manages to make friends with two of the less popular kids Sasha & Frank. Sasha is a rich kid but is in a state of rebellion, dressing goth & dyeing her hair whilst Frank is just well, Frank. Things start going wrong when several of the popular, rich, good-looking kids end up dead, murdered in fact, whilst Darla starts having strange visions where she sees the murders from the point of view of the killer & before they happen. The cops become suspicious of someone who keeps managing to find murder victims - you see it's not the first time a killer has been in Saffron Hills & the fact that Darla & her father roll into town just when the murders restart is the mother of all bad timings.
Darla is an OK main character, she is rather timid to be begin with but through what happens she does eventually become stronger & more able to stand up to people. Hopper is a bit of a drunken lech sad to say & sometimes I wanted to shake some sense into him - flirting with your daughter's teenage friends is not cool. Sasha is typically spoilt & only thinks about herself, whilst Frank is quieter but there's a bit of under-the-surface animosity between him & Darla over Sasha's friendship. Not sure why as she is a rubbish friend.
I started off suspecting one character early on but when something happened to them partway through the book it did throw me a bit. The only other character that I half suspected really didn't fit the profile until the ending when I thought "Oh no, we are not going where I think we're going are we?". Yes, we did. This book would have been 4 stars if it hadn't have been for that ending. Without giving it away, there was absolutely no lead up as to why the killer would have done what they did & it just all felt...wrong & just a bit lazy. It's well written up until that point & I did enjoy reading most of it, but the ending spoiled it for me & I can only award it 3 stars.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/2015/10/29/my-kyrosmagica-review-of-dark-room-by-tom-becker/
I’ve been participating in the #redeyereadalong on Goodreads, and this is the last book in the series, read during the week 26th October 2015 – 31st October 2015.
I joined in the readalong with mixed feelings as I am a bit of a novice horror reader – I tend to be a trifle scared of reading frightening stories – but astonishingly I have found it really fun and totally enthralling throughout. I whipped through those pages reading five books in super quick, heartbeat time! There have been moments when certain passages I’ve read have turned my stomach, or left me hugging my duvet for comfort but it has been such a positive experience overall. So thank you so much to Chelley who blogs at Tales of Yesterday and Heather from Heather Reviews for including me in this readalong.
My overall favourites are without a doubt, Frozen Charlotte from week 1 and this final book Dark Room from Week 5! So the best were first and last as far as I was concerned!
My review:
Dark Room certainly started off dark and sinister and that’s a fact. The Prologue tells the tale of Walter West, a rich young chap, but don’t be fooled this, he is no sweet boy next door! If you are friends with Walter West and you’re young and pretty, don’t pop over to visit, well not unless you want to be viciously murdered.
In Chapter 1 we are introduced to the main protagonist a sixteen year old girl called Darla whose life has been hard, with a capital H, she certainly hasn’t had a fairy-tale existence. Her dad hopper is a drunken, hopeless fellow who runs from one unhappy experience to another. Her mother Sidney killed herself. Darla runs away from yet another bout of trouble with her dad Hopper to Saffron Hills. She finds that Saffron Hills has its fair share of beautiful people, is obsessed with looking good, and is home to the Miss Saffron beauty pageant. Not exactly a place to make Darla feel at home as she is a fairly plain looking girl.
There are a bunch of mysteries to solve in this book so at times it came across more like a murder mystery than a horror story. Though there are elements of horror in Dark Room, the visions that Darla experiences are certainly horrible, and this sense of terror is amplified by Darla having no control over these frightening and disturbing visions. As the story unfolds she starts to try to take control of these visions, but more about that later…
Darla meets with her artistic neighbour Annie, who befriends Darla and Hopper. Annie is a fascinating character too with a hidden aspect to her personality that is revealed later in the novel.
When more beautiful kids are killed Darla’s personality changes, she becomes this courageous kid investigating, trying to stop another murder from being committed. That’s when I really started to love Darla, undoubtedly she is the best character in the book, the one that you can’t help but root for.
Photography is used in a creative way as a device in this book, to reveal the next murder, but is also used to suggest the nastiness of the beautiful crowd. In one particular scene TJ takes a selfie with Darla to ridicule her and other plain girls like her. Natalie, Gabrielle, Ryan, TJ, Carmen are beautiful on the outside, but inside they are mean, unlikable, thoughtless bullies. That is not a criticism of the book, the beautiful kids are meant to be portrayed this way, a message is intended to come across. Beauty is more than outward appearance it is what you hold in your heart. The cruel message finally gets through to one of the beautiful kids, who eventually turns over a new leaf.
Darla’s friend Sasha is an interesting but flawed character. She is pretty but in a non-conformist, punk style of way. She is also quite unlikable, and comes across as pretty uncaring, and glib, until one of the kids who she is secretly fond of in the beautiful clique gets murdered. Frank appears to be Sasha’s errand boy, but even Frank has a side of him that is kept a mystery.
So a very intriguing story, full of mysteries, secrets, it kept me wondering, guessing… I guessed the murderer then I changed my mind, then I guessed again… Lots of excitement.
The ending was good but perhaps a bit far fetched so instead of a 5 star read I’ve reduced it by half a star!
Would I recommend reading this?
Absolutely, if you can stomach it! The murders are visually gruesome, made me flinch in parts but nevertheless I found Dark Room very absorbing. So go out and get a copy… Just don’t do any selfies for a while…
Warning: Not For Younger Readers.
My rating:
4.5 stars
I’ve been participating in the #redeyereadalong on Goodreads, and this is the last book in the series, read during the week 26th October 2015 – 31st October 2015.
I joined in the readalong with mixed feelings as I am a bit of a novice horror reader – I tend to be a trifle scared of reading frightening stories – but astonishingly I have found it really fun and totally enthralling throughout. I whipped through those pages reading five books in super quick, heartbeat time! There have been moments when certain passages I’ve read have turned my stomach, or left me hugging my duvet for comfort but it has been such a positive experience overall. So thank you so much to Chelley who blogs at Tales of Yesterday and Heather from Heather Reviews for including me in this readalong.
My overall favourites are without a doubt, Frozen Charlotte from week 1 and this final book Dark Room from Week 5! So the best were first and last as far as I was concerned!
My review:
Dark Room certainly started off dark and sinister and that’s a fact. The Prologue tells the tale of Walter West, a rich young chap, but don’t be fooled this, he is no sweet boy next door! If you are friends with Walter West and you’re young and pretty, don’t pop over to visit, well not unless you want to be viciously murdered.
In Chapter 1 we are introduced to the main protagonist a sixteen year old girl called Darla whose life has been hard, with a capital H, she certainly hasn’t had a fairy-tale existence. Her dad hopper is a drunken, hopeless fellow who runs from one unhappy experience to another. Her mother Sidney killed herself. Darla runs away from yet another bout of trouble with her dad Hopper to Saffron Hills. She finds that Saffron Hills has its fair share of beautiful people, is obsessed with looking good, and is home to the Miss Saffron beauty pageant. Not exactly a place to make Darla feel at home as she is a fairly plain looking girl.
There are a bunch of mysteries to solve in this book so at times it came across more like a murder mystery than a horror story. Though there are elements of horror in Dark Room, the visions that Darla experiences are certainly horrible, and this sense of terror is amplified by Darla having no control over these frightening and disturbing visions. As the story unfolds she starts to try to take control of these visions, but more about that later…
Darla meets with her artistic neighbour Annie, who befriends Darla and Hopper. Annie is a fascinating character too with a hidden aspect to her personality that is revealed later in the novel.
When more beautiful kids are killed Darla’s personality changes, she becomes this courageous kid investigating, trying to stop another murder from being committed. That’s when I really started to love Darla, undoubtedly she is the best character in the book, the one that you can’t help but root for.
Photography is used in a creative way as a device in this book, to reveal the next murder, but is also used to suggest the nastiness of the beautiful crowd. In one particular scene TJ takes a selfie with Darla to ridicule her and other plain girls like her. Natalie, Gabrielle, Ryan, TJ, Carmen are beautiful on the outside, but inside they are mean, unlikable, thoughtless bullies. That is not a criticism of the book, the beautiful kids are meant to be portrayed this way, a message is intended to come across. Beauty is more than outward appearance it is what you hold in your heart. The cruel message finally gets through to one of the beautiful kids, who eventually turns over a new leaf.
Darla’s friend Sasha is an interesting but flawed character. She is pretty but in a non-conformist, punk style of way. She is also quite unlikable, and comes across as pretty uncaring, and glib, until one of the kids who she is secretly fond of in the beautiful clique gets murdered. Frank appears to be Sasha’s errand boy, but even Frank has a side of him that is kept a mystery.
So a very intriguing story, full of mysteries, secrets, it kept me wondering, guessing… I guessed the murderer then I changed my mind, then I guessed again… Lots of excitement.
The ending was good but perhaps a bit far fetched so instead of a 5 star read I’ve reduced it by half a star!
Would I recommend reading this?
Absolutely, if you can stomach it! The murders are visually gruesome, made me flinch in parts but nevertheless I found Dark Room very absorbing. So go out and get a copy… Just don’t do any selfies for a while…
Warning: Not For Younger Readers.
My rating:
4.5 stars
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
