Scan barcode
ktjawrites's review against another edition
5.0
A father-son tale that is just as touching as it is entirely terrifying.
horrordearest's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
kelseysmelsey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nathegz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Self harm
surahkidders's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookwtch's review
4.0
In The River tells an intimate story of a father and son, of loss and grief, and how far one will go for the ones they love. The bond between a parent and their child. I'm not a parent, and can only imagine what one reading this would feel after the last page was read.
I was not expecting the direction this book took.
Sometimes the scariest things in horror is not what's fictional, but what's real.
Every page was loaded with emotion and purpose.
Devastating, yet beautiful.
I was not expecting the direction this book took.
Sometimes the scariest things in horror is not what's fictional, but what's real.
Every page was loaded with emotion and purpose.
Devastating, yet beautiful.
audrey042's review against another edition
5.0
Jouant sur la conscience aiguë, primale et viscérale de la perte d’un enfant, l’auteur nous propose ici une échappée macabre et lyrique à la fois dans les limbes de l’obsession d’un père pour réparer ce qui ne peut l’être. Horrifique, brutale et implacable, cette fable se pare néanmoins d’accents de vérité, montrant la beauté là où jamais on n’aurait pu l’imaginer. Une plume tout en poésie pour décrire l’horreur et une horreur servant de miroir aux sentiments les plus purs que rien, ni même les dents les plus acérées ou le noir abyssal de la mort, ne saurait emporter. Apprendre à se noyer porte à merveille son titre, tout en nous rappelant que c’est parfois aussi une manière d’apprendre à résister avant de mieux s’abandonner.
Avis complet sur https://lightandsmell.wordpress.com/2021/09/25/apprendre-a-se-noyer-jeremy-robert-johnson/
Avis complet sur https://lightandsmell.wordpress.com/2021/09/25/apprendre-a-se-noyer-jeremy-robert-johnson/
thomaswjoyce's review
5.0
Different in tone from Johnson's previous (brilliant) work. And, in my opinion, one of the best books of the year.
Something a little different from Jeremy Robert Johnson with this book. I have found his other work to be quite strange and surreal (in the best possible way!). This seems to be more of a literary story, the horror provided by the loss of a child, and the parent not knowing the fate of the child, but dreading the worst. But the language used is beautiful, the dialogue between father and son beautifully written, as is the haunting and horrific inner thoughts of the father when he is on the trail of the boy. Johnson has the ability to force the reader to feel everything the father is experiencing, and it is very moving. I felt as though I had something in my eye on more than a couple of occasions whilst reading it. The mark of an expert storyteller.
With every book Johnson writes he further establishes himself as a master storyteller in genre. With this book, maybe it's fatherhood in particular, or life experience in general, but it feels like a more serious, more literary novel. And it leaves me excited to see what JRJ has in store for us in the future. Whether it's another book like this, something like his grotesque and gripping short fiction, or something completely different, I can't wait.
Something a little different from Jeremy Robert Johnson with this book. I have found his other work to be quite strange and surreal (in the best possible way!). This seems to be more of a literary story, the horror provided by the loss of a child, and the parent not knowing the fate of the child, but dreading the worst. But the language used is beautiful, the dialogue between father and son beautifully written, as is the haunting and horrific inner thoughts of the father when he is on the trail of the boy. Johnson has the ability to force the reader to feel everything the father is experiencing, and it is very moving. I felt as though I had something in my eye on more than a couple of occasions whilst reading it. The mark of an expert storyteller.
With every book Johnson writes he further establishes himself as a master storyteller in genre. With this book, maybe it's fatherhood in particular, or life experience in general, but it feels like a more serious, more literary novel. And it leaves me excited to see what JRJ has in store for us in the future. Whether it's another book like this, something like his grotesque and gripping short fiction, or something completely different, I can't wait.
books4days's review
3.0
Johnson takes on the struggle to protect your children from the dangers of the world, and the horror of what happens when you fail. This novella's spare prose will draw you in, and the anguish in the writing will keep you going. Side helping of mythology/fantasy/magical realism as well.