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delilahblues's review
4.0
Overall it was a delightful read. A few plot holes and the like, but if you have a strong imagination, you can fill in the blanks yourself!
lollypopkins225's review
4.0
Just the right amount of creepiness in my opinion. Abby knows something is going to happen in her town and she tries to convey those things the problem is she is autistic and at first, her parents dismiss some of her weird segues as normal for her. I don't know if the characterization of Abby as an autistic teen is correct but I do know I liked her character a lot. The different P.O.V. Carole (Abby's mom), Abby, and The Ceiling Man was well done and ratcheted up the creepiness factor in my opinion. Oh and for those who don't like gore I'd say there aren't a ton of details for most of the murders.
lizbutcher's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
novelinsights's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting horror book in which a murderous spirit of sorts comes to town and Abby, a girl with autism, is actually able to communicate with him, but lacks the words to properly explain what's going on to her family.
While I was intrigued by this story, I was also a little worried at first that it would use the autism as a gimmick, but I actually thought this book's portrayal was very respectful and interesting. From my admittedly limited exposure to ASD, the portrayal felt realistic and well-researched. Abby also had a wonderful, supportive family, and her interactions with others in her community varied realistically, featuring some individuals who were more understanding than others.
I also enjoyed some of the other characters, particularly the interactions between Carole and Evelyn. Those two reminded me exactly of Lorelei and Emily from the Gilmore Girls, to the point where I mentally cast them with the same actors. I enjoyed watching them trading zingers in my head, like getting a free GG episode with some murder thrown in.
I will say that I had a little difficulty getting into the writing style at first. A lot of the opening of the book was dedicated to introducing us to our main characters and also to the specific quirks of Abby's personal manifestation of ASD. That was fine, but it didn't feel as smooth as it could have. The author presented us with some scenes that existed solely to demonstrate some of these background-info points. They were interesting, but I thought it would have worked better to integrate that information into moments that were more relevant to the overall plot. Also, the chapters written from Abby's perspective took some getting used to. As a character, she struggles a bit with concepts of time, and the author demonstrated this by writing her chapters exclusively in the present tense, even when referring to events that she was simply remembering from the past. It made sense and I think was effective as a literary device, but it still slowed me down until things clicked for me.
I also felt I wanted a little something more from the climax than I got. I like my climaxes to be built up to throughout the novel so that the events surprise me but in the end feel inevitable, and while I certainly don't mind magic/paranormal elements being used in those climaxes, I feel the need to understand the playing ground to some extent as far as what each character is (or should be) capable of and what the rules are. This climax did integrate paranormal elements, which was fairly inevitable considering the nature of the story, but for the most part it felt as though the author was making things up as she went and anything could have happened. It wasn't anchored enough in pre-established "rules" of the world for my tastes.
And last but not least, there was one little thing at the end that bothered me.
While I was intrigued by this story, I was also a little worried at first that it would use the autism as a gimmick, but I actually thought this book's portrayal was very respectful and interesting. From my admittedly limited exposure to ASD, the portrayal felt realistic and well-researched. Abby also had a wonderful, supportive family, and her interactions with others in her community varied realistically, featuring some individuals who were more understanding than others.
I also enjoyed some of the other characters, particularly the interactions between Carole and Evelyn. Those two reminded me exactly of Lorelei and Emily from the Gilmore Girls, to the point where I mentally cast them with the same actors. I enjoyed watching them trading zingers in my head, like getting a free GG episode with some murder thrown in.
I will say that I had a little difficulty getting into the writing style at first. A lot of the opening of the book was dedicated to introducing us to our main characters and also to the specific quirks of Abby's personal manifestation of ASD. That was fine, but it didn't feel as smooth as it could have. The author presented us with some scenes that existed solely to demonstrate some of these background-info points. They were interesting, but I thought it would have worked better to integrate that information into moments that were more relevant to the overall plot. Also, the chapters written from Abby's perspective took some getting used to. As a character, she struggles a bit with concepts of time, and the author demonstrated this by writing her chapters exclusively in the present tense, even when referring to events that she was simply remembering from the past. It made sense and I think was effective as a literary device, but it still slowed me down until things clicked for me.
I also felt I wanted a little something more from the climax than I got. I like my climaxes to be built up to throughout the novel so that the events surprise me but in the end feel inevitable, and while I certainly don't mind magic/paranormal elements being used in those climaxes, I feel the need to understand the playing ground to some extent as far as what each character is (or should be) capable of and what the rules are. This climax did integrate paranormal elements, which was fairly inevitable considering the nature of the story, but for the most part it felt as though the author was making things up as she went and anything could have happened. It wasn't anchored enough in pre-established "rules" of the world for my tastes.
And last but not least, there was one little thing at the end that bothered me.
Spoiler
The phrase "They all lived happily ever after" was used multiple times by the surviving characters of the story, but they didn't all live happily ever after. Abby's dad, Carole's husband, died, and it felt rather insensitive and unrealistic for these characters to say this, as though he didn't count and their lives hadn't been irreparably damaged by his loss.kpkulski's review against another edition
5.0
This book sucked me in the first moment I picked it up to the moment I finished it. I read it almost obsessively. The creepiness starts on page one and builds until you feel like you can’t stand it anymore and then delivers like a punch in the gut. The characters were tangible, from flaws to strengths, but among them Abby was the diamond. Abby is autistic, but if anything, this has made her stronger. Instead of a disability to overcome, it is part of the magic of her radiant personality and her innate abilities. I loved the unique perspective and that as a reader I got to “see” through Abby’s eyes. I walked away with a better understanding of how autistic minds function so uniquely and wonderfully. This book is so much more than a scary creepy read, it is filled with heart and those things together are the recipe to some fantastic storytelling. Thanks Patricia, for this gem.
rainafyre's review
3.0
I really don't know how to rate this properly, so we'll go middle of the road. The first half was excellent - couldn't put it down and so creepy! The ending is where it all fell apart for me. It became a confusing, chaotic mess (which part was intended, I think) and it left an unanswered question -
Spoiler
what is the ceiling man?!inkychaotics's review against another edition
5.0
I never thought of ceilings or Little Bunny Foo Foo as terrifying before, but The Ceiling Man certainly changes all of that. Lillie's debut novel expertly builds up tension and dread the deeper into Abby's world we dive. Each character's unique viewpoint offers complete immersion into their lives, which results in a novel that hooks its bleeding claws deep into its audience and refuses to let go until the very end. Bravo.
rebeccacarter's review
5.0
Wow, what a fantastic book. This has become my new favorite. Gripping, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and much more. It gives you a look inside the world of an autistic girl, Abby, who has formed a psychic connection to a killer--and not a human one. The book makes you feel the pain and frustration that Abby's family and other contacts feel when dealing with her, not understanding what is going on in her mind. When told from Abby's perspective, however, it all makes sense--and is chilling. You want to scream at them, ask them all why they can't see it as clearly as Abby does. The book has so much depth that goes beyond the basic plot. Wonderful. Fabulous. I never knew if it would end up on a good note or not.
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