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bookishbyjennaavh's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
This was a DNF for me.
I’m pretty bummed because when I first got this I was so excited and the first chapter was amazing and had me hooked. Then the FMC became insufferable, unreliable and just not good.
The writing took a down hill turn fast and at one point when she kept talking about the flask and her drinking I wondered if this verbiage was meant to mimic being drunk. But I don’t think that’s the case.
I got pretty far but I couldn’t take it any longer. The fmc contracted herself constantly and was angry at how people choose to grieve and then would circle back and say she felt the same way.
I’m really disappointed because I wanted to love this. It had all the makings of a book I love but the character being this unlikable for me is a pass, I can’t connect with her
dliterate's review
4.0
Thanks to Quill and Crow Publishing House for making Eye of the Ouroboros by Megan Bontrager available as an ARC on Netgalley.
In Eye of the Ouroboros, Theo has dedicated herself to searching for and rescuing those who have gone missing in the woods that claimed her sister as a child. While her life falls apart around her as she struggles with the strain of not being able to find her, she starts to experience increasingly strange things, both at work and at home. With the help of her best friend Quinn, her ex-girlfriend Delilah, a conspiracy theorist named Wesley and his informant, Roman, Theo will find that the world is a much bigger and scarier place than she could have realised; and the woods aren't the only thing watching her from the shadows.
To start with the positives: Megan Bontrager is a great writer. Not only was her prose rich and compelling, but she did a really great job of defining most of her characters in no time at all. The core group in particular are not only outlined as individuals, but their inter-group dynamics are well-established as well.
The world that these characters inhabit is also fleshed out really well, and there are some genuinely spooky moments when things start to take a turn.
There is, however, a weird tonal shift from about the 54% to 70% mark, where we go from a paranormal story to what's essentially a heist story. This didn't completely lose me, but it definitely didn't keep me as engaged as what came before and after. I'd also argue that the 70% mark is the emotional peak of the book, with what comes after not having the same impact despite being narratively appropriate.
I also found the Big Bad to be a bit hollow when compared to the other characters, which was a bit disappointing. Not because what we get is bad, but because it doesn't live up to the standard set by the rest of the writing.
All that said and done, I'm glad I read this; and if there were to be a sequel, I'd definitely pick it up. I'd like more time in this world.
Rating: 4/5
Eye of the Ouroboros will be available from the 15th of April, 2024.
In Eye of the Ouroboros, Theo has dedicated herself to searching for and rescuing those who have gone missing in the woods that claimed her sister as a child. While her life falls apart around her as she struggles with the strain of not being able to find her, she starts to experience increasingly strange things, both at work and at home. With the help of her best friend Quinn, her ex-girlfriend Delilah, a conspiracy theorist named Wesley and his informant, Roman, Theo will find that the world is a much bigger and scarier place than she could have realised; and the woods aren't the only thing watching her from the shadows.
To start with the positives: Megan Bontrager is a great writer. Not only was her prose rich and compelling, but she did a really great job of defining most of her characters in no time at all. The core group in particular are not only outlined as individuals, but their inter-group dynamics are well-established as well.
The world that these characters inhabit is also fleshed out really well, and there are some genuinely spooky moments when things start to take a turn.
There is, however, a weird tonal shift from about the 54% to 70% mark, where we go from a paranormal story to what's essentially a heist story. This didn't completely lose me, but it definitely didn't keep me as engaged as what came before and after. I'd also argue that the 70% mark is the emotional peak of the book, with what comes after not having the same impact despite being narratively appropriate.
I also found the Big Bad to be a bit hollow when compared to the other characters, which was a bit disappointing. Not because what we get is bad, but because it doesn't live up to the standard set by the rest of the writing.
All that said and done, I'm glad I read this; and if there were to be a sequel, I'd definitely pick it up. I'd like more time in this world.
Rating: 4/5
Eye of the Ouroboros will be available from the 15th of April, 2024.
shae_w_reads's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Do you remember the late 2000s, when CreepyPasta was all the rage and one could spend hours going down the rabbit hole of horror that could be found there? That is precisely the vibe of Eye of the Ouroboros: a sometimes chaotic, sometimes horrifying, entertaining ride through a mix of horror, scifi, and human nature. None of the characters, except Quinn, are good people, and honestly I liked it that way. I loved the grief and unhealthy ways it manifested in nearly all the cast. Was Theo a drunk and borderline abusive to her friends sometimes? Sure. Was she also grieving and dealing with trauma and reacting in a very human way? Also yes.
I'll admit there were some wild plot twists, and not always in the best way. There were some odd shifts in theme and some things just came out of nowhere. But if I'm just going on vibes, this book was a lot of fun.
"You fight and fight— for what? To die valiantly ? Or to die at the hands of your own hubris?”
There are some genuinely poignant and meaningful lines throughout. The ending brought me to tears over several chapters and I wouldn't change a thing about how it ended. Not a thing.
I believe this is a debut novel for this author and if so, this is a great first impression. I'll be watching for more from Megan going forward!
I'll admit there were some wild plot twists, and not always in the best way. There were some odd shifts in theme and some things just came out of nowhere. But if I'm just going on vibes, this book was a lot of fun.
"You fight and fight— for what? To die valiantly ? Or to die at the hands of your own hubris?”
There are some genuinely poignant and meaningful lines throughout. The ending brought me to tears over several chapters and I wouldn't change a thing about how it ended. Not a thing.
I believe this is a debut novel for this author and if so, this is a great first impression. I'll be watching for more from Megan going forward!
iamcreature81's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
hagatha's review
emotional
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
mimipancakes's review against another edition
1.0
<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this novel!</i>
I think a major issue with this book is that it's trying to do too much. I thought this was going to be a psychological horror with a cat and mouse chase through different realities. That wasn't the case at all. The first quarter of the book almost reads like literary fiction with a touch of mystery (and I mean the smallest touch, it was basically just Theo feeling bad for herself the whole time). Then, there was a random heist that took up another large chunk of the book (I genuinely have no idea why this heist happened, I was so confused the whole time). Only for the story to kind of end with a cat and mouse chase, not a particularly engaging one, but still. I just don't really know who the audience is for this book. I feel like the people who enjoy the first half aren't going to like the second half and vice versa.
Personally, I didn't really like either half. I found it boring (I actually did kind of like Theo's ending though, that was pretty interesting). I wouldn't have even finished it if I hadn't been provided an e-arc. The description sounded so cool, but this just was not for me.
I think a major issue with this book is that it's trying to do too much. I thought this was going to be a psychological horror with a cat and mouse chase through different realities. That wasn't the case at all. The first quarter of the book almost reads like literary fiction with a touch of mystery (and I mean the smallest touch, it was basically just Theo feeling bad for herself the whole time). Then, there was a random heist that took up another large chunk of the book (I genuinely have no idea why this heist happened, I was so confused the whole time). Only for the story to kind of end with a cat and mouse chase, not a particularly engaging one, but still. I just don't really know who the audience is for this book. I feel like the people who enjoy the first half aren't going to like the second half and vice versa.
Personally, I didn't really like either half. I found it boring (I actually did kind of like Theo's ending though, that was pretty interesting). I wouldn't have even finished it if I hadn't been provided an e-arc. The description sounded so cool, but this just was not for me.
sarah_bell's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
An interesting concept and main character that starts strong but is let down by slightly muddled sci-fi elements and confusing action.
The beginning of this book had me hooked. Our MC, Theo, is a park ranger whose sister went missing in the same woods she now patrols and where weird occurrences - a child found with missing toes, a staircase out of nowhere, a toilet abandoned in a tree - are happening. Theo is - quite frankly - a mess but an entirely understandable one.
However, it lost me in the middle. I found the description / explanation of the Ouroboros confusing (like I found myself re-reading paragraphs and it still was not making sense to me) and there were various parts where I just lost the thread of what was happening (for example, there's a heist mid-book were the plan felt nonsensical).
I also never really got a good sense of any of the other characters. Perhaps the best example of this is Roman, a rogue member of the Federal Buruea of Reality, who gets a great introduction but then proceeds to just *exist*, making few contributions to the story except random mentions that were very 'oh, he's still there?'
There were a lot of moments I really liked scattered throughout out this book but everytime it engaged me it later lost me again, making for a very mixed reading experience.
Overall, I think sci-fi/ horror readers could still potentially enjoy this, but it wasn't for me.
The beginning of this book had me hooked. Our MC, Theo, is a park ranger whose sister went missing in the same woods she now patrols and where weird occurrences - a child found with missing toes, a staircase out of nowhere, a toilet abandoned in a tree - are happening. Theo is - quite frankly - a mess but an entirely understandable one.
However, it lost me in the middle. I found the description / explanation of the Ouroboros confusing (like I found myself re-reading paragraphs and it still was not making sense to me) and there were various parts where I just lost the thread of what was happening (for example, there's a heist mid-book were the plan felt nonsensical).
I also never really got a good sense of any of the other characters. Perhaps the best example of this is Roman, a rogue member of the Federal Buruea of Reality, who gets a great introduction but then proceeds to just *exist*, making few contributions to the story except random mentions that were very 'oh, he's still there?'
There were a lot of moments I really liked scattered throughout out this book but everytime it engaged me it later lost me again, making for a very mixed reading experience.
Overall, I think sci-fi/ horror readers could still potentially enjoy this, but it wasn't for me.
nrskelley's review
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
This was a super slow read for me. I kept getting distracted from the story. And this is one you need to focus on to pick up on all the sci fi/horror elements. Overall the idea is appealing, searching for her sister, found family, and queer relationship steeped in horror. I just felt lost most of the time.
Perhaps I will pick it up sometime and re read it when I have no distractions at all.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.
Perhaps I will pick it up sometime and re read it when I have no distractions at all.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.
amyashby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Eye of the Ouroboros was the first cosmic horror book I have ever read. Although this story personally wasn't for me and I found myself becoming more confused as the plot thickened, there were plenty of elements to this story I absolutely loved. The exploration of the relationship between the two sisters in this book and the found family trope were some of my favourite elements in this little sci fi novella. I may consider reading more of Bontragers work in the future!