Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - This Thing Between Us

This is the first book I've read this year where I've really had to think for a few days about where I want to rate it-- and part of that comes down to the fact that I don't think I've ever read anything like it. Excepting, maybe, Devil House which I'm also in the middle of.

+ The first portion of the book has to be one of the best things I've read all year. A perfect amount of earnestness versus visceral emotion, experimental without being overly pretentious, scary without giving it all away in the first act. Such a beautiful rumination on grief and the way it sours and unravels us. I could live here.
+ Stunning characterization of a first-person narrator through their narration-- the way who he is is reflected back to us via his observations and interactions with other people. I feel other characters were characterized less, but still clearly-- and again, this felt like an excellent way to show how the narrator is made selfish by circumstance, the skew of external senses in favor of preserving the internal when you can.
+ Genuinely spooky. For the most part, I didn't feel bashed over the head with terror-- the build up to the "monster reveal" (so to speak) felt well-satisfied by the end. It was eerie and uncertain.

o The last third (or perhaps a little less) felt a little rushed. I don't need every loose end tied when it comes to a story like this, and I feel that the ending "advertisement" was very cool and felt true to the rest of the book. Still, compared to the first two-thirds, it felt oddly-weighted, a little too light and quick-paced to meander. A good reflection of Thiago's mental state, still, but not as satisfying as I would have liked.
o I'm putting this down as a neutral because I think at times it was a bit distracting or even too convenient for the story being told, but on a personal level, I really admire how clearly Moreno's appreciation of Horror as a genre, and of storytelling as a craft, comes through here. I have never read a King book (or? even seen a King movie?) but from all I know I could feel the homage echo. The balance between second- and first-person storytelling feels very "meta," but I personally found it really satisfying and fun to read. There are even aspects of more culturally-specific horror (and a reflection, I think, on the horrors of being isolated within a diaspora) that felt very loved and well-tended to. In all, I think the book may have been trying to do a few too many things at once, but it was engaging most of the way through.

- I did find the middle portion of the book-- which dealt chiefly with Thiago moving to Colorado, taking in a lost dog... and so on-- a bit... dragging in comparison to the first parts. Some part of this didn't feel necessary, and almost as though we lost the "heart" of the other portions of the book. Still, I think it was overall good, albeit more grotesque.

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kermit_the_wrong's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I'm quite confident this will be my favorite book of this year. It's brilliant and sad and funny. I have never read a book that was so easily able to lull me into a false sense of security only to blow everything up in my face. Multiple times. The audiobook is amazing and I highly recommend listening to it over reading it. The narrator is wonderful and it just really adds some extra depth to the story.

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mmccombs's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

I think I’d rate the first half or so of this book like 4/4.5 stars, but the rest of it kind of took the wind out of my sails. A vivid, dark, creepy portrait of grief, it provided a lot of weight and character depth I enjoy. Lots of creepy imagery and an undercurrent of humor, so I think if you like Stephen Graham Jones you’d like this book. Howeeevvverrr, I felt a little bit dissatisfied with the ending. I’m all for vague, chaotic endings but this just kind of felt rushed and disconnected. It seemed to lose its focus. But overall I really enjoyed this one and will read more from this author.

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kayleemace's review against another edition

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I can’t take dog deaths and animal cruelty in books. Not the books fault but not for me :(

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jillaay_h's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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