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jesswho's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Confinement
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Gun violence, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Self harm
paronomaniac's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
My goodness, this book is boring. The writer commits a cardinal sin; instead of showing the reader her story, she just tells it by having the protagonist go to different people to learn more of the story. It’s like the dullest TED Talk.
Better off reading The Da Vinci Code again; at least that book has some action.
Better off reading The Da Vinci Code again; at least that book has some action.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Suicide
leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
3.0
The Puzzle Master wasn’t the book for me but others may enjoy it more. Many people love books like The DaVinci Code, and they may also enjoy this one. Based on the premise, I expected a book focused on the main character, a puzzle creating and solving genius, becoming involved with solving a mysterious crime. There were other mysterious/ supernatural factors at play that were overly complicated for me, and the supernatural thriller/ horror elements also made it not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Death, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Murder, Body horror, and Car accident
amhud1030's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Gun violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Murder
gimmebacon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
First of all... trigger warning if antique dolls freak you right out!
Acquired savant syndrome and synesthesia are fascinating to me so I liked that I was able to sort of experience those alongside Mike in a way. I also love puzzles. This book did have several of them that Mike had to figure out along the way, mostly of the word variety. At the beginning of the book, he is given an incomplete puzzle and tasked with not only figuring out what is missing, but find its solution. He is helped by several experts in different fields and has a wild adventure in (I believe) a 2 or 3 day time span. It definitely does give off Dan Brown vibes with a supernatural twist.
If you enjoy books that give your brain a workout, especially regarding theories of consciousness, you will definitely enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Acquired savant syndrome and synesthesia are fascinating to me so I liked that I was able to sort of experience those alongside Mike in a way. I also love puzzles. This book did have several of them that Mike had to figure out along the way, mostly of the word variety. At the beginning of the book, he is given an incomplete puzzle and tasked with not only figuring out what is missing, but find its solution. He is helped by several experts in different fields and has a wild adventure in (I believe) a 2 or 3 day time span. It definitely does give off Dan Brown vibes with a supernatural twist.
If you enjoy books that give your brain a workout, especially regarding theories of consciousness, you will definitely enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
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