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2.94 AVERAGE
2.94 AVERAGE
The little bit of action was good but didn’t make up for the chapters full of nothing happening before that.
I'd say this is 2.5/5.
There's nothing wrong with the writing, per se, although it does lean a bit towards the flowery. The references to 90s kid culture and 80s slasher films were fun, but often felt gratuitous (for example, an extended discussion of the flavor of strawberry Fruit by the Foot).
I wasn't a fan of the time jumping coupled with the shifting POVs. I had to keep referring back to who was talking and when. It makes the story seem very jumbled.
As many other reviews have said, calling this a thriller is a bit of a stretch. There are about 2 (maybe 3) chapters where anything remotely "thiller"-y actually happens, the rest of the book is more a psychological profile of kids dealing with trauma.
Verona has potential, I just think this wasn't the best example of what the author is capable of.
There's nothing wrong with the writing, per se, although it does lean a bit towards the flowery. The references to 90s kid culture and 80s slasher films were fun, but often felt gratuitous (for example, an extended discussion of the flavor of strawberry Fruit by the Foot).
I wasn't a fan of the time jumping coupled with the shifting POVs. I had to keep referring back to who was talking and when. It makes the story seem very jumbled.
As many other reviews have said, calling this a thriller is a bit of a stretch. There are about 2 (maybe 3) chapters where anything remotely "thiller"-y actually happens, the rest of the book is more a psychological profile of kids dealing with trauma.
Verona has potential, I just think this wasn't the best example of what the author is capable of.
My thoughts on this book are on The Sib's Book Club Discord and the November live show on my YouTube channel.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a lot of fun. It felt like a low-key slasher film from the early 90s.
Quick and fun, just how I like my thrillers! It may have been a tad predictable, but it gave off the perfect vibes for the story it wanted to tell, certainly capturing the innocence of the early 90’s. Definitely one that I’d suggest if anyone wants a quick read.
Reads like a YA suspense story about a babysitter's evening in 1993. Lots of classic horror movie references - I probably missed some. Short, easy read. I was not the target audience for this book - I think someone who likes this genre would have enjoyed it more.
I don’t recommend reading this after Stephen Graham Jones’ brilliant Indian Lake trilogy. Which, of course, is exactly what I did.
It’s not really a horror novel, which is fine, but protagonist Amy, despite her love for and working knowledge of horror films, is not the Final Girl that Jade Daniels is. On the other hand, who is?
Amy babysits a couple of kids in the midst of a crime wave — breaking and entering, with some weird details. Verona does a nice job of creating a character with Amy, but it takes a while for things to get going. This read almost like part of a larger, longer, better novel.
Emily Ruth Verona takes us back and forth in time, back to when Amy had a babysitter, who shows up at the house in the present (the present in this case being October of 1993) dating the older, obnoxious brother of Amy’s boyfriend.
There is talk of ghosts and such, and like Jade, Amy draws on her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films to navigate both the day-to-day terrors of being a teenager and the more unusual ones brought to bear here.
It’s a good book, not great, but with enough going for it to make it worth watching what Verona does next.
It’s not really a horror novel, which is fine, but protagonist Amy, despite her love for and working knowledge of horror films, is not the Final Girl that Jade Daniels is. On the other hand, who is?
Amy babysits a couple of kids in the midst of a crime wave — breaking and entering, with some weird details. Verona does a nice job of creating a character with Amy, but it takes a while for things to get going. This read almost like part of a larger, longer, better novel.
Emily Ruth Verona takes us back and forth in time, back to when Amy had a babysitter, who shows up at the house in the present (the present in this case being October of 1993) dating the older, obnoxious brother of Amy’s boyfriend.
There is talk of ghosts and such, and like Jade, Amy draws on her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films to navigate both the day-to-day terrors of being a teenager and the more unusual ones brought to bear here.
It’s a good book, not great, but with enough going for it to make it worth watching what Verona does next.