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amichreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
nikneedsnovels's review
5.0
You are introduced right away to Patrick’s grief, it is palpable. Since Patrick’s daughter’s death he has been followed by crows. They are everywhere. Two couples receive invites to a Halloween party with a crow’s feather attached. I enjoyed the theatrical audio production, the soundtrack and sound effects really made you feel a part of the novella. A gory, fun, revenge, love story.
readabookmofo's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Crows presented an interesting premise that surprised me. At first, I expected a spinoff of Hitchcock's, The Birds, but it wasn't! Although a novella, it was admittedly hard for me to get into at first. The book didn't really pick up until roughly the halfway mark.
Mark Towse displayed an experienced and unique writing style; I'm sure after reading one or two more books of his, I would be able to identify his work without a book cover. This is hard to achieve. It's easy to be inspired by the greats and successful; Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, Grady Hendrix, Bram Stoker, Dean Koontz, Paul Tremblay, R.L Stine. But can an author take that inspiration and create a new voice, or does it turn into a mash-up of popular works? Towse achieves this.
I'm typically not a fan of comedic relief in horror/thriller as I often find it cheesy or cringy. Towse was able to get many genuine giggles out of me, which I throughout enjoyed. As an American, I also appreciated all the cultural references I picked up that helped immerse me.
The reveal was surprising; I was able to guess towards the end, but I was so engaged in the story I completely forgot about the beginning passage.
Some of the dialog tags and other word choices became repetitive; a curse of novellas, as repeated words stand out more. I didn't care for any of the main characters. I felt more emotion for a character that never had an actual role in the book than any of the primary or secondary characters.
The instant sedation trope is always going to bother me. I currently work in a field that heavily relies on anatomy and physiology. My mom has been a bedside trauma nurse for over 20 years. I got the pleasure of hearing her call out any piece of media that depicted incorrect procedures. The instant sedation trope is one of them and I'll always hate it.
There is no drug that will instantly render a human unconscious. Even if there was, randomly stabbing a needle somewhere would be effective (versus patiently finding an artery or vein).
I know it's a small thing and doesn't directly affect the plot at all, however, it completely takes me out of the reading. It also causes the author to lose a bit of credibility in my eyes, as this is an easily researched concept.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend. I've never been scared of birds, but Crows made me jump at bird sounds for a few days. The descriptions of torture inflicted by a mere crow were horrifying and the dark justice was welcomed. Grab a copy of Crows, to start your journey down Towse's growing published portfolio. I've seen he has a novel in the works; I'm excited to read more from him!
Mark Towse displayed an experienced and unique writing style; I'm sure after reading one or two more books of his, I would be able to identify his work without a book cover. This is hard to achieve. It's easy to be inspired by the greats and successful; Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, Grady Hendrix, Bram Stoker, Dean Koontz, Paul Tremblay, R.L Stine. But can an author take that inspiration and create a new voice, or does it turn into a mash-up of popular works? Towse achieves this.
I'm typically not a fan of comedic relief in horror/thriller as I often find it cheesy or cringy. Towse was able to get many genuine giggles out of me, which I throughout enjoyed. As an American, I also appreciated all the cultural references I picked up that helped immerse me.
The reveal was surprising; I was able to guess towards the end, but I was so engaged in the story I completely forgot about the beginning passage.
Some of the dialog tags and other word choices became repetitive; a curse of novellas, as repeated words stand out more. I didn't care for any of the main characters. I felt more emotion for a character that never had an actual role in the book than any of the primary or secondary characters.
The instant sedation trope is always going to bother me. I currently work in a field that heavily relies on anatomy and physiology. My mom has been a bedside trauma nurse for over 20 years. I got the pleasure of hearing her call out any piece of media that depicted incorrect procedures. The instant sedation trope is one of them and I'll always hate it.
There is no drug that will instantly render a human unconscious. Even if there was, randomly stabbing a needle somewhere would be effective (versus patiently finding an artery or vein).
I know it's a small thing and doesn't directly affect the plot at all, however, it completely takes me out of the reading. It also causes the author to lose a bit of credibility in my eyes, as this is an easily researched concept.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend. I've never been scared of birds, but Crows made me jump at bird sounds for a few days. The descriptions of torture inflicted by a mere crow were horrifying and the dark justice was welcomed. Grab a copy of Crows, to start your journey down Towse's growing published portfolio. I've seen he has a novel in the works; I'm excited to read more from him!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Suicide and Sexual assault
mytobereadstash's review
4.0
*Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review!*
Well, now I'm terrified of crows. Thanks.
Well, now I'm terrified of crows. Thanks.
chelldaniellebooks's review
I thought it’d be a good idea to read it just before bed 🙃
Spoiler; it wasn’t a good idea as I’m now freaked out and the bird sounds outside are scaring me😂
I mean it kinda makes it the perfect horror really.
And as a novella it sure packed a punch for a quick read!
I had no idea where this book was going and it was honestly just creepy the entire way through.
A culty horror read that honestly will have you freaked out.
I look forward to reading more of Mark’s work and this is a great read for the spooky season!
There’s a reason a group of crows is called a murder…..
Spoiler; it wasn’t a good idea as I’m now freaked out and the bird sounds outside are scaring me😂
I mean it kinda makes it the perfect horror really.
And as a novella it sure packed a punch for a quick read!
I had no idea where this book was going and it was honestly just creepy the entire way through.
A culty horror read that honestly will have you freaked out.
I look forward to reading more of Mark’s work and this is a great read for the spooky season!
There’s a reason a group of crows is called a murder…..
thesleepyreader79's review
5.0
This is the third book by Mark Towse that I have read. The first being Hope Wharf that I received as an ARC and thoroughly enjoyed, and the second being Nana, that I sought out and was completely grossed out but in a good way. Mark Towse is quickly becoming an author that I will read no matter what because his stories are so immersive.
Patrick is a priest and the father of a young girl who committed suicide and he is deep within his grief when the story begins. We get a glimpse of what his life has become but it's about to get a whole lot weirder.
The next leg of the story features Vanessa, Rich, Scott and Sophie. Vanessa and Scott are each visited by a crow, and each receive an invitation to a Halloween party. Taking Rich and Sophie as their plus ones, the group head out on a mysterious journey to find the party. After traveling for what seems an eternity, they arrive at a dilapidated shop where a woman dresses as a crow scares the hell out of them. They eventually arrive at the party and things take a very dark turn from there.
I won't go in to much else, lest I give away any spoilers. Suffice it to say that this book is fantastic. Even though its a novella, you can totally immerse yourself in the setting, the story and you can see the characters are perfectly written. The plot twist is one you'll never see coming. I have long been fascinated with crows and this book just reiterates that fascination and gives me a new view on what crows might actually be up to. This is not a book that should be missed.
Patrick is a priest and the father of a young girl who committed suicide and he is deep within his grief when the story begins. We get a glimpse of what his life has become but it's about to get a whole lot weirder.
The next leg of the story features Vanessa, Rich, Scott and Sophie. Vanessa and Scott are each visited by a crow, and each receive an invitation to a Halloween party. Taking Rich and Sophie as their plus ones, the group head out on a mysterious journey to find the party. After traveling for what seems an eternity, they arrive at a dilapidated shop where a woman dresses as a crow scares the hell out of them. They eventually arrive at the party and things take a very dark turn from there.
I won't go in to much else, lest I give away any spoilers. Suffice it to say that this book is fantastic. Even though its a novella, you can totally immerse yourself in the setting, the story and you can see the characters are perfectly written. The plot twist is one you'll never see coming. I have long been fascinated with crows and this book just reiterates that fascination and gives me a new view on what crows might actually be up to. This is not a book that should be missed.
booksandhorr0r's review
5.0
Having read one of Towse books Hope Wharf , I was excited to get stuck into Crows after Towse had so kindly sent it to me and my did it exceed my expectations.
The story is of a father’s grief and the lengths he goes to for revenge. It is a story of how far are you willing to go for the sake of your child. The story was dark and unsettling, the journey through the woods made for an ominous backdropping into what was going to happen next, two couples who both very different invited to a Halloween party by someone they don’t know of course was going to end in disaster , how the disaster was , was not one I was expecting. I loved the build up and tension to the finale, the references to the crows and humans. I loved the touch of folk horror and the cultish behaviour of the people the couples stumble across. My only downside was that the only character I connected to and felt for was the father, the other 4 I wasn’t really bothered what the outcome would be for them.
Overall I really enjoyed Crows. If you like folk horror thriller with dark unsettling undertones than definitely give this story a read.
thespookybibliophile's review
4.0
Mark Towse has become the master at creating creepy old ladies and situations in which I hope to never find myself in. Especially this Par-Tee.
Crows is an equally hilarious as it is disturbing ride. A father in mourning, a suspicious Halloween party invitation, a double-date with quarreling ex-lovers, and seriously - what is up with those nuisance crows? Are they trying to reach you about your ‘cawwws’ extended warranty, or are they up to something a little more sinister?
For a short novella, this one hit all the right marks. Every time I thought I had an idea about where this story was taking me, I was wrong. I certainly didn’t see the ending coming and Towse somehow managed to pull it all together for a satisfying quick read.
grantturner13's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ashleytreads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
“Some people are born evil, and some are made, but their path is irrelevant.” - Crows by Mark Towse
This book was definitely eerie. It starts off with a man going to visit his daughter’s grave. He finds a black crow feather… and then it moves on to new characters a few years later. They get an invitation to a Halloween party with a black crow feather attached to it. What is the connection? Is there one? What do the crows have to do with anything?
I’m really glad this was a novella because I wanted to know what happened right then. It took me about 2.5 hours to read this. It was super quick and action packed. There were lots of questions in this story and they were all answered. The ending was really odd, but I think it was supposed to be. There were gory parts, but not worse than No Exit by Taylor Adams (if you’ve read that one).
This book left me with an unsettled feeling which is why it gets 4⭐️. It’s supposed to, but it’s like when I watch horror movies. I can never say that one is truly amazing, because of the way it makes me feel. But I did enjoy this story & I highly recommend it if you like spooky/horror!
I was given a free e-copy of this story by the author, Mark Towse, in exchange for an honest review.
This book was definitely eerie. It starts off with a man going to visit his daughter’s grave. He finds a black crow feather… and then it moves on to new characters a few years later. They get an invitation to a Halloween party with a black crow feather attached to it. What is the connection? Is there one? What do the crows have to do with anything?
I’m really glad this was a novella because I wanted to know what happened right then. It took me about 2.5 hours to read this. It was super quick and action packed. There were lots of questions in this story and they were all answered. The ending was really odd, but I think it was supposed to be. There were gory parts, but not worse than No Exit by Taylor Adams (if you’ve read that one).
This book left me with an unsettled feeling which is why it gets 4⭐️. It’s supposed to, but it’s like when I watch horror movies. I can never say that one is truly amazing, because of the way it makes me feel. But I did enjoy this story & I highly recommend it if you like spooky/horror!
I was given a free e-copy of this story by the author, Mark Towse, in exchange for an honest review.