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francisovi's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
lhart2222's review against another edition
4.0
4/5
New York is brought to a panicked standstill at a number of elevator “accidents” within the city. The buildings targeted are all linked in some way… but what links them? We follow several characters in this book, one is a Journalist called Barbara. Barbara is incredibly critical of Mayor Richard Headley and the way he’s running the city of New York, slewing his name in her articles frequently, but there is more to the passages than just her political views. Meanwhile just as the first elevator incident occurs detectives Jerry Borque and Lois Delgado find the disfigured corpse of an unidentifiable man. As their investigation prolongs is there more to the body than just a random, and brutal murder.
This book was different, it has a unique story and did fill me with intrigue after reading its description. It’s well written and I must say flows very well and is incredibly easy to digest. The story is enjoyable and makes sense throughout, and has several intricacies which add another layer of depth. I did enjoy reading this book and finished it in three 150+ pages, the author did a good job of not telling too much too soon keeping the element of mystery.
However, I would say it lacked a little something. The characters were, okay. There are several at the forefront of the book but only one or two stood out to me as having the desired effect on the reader. With this it didn’t quite feel as tense as I think it was supposed to, it was really good, but no moments filled me with any real shock or thrill. For this reason, it was only a four-star.
Overall this book was very solid, yes I didn’t get the buzz or excitement I quite wanted, but it still provided an entertaining and engaging story that was different from any I’ve seen before.
New York is brought to a panicked standstill at a number of elevator “accidents” within the city. The buildings targeted are all linked in some way… but what links them? We follow several characters in this book, one is a Journalist called Barbara. Barbara is incredibly critical of Mayor Richard Headley and the way he’s running the city of New York, slewing his name in her articles frequently, but there is more to the passages than just her political views. Meanwhile just as the first elevator incident occurs detectives Jerry Borque and Lois Delgado find the disfigured corpse of an unidentifiable man. As their investigation prolongs is there more to the body than just a random, and brutal murder.
This book was different, it has a unique story and did fill me with intrigue after reading its description. It’s well written and I must say flows very well and is incredibly easy to digest. The story is enjoyable and makes sense throughout, and has several intricacies which add another layer of depth. I did enjoy reading this book and finished it in three 150+ pages, the author did a good job of not telling too much too soon keeping the element of mystery.
However, I would say it lacked a little something. The characters were, okay. There are several at the forefront of the book but only one or two stood out to me as having the desired effect on the reader. With this it didn’t quite feel as tense as I think it was supposed to, it was really good, but no moments filled me with any real shock or thrill. For this reason, it was only a four-star.
Overall this book was very solid, yes I didn’t get the buzz or excitement I quite wanted, but it still provided an entertaining and engaging story that was different from any I’ve seen before.
vlc91199's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Very tense! Never knew what was gonna happen next. I liked all the different points of view
alicekd's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Islamophobia
frannie_rose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-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? No
vandermeer's review against another edition
2.0
Fängt gut an, aber bei Dreiviertel ist die Luft raus. Ich ertappe mich beim Überfliegen und habe eigentlich keine Lust mehr. Es ist ganz gut geschrieben, aber keiner der Protagonisten ist besonders interessant oder sympathisch und es passiert nicht viel. Ich werde jetzt ein paar Rezensionen lesen, die sind wahrscheinlich unterhaltsamer. Hoffentlich verrät jemand das Ende, damit ich es nicht selbst lesen muss.
Nachtrag: Danke an Brandon, der eine schöne Zusammenfassung der Geschehnisse schreibt. Gut, dass ich es mir nicht antun muss, das ist an Klischee nicht zu überbieten.
Nachtrag: Danke an Brandon, der eine schöne Zusammenfassung der Geschehnisse schreibt. Gut, dass ich es mir nicht antun muss, das ist an Klischee nicht zu überbieten.
cymshady's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up because I could not put this one down!
Wow! The short chapters kept me excited and I didn’t figure out the antagonist until the last few pages. I enjoyed the larger cast of characters and how they interacted with each other in various parts of the novel. Probably won’t go on an elevator for awhile kthxbye
Wow! The short chapters kept me excited and I didn’t figure out the antagonist until the last few pages. I enjoyed the larger cast of characters and how they interacted with each other in various parts of the novel. Probably won’t go on an elevator for awhile kthxbye
kellijoy's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up this book after Stephen King tweeted that it was a must read. It was a tough one to get ahold of from the library (probably because of the recommendation and it just came out)and I eventually just took out the large print. Anyway, on to the book. Linwood Barclay weaves a story based in New York that involves politics, journalism, and quite a bit of death via elevators. It’s a frightening tale that you could see happening in such a vertical city like NY. While the tag line on the front makes it sound like a cheesy read, “when the doors close he’s got you”, it’s not the case at all. About half way through the book the author has you wrapped up in the twists and turns and fully invested in some of the characters lives that when it all comes to a shocking end, you feel like your best friends moved away after a terrible tragedy. Good recommendation Mr. King.
lisawhelpley's review against another edition
5.0
4 for the boom and the fifth star for the highly entertaining narration of the audio book by Johnathan McClain.
dostoyevskyism's review against another edition
1.0
I am wondering why didn’t I just drop it instead of wasting my time. It lacked so much from the characterisation to the actual plot, the characters were so shallow and seemed like they got plucked out from “a run of the mill” soap tv show.
at some point, I really though it was a parody on mystery/thriller genre, and I wish it were the case because then this book would have been less disappointing.
at some point, I really though it was a parody on mystery/thriller genre, and I wish it were the case because then this book would have been less disappointing.