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drrodman29's review against another edition
3.0
This book had so much potential. I loved the premise. It started off so well and I was instantly hooked. I like the writing style. However, there is just something that’s missing. I also dislike it when a book has heaps of buildup to have the “big showdown” last like a page.
mickeyreads's review against another edition
2.0
To badly summarise (because it’s 11pm and I just read this in like 4 hours)
- Characters that had no depth outside of their past trauma that was info dumped in chunks, including a FMC whose life only character traits were being pretty but not too pretty and being thin and eating diet bars, and a MMC who was a soldier once upon a time.
- A rather predictable and, I’ll be perfectly honest, anticlimactic twist.
- Writing reminiscent of a mid to late 2010’s YA novel (you know, the ones with the vampires and angels that were churned out without editing in the age of wattpad)
- Stilted, unnatural, and cringe worthy dialogue
- no well rounded character motivations (not even from the villan)
- no real resolution
- the lowest stakes for the main characters
- points were made and then re explained constantly, this book was in a constant state of telling, not showing, to the point it felt like it was written for someone with the reading level of a 6 year old.
This book was very readable, I pushed through all of the things I hated because I wanted to know what happened, and found myself unbearably disappointed. Not my worst read of the year, but definitely my second worst so far.
Read this if: You want an easy “horror” (I put horror in quotations because it was not at all atmospheric or scary) and don’t want to have to do any reading comprehension at all. All in all this is the kind of book that feels like it’s written for people who don’t read.
- Characters that had no depth outside of their past trauma that was info dumped in chunks, including a FMC whose life only character traits were being pretty but not too pretty and being thin and eating diet bars, and a MMC who was a soldier once upon a time.
- A rather predictable and, I’ll be perfectly honest, anticlimactic twist.
- Writing reminiscent of a mid to late 2010’s YA novel (you know, the ones with the vampires and angels that were churned out without editing in the age of wattpad)
- Stilted, unnatural, and cringe worthy dialogue
- no well rounded character motivations (not even from the villan)
- no real resolution
- the lowest stakes for the main characters
- points were made and then re explained constantly, this book was in a constant state of telling, not showing, to the point it felt like it was written for someone with the reading level of a 6 year old.
This book was very readable, I pushed through all of the things I hated because I wanted to know what happened, and found myself unbearably disappointed. Not my worst read of the year, but definitely my second worst so far.
Read this if: You want an easy “horror” (I put horror in quotations because it was not at all atmospheric or scary) and don’t want to have to do any reading comprehension at all. All in all this is the kind of book that feels like it’s written for people who don’t read.
beccathebookslayer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
3p0tlj's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
funky_lesbian's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
lenarthoe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
poucks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Finished reading:
Murder Road by Simone St. James
⭐⭐⭐,5
👻
I have to be honest, this book wasn't really my jam... I never really liked mystery - thriller - who done it kind of books, but it still sounded pretty good and once I got the book, I immediately gave it a go.
Even though it's not really my thing, there were Moments the book had me hooked for a while. And at other moments, it completely lost me and I had to plow through to get to the better stuff again.
However, I am sure if mystery thriller with a touch of paranormal is your thing, this is gonna be a BANGER, because the story itself was well thought out, very well executed and just all in all an interesting topic!
I also have to add I liked the MMC, but not so much the FMC. I think because I could relate to the MMC's story and issues way more than I could the FMC.
But, like I said. It's a great story and well written, just sadly, it wasn't my thing. Still gave it 3,5 stars though!
Murder Road by Simone St. James
⭐⭐⭐,5
👻
I have to be honest, this book wasn't really my jam... I never really liked mystery - thriller - who done it kind of books, but it still sounded pretty good and once I got the book, I immediately gave it a go.
Even though it's not really my thing, there were Moments the book had me hooked for a while. And at other moments, it completely lost me and I had to plow through to get to the better stuff again.
However, I am sure if mystery thriller with a touch of paranormal is your thing, this is gonna be a BANGER, because the story itself was well thought out, very well executed and just all in all an interesting topic!
I also have to add I liked the MMC, but not so much the FMC. I think because I could relate to the MMC's story and issues way more than I could the FMC.
But, like I said. It's a great story and well written, just sadly, it wasn't my thing. Still gave it 3,5 stars though!
delslibrary1313's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
kimberlyf's review against another edition
4.0
It’s 1995 and newlyweds April and Eddie are so excited to be on their honeymoon—they just have to make it there first… On their way, they get lost along some country backroads and come across a troubled hitchhiker. When they stop to help, they notice that the girl has been seriously injured. April and Eddie immediately shift into caretaker roles to save the girl and it soon becomes clear that she hasn’t been the first person to suffer this fate: left alone and injured on the side of this very road. Desperate to prove their innocence—that they did not harm the girl—April and Eddie start to dig in to the town’s past to discover the secrets hidden.
Well… I have been disappointed by more than one St. James read so I was debating if I should even read this one or give up on her books forever. I was hoping this one would be different and didn't feel ready to give up so I went in with an open mind and I’m here to report... That I really enjoyed it.
Starting with what I liked:
-The first 50 pages had me absolutely hooked.
-I really liked Rose and the Snell sisters.
-Any book with a paranormal element immediately adds enjoyment for me.
-The plot was original.
What I didn’t like:
-This was set in the 90s but the story as a whole didn’t really support it (except for the fact that there were a couple OJ references) and I found it unnecessary. It didn’t take away from the story for me, per se, but if an author is going to set a story in a different time period I want to feel immersed in that decade and this didn’t deliver.
-I enjoyed the paranormal aspect but felt that it could have been played up a bit more—especially toward the beginning of the book. I didn't feel particularly creeped out.
-St. James used expressions like “army fast” and “iraq calm” to describe Eddie to drive home the point that he used to be in the military but wtf. IRAQ CALM?! hahahaha no
Overall, it was enjoyable but there was still something lacking. 3.5 stars
Well… I have been disappointed by more than one St. James read so I was debating if I should even read this one or give up on her books forever. I was hoping this one would be different and didn't feel ready to give up so I went in with an open mind and I’m here to report... That I really enjoyed it.
Starting with what I liked:
-The first 50 pages had me absolutely hooked.
-I really liked Rose and the Snell sisters.
-Any book with a paranormal element immediately adds enjoyment for me.
-The plot was original.
What I didn’t like:
-This was set in the 90s but the story as a whole didn’t really support it (except for the fact that there were a couple OJ references) and I found it unnecessary. It didn’t take away from the story for me, per se, but if an author is going to set a story in a different time period I want to feel immersed in that decade and this didn’t deliver.
-I enjoyed the paranormal aspect but felt that it could have been played up a bit more—especially toward the beginning of the book. I didn't feel particularly creeped out.
-St. James used expressions like “army fast” and “iraq calm” to describe Eddie to drive home the point that he used to be in the military but wtf. IRAQ CALM?! hahahaha no
Overall, it was enjoyable but there was still something lacking. 3.5 stars