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someonetookit's review
4.0
Where can I start? This one was a strange one. It definitely fits within the horror genre that its touted as being, but it also doesn’t read like a classic horror type novel (or doesn’t compared to the ones I typically read). From the get-go, the reader gets a sense that something is not right with Sean or his chipper as hell Grandfather. But it doesn’t become particularly apparent until Sean gets a few stories into the collection his grandfather published following the death of his beloved wife, The Book of Baku.
If you are familiar with mythology and culture of Pan Asian countries, you may be familiar with the notion of the Baku – this creature enters the bedrooms of those who called having woken from a nightmare and eats it in order to give someone a better night sleep. But if your nightmare doesn’t fill the Baku, they will also take your hopes and dreams. Utilising the pre-existing mythology, Boyle has spun it into a modern day, brooding masterpiece. I am still confused however as to whether the Baku was actually supposed to be present or if Sean is having a psychotic break the entire time.
I will say, if you are after a novel that is fast and punchy, this is kind of not it. In the beginning, the pace is great as Sean’s world starts to fall apart. But then it becomes repetitive with his flashbacks occurring more often but also not seeming to get any creepier or twisty. In fact, what began as a creepy and sinister feeling, just kind of faded because it didn’t give me anything new. I was however surprised as to the death in family that really got the ball rolling and how it all went down for Sean to be at The Paddock.
Overall, while maintaining a slight sense of something sinister, Book of Baku is a good one for new readers of horror – think Cass Khaw with training wheels. The pace, while gradually slowing, eventually picked up for the final reveal with revelations that surprised me for the most part. I really enjoyed the utilisation of the Baku to tell a story of psychosis, denial, and tragedy as it provided a unique viewpoint for the type of horror that this novel is.
If you are familiar with mythology and culture of Pan Asian countries, you may be familiar with the notion of the Baku – this creature enters the bedrooms of those who called having woken from a nightmare and eats it in order to give someone a better night sleep. But if your nightmare doesn’t fill the Baku, they will also take your hopes and dreams. Utilising the pre-existing mythology, Boyle has spun it into a modern day, brooding masterpiece. I am still confused however as to whether the Baku was actually supposed to be present or if Sean is having a psychotic break the entire time.
I will say, if you are after a novel that is fast and punchy, this is kind of not it. In the beginning, the pace is great as Sean’s world starts to fall apart. But then it becomes repetitive with his flashbacks occurring more often but also not seeming to get any creepier or twisty. In fact, what began as a creepy and sinister feeling, just kind of faded because it didn’t give me anything new. I was however surprised as to the death in family that really got the ball rolling and how it all went down for Sean to be at The Paddock.
Overall, while maintaining a slight sense of something sinister, Book of Baku is a good one for new readers of horror – think Cass Khaw with training wheels. The pace, while gradually slowing, eventually picked up for the final reveal with revelations that surprised me for the most part. I really enjoyed the utilisation of the Baku to tell a story of psychosis, denial, and tragedy as it provided a unique viewpoint for the type of horror that this novel is.
emeraldreviews's review
5.0
A nightmare inducing book that is perfect for this time of year!
The Book of Baku is an absolute triumph in the world of horror stories. R.L. Boyle has created a nightmarishly evil entity that is set to haunt your dreams alongside it’s demonic counterparts.
Sean, as main characters go, is fantastic. During the read I really felt a deep connection with him. As a result I felt the pain inflicted upon him, the dread that surrounded him and the happy memories that flooded his mind. Sean’s story is fraught with hardship, untapped talent and kind-heartedness. This is possibly what makes him a target for the Baku!
R.L. Boyle is a new author to me and in general I really struggle with new authors, some writing styles can fail to capture me and keep me interested but this is something that Boyle did not have an issue with. I read the first ‘chapter’ and I was hooked. Visions of an overcast dreary England formed in my mind, instantly forming an attachment to the story being a proud Englishman myself. The ideas of the Dulwood estate were notions that I could totally understand as I have known of many of these kinds of places in my life. I was able to envision the friend circle that Sean kept and the ‘gangs’ that plagued the estate. I was also able to store in my mind a majestic house in which Sean’s grandad lived, full of the décor that adorned my house when I was little. I pictured the beautiful library and the plentiful garden. With all this in my mind the scene was set and my infatuation with the story began. All this is testament to Boyle’s artistry and spectacular storytelling.
The horrors you will endure whilst reading this book will have goosebumps forming on your arms and chills running up and down your spine. The descriptive prowess of Boyle renders the reader a trembling husk of their former selves. These are all massive plus points for any good horror novel, the very least you want is to be scared of turning off the lights and checking those shadows in the peripheral of your vision. From a mirror eyed man to a deranged clown, there is guaranteed to be something in this novel to give you the heebie-jeebies.
Cutting away from the review for a moment, whilst writing this, I asked Siri how to spell heebie-jeebies and all she kept repeatedly saying was “eleven”. Naturally I was a bit confused but also curious. I turn to day 11 in The Book of Baku and no word of a lie, day 11 describes a nightmare that the Baku has consumed. These opening pages follow the nightmare of Mandy Simpson. Now me and Mandy share a common fear…clowns. Tell me this isn’t freaky. I am not making this up, it actually happened and my wife witnessed it first hand! *physically shivers*
Returning to my review, I wanted to make a special note aimed at the final few chapters of the book. Stop reading as you could consider these mild spoilers, skip this paragraph and you’ll be safe. The way the story begins to twist and turn back on its beginnings is incredibly written. I was totally ready for a horror story stock ending, but that didn’t happen. R.L. Boyle pulled a power slide to a totally different direction that was massively unexpected. Just as I was ready to feel like my review would be an average to good rating, I was propelled into the realms of exceptional, the family aspects and the revelations about the truth of Sean’s upbringing turned the story on its head that was so scary in itself, I am truly impressed.
I urge any horror novel fan to read this book. As a matter of fact, avid book readers of any genre will enjoy this absolutely splendid story. Packed full of heartfelt family love and deeply ingrained horror, you are sure to enjoy this book so much! I am definitely looking forward to reading more of R.L. Boyle’s works.
Remember…don’t feed the Baku.
The Book of Baku is an absolute triumph in the world of horror stories. R.L. Boyle has created a nightmarishly evil entity that is set to haunt your dreams alongside it’s demonic counterparts.
Sean, as main characters go, is fantastic. During the read I really felt a deep connection with him. As a result I felt the pain inflicted upon him, the dread that surrounded him and the happy memories that flooded his mind. Sean’s story is fraught with hardship, untapped talent and kind-heartedness. This is possibly what makes him a target for the Baku!
R.L. Boyle is a new author to me and in general I really struggle with new authors, some writing styles can fail to capture me and keep me interested but this is something that Boyle did not have an issue with. I read the first ‘chapter’ and I was hooked. Visions of an overcast dreary England formed in my mind, instantly forming an attachment to the story being a proud Englishman myself. The ideas of the Dulwood estate were notions that I could totally understand as I have known of many of these kinds of places in my life. I was able to envision the friend circle that Sean kept and the ‘gangs’ that plagued the estate. I was also able to store in my mind a majestic house in which Sean’s grandad lived, full of the décor that adorned my house when I was little. I pictured the beautiful library and the plentiful garden. With all this in my mind the scene was set and my infatuation with the story began. All this is testament to Boyle’s artistry and spectacular storytelling.
The horrors you will endure whilst reading this book will have goosebumps forming on your arms and chills running up and down your spine. The descriptive prowess of Boyle renders the reader a trembling husk of their former selves. These are all massive plus points for any good horror novel, the very least you want is to be scared of turning off the lights and checking those shadows in the peripheral of your vision. From a mirror eyed man to a deranged clown, there is guaranteed to be something in this novel to give you the heebie-jeebies.
Cutting away from the review for a moment, whilst writing this, I asked Siri how to spell heebie-jeebies and all she kept repeatedly saying was “eleven”. Naturally I was a bit confused but also curious. I turn to day 11 in The Book of Baku and no word of a lie, day 11 describes a nightmare that the Baku has consumed. These opening pages follow the nightmare of Mandy Simpson. Now me and Mandy share a common fear…clowns. Tell me this isn’t freaky. I am not making this up, it actually happened and my wife witnessed it first hand! *physically shivers*
Returning to my review, I wanted to make a special note aimed at the final few chapters of the book. Stop reading as you could consider these mild spoilers, skip this paragraph and you’ll be safe. The way the story begins to twist and turn back on its beginnings is incredibly written. I was totally ready for a horror story stock ending, but that didn’t happen. R.L. Boyle pulled a power slide to a totally different direction that was massively unexpected. Just as I was ready to feel like my review would be an average to good rating, I was propelled into the realms of exceptional, the family aspects and the revelations about the truth of Sean’s upbringing turned the story on its head that was so scary in itself, I am truly impressed.
I urge any horror novel fan to read this book. As a matter of fact, avid book readers of any genre will enjoy this absolutely splendid story. Packed full of heartfelt family love and deeply ingrained horror, you are sure to enjoy this book so much! I am definitely looking forward to reading more of R.L. Boyle’s works.
Remember…don’t feed the Baku.
goddess_of_gore_vix's review
5.0
I am stunned this book isn't being talked about more. It's creepy when it needs to be, desolate and heartbreaking. It's just brilliant. It has everything- horror, disability, friendships, grief, and those brief glimpses of beauty that life can throw your way while you feel life's purpose sinking from you. An amazing debut horror. I hope R.L Boyle continues to produce horror because I will happily read what comes next.
The writing is tremendous and absorbing, with all the characters well drawn, it was so easy to build them in your mind. Sean's daily log of everything getting worse and worse until the final chapter. This was a five star read from beginning to end for me.
The nightmares in this book are so jarring that I think every reader will find something that unsettles them too. For me it was the third one! I didn't enjoy that taking shape in my mind at all. Thanks Rebecca - not!
Absorbing read that will be sure to have your heartbreaking for Sean and his life.
The writing is tremendous and absorbing, with all the characters well drawn, it was so easy to build them in your mind. Sean's daily log of everything getting worse and worse until the final chapter. This was a five star read from beginning to end for me.
The nightmares in this book are so jarring that I think every reader will find something that unsettles them too. For me it was the third one! I didn't enjoy that taking shape in my mind at all. Thanks Rebecca - not!
Absorbing read that will be sure to have your heartbreaking for Sean and his life.
thewoollygeek's review
5.0
I am amazed, this is the second YA horror that I have adored (I say this as I’m not a big fan generally) but this was fantastic. It's eerie and creepy at times, sad and heartbreaking. It covers the whole range of subjects disability, friendships, grief, and hope. The writing is wonderful and so good for a debut,
an addictive read that will be sure to have your heartbreaking at points. I’m surprised that this isn’t being raved about from rooftops, I’ve seen it compared with A Monster Calls and I can see why, it’s the same power within these pages. Fantastic and thoroughly recommended
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
an addictive read that will be sure to have your heartbreaking at points. I’m surprised that this isn’t being raved about from rooftops, I’ve seen it compared with A Monster Calls and I can see why, it’s the same power within these pages. Fantastic and thoroughly recommended
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
cookewitch's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I'm not a big one for horror, but this was very good...would make a good film!
Had vibes of The Gate (a film from the 80's), Pan's Labyrinth and Nightmare on Elm Street (but without the slashing!).
📖🐘📖
Had vibes of The Gate (a film from the 80's), Pan's Labyrinth and Nightmare on Elm Street (but without the slashing!).
📖🐘📖
real_mother_booker's review
3.0
This was very kindly sent to me by the author, complete with a personalised inscription, such a lovely touch
aggiesreadingtime's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ellereadsbookslike's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
~Short Synopsis~
Sean hasn't spoken a word since he went into care. Having grown up on a council estate surrounded by gangs and crime, Sean is not used to luxury. So when he sent to live with his wealthily grandfather, he struggles to adapt to his new affluent life. As soon as Sean starts to embrace a new world of drawing, sculpting and reading his grandad’s stories, his grandad becomes reserved, spending more and more time shut in his writing shed. And then the Baku appears...
~Review~
This story is grim, creepy and downright disgusting (in the best ways) but at its core is a heartfelt and bittersweet story of grief, regret and forgiveness.
I thought the character study of a person grieving and how grief can engulf a person was exquisite. I also think Boyle has superbly captured how experiences of grief can be so vastly different.
The atmosphere of this book is utterly stifling. Sean's inability to communicate adds to the isolation of the book and it builds and builds until it all explodes in the conclusion of the story. I honestly couldn't put it down for the last 100 pages.
This book is for a middlegrade/YA audience but I still found it quite scary. The snippets of the Baku stories gave me the shivers. I'd definitely recommend this if you're wanting to read more horror but don't want to jump in a the deep end.
~Short Synopsis~
Sean hasn't spoken a word since he went into care. Having grown up on a council estate surrounded by gangs and crime, Sean is not used to luxury. So when he sent to live with his wealthily grandfather, he struggles to adapt to his new affluent life. As soon as Sean starts to embrace a new world of drawing, sculpting and reading his grandad’s stories, his grandad becomes reserved, spending more and more time shut in his writing shed. And then the Baku appears...
~Review~
This story is grim, creepy and downright disgusting (in the best ways) but at its core is a heartfelt and bittersweet story of grief, regret and forgiveness.
I thought the character study of a person grieving and how grief can engulf a person was exquisite. I also think Boyle has superbly captured how experiences of grief can be so vastly different.
The atmosphere of this book is utterly stifling. Sean's inability to communicate adds to the isolation of the book and it builds and builds until it all explodes in the conclusion of the story. I honestly couldn't put it down for the last 100 pages.
This book is for a middlegrade/YA audience but I still found it quite scary. The snippets of the Baku stories gave me the shivers. I'd definitely recommend this if you're wanting to read more horror but don't want to jump in a the deep end.
morganjanedavis's review
4.0
Sean hasn’t spoken since the incident. When he’s sent from care to live with his retired grandfather, he’s able to devote his free time to doing what he loves: creating art. At first, his grandad’s home is a safe haven compared to Sean’s old life and he begins to really enjoy his time there. That is, until he snoops around his grandad’s old collections of works and stumbles on The Book of the Baku. As Sean reads through the different stories within the book, strange things start to happen. Eventually, his new house morphs from a place of refuge to a danger zone, his grandfather turning cold and essentially acting like a zombie. Sean has to figure out how to stop the Baku from sucking all of their life force, before it’s too late.
The Book of the Baku is an emotionally charged read. I was overwhelmed with empathy towards Sean, so many terrible things for a young boy to suffer. The relationship with his grandfather was endearing, with both characters trying to navigate a new relationship they desperately want to flourish. His experiences paired with the Baku’s nature made for a perfect storm, without the reader realizing it until all is revealed. Normally when a read saves the bombshell for the VERY end and hints at said bombshell throughout, I feel a lag, and the other details become less important as I’m focused on THE THING. That wasn’t the case here, the Baku and its (victims? worshippers?) were engaging to read about and I enjoyed the detail poured into each child’s backstory. When the shoe did finally drop, Boyle hit HARD, my empathy for Sean increasing tenfold. Although Sean endured horrible things, the reader is left with the message that with the help of others, perseverance is possible.
The Book of the Baku is an emotionally charged read. I was overwhelmed with empathy towards Sean, so many terrible things for a young boy to suffer. The relationship with his grandfather was endearing, with both characters trying to navigate a new relationship they desperately want to flourish. His experiences paired with the Baku’s nature made for a perfect storm, without the reader realizing it until all is revealed. Normally when a read saves the bombshell for the VERY end and hints at said bombshell throughout, I feel a lag, and the other details become less important as I’m focused on THE THING. That wasn’t the case here, the Baku and its (victims? worshippers?) were engaging to read about and I enjoyed the detail poured into each child’s backstory. When the shoe did finally drop, Boyle hit HARD, my empathy for Sean increasing tenfold. Although Sean endured horrible things, the reader is left with the message that with the help of others, perseverance is possible.