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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I listened to this book through Audible and it was a mistake. A twisty, turny book and caring for a one month old are not compatible. I will reread this eventually and fill the holes with the pieces that I missed. I did enjoy it though. It felt very much like Stephen King and Castle Rock.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
I couldn't finish this book, mostly because it was hammering politics where it was not needed. Show, don't tell principle is unknown to the author. I should have written something as soon as I switched to another book three weeks ago, while it was still fresh in my memory. I was still hoping I'd feel like picking it up again, but alas. And the irony is that yes, I agree with all his points - the climate change is caused by humans, police is killing a bit more people than required, and shooting kids at school should be frowned upon. But I don't need to read a random character pontificating about such things, unless they have something to do with the story.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
2.5 stars - This story tries to be too many things - an epic saga of good vs. evil, a heart-wrenching commentary on generational trauma, a mind-bending story of multiple dimensions... and really fails to flesh out any of those things fully.
There are also too many "important" characters to care about, so you end up not really caring much about any of them.
There are also too many "important" characters to care about, so you end up not really caring much about any of them.
2.5 rounded up to a 3 because I DNF’d this one. The writing style did not vibe with me, not a fan of the over sensitive child character or the school bullies stuff. Just was not enjoying the reading experience.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was so fun to read. It almost felt like a classic Stephen King story, but with more pop culture references. With so many moving parts at play, Wendig did a great job of weaving it all together without leaving any gaping plot holes. And there were some great moments of horror, as well as those complicated family relationships that I love to read about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Torture, Murder
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-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:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book! There is a nice, good slow build up and Chuck did a great job of getting me to care about the characters and made the antagonist a good one to hate. The slightly ambiguous ending was nice to leave for imagination and the second half had a choke hold on me.