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moneyispizza's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Stalking
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Bullying
liahopkins's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loner tells the dark, gruesome story of an unpopular, but academically gifted and socially ambitious teenage boy who becomes obsessed with a fellow student at Harvard University. It is unsettling, disturbing and twisted, but so captivating. I normally find myself not being drawn to novels with unlikable main characters, but still I couldn't put down this one. In the beginning, there were some instances where you could relate to David, like him planning ahead in every conversation and trying so hard to be accepted by the more popular students; but throughout the story, his sociopathic, obsessive tendencies come to light more and more. Having him as a narrator is very intriguing, because he is so unreliable: as a reader, you are struck by the way he so obviously misinterprets and overanalyses Veronica's every move, but David is so self-absorbed and supercilious that he just cannot understand.
When I was starting to read the book, I was scared that the protagonist would be glorified too much (how it is sometimes done with the "sociopathic dark character"), but that's definitely not the case here. You don't root for David, and sometimes I wanted to get into the book, slap him in the face and tell him to TAKE THE GODDAMN HINT.
Overall, Loner was a very good read, even though I didn't love it in the same way I loved some other novels. That's also why I hesitated to give 5 stars, but the writing in the book is just too good and captivating and the whole story definitely left a long-lasting impression on me.
When I was starting to read the book, I was scared that the protagonist would be glorified too much (how it is sometimes done with the "sociopathic dark character"), but that's definitely not the case here. You don't root for David, and sometimes I wanted to get into the book, slap him in the face and tell him to TAKE THE GODDAMN HINT.
Overall, Loner was a very good read, even though I didn't love it in the same way I loved some other novels. That's also why I hesitated to give 5 stars, but the writing in the book is just too good and captivating and the whole story definitely left a long-lasting impression on me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Stalking, Sexual content, and Rape
Moderate: Drug use and Bullying
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