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covublitz's review
dark
mysterious
slow-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
2.0
ICK. I like the general idea of this book (serial killer in a theme park ), but omg.
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The trigger warning list for this book is a mile long (it would have been shorter to select what’s NOT in it), and it is WILDLY problematic. Characters are horribly unlikeable and should certainly all be in prison. The casual homophobia and transphobia are disgusting, as is the graphic and frequent pedophilia . Main character runs around with a victim mentality when she’s one of the worst of the bunch. Honestly, if they had all died I would have cheered.
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Two stars only because I couldn’t figure out the killer right away ( thought it was going to be the original park owner/child molester and faked his death in the fire so he could continue to kidnap teenage boys and lock them in the sex dungeon he built under the park — nope. Turned out to be an incel revenge plot because the new sexual predator/CEO had rejected this dude when he got too old to be her type, so he kidnapped all the people that aged out of her abuse, put them in the OG sex dungeon because they weren’t good enough for her anyway, and murdered them when he ran out of space and needed to go grab someone else. ).
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Picked it up for a horror/thriller bookclub. Hate-read my way through it, then took a really long, hot shower to get the ick off my skin. This book sticks with you, and not in a good way. Do not recommend.
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The trigger warning list for this book is a mile long (it would have been shorter to select what’s NOT in it), and it is WILDLY problematic. Characters are horribly unlikeable and should certainly all be in prison. The casual homophobia and transphobia are disgusting, as is the graphic and frequent pedophilia . Main character runs around with a victim mentality when she’s one of the worst of the bunch. Honestly, if they had all died I would have cheered.
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Two stars only because I couldn’t figure out the killer right away (
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Picked it up for a horror/thriller bookclub. Hate-read my way through it, then took a really long, hot shower to get the ick off my skin. This book sticks with you, and not in a good way. Do not recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Confinement, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, Torture, and Homophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Transphobia
goodgollymissmollee's review
2.75
The premise of this sounded really interesting to me. Carnivals, circuses, amusement parks are all settings i really enjoy. However, this book…. Was not it. The majority of the plot points revolves around an older woman taking advantage of teenage boys (18, but still wildly inappropriate since there was a power dynamic) but then they a full on 18yo man kiss one of our main characters who is FOURTEEN. And it’s not portrayed as predatory or problematic. Like yeah he says “you’re too young, I forgot” after the kiss but it’s just glossed over???? Like okay gross.
There’s also some very uncomfortably worded sex scenes that were minor infractions but still bothered me and grossed me out.
And I’m mad at the reveal cause the villain was the only character I actually liked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Grief, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Moderate: Transphobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Rape
chemistreadingonthejob's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Hair-raising, Unpredictable, and Calculated
Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier is a serial killer thriller that is hard to put down. Jennifer Hillier intricately weaves multiple perspectives into a cohesive story that reveals something shocking almost every chapter. The main protagonist Vanessa, a newly hired Deputy Police Chief and mother, has a compelling back story and a fierce personality. Unfortunately, just as her family starts over in Seaside, a homicide investigation threatens to topple the reputation of the area's main tourist attraction, Wonderland. Events of the present are startlingly similar to the dark past that hides beneath the cheery surface of the clown museum.
One of my favorite parts of this book was the cult mentality of Wonderland. The entire town revolves around this amusement park. The police drop everything to handle Wonderland related incidents swiftly and quietly. This book provides a detailed array of diverse characters. Some are likeable such as Vanessa and Jerry, a retired detective (also found in Jennifer Hillier's novel Creep). Others are cringeworthy like Bianca, who is known as the dragon lady that runs the park and resident cougar. All are well written with interesting perspectives. Loving this book was unexpected. A creepy amusement park setting has been done before, but the atmosphere is fitting and feels unprecedented with the way it's put together. Everytime I thought I had predicted the outcome, I would fall victim to another misdirection. In the end, I could never have guessed where this story was leading, but it came together brilliantly. All I can say is that it's always the people you least expect. Readers looking for a unique and unsettling thriller will love this.
Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier is a serial killer thriller that is hard to put down. Jennifer Hillier intricately weaves multiple perspectives into a cohesive story that reveals something shocking almost every chapter. The main protagonist Vanessa, a newly hired Deputy Police Chief and mother, has a compelling back story and a fierce personality. Unfortunately, just as her family starts over in Seaside, a homicide investigation threatens to topple the reputation of the area's main tourist attraction, Wonderland. Events of the present are startlingly similar to the dark past that hides beneath the cheery surface of the clown museum.
One of my favorite parts of this book was the cult mentality of Wonderland. The entire town revolves around this amusement park. The police drop everything to handle Wonderland related incidents swiftly and quietly. This book provides a detailed array of diverse characters. Some are likeable such as Vanessa and Jerry, a retired detective (also found in Jennifer Hillier's novel Creep). Others are cringeworthy like Bianca, who is known as the dragon lady that runs the park and resident cougar. All are well written with interesting perspectives. Loving this book was unexpected. A creepy amusement park setting has been done before, but the atmosphere is fitting and feels unprecedented with the way it's put together. Everytime I thought I had predicted the outcome, I would fall victim to another misdirection. In the end, I could never have guessed where this story was leading, but it came together brilliantly. All I can say is that it's always the people you least expect. Readers looking for a unique and unsettling thriller will love this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual violence
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