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pbobrit's review against another edition
4.0
A great supernatural thriller...Stephen King meets William Burroughs with a little August Wilson thrown in for good measure. Definitely recommend this book to supernatural fans or fans of great conspiracy stories.
walrus420's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Death, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Sexism, Abortion, Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Miscarriage, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Gore, Child death, and Confinement
fourwhitetrees's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
servemethesky's review
5.0
I can say with confidence that this book is unlike anything I have ever read before. Typically when reviewing a book I can list off a whole slough of others it reminded me of, but Big Machine is unique and stands in a league of its own.
Cults, angels, voices, drug addiction, mass murderers. It's not what I usually read, and you rarely find all these topics in one book. The best part isn't the subject matter, though, it's the incredible voice Victor LaValle has crafted in Ricky Rice. It's funny, it's compelling, it's honest, it's raw. The characters in this book and the plot were both so riveting that I rocketed through this novel.
I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes suspense and weird shit.
Cults, angels, voices, drug addiction, mass murderers. It's not what I usually read, and you rarely find all these topics in one book. The best part isn't the subject matter, though, it's the incredible voice Victor LaValle has crafted in Ricky Rice. It's funny, it's compelling, it's honest, it's raw. The characters in this book and the plot were both so riveting that I rocketed through this novel.
I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes suspense and weird shit.
zre_rodri's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
judestf's review against another edition
3.0
i liked the first half, but after that it took a turn that wasn’t really my cup of tea. i loved the writing and the characters tho!
snorlaxative's review
dark
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
3.0
deterra's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I usually don't like first person (and the other two LaValle books I've read were written in third person) so I was slightly put off by its use at the beginning. However, I got over myself quickly to find a dreamlike, fairy-tale-esque story absolutely roiling with life and fantasy and a touch of horror that I've come to expect from LaValle. I thought the premise was totally goddamn nuts and that was a bit hard to wrap my head around, because I felt that it was just a TAD too far removed from reality. It never quite grounded itself solidly in any kind of sense, but I grew to like that by the end.
The ending was one of my absolute favorite parts of the entire novel, alongside the flashbacks to the cult the narrator grew up in. These are the moments in which LaValle really shines. I liked this book.
The ending was one of my absolute favorite parts of the entire novel, alongside the flashbacks to the cult the narrator grew up in. These are the moments in which LaValle really shines. I liked this book.
balsamfir's review
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5