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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
dark
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:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After loving Malfi's Come With Me this was a really disappointing read.
I see a lot of people compare this to Stephen King's IT and I see where they're coming from. However I think the actual King comparison should be Dreamcatcher.
This book unfortunately perpetuates deeply concerning ableist tropes and I'm appalled at how few of the reviews here mention this fact.
I see a lot of people compare this to Stephen King's IT and I see where they're coming from. However I think the actual King comparison should be Dreamcatcher.
This book unfortunately perpetuates deeply concerning ableist tropes and I'm appalled at how few of the reviews here mention this fact.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
After reading the blurb, I knew right away, or at least I thought I knew, what I was getting into: Ronald Malfi's own IT, complete with an ensemble of characters navigating through a nightmare of past and present laid by the mysterious man (and possibly other forces).
What I didn't expect was how the adult quartet would be so one-note throughout the story. At the beginning Jamie Warren comes off as someone who has personal demons yes, but is at least willing to fight them in some capacity. When he's forced to return to his hometown, he falls off the wagon... and pretty much stays there. His old friends, who don't seem to understand that the guy needs some space and a break, aren't really better in terms of personality, and the whole reunion thing seems forced somehow.
While classics such as The Shining are character-driven, this novel is more plot-driven and unfortunately misses the mark for me. This being said there are elements and themes in there that do resonate with me, just wished that the overall execution had been better.
What I didn't expect was how the adult quartet would be so one-note throughout the story. At the beginning Jamie Warren comes off as someone who has personal demons yes, but is at least willing to fight them in some capacity. When he's forced to return to his hometown, he falls off the wagon... and pretty much stays there. His old friends, who don't seem to understand that the guy needs some space and a break, aren't really better in terms of personality, and the whole reunion thing seems forced somehow.
While classics such as The Shining are character-driven, this novel is more plot-driven and unfortunately misses the mark for me. This being said there are elements and themes in there that do resonate with me, just wished that the overall execution had been better.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
medium-paced
The setup and writing are quite good. I was really into it for a bit, but then the tropes came trotting out, including the highly problematic "clairvoyant simpleton", and it went downhill from there...
“Because it never really stops, does it? You can never strip away past trauma, you can only learn to live with it and move past it…You can’t strip it away. You learn to live with it and move past it. Or you don’t, and you fall deeper into that black mouth until it swallows you up.”
Jamie Warren has been running from his past for 20 years. But you can’t run forever, and Jamie finds himself reunited with his brother and his childhood friends. Together, they must confront their own demons and hunt down a monster that continues to threaten young children.
This was a heartbreaking read. In addition to the “monster” they have must track down and fight, Jamie has his own monsters to fight. It was painful to watch Jamie’s struggle but it’s a very relatable struggle. We all have our own demons and it’s so easy to watch someone else destroy their life and know what they “should” do, isn’t it?
This was a bit of a slow read (she says, after having read it in a day) and I can’t quite put a finger on why. Overall, however, this was a great read that stayed with me after I put it down.
Jamie Warren has been running from his past for 20 years. But you can’t run forever, and Jamie finds himself reunited with his brother and his childhood friends. Together, they must confront their own demons and hunt down a monster that continues to threaten young children.
This was a heartbreaking read. In addition to the “monster” they have must track down and fight, Jamie has his own monsters to fight. It was painful to watch Jamie’s struggle but it’s a very relatable struggle. We all have our own demons and it’s so easy to watch someone else destroy their life and know what they “should” do, isn’t it?
This was a bit of a slow read (she says, after having read it in a day) and I can’t quite put a finger on why. Overall, however, this was a great read that stayed with me after I put it down.