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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster Inc. for the eARC of this book. I have been looking forward to this book for so long!
I really enjoyed the first book: Chasing the Boogeyman, and while not absolutely necessary to be able to understanding Becoming the Boogeyman, I would say reading it first is very helpful for keeping track of details and understanding who Josh Gallagher is and the relationship between him and the author/main character. It had been almost 2 years since I read the first book and I had forgotten some of the important plot points while trying to read this book and keep up. Becoming the Boogeyman, like its predecessor does a great job of blurring the lines between true crime and fiction. The layered metafictional narrative will make you google the details because they feel so real! *Chef's kiss*
I love how Rich puts himself in the story, but doesn’t necessarily paint himself in a good light. It makes it feel like he’s really just a regular guy and that you’re experiencing the whole nightmare with him.
This book offered just the right amount of snippets of childhood and also portions of interviews with Josh Gallagher which was very helpful for character development. I found it very “unputdownable” and after I got to about halfway, I couldn’t stop and needed to know who the killer was! There were so many possibilities – was it the author? One of his sons? The neighbor? Carl the UPS guy? Another childhood friend? A random townie? It really made you think. I read a lot of true crime and murder mysteries and even I didn’t have it figured out before the end.
The revelation of the killer wil knock your socks off! And the cliffhanger made me both angry, and excited for the possibility of another book! I was definitely left with a few questions pinging around in my brain by the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves true crime and serial killers as much as I do. I’m even going to suggest it to my book club!
I really enjoyed the first book: Chasing the Boogeyman, and while not absolutely necessary to be able to understanding Becoming the Boogeyman, I would say reading it first is very helpful for keeping track of details and understanding who Josh Gallagher is and the relationship between him and the author/main character. It had been almost 2 years since I read the first book and I had forgotten some of the important plot points while trying to read this book and keep up. Becoming the Boogeyman, like its predecessor does a great job of blurring the lines between true crime and fiction. The layered metafictional narrative will make you google the details because they feel so real! *Chef's kiss*
I love how Rich puts himself in the story, but doesn’t necessarily paint himself in a good light. It makes it feel like he’s really just a regular guy and that you’re experiencing the whole nightmare with him.
This book offered just the right amount of snippets of childhood and also portions of interviews with Josh Gallagher which was very helpful for character development. I found it very “unputdownable” and after I got to about halfway, I couldn’t stop and needed to know who the killer was! There were so many possibilities – was it the author? One of his sons? The neighbor? Carl the UPS guy? Another childhood friend? A random townie? It really made you think. I read a lot of true crime and murder mysteries and even I didn’t have it figured out before the end.
The revelation of the killer wil knock your socks off! And the cliffhanger made me both angry, and excited for the possibility of another book! I was definitely left with a few questions pinging around in my brain by the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves true crime and serial killers as much as I do. I’m even going to suggest it to my book club!
A surprisingly worthy sequel to one of my favorite books in recent memory. Chizmar nails it on every front - creating a realistic alternate reality, withholding just enough to keep us turning pages but not so much that it becomes boring, and crafting a satisfying conclusion (that also left me wanting more). Stoked for part 3!
I loved Chasing the Boogeyman. It was a thrilling, unique read. I didn't even mind the discovery of the killer being held off until the very end (and many years later). I would urge anyone to read Chasing... before reading Becoming the Boogeyman, otherwise, you will be missing a lot of what you need to understand Becoming. I liked Becoming the Boogeyman but for a few reasons not as much as Chasing... Becoming... was just a bit too choppy for me, I could have used fewer social media/reddit interrupts. There was also a lot to try and keep track of as they story moved along. It felt like I got a lost a couple times, why are spending time on California? Why is a store shooting involved? It kind of made sense but it seemed like it could have been a little tighter. I also feel he made the media sensation of the story a bit too big to be believable. That said, Becoming... is another great thriller with some real chilling moments.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a bit boring and dragged the first little more than half the book. I was getting irritated. But it ended up being okay. Not as good as the first though! I loved the first book. This was eh. Okay. Will there be a 3rd? Authors note has me thinking so?!
riveting, haunting sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller Chasing the Boogeyman—a tale of obsession and the adulation of evil, exploring modern society’s true-crime obsession with unflinching honesty, sparing no one from the glare of the spotlight. Will those involved walk away from the story of a lifetime in order to keep their loved ones safe? Or will they once again be drawn into a killer’s web? As the story draws to its shattering conclusion, only one person holds all the answers—and he just may be the most terrifying monster of them all.
It takes a lot for a book to truly knock my socks off and amaze me, but this one delivered – it was so good. I have read some truly amazing horror books this year, and this one delivered. As I was reading it I kept slipping and thinking it was going to be my favorite true crime book, but then I remembered it was fictional. It was just done so well, and no details were overlooked. The pictures were truly the icing on the cake. I was glad that I was able to read this book over the course of one day, because I didn’t want to put it down. The author’s writing style was unique and captivating. I didn’t read the first book, but after reading this one I already have added it to my wishlist.
If you are looking for a wonderfully unsettling, unique, and dark read, then you need to check this one out. This was a five star read for me.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Gallery Books, for sending me this finished copy. All thoughts are my own.
It takes a lot for a book to truly knock my socks off and amaze me, but this one delivered – it was so good. I have read some truly amazing horror books this year, and this one delivered. As I was reading it I kept slipping and thinking it was going to be my favorite true crime book, but then I remembered it was fictional. It was just done so well, and no details were overlooked. The pictures were truly the icing on the cake. I was glad that I was able to read this book over the course of one day, because I didn’t want to put it down. The author’s writing style was unique and captivating. I didn’t read the first book, but after reading this one I already have added it to my wishlist.
If you are looking for a wonderfully unsettling, unique, and dark read, then you need to check this one out. This was a five star read for me.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Gallery Books, for sending me this finished copy. All thoughts are my own.
This was a great follow up to the first book in the series. It starts off a little slow, but the mystery vibes kick in early. A fun (and fast) thriller for fans of true (and seemingly true) crime. And murder.
Becoming the Boogeyman is the amazing follow-up to Richard Chizmar's Chasing the Boogeyman. This is written in a True Crime style and you will find it very hard to believe it is fiction. Living in Maryland and in the same town where most of the book is set, it is very hard to separate the real from the horror. This is a great story to read after you have made sure all the windows and doors are locked, put another log on the fire, and made sure you have just enough lights on so you know if anyone is lurking in the shadows.
I was so excited to read this sequel but it was just too busy for me and I had a hard time getting into it. It picks up years later when the original boogeyman is in jail and Chizmar has moved on with his wife and kids. There is a copycat boogeyman killing people, but is he working with the original? The ending makes it seem like there will be another book in the series which I'm sure I will read even though I didn't love this one.