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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
This was alittle slower than the first one but overall it was still very captivating. The way it’s written truly makes you think it’s all factual. I’m sensing a third is in the mist??
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Don't get me wrong, Becoming the Boogeyman is a fun read, but it doesn't live up to the first book. Chasing the Boogeyman felt so real that I found myself double-checking that I was, indeed, reading a work of fiction.
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really like the first book, but this one drags on more. It feels like things just happen and the main characters aren't direct actors in the story events.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Becoming the Boogeyman picks up shortly after is arrested for the brutal killings that haunted Edgewood, Maryland in Chasing the Boogeyman. The killer was able to be apprehended many years later, in part due to the research of the author (and the main character of our story), Richard Chizmar.
Much like its prequel, this novel is written as though it is an actual true crime case instead of a work of fiction, and it will have you racing to Google to look up information and locations to determine whether or not they are factual.
Chizmar has been obsessed with the Edgewood killings for years, and now that the killer is behind bars, he can't seem to stop his unhealthy obsession. Everything escalates when Chizmar discovers a body outside of his home with direct ties to the Edgewood killings. Chizmar can't help but become sucked into and engrossed by this new case, and as each new layer unfolds with compelling evidence including newspaper articles, photos, and interview transcriptions, you will find yourself just as immersed in it - especially if you're a fan of true crime!
I enjoyed Becoming the Boogeyman even more than Chasing the Boogeyman, but they were both very different even though they are connected tales. For as much as the '80s setting of the first novel provided a technology-free version of the horror, the second book includes references to modern technology that make it feel relevant to today's world and lend to the "Is this real or not?" aspect of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review.
Spoiler
Joshua GallagherMuch like its prequel, this novel is written as though it is an actual true crime case instead of a work of fiction, and it will have you racing to Google to look up information and locations to determine whether or not they are factual.
Chizmar has been obsessed with the Edgewood killings for years, and now that the killer is behind bars, he can't seem to stop his unhealthy obsession. Everything escalates when Chizmar discovers a body outside of his home with direct ties to the Edgewood killings. Chizmar can't help but become sucked into and engrossed by this new case, and as each new layer unfolds with compelling evidence including newspaper articles, photos, and interview transcriptions, you will find yourself just as immersed in it - especially if you're a fan of true crime!
I enjoyed Becoming the Boogeyman even more than Chasing the Boogeyman, but they were both very different even though they are connected tales. For as much as the '80s setting of the first novel provided a technology-free version of the horror, the second book includes references to modern technology that make it feel relevant to today's world and lend to the "Is this real or not?" aspect of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review.
dark
mysterious
sad
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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
No
I remember loving Chasing the Boogeyman, and I immediately loved reading Becoming the Boogeyman. This is a true crime meta fiction where the author is the main character and drops a (fictional) childhood serial killer into his life. We continue from the first book in the series to find there's a copycat continuing the original killer's work, with the author stuck in the middle.
This is a love letter to the true crime genre while still acknowledging its problematic nature. We get a hint of possible supernatural happenings, which I anticipate will be looked at more closely in the next book in the series.
My only complaint (besides Chizmar's constant name-dropping his good friend Stephen King) is that there are a LOT of people mentioned in this book. It was difficult for me to keep track of. There's a moment of a reveal near the end and I had to flip back through the book because I had NO IDEA who the person was, as they had only been mentioned briefly.
Otherwise, a great book and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.
This is a love letter to the true crime genre while still acknowledging its problematic nature. We get a hint of possible supernatural happenings, which I anticipate will be looked at more closely in the next book in the series.
My only complaint (besides Chizmar's constant name-dropping his good friend Stephen King) is that there are a LOT of people mentioned in this book. It was difficult for me to keep track of. There's a moment of a reveal near the end and I had to flip back through the book because I had NO IDEA who the person was, as they had only been mentioned briefly.
Otherwise, a great book and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.