Reviews - Becoming the Boogeyman

409 reviews for:

Becoming the Boogeyman

Richard Chizmar

4.03 AVERAGE

dcrawfor's review

2.25

adventurous challenging mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kandicez's review

5.0

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I am not a true crime fan, so Chasing the Boogeyman was a kind of introduction to the genre for me. While I have read a couple of books in this genre, I feel like I had read just enough to make me really appreciate the style in which Richard Chizmar wrote the precursor to this novel. I know quite a bit about him, so the pieces of his personal life included made it seem hyper-real to me. This second book amped that up to the 10th power.

As I read, I couldn't help wondering how the conversations about the Chizmar dining table went when he was pitching the idea. Their names were going to be included, and from what I've seen and read in his social media posts, his family was pretty realistic as portrayed in these pages. We find out in the afterword that his friends, with some exceptions are more amalgamations of a few real people in his life, but his family? Man, I felt so immersed!

Chizmar (the character in the book) wrestles with his involvement with a criminal case and the convict. Is he involved for the fame? Notoriety? Book sales? Or is he really just hoping to help? That's pretty meta when the REAL Chiz could (maybe does) ask himself the same questions!

This was satisfying, and perfect for me! I like horror, but can't stomach reading about true crime. This is a razor's edge of the two, made even more so by it's "real" characters and their lives. It seems there are more Boogeyman books coming, and I am here for that!

addison_reads's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

readwithkyladawngail's review against another edition

3.75

immediately after I finished Chasing the Boogeyman, I started this one. I did find the pacing very different and it wasn’t bingeable like the first one.
There was a lot going on and lots of backstory and just things happening in general that really slowed it down for me. HOWEVER, the ending! Was not expecting the plot twists and the cliffhanger! I had no idea there was going to be another book!