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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
So good! I love reading about the author's childhood and the relationships he has with his friends (which are the only true things in this book). I love the true crime vibe, complete with pictures of "victims" and "crime scenes." This one ended on a cliffhanger!! So now I'm anxiously awaiting part 3..
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really solid! Can't wait for the next one
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
At the end of "Becoming the Boogeyman" is a small "from the author" section where Richard Chizmar discusses the reactions "Chasing the Boogeyman" prompted, and his life since then. He mentions that some readers of his previous book went in knowing it was fiction, but bought in so completely that halfway through the book they started Googling names and events to verify they weren't actually real.
I was one of those readers, and that's why "Chasing the Boogeyman" is one of my favourite modern horror stories. In it Chizmar managed to create a story that mixed reality and fiction into a story that felt real. The events depicted in the book were extraordinary for sure, but not SO extraordinary that they felt like a fictional story. Not everything fell in place perfectly, and the whole thing had the taste of real life where sometimes things just are dull and uneventful even during extraordinary situations.
When I saw that Chizmar had written a sequel, I was immediately a bit cautious, because it felt like he had said everything he needed to say in the first book and was risking lessening its impact by going back to the well a second time. And sadly that is precisely what happened. "Becoming the Boogeyman" is a sequel to both the first book, and the fictional reality depicted in it. Josh Gallagher is in prison for his horrible crimes, but Richard Chizmar has not been able to let go, and has instead become tangled up in follow-up interviews and trying to make sense of Gallagher's crimes. And then someone starts a new series of Boogeyman killings.
Like its predecessor, "Becoming the Boogeyman" mixes fiction with Chizmar's actual life, but unlike the first book, it's not content with letting him simply be an observer to a bigger story. It makes the whole thing revolve around him. Worse, it also goes back in time to rewrite Chizmar's own youth and history to tie it closer to the events of both books and to build a larger, overarching Boogeyman mythology. The end result feels fake. Gone is the very real feeling of someone getting pulled into something by pure chance, and things naturally feeling unfinished, and not everything making sense, because that's how real life is. Now everything has deep, personal meaning. Now everything is paced not like real life, but like a very traditional crime story.
What is left is still a quite well written murder mystery, but one that has none of the unique magic of the original book. What a shame.
I was one of those readers, and that's why "Chasing the Boogeyman" is one of my favourite modern horror stories. In it Chizmar managed to create a story that mixed reality and fiction into a story that felt real. The events depicted in the book were extraordinary for sure, but not SO extraordinary that they felt like a fictional story. Not everything fell in place perfectly, and the whole thing had the taste of real life where sometimes things just are dull and uneventful even during extraordinary situations.
When I saw that Chizmar had written a sequel, I was immediately a bit cautious, because it felt like he had said everything he needed to say in the first book and was risking lessening its impact by going back to the well a second time. And sadly that is precisely what happened. "Becoming the Boogeyman" is a sequel to both the first book, and the fictional reality depicted in it. Josh Gallagher is in prison for his horrible crimes, but Richard Chizmar has not been able to let go, and has instead become tangled up in follow-up interviews and trying to make sense of Gallagher's crimes. And then someone starts a new series of Boogeyman killings.
Like its predecessor, "Becoming the Boogeyman" mixes fiction with Chizmar's actual life, but unlike the first book, it's not content with letting him simply be an observer to a bigger story. It makes the whole thing revolve around him. Worse, it also goes back in time to rewrite Chizmar's own youth and history to tie it closer to the events of both books and to build a larger, overarching Boogeyman mythology. The end result feels fake. Gone is the very real feeling of someone getting pulled into something by pure chance, and things naturally feeling unfinished, and not everything making sense, because that's how real life is. Now everything has deep, personal meaning. Now everything is paced not like real life, but like a very traditional crime story.
What is left is still a quite well written murder mystery, but one that has none of the unique magic of the original book. What a shame.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Fun and although it slogged in the middle, the ending redeemed the story. Can’t wait for book 3!
***These are my random thoughts after finishing the book. Some of the thoughts are an overall review of the book, or any questions/feelings that nagged at me throughout. There will almost definitely be spoilers. Read at your own risk.*** ‐----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.5 stars down
Solid follow-up to the first book
Pretty clear who the murderer will be (or at least related-to)
The story of Hank trying to get him into his car was the creepiest part
3.5 stars down
Solid follow-up to the first book
Pretty clear who the murderer will be (or at least related-to)
The story of Hank trying to get him into his car was the creepiest part
Richard Chizmar has done it again. Becoming the Boogeyman may be a work of fiction, but it reads like an episode off ID Channel. At times, I forgot this was not a real case! Chizmar uses his writing expertise to submerge you in the story by using little details of real life, like when he mentioned getting a text from the great Stephen King.
Sequels can have the habit of not comparing to the original, but that is not the case here, as Becoming the Boogeyman was just as excellent as Chasing the Boogeyman.
Sequels can have the habit of not comparing to the original, but that is not the case here, as Becoming the Boogeyman was just as excellent as Chasing the Boogeyman.
This story picks up sometime after the conclusion of Chasing the Boogeyman. The serial killer, Joshua Gallagher is behind bars.....all is over and life moves on, but was it truly over?
Richard Chizmer has been continuing to conduct interviews with Josh, anxious for answers. Through their bizarre conversations, Josh keeps hinting that he is becoming something special, a bit more than human perhaps? Then Richard is walking his dog one morning and finds a garbage bag on the sidewalk by his house, nervous as to what is in it, he calls the police. It is as bad as Richard feared.
There is a new string of killings, is it Josh somehow, though he is locked up? Is it a copy cat killer, one of Josh's many fans? The media storm begins and Richard's family and home are under seige. Many blame Richard because of the book he wrote on Josh's killings. The end of the final chapter has me so excited (I won't spoil it though).
This sequel is told the same as the first story, as a true crime with the author himself and his family and many of his friends as characters. Very unique concept which I thoroughly enjoy....and I did check Google several times to see if places and people showed up as real. These stories a amazing and I pre-ordered Becoming the Boogeyman before I was approved to read the e-ARC. After reading it, I would have wanted to own it anyway.
Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this next in a now favorite series.
Richard Chizmer has been continuing to conduct interviews with Josh, anxious for answers. Through their bizarre conversations, Josh keeps hinting that he is becoming something special, a bit more than human perhaps? Then Richard is walking his dog one morning and finds a garbage bag on the sidewalk by his house, nervous as to what is in it, he calls the police. It is as bad as Richard feared.
There is a new string of killings, is it Josh somehow, though he is locked up? Is it a copy cat killer, one of Josh's many fans? The media storm begins and Richard's family and home are under seige. Many blame Richard because of the book he wrote on Josh's killings. The end of the final chapter has me so excited (I won't spoil it though).
This sequel is told the same as the first story, as a true crime with the author himself and his family and many of his friends as characters. Very unique concept which I thoroughly enjoy....and I did check Google several times to see if places and people showed up as real. These stories a amazing and I pre-ordered Becoming the Boogeyman before I was approved to read the e-ARC. After reading it, I would have wanted to own it anyway.
Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this next in a now favorite series.