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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Why did every character feel unnecessary? And how is Joel the main character and he doesn't even feel real? This story relied on so many tired stereotypes it lost any appeal it could've had. No thanks.
okay so first of all, i freaking loved the setting. everything about it. the characters were all really interesting and well developed imo which isn't easy considering there was a whole telephone book full of them. so that's a huge strength of the book.
however, i still can't give it more than 3* because it took me about 40% of the book until i found it interesting enough to really get into the whole plot and then from about 85% till 95% of the book it was kinda boring and repetitive again, imo. the actual ending was amazing, though. i feel like it has some missed potential because there are definitely something that could have been done better, but at the same time, it was an interesting & exciting read? so if you go in with not too high expectations and enjoy some small-town horror with batshit characters, i'd recommend it!
however, i still can't give it more than 3* because it took me about 40% of the book until i found it interesting enough to really get into the whole plot and then from about 85% till 95% of the book it was kinda boring and repetitive again, imo. the actual ending was amazing, though. i feel like it has some missed potential because there are definitely something that could have been done better, but at the same time, it was an interesting & exciting read? so if you go in with not too high expectations and enjoy some small-town horror with batshit characters, i'd recommend it!
This is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. Two stars because it’s very readable. Still very bad.
Just finished reading this book and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It was intriguing, moved fast, and made me audibly gasp multiple times. I’m in between semesters so it was great to read a book for fun and I’m happy it was this one. Can’t wait to see what this author writes next.
Okay. Characters a little bland. Ridiculous denouement and implausible central conceit. Gay/MLM horror but portrays pretty much everything homosexual as evil or shameful in some form, which I don't think was the author's intention (particularly given how every explicitly gay character is ripped and well endowed?), and the supernatural element is unnecessary rather than chilling. Not terrible, but doesn't stand up to thinking about it too much.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Joel doesn’t have a good relationship with his hometown of Bentley, Texas. A gay man, Joel was ostracized from the small, conservative community and he left as soon as he could. Ten years later, Joel is living a happy life in NYC, but when his high school-aged, star quarterback of a brother, Dylan, goes missing, Joel packs up and returns to the town he swore he’d never step foot in again. Joel’s high school girlfriend, Starsha, stayed in Bentley. She’s a sheriff’s deputy now, and both Dylan’s disappearance and Joel’s return to town has brought back to the forefront of her mind questions regarding Starsha’s own brother’s disappearance a decade prior. Meanwhile, Dylan’s friends are certain that their classmates know more than they’re letting on when it comes to what happened to Dylan. But there are bad people in Bentley, and they’re desperate to make sure their crimes and secrets stay buried...literally.
Alright, alright, alright, I see you, John Fram. This was his debut novel and holy mackerel, color me impressed. It was part crime fiction, part 80s slasher film, and part paranormal thriller. I’d think I know what was going to happen next only to be proven wrong time and time again. The reader gets to see so many different points of view (aside from Joel and Starsha, there are POV chapters from a lot of Dylan’s classmates and football teammates) and I think that brings more depth to the plot, even though this means it can be tough to keep track of all of the names. There was so. much. social commentary in this book; messages about compulsory heteronormativity, drug abuse, the victimization and railroading of POC by the criminal justice system, and toxic masculinity - especially the type of toxic masculinity that’s present in sports like football. This book was a wild ride and I know it’s going to stick with me for a long time.
Alright, alright, alright, I see you, John Fram. This was his debut novel and holy mackerel, color me impressed. It was part crime fiction, part 80s slasher film, and part paranormal thriller. I’d think I know what was going to happen next only to be proven wrong time and time again. The reader gets to see so many different points of view (aside from Joel and Starsha, there are POV chapters from a lot of Dylan’s classmates and football teammates) and I think that brings more depth to the plot, even though this means it can be tough to keep track of all of the names. There was so. much. social commentary in this book; messages about compulsory heteronormativity, drug abuse, the victimization and railroading of POC by the criminal justice system, and toxic masculinity - especially the type of toxic masculinity that’s present in sports like football. This book was a wild ride and I know it’s going to stick with me for a long time.
dark
mysterious
QUICK TAKE: Friday Night Lights but with an LGBTQ+ twist. I know others are going nuts for this one, and I really enjoyed 75% of it, but the ending kinda took me out of it. I was here for the moody and atmospheric, the grounded horror story of a gay man returning to his southern homophobic hometown to find his missing brother and confront the monsters of his youth (both literal and figurative...). The mystery kept me invested and intrigued, but the expansive cast of characters and "balls-to-the-wall" ending made this a 3-star for me.