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pickwickthedodo's review against another edition
4.0
A really strong showing in the third (maybe final? who knows) instalment of this series.
Once again, I had the twist figured out, but I didn't even care because it was a really excellent direction to take the plot.
If you've not gotten into this series, please, please do. They're so good. A knockout audiobook for the third time in a row as well.
I've enjoyed this series immensely and hope there's more to come. Though, if there isn't, this was a hell of a way to cap it off.
Once again, I had the twist figured out, but I didn't even care because it was a really excellent direction to take the plot.
If you've not gotten into this series, please, please do. They're so good. A knockout audiobook for the third time in a row as well.
I've enjoyed this series immensely and hope there's more to come. Though, if there isn't, this was a hell of a way to cap it off.
nolitethoughts's review against another edition
5.0
From a book point of view, this is a perfect premise for writing something… good. Something that stays with you, something that makes you feel all the emotions that your little heart’s cartwheel can just gather from sadness to anger to fear. Something that takes your brain to the gym and shouts at it to move. And it did. This book definitely did it for me. It spooked me, it made me angry, it made me emotional. I felt uneasy and eerie the whole time. It also gave me a story which had an actual ending which was an absolute joy for my little brain. I am not a particularly slow or fast reader but I find it hard to find the time for reading as I work and study full-time but this book just made me want to gather every free second, minute, and hour to spend on it. It’s always a sign of a good story and a brilliant storyteller, I think. And it had a profound message as well which I won’t spoil for you here. If you are looking for a perfect mystery/horror/crime book for this autumn you should not look further.
sarah_mcmullan_nz's review against another edition
3.0
A but on the nose
I still love the way these emulate podcasts, and the way true crime facts are mixed with folklire, history, myth and legend; however, this one was a bit on the nose.
I still love the way these emulate podcasts, and the way true crime facts are mixed with folklire, history, myth and legend; however, this one was a bit on the nose.
btpbookclub's review against another edition
5.0
This will make you shiver and the hairs on your arms stand up. Bloody brilliant. I read this over the Christmas break and it managed to slither its way into my top twenty reads of 2018. This book should come with a warning… Once you open it, you won’t want to close it. It’s all you will think about. A highly anticipated read you all need to read.
I absolutely love this series so far. Its outstanding. Unique. Different. I do however still need to read the first book where it all started. Changeling is book three in the series. Hydra is book two. Six Stories is book one. I also love the cover on this one, an eye catcher, simple and pretty.
This book just blew me away especially towards the end its a jaw dropper of a story. One that makes you go… WAIT A MINUTE! Brilliantly written, easy to read and fast paced. Can easily be devoured in one sitting. I am already looking forward to the next one and going back to Six Stories ASAP.
I would highly recommend you check this series and book out, all read brilliantly as standalones too. Taking a look back into some unsolved mysterys and crimes. I’ve found a new favourite author! A must read and buy series. A well deserved five stars.
I absolutely love this series so far. Its outstanding. Unique. Different. I do however still need to read the first book where it all started. Changeling is book three in the series. Hydra is book two. Six Stories is book one. I also love the cover on this one, an eye catcher, simple and pretty.
This book just blew me away especially towards the end its a jaw dropper of a story. One that makes you go… WAIT A MINUTE! Brilliantly written, easy to read and fast paced. Can easily be devoured in one sitting. I am already looking forward to the next one and going back to Six Stories ASAP.
I would highly recommend you check this series and book out, all read brilliantly as standalones too. Taking a look back into some unsolved mysterys and crimes. I’ve found a new favourite author! A must read and buy series. A well deserved five stars.
zooloo1983's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!!! Where do you begin with writing a review for a book like this! I will never EVER have the words for it. But OH MY GOD OH MY GOD and OH MY GOD, even they do not cover it! I still need to write my review for Six Stories and finish Hydra but to date, this book was the most epic.
It is all the buzzwords you can think of amazeballs, fantastic, epic, twisty, spooky, creepy and did I say AMAZING!!!
With the disappearing of little Alfie Marsden occurring in 1988, no one knows what happened that day, until someone contacts Scott King with some new information to look into the mystery for his podcast. But who is this unknown person? Can they be trusted? He then sets out to try and solve this mystery which is not like him, where normally he lets the story be told. So what makes this case so different?
The research in this book to do the Changeling, fairies, haunted woods was fantastic. But also, more importantly, the domestic abuse and the controlling nature of someone all have been researched in so much detail. This story was a heartbreaking one with the disappearance of Alfie. but Changeling focuses more on the people surrounding the mysterious circumstance and the folklore of the woods.
I read this in two sittings, I started this in the evening, on my own in the dark, as you do and read the chapter about the workman and site at Wentshire Forest, my god did it freak me out!! With all the tapping and evil laughing, I could picture being there. It doesn’t help that I live right by some woods, the weather when reading was windy! And there was a lot of rain, so much that when it stopped there was a tapping sound! So when the workers were experiencing the tap-tap-tap outside the window of the Portakabin, I felt like hiding under the duvet as I had the same tap-tap-Tap sound!! Any chapter which was about the woods for some reason just reminded me of the Blair Witch project, hearing sounds and seeing things but not quite sure who or what was out there.
Although as I said the story is about Alfie, it is not only about him. This forest is the crux of the book, it enables the readers to get lost in the supernatural, the folklore and the Changeling, enabling you to use that as an excuse to what happens in six stories. It is also used to reiterate the control that it has on people, and it mirrors the behaviour and controlling issues of one of the characters. It amplifies it. It is the unsaid thing in both scenarios that say so much more than what is said. A look or an innocent hand-holding means more than outright abuse. The fear of what is going to happen, same with the woods, the unknown of where the sounds are coming from and what will happen next!
The idea of a podcast to tell the stories is absolutely epic! When I listened to Six Stories (review to follow), I didn’t know what to expect so when you listening you didn’t feel like it was a book, make believe I thought and felt that these were real podcasts. I had to google it to check, Mr Wesolowski’s writing does this to you. His storytelling, done via the podcasts, make you feel like you are working with Scott King trying to work out the clues and try and get closure one each case. It grips you like nothing I have ever known. It is so clever in how it feeds you the information, letting you become devoured by the words before spitting you out and saying goodbye! You are left in a puddle of mess trying to work out what you just read. Are there forces in play here?
Changeling is written so matter of factly that you do forget it is only a story. The forest isn’t really haunted…is it? And when the final episode hits, when you here the final words from Scott, as you wait in anticipation. Mr Wesolowski completely sucker punches you. The air leaves your lungs so quickly you wonder what the hell happened. Was this the plan all along?
This is written so deliciously well, it captivated your mind. It takes over you, it consumes you as you are embroiled in the case. It does not let go of you until you begin to experience (in your imagination of course) the tap-tap-tap…wait what’s that noise…I’m sure it was laughter…….I hope it was the wind….
It is all the buzzwords you can think of amazeballs, fantastic, epic, twisty, spooky, creepy and did I say AMAZING!!!
With the disappearing of little Alfie Marsden occurring in 1988, no one knows what happened that day, until someone contacts Scott King with some new information to look into the mystery for his podcast. But who is this unknown person? Can they be trusted? He then sets out to try and solve this mystery which is not like him, where normally he lets the story be told. So what makes this case so different?
The research in this book to do the Changeling, fairies, haunted woods was fantastic. But also, more importantly, the domestic abuse and the controlling nature of someone all have been researched in so much detail. This story was a heartbreaking one with the disappearance of Alfie. but Changeling focuses more on the people surrounding the mysterious circumstance and the folklore of the woods.
I read this in two sittings, I started this in the evening, on my own in the dark, as you do and read the chapter about the workman and site at Wentshire Forest, my god did it freak me out!! With all the tapping and evil laughing, I could picture being there. It doesn’t help that I live right by some woods, the weather when reading was windy! And there was a lot of rain, so much that when it stopped there was a tapping sound! So when the workers were experiencing the tap-tap-tap outside the window of the Portakabin, I felt like hiding under the duvet as I had the same tap-tap-Tap sound!! Any chapter which was about the woods for some reason just reminded me of the Blair Witch project, hearing sounds and seeing things but not quite sure who or what was out there.
Although as I said the story is about Alfie, it is not only about him. This forest is the crux of the book, it enables the readers to get lost in the supernatural, the folklore and the Changeling, enabling you to use that as an excuse to what happens in six stories. It is also used to reiterate the control that it has on people, and it mirrors the behaviour and controlling issues of one of the characters. It amplifies it. It is the unsaid thing in both scenarios that say so much more than what is said. A look or an innocent hand-holding means more than outright abuse. The fear of what is going to happen, same with the woods, the unknown of where the sounds are coming from and what will happen next!
The idea of a podcast to tell the stories is absolutely epic! When I listened to Six Stories (review to follow), I didn’t know what to expect so when you listening you didn’t feel like it was a book, make believe I thought and felt that these were real podcasts. I had to google it to check, Mr Wesolowski’s writing does this to you. His storytelling, done via the podcasts, make you feel like you are working with Scott King trying to work out the clues and try and get closure one each case. It grips you like nothing I have ever known. It is so clever in how it feeds you the information, letting you become devoured by the words before spitting you out and saying goodbye! You are left in a puddle of mess trying to work out what you just read. Are there forces in play here?
Changeling is written so matter of factly that you do forget it is only a story. The forest isn’t really haunted…is it? And when the final episode hits, when you here the final words from Scott, as you wait in anticipation. Mr Wesolowski completely sucker punches you. The air leaves your lungs so quickly you wonder what the hell happened. Was this the plan all along?
This is written so deliciously well, it captivated your mind. It takes over you, it consumes you as you are embroiled in the case. It does not let go of you until you begin to experience (in your imagination of course) the tap-tap-tap…wait what’s that noise…I’m sure it was laughter…….I hope it was the wind….
bookwormreflections's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
midnightisquiet's review against another edition
mysterious
4.5
This. was. brilliant! The twist at the and was really good AND there's a creepy forest? Yes, please!
(and the most obvious suspect in the case is actually the bad guy, but not exactly in the way you thought? Again: brilliant!)
opinionhaver69's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 - the strongest in the series so far, although not entirely free of the problems that plague the earlier instalments. i'm affording these books some leeway on the basis that they're easy n cheesy horror mystery novels very much written to a formula but nonetheless i find it very very difficult to look past the mistakes! not just the wonky punctuation which is only annoying to me because i have a bad personality but the relentless continuity errors - i think every one of the books so far has had little issues like characters' ages not matching across timelines etc (HOW is someone nineteen in 1988 and fifty-seven in 2018???) but this one probably has the worst example to date in that quite a big deal is made of a character's surname being his real actual name when two books ago it was made very explicit that it's a pseudonym. i wouldn't mind some of this if it felt intentional in an unreliable narrator-y kind of way - in fact that would slap given the whole faux-true crime podcast gimmick - but i don't think that's the case here and quite frankly i don't think wesolowski is a subtle enough writer to pull it off even if it was. anyway that's what stops me from rounding this one up to a 4 even though it was by far the most enjoyable one yet but honestly it drives me nuts that none of this was caught in a proofread or god forbid an editorial pass ??????
suzannnn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
saltycorpse's review against another edition
3.0
I would actually have rated this higher if I didn't guess the 'reveal' super early. I feel like writers in the mystery genre only have a limited number of 'twists' they are allowed to deploy, and they have to pick one. It was extra disappointing because the book was otherwise really engaging and creative. I liked the format of it, it's set up as episodes of a podcast, with multimedia transcripts, etc.
However, I will read more in this series - I think there's four books now? I accidentally started with the third. I do really enjoy the format and Wesolowski is a genuinely talented writer, I'm just a bit jaded when it comes to books with twists. I keep hoping that either the twist will actually be surprising, or there won't be one at all (which in itself would be a twist, ironically).
However, I will read more in this series - I think there's four books now? I accidentally started with the third. I do really enjoy the format and Wesolowski is a genuinely talented writer, I'm just a bit jaded when it comes to books with twists. I keep hoping that either the twist will actually be surprising, or there won't be one at all (which in itself would be a twist, ironically).