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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Was left so confused
Liked some parts, others less so. While I enjoyed the mysteries and twists of Sundial and The Last House on Needless Street, in other books I feel like Ward adds the twists just for the sake of having twists.
The most compelling bits of this were the parts with young Wilder, a lot of the future stuff was weird and overly complicated. I liked some of it, but altogether it was a disjointed reading experience.
The most compelling bits of this were the parts with young Wilder, a lot of the future stuff was weird and overly complicated. I liked some of it, but altogether it was a disjointed reading experience.
idk… more of a review to come but this is my least favorite out of ward’s novels. maybe a 2.5. too ambitious, drawn out, took itself a little too seriously. parts of this had me wondering if it was trying to be over the top? i don’t think it was. i did have fun reading this book until the big twists started. i can take a few twists but the end was just Full of them. i know that this is what happens in a catriona ward book, but it was just a lot for really no reason. what was with the gay stuff being taken back
Ward has a very distinctive style and this definitely kept to it. Not my fave, a little too convoluted of a storyline for me to follow and fully enjoy, but beautifully written nonetheless.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Complicated to be complicated
LOOKING GLASS SOUND by Catriona Ward
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: LITTLE EVE, THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS ST
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9781250860026
Release Date: August 8th, 2023 ( The same day as my book! )
General Genre: Horror, Thriller, Psychological, Suspense
Sub-Genre/Themes: Coming-of-age, friendships, coastal small towns, serial killers, college life, witchcraft, reads like a thriller, human monsters, mind-bender
Writing Style: intricately plotted, character-driven, skilled command of language, mood, setting
What You Need to Know: I think it’s best not to know too much going into this book. You can read my review. I always keep it very light on specific plot details and preserve reading discoveries at all costs, but be very, very careful reading other responses/reviews on Goodreads or other reviewing platforms. Holy hell, people give so much away. The review in GRIMDARK MAGAZINE is extremely revealing. The review at MEDIUM is even worse. The less you know, the better this book will be for you. I don’t even remember reading the synopsis to be honest. I read it just now, to be mindful of what details are freely given.
“Friendship and betrayal. Dark obsessions. Terrible secrets.”
That’s all you need to know. Oh, and also this: Don’t give up. Things will start to unravel and your brain will resist, you’ll be like, “Wait, what the fuck? I thought it was this way or that way, or whatever.” Just keep going. You will be rewarded. Trust me.
My Reading Experience: This book is like an A24 movie in the best possible way. A quiet, puzzle-like horror-thriller that creeps into your bones and unsettles you to the core.
My experience was extremely cinematic. As I type this, I can see images floating around in my mind of various scenes. I feel the mood that surrounded me and the overall tone of the work as a whole. Much like Little Eve, Ward expertly employs a distinct storytelling voice that wraps the readers up in a strong, character-driven narrative in order to painstakingly craft a path through a winding, twisting storyline EXACTLY how it is intended to be experienced.
I hope I explained that accurately. In other words, this story is very clever and Ward is able to manipulate her audience emotionally, almost scientifically (mindful of how our brain chemistry works) and works those things against the reader in order to reveal things precisely–landing every single punch.
I had actors picked out for the three main characters and even a few for some of the supporting roles. They just appeared in my mind based on their personality traits and physical features as they developed.
This is for sure a coming-of-age novel, the characters start as young adults and by the end, are much older. The story really unfolds in distinct acts: Childhood/Adolescence, College life, and Adulthood. The three main characters are bound together by an evolving mystery. And that’s all I will say about that.
Final Recommendation: I’m recommending this for readers that enjoy going on a journey. A multi-layered storytelling experience with characters you can invest in. Original, unexpected, and reads like a dark thriller but leans into some horror vibes too. This isn’t a thriller with thin, easy-to-digest plotting. It’s complicated. It has probably ruined me for all thrillers to come because I dove into a popular new thriller right after finishing LOOKING GLASS SOUND and was immediately put off. So that’s my big blurb/takeaway: Catriona Ward has just leveled-up to Gillian Flynn status for me. There, I said it.
Comps: Gillian Flynn Thrillers. Which is the gold standard, so.
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: LITTLE EVE, THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS ST
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9781250860026
Release Date: August 8th, 2023 ( The same day as my book! )
General Genre: Horror, Thriller, Psychological, Suspense
Sub-Genre/Themes: Coming-of-age, friendships, coastal small towns, serial killers, college life, witchcraft, reads like a thriller, human monsters, mind-bender
Writing Style: intricately plotted, character-driven, skilled command of language, mood, setting
What You Need to Know: I think it’s best not to know too much going into this book. You can read my review. I always keep it very light on specific plot details and preserve reading discoveries at all costs, but be very, very careful reading other responses/reviews on Goodreads or other reviewing platforms. Holy hell, people give so much away. The review in GRIMDARK MAGAZINE is extremely revealing. The review at MEDIUM is even worse. The less you know, the better this book will be for you. I don’t even remember reading the synopsis to be honest. I read it just now, to be mindful of what details are freely given.
“Friendship and betrayal. Dark obsessions. Terrible secrets.”
That’s all you need to know. Oh, and also this: Don’t give up. Things will start to unravel and your brain will resist, you’ll be like, “Wait, what the fuck? I thought it was this way or that way, or whatever.” Just keep going. You will be rewarded. Trust me.
My Reading Experience: This book is like an A24 movie in the best possible way. A quiet, puzzle-like horror-thriller that creeps into your bones and unsettles you to the core.
My experience was extremely cinematic. As I type this, I can see images floating around in my mind of various scenes. I feel the mood that surrounded me and the overall tone of the work as a whole. Much like Little Eve, Ward expertly employs a distinct storytelling voice that wraps the readers up in a strong, character-driven narrative in order to painstakingly craft a path through a winding, twisting storyline EXACTLY how it is intended to be experienced.
I hope I explained that accurately. In other words, this story is very clever and Ward is able to manipulate her audience emotionally, almost scientifically (mindful of how our brain chemistry works) and works those things against the reader in order to reveal things precisely–landing every single punch.
I had actors picked out for the three main characters and even a few for some of the supporting roles. They just appeared in my mind based on their personality traits and physical features as they developed.
This is for sure a coming-of-age novel, the characters start as young adults and by the end, are much older. The story really unfolds in distinct acts: Childhood/Adolescence, College life, and Adulthood. The three main characters are bound together by an evolving mystery. And that’s all I will say about that.
Final Recommendation: I’m recommending this for readers that enjoy going on a journey. A multi-layered storytelling experience with characters you can invest in. Original, unexpected, and reads like a dark thriller but leans into some horror vibes too. This isn’t a thriller with thin, easy-to-digest plotting. It’s complicated. It has probably ruined me for all thrillers to come because I dove into a popular new thriller right after finishing LOOKING GLASS SOUND and was immediately put off. So that’s my big blurb/takeaway: Catriona Ward has just leveled-up to Gillian Flynn status for me. There, I said it.
Comps: Gillian Flynn Thrillers. Which is the gold standard, so.