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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
This was pretty confusing and overworked/overplanned I thought. I wasn't sure if there was supposed to be a demon in the story or if he would explain it away.
Spoiler alert- he does explain it away logically, but I spent most of the book imagining he was blaming it on a demon. I don't enjoy fantasy and was thinking that's basically what this was. A pirate ship with a devil after it. The real explanation was a little too complicated for me to care about. I had guessed a bit of it, but not all of it.
Overall this was an ok read but I should have just gone with my gut and not read this. I loved the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, but this one wasn't as entertaining.
Spoiler alert- he does explain it away logically, but I spent most of the book imagining he was blaming it on a demon. I don't enjoy fantasy and was thinking that's basically what this was. A pirate ship with a devil after it. The real explanation was a little too complicated for me to care about. I had guessed a bit of it, but not all of it.
Overall this was an ok read but I should have just gone with my gut and not read this. I loved the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, but this one wasn't as entertaining.
First off, like so many people, I loved The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Secondly, this is not just 'more-of-the-same'. Stuart Turton always has been, by his own admission, enthralled by the writing of Christie. This book is even more Christie-like than Seven Deaths, I'd say. I gelled with the characters, and I was genuinely interested in the historical setting. Some people have moaned about certain language being used, but Turton himself has written a 'why it's not 100% historically accurate' note at the back of the book, specifically in relation to the language, fashion, and setting. I'm totally fine with it. There was only one moment where something happened that I thought, hmmm, I'm not sure I believe that, BUT you have to read this in the context of the work of people like Christie. It's deliberately fanciful in places. I also read it without trying to hard to work out the mystery myself. Turton has such a great writing style that I was happy for him to lead me through it. I read large chunks at a time because I didn't want to put it down, and I was immersed in the world and the people within it. There are quite a few characters to keep track of, but nowhere near as many, or as difficult to do, as Seven Deaths.
It ended a little abruptly for my liking, in the sense that it all got wrapped-up very quickly, but I wasn't left dissatisfied. Highly recommended if you don't try too hard to play detective along with the story.
It ended a little abruptly for my liking, in the sense that it all got wrapped-up very quickly, but I wasn't left dissatisfied. Highly recommended if you don't try too hard to play detective along with the story.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tengo la sensación de que cuando un autor se hace famoso con un libro (Evelyn Hardcastle) le dan carta blanca para sacar del cajón todos los manuscritos que había escrito cuando era adolescente. Nunca deberían salir de allí.
Old Tom me ha poseído durante un mes. Después de la obra maestra de Evelyn Hardcastle, tenía muchas esperanzas puestas en esta novela. Craso error. Desde el principio me ha resultado demasiado lento y repetitivo. Además, ¡no ocurre nada hasta el 75 % del libro! Un infierno. Si el cuerpo que da comienzo al misterio no aparece hasta ese momento, la mitad de los lectores se te han ido. He resistido por cabezonería. El asesino ha resultado ser quien yo sospechaba. Un final apresurado: te lo desvelan y listo, muy complicado unir cabos por tu cuenta. El barco como escenario deja mucho que desear. No recomendable.
Old Tom me ha poseído durante un mes. Después de la obra maestra de Evelyn Hardcastle, tenía muchas esperanzas puestas en esta novela. Craso error. Desde el principio me ha resultado demasiado lento y repetitivo. Además, ¡no ocurre nada hasta el 75 % del libro! Un infierno. Si el cuerpo que da comienzo al misterio no aparece hasta ese momento, la mitad de los lectores se te han ido. He resistido por cabezonería. El asesino ha resultado ser quien yo sospechaba. Un final apresurado: te lo desvelan y listo, muy complicado unir cabos por tu cuenta. El barco como escenario deja mucho que desear. No recomendable.
This was a Sherlock Holmes/Watson detective duo type caper, set on the high seas. A leper with a warning has people believing that there are evil forces and a demon on board the ship.
Mysterious footsteps, whispers in the darkness, something waiting in the shadows, had me feeling a little like a scooby doo mystery. Don't trust anyone, people are not who they seem. There was a lot going on and the story felt a little drawn out, but I enjoyed it overall, and the ending left this open ended for a possible sequel.
Mysterious footsteps, whispers in the darkness, something waiting in the shadows, had me feeling a little like a scooby doo mystery. Don't trust anyone, people are not who they seem. There was a lot going on and the story felt a little drawn out, but I enjoyed it overall, and the ending left this open ended for a possible sequel.
Oh I just wanted the ending to be different. When you’re an author with as good an ending as The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle all of your endings have to be exceptional, unfortunately.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5/5
i probably shouldn't have picked it up in the first place since a book set on a boat does not appeal to me but i thought the plot sounded interesting so i wanted to give it a chance! but i just.. really Really did not enjoy this. i would probably give the plot/mystery itself 4 stars, but there was just so many other things that bogged this down and made it a monotonous read for me.
first of all this book is Long!! nearly the entire novel felt slow to me, i think at least 100+ pages could've been cut to make this a bit more action-paced. the pacing as it is is strange - hundreds of pages dedicated to just two days, and then two weeks are brushed over with mere pages. lots of overlap between characters sharing what they've learned. often i felt like i had to force myself to keep reading and just finish this so i could be done with it. i think there were bits of the author's writing style that i just personally didn't like too; parts of the dialogue felt very stilted or forced for me, and i wasn't a big fan of the short chapters and jumps in pov.
also, there are a Lot of characters here. i thought that i'd get a handle on who's who eventually since the book is so long and we actually spend time in the heads of most of the characters, but yet i was still getting some of the cast confused by the end. and among the main characters who we spend the most time with, i just never felt connected to any of them. while i didn't dislike the protagonists i'm also not really sure i liked any of them. and i was Not a fan of the romance factor - the instant "love" and trust between arent and sara within two days of them knowing each other really didn't do it for me.
as i mentioned, i did think the mystery on its own was captivating! it kept me guessing and i really liked the twist... although i did Not enjoy that it took 50 pages to explain every single piece of the puzzle, nor did i think the very very ending seemed in line with the characters. it's a shame because at the core i think this was a good plot but unfortunately i just didn't enjoy it
i probably shouldn't have picked it up in the first place since a book set on a boat does not appeal to me but i thought the plot sounded interesting so i wanted to give it a chance! but i just.. really Really did not enjoy this. i would probably give the plot/mystery itself 4 stars, but there was just so many other things that bogged this down and made it a monotonous read for me.
first of all this book is Long!! nearly the entire novel felt slow to me, i think at least 100+ pages could've been cut to make this a bit more action-paced. the pacing as it is is strange - hundreds of pages dedicated to just two days, and then two weeks are brushed over with mere pages. lots of overlap between characters sharing what they've learned. often i felt like i had to force myself to keep reading and just finish this so i could be done with it. i think there were bits of the author's writing style that i just personally didn't like too; parts of the dialogue felt very stilted or forced for me, and i wasn't a big fan of the short chapters and jumps in pov.
also, there are a Lot of characters here. i thought that i'd get a handle on who's who eventually since the book is so long and we actually spend time in the heads of most of the characters, but yet i was still getting some of the cast confused by the end. and among the main characters who we spend the most time with, i just never felt connected to any of them. while i didn't dislike the protagonists i'm also not really sure i liked any of them. and i was Not a fan of the romance factor - the instant "love" and trust between arent and sara within two days of them knowing each other really didn't do it for me.
as i mentioned, i did think the mystery on its own was captivating! it kept me guessing and i really liked the twist... although i did Not enjoy that it took 50 pages to explain every single piece of the puzzle, nor did i think the very very ending seemed in line with the characters. it's a shame because at the core i think this was a good plot but unfortunately i just didn't enjoy it
The world's greatest detective is imprisoned on a ship bound for Amsterdam, to be executed for a crime he may or may not have committed. But strange symbols start appearing on the ship. Livestock dies. People hear voices. There's a demon on board determined to sink the ship and take everyone down, and the only one who can solve the mystery is locked up in a cell.