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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I semi-enjoyed this until I didn’t. For the most part I wasn’t even sure if I was tracking the story, but I was. It’s just chaotic. But the last 5 or so chapters really lost me. Too many twists at once: his ego is a defense mechanism from childhood trauma and also the thing that made him vulnerable to possession, the fact that he isn’t really a non-believer but was doing all of this to find proof he would see his dead mom again, the fact that he has been watching his future, the time traveling, the multiple realities, etc.
I am OBSESSED with this book! It was captivating, unpredictable, and although the main character can be really frustrating I think it added an interesting element to the book. (It also featured an unreliable narrator which I personally love) I was just so hooked from start to finish and I really enjoyed the whole story and all the twists it took!
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
Really liked it. I figured parts of it out, but when the whole story came together there were so many things I had missed. That is a tough thing for a story to do, give you enough to make some guesses, but still surprise you in the best way.
This is the best book I've read in quite a while. Why? Because it delivered exactly what I was looking for. It's October, and of course that means the perfect time to delve into horror. Now, horror means different things to different people. Me, what I look for are novels that will niggle under my skin and stay in my head when I'm away from it, and linger on long after finishing it.
Blood and guts and chases don't cut it for me. It took a while for me to nail it down but it seems that the one subgenre of horror that really does it for me is the paranormal. Look at the obvious: The Exorcist, Burnt Offerings (the movie especially), these stories were the ones to really affect me. Heck, I saw Burnt Offerings when I was 14 and I am now 60 and the chauffeur STILL haunts me.
I was breezing through the horrorlit subreddit (highly recommended, kids) for something good to read and saw a post asking for recommendations for pretty much the same type of horror I like. I knew I was in the right place when I saw someone mention Wylding Hall (five stars, I loved it) and The Last Days of Jack Sparks as two that they loved. So this was a no-brainer.
From the onset I knew this was for me. It is somewhat a book within a book format, which I love, and with some opposing narrative throughout.
The writing? Fantastic. Jason Arnopp has that gift of writing that absorbs so easily that the physical act of reading is unnoticable. There is a lot of dialogue that rings very true and this is something that really makes the pages fly by.
Humour? Okay, here's the thing. I had mild concern when I started seeing raves mentioning how funny it was. I don't want humour in my horror. I want to be unsettled and stamping humour on a horror novel is most likely to push me away. But still, the premise was too enticing to pass up and the Kindle sample hooked me into buying it. So the humour in this: it was there, somewhat, but what worked for me was how natural it was. It wasn't forced on the reader in order to get laughs, rather it was there much in the way it is in real life. People will be snarky in all situations and in this novel it really worked well and did not in any way cool down the dark things that were happening.
It takes a lot to creep me out, and Arnopp did it. I also have a hard time buying into some wild concepts (and hooboy, things got wild), but I totally bought into them. I bought into this entire novel, and freaking loved it.
What a great October read and I am vastly excited to read more of this guy.
Five Freaking Stars and will very likely make my top five of the year.
P.S. Don't skip the afterword and publisher's note snuck in behind the free samples of other novels.
Blood and guts and chases don't cut it for me. It took a while for me to nail it down but it seems that the one subgenre of horror that really does it for me is the paranormal. Look at the obvious: The Exorcist, Burnt Offerings (the movie especially), these stories were the ones to really affect me. Heck, I saw Burnt Offerings when I was 14 and I am now 60 and the chauffeur STILL haunts me.
I was breezing through the horrorlit subreddit (highly recommended, kids) for something good to read and saw a post asking for recommendations for pretty much the same type of horror I like. I knew I was in the right place when I saw someone mention Wylding Hall (five stars, I loved it) and The Last Days of Jack Sparks as two that they loved. So this was a no-brainer.
From the onset I knew this was for me. It is somewhat a book within a book format, which I love, and with some opposing narrative throughout.
The writing? Fantastic. Jason Arnopp has that gift of writing that absorbs so easily that the physical act of reading is unnoticable. There is a lot of dialogue that rings very true and this is something that really makes the pages fly by.
Humour? Okay, here's the thing. I had mild concern when I started seeing raves mentioning how funny it was. I don't want humour in my horror. I want to be unsettled and stamping humour on a horror novel is most likely to push me away. But still, the premise was too enticing to pass up and the Kindle sample hooked me into buying it. So the humour in this: it was there, somewhat, but what worked for me was how natural it was. It wasn't forced on the reader in order to get laughs, rather it was there much in the way it is in real life. People will be snarky in all situations and in this novel it really worked well and did not in any way cool down the dark things that were happening.
It takes a lot to creep me out, and Arnopp did it. I also have a hard time buying into some wild concepts (and hooboy, things got wild), but I totally bought into them. I bought into this entire novel, and freaking loved it.
What a great October read and I am vastly excited to read more of this guy.
Five Freaking Stars and will very likely make my top five of the year.
P.S. Don't skip the afterword and publisher's note snuck in behind the free samples of other novels.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Just stunnin honestly! I think the best found footage book I’ve come across, the multiple perspectives and unfolding truths of the book kept me on my toes throughout. Just an absolute blast.
