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noorandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars because I gotta admit, as much as I begged it to be over, I was completely absorbed
I was absorbed in the mystery, the plot, but some of the paragraphs were so long that my eyes felt like they were being pulled out of my skulls. BUT SOME OF THE PARAGRAPHS MADE ME PULL
SOME OF THE QUOTES THOUGH... either had me howling or sobbing, take your pick
On finishing the story I looked around the avenue and gave out with a long, satisfying holler.^^ yeah that's me
I was absorbed in the mystery, the plot, but some of the paragraphs were so long that my eyes felt like they were being pulled out of my skulls. BUT SOME OF THE PARAGRAPHS MADE ME PULL
SOME OF THE QUOTES THOUGH... either had me howling or sobbing, take your pick
"It certainly should," I said happily. "And speaking of purposes, who's singing the hunchback's daughter?"
Kreizler turned away with an expression of mild disgust. "My God, Moore, I should like to get the particulars of your infancy someday. This irrepressible sexual mania-"
"I only asked who's singing the hunchback's daughter!"
Spoiler
NEVER FORGIVING CARR FOR KILLING JOSEPH. HE WAS MY DARLING. I WANTED JOHN AND SARA TO GET MARRIED AND ADOPT JOSEPH :(( MAYBE I WAS DELUSIONAL YES MAYBE BUT LIKE!!!"The confidence of the devil himself," I mumbled, and was surprised when I got an answer:I've never read a crime novel before and I don't know if I'll do it again but I feel smarter and slightly more [gestures vaguely around the room]
"Not the devil, sir," said a small frightened voice from somewhere back by the door to the stairs. "A saint."
jl27's review against another edition
Not rating bc I didn't get past page 40. This one wasn't going to meet the 50 page rule, no matter how much I tried. This book was some really big deal a while back, and had a lot going for it: Teddy Roosevelt, mental institutions, and New York in a fun time period... and it just fell flat so soon for me.
When I DNF a book, there's a follow-up process: wondering if it's just me, gathering my thoughts and writing in my book journal, then reading one-star reviews on here. The complaints everyone seemed to have (the writing, the blandness, the overall "meh") made it clear that it was NOT, in fact, just me.
When I DNF a book, there's a follow-up process: wondering if it's just me, gathering my thoughts and writing in my book journal, then reading one-star reviews on here. The complaints everyone seemed to have (the writing, the blandness, the overall "meh") made it clear that it was NOT, in fact, just me.
mkintish's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
aerolich's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
tellingtragedy's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Rape
Moderate: Sexism, Racism, and Animal cruelty
turtle_puff95's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
I think having watched the TV show first both helped and hindered my reading experience. I'm usually one to read the book first and then pick out how the TV shows or movies for the plot wrong. I think on this case though, it helped because if I had just picked this up and started reading it, I'm not sure I would have finished it. The deaths were brutal, and to children no less. Not really a subject I read often. If I hadn't already known what was going to happen, I could have seen me dnfing this book.
Now I do think it slightly hindered my experience because I kept thinking of the show and wondering why they added certain things that was not in the book.The man with the silver teeth in the show is obviously a red herring meant to make us think he's the killer. Such a man wasn't in the book at all. Also, the last boy they managed to save in the show was Joseph, the boy Moore had befriended. In the book, he's killed and sent to Moore in a sack 😰
I still finished this rather quickly and the story kept me listening, but I think I listen to things faster the more macabre they are. It's my way of getting them over with faster.
Now I do think it slightly hindered my experience because I kept thinking of the show and wondering why they added certain things that was not in the book.
I still finished this rather quickly and the story kept me listening, but I think I listen to things faster the more macabre they are. It's my way of getting them over with faster.
Graphic: Child death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Stalking, Bullying, Sexual assault, Mental illness, and Racial slurs
ec_newman's review against another edition
4.0
Still thinking, but I just hope I don't have nightmares from it.
headinthebooks's review against another edition
4.0
4,5 stars
I love the series so much! It's everything that I wanted! The 18th hundred and serial killer! AND! A character that I both hate and love! (Kreizler! I may or may not have a small crush on Lazlo)
I really loved the characters! Every one of them just has a special place in my heart! I just wanna hug them all and tell them how much they are worth and how that they are loved! Argh!
I cried, cringed, laughed... I felt so disgusted at one point, so much that I had to put the book down!
I can't wait to read the next couple of books! I really loved this and might do a reread at some point again!
I love the series so much! It's everything that I wanted! The 18th hundred and serial killer! AND! A character that I both hate and love! (Kreizler! I may or may not have a small crush on Lazlo)
I really loved the characters! Every one of them just has a special place in my heart! I just wanna hug them all and tell them how much they are worth and how that they are loved! Argh!
I cried, cringed, laughed... I felt so disgusted at one point, so much that I had to put the book down!
I can't wait to read the next couple of books! I really loved this and might do a reread at some point again!
angelayn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
jaimarie's review against another edition
3.0
This book was good from 40% to 90%. The beginning was tedious and hard to understand, vocabulary could've been simplified to make it easier to understand what the author wanted to say, too many characters with no real background or personality so it was really easy to get them all mixed up (especially because they kept alternating between first and last names), Sara was the only character that I actually cared about because she was a badass, and some things from the plot and the narration were completely unnecessary.
I would give it 3.5, it was not a bad read, and after a while it actually got very interesting and I started enjoying it. It gives a 'Criminal Minds' vibe which I loved, and it focuses a lot on profiling, but I felt like the ending was really unsatisfactory and confusing. Don't know anyone I would recommend it to, and definitely wouldn't have read it myself if it wasn't part of the Book Club I'm in.
I would give it 3.5, it was not a bad read, and after a while it actually got very interesting and I started enjoying it. It gives a 'Criminal Minds' vibe which I loved, and it focuses a lot on profiling, but I felt like the ending was really unsatisfactory and confusing. Don't know anyone I would recommend it to, and definitely wouldn't have read it myself if it wasn't part of the Book Club I'm in.