Scan barcode
jfraser82's review against another edition
1.0
I stopped this one. It was so slow and ended up being far more gruesome then I expected. I loved his other books that I read but this wasn't quite what I was expecting.
rintintin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
daisystitch's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I almost gave up early on because of the very graphic violence, but I'm glad I continued to the end.
I'm a fan of Blake Crouch's later work and although this doesn't quite match up, it roared along and drew me into Andrew's story.
Not sure how it will continue in the sequels, but I'm looking forward to finding out.
I'm a fan of Blake Crouch's later work and although this doesn't quite match up, it roared along and drew me into Andrew's story.
Not sure how it will continue in the sequels, but I'm looking forward to finding out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Violence, Child abuse, Gore, and Kidnapping
swaggoo72's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
owenjetton's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
posies23's review against another edition
4.0
I used to have a copy of this book in my classroom library when I taught high school. One year, this total non-reader kid kept telling me how he'd never read a book in his life, he'd never read a book, etc. etc. I gave him a copy of this book. He was hooked. Loved it. Read it two or three times. Then, one day he came to school and told me, literally with a tear in his eye, that he'd been carrying it around in his back pocket, fallen in a mud puddle, and ruined it. He gushed about how much he loved it, how it made him think, and how great it was, and how it inspired him to seek out other horror books. He offered to buy me a new copy, but I told him that the story alone was worth it.
So . . . there you go.
So . . . there you go.
billymac1962's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty crazy and violent tale about a novelist who receives a letter informing him that he has a body buried on his property, with his blood on it and his missing paring knife is the murder weapon.
Aaaaand we're off!
Blake Crouch can sure write a thriller. I was glued to the pages of his Pines series, and after that I was sure I'd read more of him and here I am at his first novel.
For a first novel this is impressive stuff. While most people probably wouldn't have bought into Andrew's way of doing things, it's great fun to just sit back (with fingers clenched) and watch things play out. The novel ended surprisingly for me because this happened at around 75% of my Kindle edition...the rest of the chapters were previews of his subsequent books.
Desert Places read like gangbusters for the most part. I did find at times that his descriptive was clunky and it slowed me down somewhat, but this may have just been me. Otherwise, for the final 25% or so I was burning through the pages. Just like I did with Pines.
Another score. Good enough to say I'll likely read the sequel, but not for a while. I'm too curious about Run and Abandon, and of course his latest, Dark Matter, which people are calling his best work.
In a reading slump? Give Crouch a shot.
Aaaaand we're off!
Blake Crouch can sure write a thriller. I was glued to the pages of his Pines series, and after that I was sure I'd read more of him and here I am at his first novel.
For a first novel this is impressive stuff. While most people probably wouldn't have bought into Andrew's way of doing things, it's great fun to just sit back (with fingers clenched) and watch things play out. The novel ended surprisingly for me because this happened at around 75% of my Kindle edition...the rest of the chapters were previews of his subsequent books.
Desert Places read like gangbusters for the most part. I did find at times that his descriptive was clunky and it slowed me down somewhat, but this may have just been me. Otherwise, for the final 25% or so I was burning through the pages. Just like I did with Pines.
Another score. Good enough to say I'll likely read the sequel, but not for a while. I'm too curious about Run and Abandon, and of course his latest, Dark Matter, which people are calling his best work.
In a reading slump? Give Crouch a shot.
sandygx260's review against another edition
2.0
Oh good grief, the endless use of weird adjectives bounced me from the story. I blame the editor for that problem.
yourwitch_hekate's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75