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gethin_burke's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Violence, Racism, and Sexual content
victoriakerr131's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Frank Muller did an incredible job narrating this audiobook! I didn't know what to expect going into this book; I didn't really enjoy the first book in the series, it was slow and not a lot happened - mostly world building. This one however was much more engaging and will make me continue the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Cursing
Minor: Murder, Hate crime, and Death
axeltheredpanda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
By far one of the best books I’ve ever read. The characters are incredible, the pacing is perfect, and the situations the characters are put through are extremely impactful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Addiction
Moderate: Violence, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Hate crime, and Drug abuse
Minor: Classism, Excrement, Blood, Homophobia, Death, Grief, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, and Medical content
The hard r N word is used very liberally at times and a character is a racist caricature (though this is commented on within the book and she’s that way due to certain events)duedate8898's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
saemiligr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
This was a wild ride. I struggled with the first book, and I hesitated to pick this one up. It ended up absolutly grabbing me and dragging me along. There are not many books I slow down my reading speed for for audiobooks, and this one was 100% worth it. I ended up consuming the whole thing in less than two days. Can't wait for the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Death, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Violence, Gore, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism
nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Death, Drug use, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Cursing, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Racism
bookbelle5_17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Review of The Drawing of Three
By: Stephen King
If “The Gunslinger” is the prologue, then “The Drawing of Three” is when the real story begins. Roland wakes up on a beach right after his encounter with The Man in Black. He must find the 3 doors and the 3 beings, The Prisoner, The Lady of Shadows, the Pusher/Death. First, he comes to New York City in the 80s (I think) and meets junkie Eddie Dean. The second door leads to the 50s (again, I think) where he meets Susannah a wheel chair bound black woman who has a dual personality. The trio travels together on this beach in search of the third door with one of Susannah’s personalities fighting them the whole way.
If you know anything about Stephen King then you can guess that Eddie Dean probably has a bit in common with the author. He is a character I got frustrated with and I confess I couldn’t relate to his problems. Though, I understood his love and loyalty to his older brother Henry, even if he didn’t deserve it. Luckily, my sister does deserve my love and loyalty unlike Henry Dean. Eddie’s drug addiction makes him paranoid, anxious, and temperamental. The situation Roland, and partially his brother, puts him in makes his moodiness worse. He was hard for me to like but as the story progresses I liked him more. I enjoyed Susannah more as a character especially with her going back and forth with her personalities, even though one of the personalities is hateful and down right mean. Her monstrous personality is more compelling with her hatefulness, paranoia, and she proves herself to be incredibly smart but using her smarts for more selfish reasons. Both of them are sympathetic, but Eddie had a choice while what happened to Susannah that caused her two personalities was not something she chose. The lobstrosities are creepy and ugly to imagine as we anticipate when they’re going to come and attack the trio. The relationship between this trio is compelling to read as they have a love/hate feeling towards each other. Eddie resents that Roland has dragged him along on this dangerous mission and finds the Gunslinger to be a hypocrite, because he believes Roland is a Junkie for the Tower. He also has fallen for Susannah and hates Roland for putting her in danger as well. The endless beach that King describes adds to the tension as we don’t know when it will stop and they’ll get to their destination. It is an uncomfortable situation for all and emotions are high. Roland accepts and knows more than the others and he won’t show emotion as he doesn’t question anything. He is that person that says it’s all meant to be and that frustrates Eddie. The juxtaposition of our world and versus this part of Roland’s is interesting and highlights how bizarre his world is compare to ours. He fascinated by things we take for granted and things that are common sense to us is bewildering for him. He notices how much paper we use and he cannot believe it as paper in his world is rare and a valuable commodity. He is amused by the drug store and has mixed feelings about our food. His outsider perspective allows him to see more clearly like with Eddie and his addiction. I vaguely remember loving the “The Waste Lands’, the third book in the series, so I cannot wait to start it.
By: Stephen King
If “The Gunslinger” is the prologue, then “The Drawing of Three” is when the real story begins. Roland wakes up on a beach right after his encounter with The Man in Black. He must find the 3 doors and the 3 beings, The Prisoner, The Lady of Shadows, the Pusher/Death. First, he comes to New York City in the 80s (I think) and meets junkie Eddie Dean. The second door leads to the 50s (again, I think) where he meets Susannah a wheel chair bound black woman who has a dual personality. The trio travels together on this beach in search of the third door with one of Susannah’s personalities fighting them the whole way.
If you know anything about Stephen King then you can guess that Eddie Dean probably has a bit in common with the author. He is a character I got frustrated with and I confess I couldn’t relate to his problems. Though, I understood his love and loyalty to his older brother Henry, even if he didn’t deserve it. Luckily, my sister does deserve my love and loyalty unlike Henry Dean. Eddie’s drug addiction makes him paranoid, anxious, and temperamental. The situation Roland, and partially his brother, puts him in makes his moodiness worse. He was hard for me to like but as the story progresses I liked him more. I enjoyed Susannah more as a character especially with her going back and forth with her personalities, even though one of the personalities is hateful and down right mean. Her monstrous personality is more compelling with her hatefulness, paranoia, and she proves herself to be incredibly smart but using her smarts for more selfish reasons. Both of them are sympathetic, but Eddie had a choice while what happened to Susannah that caused her two personalities was not something she chose. The lobstrosities are creepy and ugly to imagine as we anticipate when they’re going to come and attack the trio. The relationship between this trio is compelling to read as they have a love/hate feeling towards each other. Eddie resents that Roland has dragged him along on this dangerous mission and finds the Gunslinger to be a hypocrite, because he believes Roland is a Junkie for the Tower. He also has fallen for Susannah and hates Roland for putting her in danger as well. The endless beach that King describes adds to the tension as we don’t know when it will stop and they’ll get to their destination. It is an uncomfortable situation for all and emotions are high. Roland accepts and knows more than the others and he won’t show emotion as he doesn’t question anything. He is that person that says it’s all meant to be and that frustrates Eddie. The juxtaposition of our world and versus this part of Roland’s is interesting and highlights how bizarre his world is compare to ours. He fascinated by things we take for granted and things that are common sense to us is bewildering for him. He notices how much paper we use and he cannot believe it as paper in his world is rare and a valuable commodity. He is amused by the drug store and has mixed feelings about our food. His outsider perspective allows him to see more clearly like with Eddie and his addiction. I vaguely remember loving the “The Waste Lands’, the third book in the series, so I cannot wait to start it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Racism
luciawolfie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In this book the POV is switched between characters... a lot, slowing down the action in doing so. And while in some parts it is an effective tool to increase suspense, like in the plane scene, making it feel claustrophobic in a way, in some others it just frustrates the reader, like in the shot-out with the drug dealers. In that specific case, the POV changed every few lines from one character to another, and each new change begun with repeating the events we learnt about from the previous voice. It slowed down what was supposed to be an action packed scene, not in a good adrenaline-infused-slow-motion, but in a "will you get on with it already?". In the latter chapters I find that this problem is not so prevalent, probably because there are less characters to switch but also because the author does not repeat the same info while switching from one voice to another anymore.
Another reason why I felt a bit weird about this book is why the character of Odetta/Detta. It is just weird to me. I am by no means an expert on Dissociative Disorders, but the way she is presented... it does not sit right. It is like a stereotype of Jekyll and Hyde but because she is a woman we have to add a Madonna-whore complex. The way she is sexualized is also a classic instance of Men-writing-women. The description is just weird... and kinda fetishizing her dark skin as well. And why was the n-word discussion necessary in the least?
I am very disappointed because otherwise I really enjoyed the book.
Another reason why I felt a bit weird about this book is
I am very disappointed because otherwise I really enjoyed the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Blood, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual content, and Stalking
dano19's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
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