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birdieex's review against another edition
I typically don't rate books unless I read them all the way through, but I found myself unable to get past page 40 of this book before deciding to stop. My partner bought this for me from a charity shop not knowing it was the third book in a series, but it doesn't seem to really matter.
One thing that bothered me early on, around page ten, was the emphasis on David Ash's physical attractiveness. He's "such an attractive man," and though the character describing him usually prefers her men clean shaven, and he has stubble this particular day, the stubble makes him sexier. The main character is always "that one exception", aren't they? While I totally understand main character appeal, and that they can be attractive regardless of other character's typical preferences, I'm just a bit bored of this approach. Let the main character be undesirable. Let the supporting characters have their little icks.
Secondly, page 32, it's a common trope in media for women to hate the effects of time on their appearance, even when they still conform to societal beauty standards. One of the very first descriptions we get of this woman's body, minus her hair, is her breasts had "lost their lift." Gravity and age does that. It felt unnecessary and added to the stigma around women aging gracefully.
This is the part in question:
Kate studied her naked body in the full-length mirror mounted on the back of the bathroom door. The glass was steamed up just enough to blur her image, but as she turned sideways for a different view she sighed, not in despair but in rueful resignation.
Breasts that had been full since puberty had lost their 'lift', and her tummy bulge seemed a little more prominent than only a few months ago (the tightness of the waistband in her skirt and slacks gave independent testimony to that!). But her legs were still good, if slightly heavier round the thighs. For a woman in her mid-forties, she was in good shape overall, even though her hair-
I struggled to take this story seriously because it felt like a typical portrayal of middle-aged characters looking surprisingly good for their age, with added sexual tension. David Ash, though incredibly attractive, is dark, mysterious, and broody; he has childhood trauma and also a bit of adulthood trauma and he will never ever talk about it. Clichés aren't always negative, but they do make it harder for me to get fully invested in the story if it's paired with harmful stereotypes.
Maybe I wasn't the target audience for this book, and I accept that. It just didn't click for me.
(Edit: The original review was written in 2020, when I read the book. However, in 2024, I have revised the review to be less harsh and more communicative to what I disliked.)
One thing that bothered me early on, around page ten, was the emphasis on David Ash's physical attractiveness. He's "such an attractive man," and though the character describing him usually prefers her men clean shaven, and he has stubble this particular day, the stubble makes him sexier. The main character is always "that one exception", aren't they? While I totally understand main character appeal, and that they can be attractive regardless of other character's typical preferences, I'm just a bit bored of this approach. Let the main character be undesirable. Let the supporting characters have their little icks.
Secondly, page 32, it's a common trope in media for women to hate the effects of time on their appearance, even when they still conform to societal beauty standards. One of the very first descriptions we get of this woman's body, minus her hair, is her breasts had "lost their lift." Gravity and age does that. It felt unnecessary and added to the stigma around women aging gracefully.
This is the part in question:
Breasts that had been full since puberty had lost their 'lift', and her tummy bulge seemed a little more prominent than only a few months ago (the tightness of the waistband in her skirt and slacks gave independent testimony to that!). But her legs were still good, if slightly heavier round the thighs. For a woman in her mid-forties, she was in good shape overall, even though her hair-
I struggled to take this story seriously because it felt like a typical portrayal of middle-aged characters looking surprisingly good for their age, with added sexual tension. David Ash, though incredibly attractive, is dark, mysterious, and broody; he has childhood trauma and also a bit of adulthood trauma and he will never ever talk about it. Clichés aren't always negative, but they do make it harder for me to get fully invested in the story if it's paired with harmful stereotypes.
Maybe I wasn't the target audience for this book, and I accept that. It just didn't click for me.
(Edit: The original review was written in 2020, when I read the book. However, in 2024, I have revised the review to be less harsh and more communicative to what I disliked.)
richardwarriner's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
wunkymatts's review against another edition
1.0
This is the second of Herbert's books that I've read, and it honestly felt like I had just read the first one ([b:Others|1662535|Others|James Herbert|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1186531190s/1662535.jpg|1717211]) again. Only not as well written, with less character development and with a more ridiculous plot. The main character in both novels is an investigator hired to look into inexplicable events, but, despite reading nearly 700 pages of his exploits, I never felt like the protagonist Ash was anything beyond a plot device. I felt much the same about many of the other characters, including his love interest who seemed so one dimensional and thin I'm surprised a stiff breeze never blew her over. There was also a pointless 'evil-vindictive-lesbian' subplot that was staggeringly misogynistic and seemed to be put there just so Herbert could allude to some steamy girl on girl action. I almost stopped reading it at that point.
It also ends in a very similar way to Others, but I didn't really care enough about any of the characters at that point to be particularly bothered by their perils.
Despite these flaws my main issue with this book is that it tries to be simultaneously a paranormal novel and a conspiracy theory, and it succeeds at doing neither. By the end of the book I felt like there wasn't a proper ending as neither strand had been properly concluded. It's also very pro-Royal. While reading a book that makes political points you disagree with isn't always a bad idea (especially if it gets you thinking) after a while the simpering attitude really started to grate on me.
James Herbert was an author who I was considering reading more of. I'm not so sure now.
It also ends in a very similar way to Others, but I didn't really care enough about any of the characters at that point to be particularly bothered by their perils.
Despite these flaws my main issue with this book is that it tries to be simultaneously a paranormal novel and a conspiracy theory, and it succeeds at doing neither. By the end of the book I felt like there wasn't a proper ending as neither strand had been properly concluded. It's also very pro-Royal. While reading a book that makes political points you disagree with isn't always a bad idea (especially if it gets you thinking) after a while the simpering attitude really started to grate on me.
James Herbert was an author who I was considering reading more of. I'm not so sure now.
thecraftynene's review against another edition
2.0
I had a really hard time mulling through all of the unnecessary "filler" in this book. I ended up skimming the last half, just to see how it ended, and almost stopped reading it altogether when faced with several bouts of boredom.
wildlycan's review against another edition
3.0
Not the usual enthralling read of previous Herbert books but biggest let down was how it ended with the final chapter.
jenpenni's review against another edition
1.0
Oh James. James James James. I am lost for words.
This is a bad book. A very very bad book.
Possibly the most awful book I have ever read and I have read a lot of rubbish books.
Now go to your room and think about what you've done and don't come back until you're sorry.
This is a bad book. A very very bad book.
Possibly the most awful book I have ever read and I have read a lot of rubbish books.
Now go to your room and think about what you've done and don't come back until you're sorry.
mariasbooknook1's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dylanarmitage's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
3.0
jinni's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75