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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Grief is a common theme to explore in media, and I feel like it's even more present in the horror genre. At face value one might think, "do we really need another story about dealing with the loss of a loved one?" And at face value I might agree that the concept has been tackled just about every way already, but This Thing Between Us proved to me that there are still interesting ways to keep the topic fresh in a way I've never seen before.
The sales blurb for this book pitches it as a ~what if your Alexa was haunted~ kind of story, but there is so much more going on here. There is some truly sinister and malevolent shit happening to poor Thiago (who is one of the most interesting and likeable protagonists I've come across in a while) and there were at least two scenes that had me sitting upright and thinking "whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck." There was also a Mexican folk twist on the story's events involving brujas and mentions of El Cucuy that made it feel distinct from generic cosmic horror.
I liked all the characters, specifically the relationship between Thiago and his mother-in-law and how that changes after his wife's death (this occurs before the story even begins, so it's not really a spoiler). Everyone's decisions and dialogue felt natural and logical, subthemes of gentrification and immigration were treated fairly and didn't come across as heavy-handed, and I got legitimately spooked at parts. This book is a quintessential example of what I think horror literature looks like at its best. This is an easy auto-recommendation.
The sales blurb for this book pitches it as a ~what if your Alexa was haunted~ kind of story, but there is so much more going on here. There is some truly sinister and malevolent shit happening to poor Thiago (who is one of the most interesting and likeable protagonists I've come across in a while) and there were at least two scenes that had me sitting upright and thinking "whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck." There was also a Mexican folk twist on the story's events involving brujas and mentions of El Cucuy that made it feel distinct from generic cosmic horror.
I liked all the characters, specifically the relationship between Thiago and his mother-in-law and how that changes after his wife's death (this occurs before the story even begins, so it's not really a spoiler). Everyone's decisions and dialogue felt natural and logical, subthemes of gentrification and immigration were treated fairly and didn't come across as heavy-handed, and I got legitimately spooked at parts. This book is a quintessential example of what I think horror literature looks like at its best. This is an easy auto-recommendation.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very well written exploration of grief that kept wowing me with its prose. I wish there was a bit more leading into the ending because it didn't feel as satisfying as I'd hoped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the first chapter emotionally wrecked me. it was so sad and beautiful at the same time. was not expecting it and that tone remains in many parts throughout the book
then it becomes more dark (which is what I was actually expecting) and, even it took me some time, I got really interested in the unfolding of the story
the development of the story is classical and there are many (good) clichés, but the driving force of everything is original and it feels realistic in our current days
then it becomes more dark (which is what I was actually expecting) and, even it took me some time, I got really interested in the unfolding of the story
the development of the story is classical and there are many (good) clichés, but the driving force of everything is original and it feels realistic in our current days
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Seguindo minha regra de fazer review negativa em português pra ser o mais discreta possível expressando o meu desgosto.
Não deu pra curtir esse livro. Alternei entre me sentir confusa e desinteressada. Só queria que terminasse logo. Não consegui sentir medo nem curiosidade pra saber do desenrolar da trama. Não me conectei com os personagens, desgostei de todos, achei o Thiago um chato de galocha.
Não deu pra curtir esse livro. Alternei entre me sentir confusa e desinteressada. Só queria que terminasse logo. Não consegui sentir medo nem curiosidade pra saber do desenrolar da trama. Não me conectei com os personagens, desgostei de todos, achei o Thiago um chato de galocha.
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wowoweewow. Okay. First-- I loved how this was written in a 2nd person POV, in a way where Thiago was narrating to his beloved, dead wife. It gave the whole narration a more intimate feel, with the grief at the loss of his wife being so incredibly palpable. Admittedly, even after reading the blurb on the back of the book, I didn't expect it in any way to go the direction it went. But in no such terms did this story disappoint. From start to finish, I felt as if the book was unraveling, becoming increasingly more wicked and eerie and creepy. Honestly, I'm still not sure what to make of the ending, of what exactly this entity was that followed Thiago. The ending left me scratching my head, but in no way was it unsatisfying; I'd love to read others' interpretations and conclusions that they've made. This book was unlike anything I've read before, unexpected, and I hope to read more from this author!