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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.
Content Warnings
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.
frauleinn8123's review against another edition
5.0
Absolute phenomenal historical fiction, such vivid imagery and captivating writing.
ultimatekate's review against another edition
5.0
What an interesting read! This book details the search for a serial killer who is mutilating young boys in New York in 1896, well before things like finger-printing and psychological profiling. I couldn't put it down. Carr's writing style reminds me of Dan Brown ("The Da Vinici Code")--both are fast-paced, and each chapter ends with a bit of a cliff-hanger. There are many twists and turns in the book. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read.
jbakarich's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
cutenanya's review against another edition
5.0
It is amazing how I cannot stop reading this book despite its length and my short attention span. A truly fascinating book with not a single moment when you feel bored.