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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
First of all, full disclosure. I stopped reading about 60% in.
Anyways, it just got extremely repetitive. It felt like every few chapters(most of which are just a few pages long) we're told that someone was both raped and killed. You learn next to nothing about them, so I don't have a reason to care.
Anyways, it just got extremely repetitive. It felt like every few chapters(most of which are just a few pages long) we're told that someone was both raped and killed. You learn next to nothing about them, so I don't have a reason to care.
adventurous
dark
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:
Yes
I had a few problems with this book.
whilst the central characters to this book I found to be great, particularly Louis and Angel, a gay couple, the book featured a lot of extras and these I had difficulty with.
I found that they were unoriginal and conformed to stereotypes to the extent of being minorly offensive.
I also didn't care for the explicit gun description but that's just me.
that being said, it was a very gripping page turner and I did enjoy the use of a racial divide in the story telling.
once you get past the first chunk, it's very fast paced and action packed, whilst I'm not super excited to read the next book in the series, I hope to read it in the future, it made a refreshing change to my usual choice of fantasy.
whilst the central characters to this book I found to be great, particularly Louis and Angel, a gay couple, the book featured a lot of extras and these I had difficulty with.
I found that they were unoriginal and conformed to stereotypes to the extent of being minorly offensive.
I also didn't care for the explicit gun description but that's just me.
that being said, it was a very gripping page turner and I did enjoy the use of a racial divide in the story telling.
once you get past the first chunk, it's very fast paced and action packed, whilst I'm not super excited to read the next book in the series, I hope to read it in the future, it made a refreshing change to my usual choice of fantasy.
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I feel like I may never sleep again after reading this. It's violent and disturbing and graphic and passionate and dark and written amazingly well. There did seem to be a bit too many characters and the body count got confusing but Charlie Parker as the consistent character was fantastic. His deeply disturbed soul, suffering from the horrific deaths of his wife and daughter, and his relentless search for their killer , was compelling.
There was an underlying philosophical theme that with my life long existential crisis resonated. The unspeakable ways the 'traveling man' killed his victims and the 'art' he made of them while grotesque was also intriguing when the connection was made between the flaying of their bodies and the art in history. "In killing his victims in this way, he was making them aware of their own mortality, expanding to them their own interiors , introducing them to others of their own mortality and the final , dreadful pain that would someday find them"
Also, the writing was extremely well done. Phrases such as "the sun sank low and bloody over the water, turning the tree stumps into dark silhouettes like the fingers of dead men pointing accusingly at the heavens" and "walter cole was an avid reader, a man who devoured knowledge in the same way that certain tribes devour their enemies' hearts in the hope that they will become braver as a result".
I loved Charlie Parker and wanted to see him solve the mystery. He was multi dimensional and complicated and brave and reckless. I also became attached to other characters, including his criminal sidekicks, and Rachel, his love interest.
Overall, profoundly deep , beyond just the basic plot, beautifully done, not for the faint of heart.
There was an underlying philosophical theme that with my life long existential crisis resonated. The unspeakable ways the 'traveling man' killed his victims and the 'art' he made of them while grotesque was also intriguing when the connection was made between the flaying of their bodies and the art in history. "In killing his victims in this way, he was making them aware of their own mortality, expanding to them their own interiors , introducing them to others of their own mortality and the final , dreadful pain that would someday find them"
Also, the writing was extremely well done. Phrases such as "the sun sank low and bloody over the water, turning the tree stumps into dark silhouettes like the fingers of dead men pointing accusingly at the heavens" and "walter cole was an avid reader, a man who devoured knowledge in the same way that certain tribes devour their enemies' hearts in the hope that they will become braver as a result".
I loved Charlie Parker and wanted to see him solve the mystery. He was multi dimensional and complicated and brave and reckless. I also became attached to other characters, including his criminal sidekicks, and Rachel, his love interest.
Overall, profoundly deep , beyond just the basic plot, beautifully done, not for the faint of heart.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Long read, and it seemed like it was wrapping up midway through but then set off again. Still, the writing is good, the characters are well developed and the intensity is there. Be forewarned: this is a violent and bloody novel. A lot of people get killed and often not in a pretty way.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to reread this because I remember loving Charlie Parker in high school and GODDAMN does it not disappoint. John Connolly weaves a million threads masterfully together and the supernatural elements make this true crime/ thriller feel even more suspenseful than it already is. There was a little section in the middle that got slow for me but otherwise, I had a great time. Also, I might regret saying this but I will protect Angel and Louis with my life.