Scan barcode
alannahmariereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Though this book went in a completely different direction to what I expected, I really enjoyed it. At no point could I guess where it was going, and I struggled to put it down
hennyb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
It was a trip. Great writing, I just wish the author would be better at writing female characters.
gabbrielle's review against another edition
4.5
What a crazy journey. Once I thought I figured out who the “bad guy” was, it turned out to be someone else, then someone else, and so on. Would totally recommend to people who like plot twists and dark stories. I found the beginning hard to stay interested in, but if you just keep reading it gets better!
lawryn's review against another edition
3.0
This book was NOT what I was expecting! This started as a thriller about organized crime and ended with a cold case, murder mystery. I will say that the narrator’s experience in psychosis was compelling and seemed authentic! Despite some jarring twists that changed the time/place mid book, I enjoyed the book overall.
I would recommend reading this carefully so you don’t lose your way!
I would recommend reading this carefully so you don’t lose your way!
scooppy's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning was really clear but after a few chapters it got kinda confusing but in the end everything did come together.
But to answer anyone looking for a good read: I enjoyed my time reading it.
But to answer anyone looking for a good read: I enjoyed my time reading it.
booklectic's review against another edition
5.0
As I expected, I am overwhelmed™️. And shook. Holy crap.
whimsicalish's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'm not sure how to feel about this one. The premise and beginning was engaging and kept me guessing. Then it goes into a direction I was not at all expecting, with dream sequences, unnecessary flashbacks and weird "is it real?" talk.
Certainly not close to the worst "psychological thriller" I ever read but it left me a bit disappointed.
Certainly not close to the worst "psychological thriller" I ever read but it left me a bit disappointed.
alliehwilliams's review against another edition
1.0
TL; DR: If you dislike gratuitous, graphic animal torture scenes, this book is not for you. If you really dislike sticking with a book despite multiple plot problems and two-dimensional characters just to see if there is some kind of payoff, only to be hit by a gratuitous, graphic animal torture scene in the final pages, well, you should run like hell.
I'm sorry, I just didn't love this book. I did read the whole thing, even though I was frustrated with the two-dimensional characters, the plot that turned out to be so different from what I expected reading the blurb, the endless dream sequences (I loathe dream sequences), etc, etc, because I wanted to see how the author got out of the hole. After I saw how he got out, I wish I had just given up 50 pages in. This book had a lot of promise with little payoff and the whole thing seemed...sloppy. I can't really say more without giving important stuff away so I'll leave it at that.
SPOILERS
I was frustrated that the loose ends never got tied up in a way that made sense to the story, or had significance relative to how much buildup there was. And the little bombshell about Arthur also seeing the possum just wasn't shocking enough to be treated like it was. I am not really sure what the author was trying to convey with that reveal. That Arthur is also crazy? Mike and others were able to see animals, too. Or that the possum is real? I don't find possums scary so that has no impact either. Maybe if it had been a Canada goose... It was just a "so what?" moment for me, rather than the jaw-dropper I think the author thought he had. We got to spend a lot of time with Justin in the flashbacks, but I still don't know why any of that was necessary. Their friendship wasn't really remarkable or noteworthy and I never felt the author did a good job of explaining why Ted beat Justin. Also, I didn't care. Neither one of them ever felt like more than a cardboard cutout. I felt like we spent a lot of time with Dr. Hill peeling the onion of Ted's psyche, and what it revealed, layer by layer, was a hotbed of "meh."
Also, the unexpected kitten torture scene in the last 5% of the book was shocking and unnecessary. In this scene, a man named Randall Forster is giving an introductory speech about Dr. Laura Hill's book about a serial killer, and he describes an incident in the killer's youth when he killed a kitten in front of his playmate. This killer had already been well established as pig with no redeeming qualities so the kitten torture description was 100% gratuitous. I also had trouble buying it that Randall would have gone into such graphic detail speaking to a group of people who were basically there for a book signing. Not simply mentioning that the killer's young neighbor knew he was capable of murder because he saw him torture animals. That is sufficient for anyone to know. No, Randall gives the audience a blow-by-blow, detail-by-detail description of how the kitten was tortured--almost like a training manual. Yes, I found it offensive but the problem was, no one would actually do that in real life. And if they did, people would get up and walk out. NOBODY WANTS A KITTEN TORTURE TUTORIAL AT THEIR BOOK SIGNING, RANDALL. It was ridiculous in the context of the scene. I could go on, but I am done.
I just didn't like it at all, sorry.
I'm sorry, I just didn't love this book. I did read the whole thing, even though I was frustrated with the two-dimensional characters, the plot that turned out to be so different from what I expected reading the blurb, the endless dream sequences (I loathe dream sequences), etc, etc, because I wanted to see how the author got out of the hole. After I saw how he got out, I wish I had just given up 50 pages in. This book had a lot of promise with little payoff and the whole thing seemed...sloppy. I can't really say more without giving important stuff away so I'll leave it at that.
SPOILERS
I was frustrated that the loose ends never got tied up in a way that made sense to the story, or had significance relative to how much buildup there was. And the little bombshell about Arthur also seeing the possum just wasn't shocking enough to be treated like it was. I am not really sure what the author was trying to convey with that reveal. That Arthur is also crazy? Mike and others were able to see animals, too. Or that the possum is real? I don't find possums scary so that has no impact either. Maybe if it had been a Canada goose... It was just a "so what?" moment for me, rather than the jaw-dropper I think the author thought he had. We got to spend a lot of time with Justin in the flashbacks, but I still don't know why any of that was necessary. Their friendship wasn't really remarkable or noteworthy and I never felt the author did a good job of explaining why Ted beat Justin. Also, I didn't care. Neither one of them ever felt like more than a cardboard cutout. I felt like we spent a lot of time with Dr. Hill peeling the onion of Ted's psyche, and what it revealed, layer by layer, was a hotbed of "meh."
Also, the unexpected kitten torture scene in the last 5% of the book was shocking and unnecessary. In this scene, a man named Randall Forster is giving an introductory speech about Dr. Laura Hill's book about a serial killer, and he describes an incident in the killer's youth when he killed a kitten in front of his playmate. This killer had already been well established as pig with no redeeming qualities so the kitten torture description was 100% gratuitous. I also had trouble buying it that Randall would have gone into such graphic detail speaking to a group of people who were basically there for a book signing. Not simply mentioning that the killer's young neighbor knew he was capable of murder because he saw him torture animals. That is sufficient for anyone to know. No, Randall gives the audience a blow-by-blow, detail-by-detail description of how the kitten was tortured--almost like a training manual. Yes, I found it offensive but the problem was, no one would actually do that in real life. And if they did, people would get up and walk out. NOBODY WANTS A KITTEN TORTURE TUTORIAL AT THEIR BOOK SIGNING, RANDALL. It was ridiculous in the context of the scene. I could go on, but I am done.
I just didn't like it at all, sorry.
_soraya_pl's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0