Reviews

The Watchers by A.M. Shine

jerrypants's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

gizmokanread's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

climbon321's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The other book I was recommended at the bookstore in Galway. More horror than fantasy for what I usually read, but still enjoyed it. 

frathousereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

One of the best endings I've read in a while. The pacing of this book was fantastic. It never gave more than it had to and knew exactly what moments to drag out to maximize terror. The narrator did an amazing job as well. Audiobooks sometimes under deliver in my opinion, but this was not the case here. Great book and listen.

madamesmiley's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Nice and twisty. A modern fairytale in the worst possible sense! 

amberelaine94's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

crackontrack's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

chames18's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

3.5

drewchebaggery's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

iblamewizards's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I'd heard good things about The Watchers. It was recommended to me because I'm a fan of Adam Nevill, and I was told it had a similar folk-horror vibe. While I can see why that might have been the reason for the recommendation, I found The Watchers far too long for the amount of plot actually contained within.

The story is incredibly simple, which made it feel like there were long sections of description to make up word count, rather than tell a compelling story. I personally think this would have made a much better novella than a full-length novel.

If you've ever read a horror novel, then you know how the plot will play out. There are no shocks, no surprises. Every twist is a genre trope. If you're ready for a horror-on-rails, you could do worse, but if you want genuine chills, and a terrifying monster, then The Watchers is probably not going to be for you.

It was a fun book to read, but not one I'd ever recommend as a great example of the genre.