Reviews with content warning for Violence - Darkly Dreaming Dexter

I've watched the series and I like the show more, however I really liked the book. Not my normal genre, but the fast paced energy and jokes made it easy to go through. The book is also slightly different from the series so it was a nice surprise that the show changed the plot a little. The wrap up of the book was FAST.

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boundforinfinity's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

As Dexter, our protagonist, sees the world, he is usually right. A good story that will keep you entertained and slowly build the mistrust of the character you follow. Dexter, a serial killer, works with the police as a forensic scientist in order to solver murders across the city (and to potentially find his next victims too).

Dexter's moral code makes him palletable to the reader - using his underlying dark urges as a quirky character trait that becomes personified as the back seat driver. After all, it isn't "really" Dexters fault, is it?

A great holiday or casual read for those looking for a dark comedy.

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thescarletangel's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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sexualedward's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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_forestofpages's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

2.25

Started out really great, engaging, dark, humorous. The premise had me hooked, but about 30% in I realized nothing was really happening. I hate to compare but as I am a massive fan of the show adaptation I was hoping the book would be as entertaining and complex especially in the psychology and investigative ways the show is, but the book has none of that.

The characters are boring and stereotypical, and all of the women are either cold or stupid. Save for Rita who is mentioned three times and then is never given page time or development. All of the other characters are 1d cutouts of people who are all sharing a single braincell. There isn't even an investigation, nothing about forensics or splatter patterns, nothing at all.

The reveal for the killer felt empty and emotionless just as much as Dexter was the whole book. There were no clue's or hints as to the identity of the killer throughout the book. I hate a mystery with no foreshadowing, because I know that the twist or reveal will be either completely unrealistic or only for shock value which is how the ending felt, especially that vague epilogue.

Debra Morgan's character to me was particularly annoying. She treated her brother like crap, was angry and cruel to everyone, had no personality beyond being mad and talking about her promotion every five seconds. She had zero character development.

And one more thing, for a novel about a prolific serial killer there was a serious lack of murder going on. At least when compared to the show.

The 2.5 rating is for the first 50 pages or so which were pretty solid and a good setup and introduction; I did enjoy the writing at that stage as well. Sadly, it all went downhill from there. My advice is to just watch the show which is infinitely better.

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bea_rodr's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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rochelle_reads's review

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challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

꧁꧁Book Review꧂꧂

Bloody. Sardonic. Insane.

The story follows Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter expert for the homocide unit. Oh and he’s also a serial killer who murders bad people because a voice inside his head, called The Dark Passenger, tells him he has to.

When I found out the series was based on a set of books, I knew I had to read them even though this genre is usually not my thing. And now I’m obsessed.

Dexter’s internal monologue had me cackling - his dry humour, his berating of himself and others, and just the generally witty narrative was spot on and really resonated with me.

I think what I found most appealing was the idea of getting into the head of a serial killer and picking apart their motivations, not just for killing but also everyday interactions; this book cleverly describes his need to fit in and not seeing himself as human because his past trauma has changed the way his brain works.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it has reignited my fascination for serial killers. Time to go rewatch the series and compare!

Rating: 🔪🔪🔪🔪

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kkarinh's review

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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