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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wish I could rate it higher but I can't.
The first half was genuinely so good. Then it lost the plot halfway through and I got lost, I made myself keep reading in hopes that It'd recover but it doesn't.
The only reason it's not lower is because the first half was that good.
The first half was genuinely so good. Then it lost the plot halfway through and I got lost, I made myself keep reading in hopes that It'd recover but it doesn't.
The only reason it's not lower is because the first half was that good.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a mindf*ck. It has elements of psychology horror, magic realism, and fractured fairytales. It even has a tortured mermaid...so how could I not enjoy it?
It is dense and I read it slowly because there is so many layers and complications to it but it didn't move slowly. The plot was compelling and at about the half way point I had trouble putting it down. It was unsettling, disturbing, dark, and at times grotesque. I found myself absorbed in his world and after a few longer reading sessions had trouble when transitioning back to reality.
I adored the main character, Tom Flanigan, and was fascinated by the other characters even though I didn't 'like' them. It's filled with quotes so incredible that I wrote them down. Overall, it was strange and brilliant and twisted.
It is dense and I read it slowly because there is so many layers and complications to it but it didn't move slowly. The plot was compelling and at about the half way point I had trouble putting it down. It was unsettling, disturbing, dark, and at times grotesque. I found myself absorbed in his world and after a few longer reading sessions had trouble when transitioning back to reality.
I adored the main character, Tom Flanigan, and was fascinated by the other characters even though I didn't 'like' them. It's filled with quotes so incredible that I wrote them down. Overall, it was strange and brilliant and twisted.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would not consider the length of this book (about 500 pages) to be overly long, but this was a beast of a book. The scariest part of this book was the unreality of Shadowland. I never knew what was real and what was illusion. The imagery described in these parts was very vivid and colorful. The villain was terrifying and seemingly invincible. As the characters realize their plight, the reader really does feel the impossibility of the situation. The final performance scenes were really breathtaking and enjoyable. Those aspects were cleverly written and interesting and generally worked well. What did not work well was the pacing at the beginning. The prep school setting was not my favorite and the way the book was written, almost in vignettes, did not ground the characters or situation and it was hard to get hooked into their story. Once we reach Shadowland proper though, the book went off the rails and I'm glad I was along for the ride because it was truly weird. I don't think my knowledge of fairy tales was adequate to catch all the references and easter eggs that were thrown in. Perhaps my appreciation of this book was have been more profound had I been better versed in the history and lore of The Brothers Grimm. I feel like this book had a lot going on just beneath the surface that I was not smart enough to fully comprehend and that the bit of the iceberg I see and understand does not reveal the true depth and breadth of what happened in this book. On the surface, this is a story about a young person confronting a powerful being and coming of age as he is learning to control and master his abilities and temptations. I don't think it works as a young adult tale because there are way too many scenes that are written for adults that are grotesque, mature, and symbolic. But how many adults are going to read a book with teenage protagonists? So I'm not really sure who this book is for and its definitely not for all horror fans. The uneven pacing, lack of a strong hook, and almost simplistic characters can be a hard sell for this story, but if you're patient and are looking for a weird read, then you might check this one out.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book felt extremely stuffy and slow. I kept pushing on despite not feeling very pulled to finish it and it became more and more of a dated and hard-to-follow slog.