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lizzyg21's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.5
badger1138's review against another edition
2.0
I love Guillermo del Toro. I love the Netflix series Trollhunters. I wanted to read the novel on which the series is based and was sorely disappointed with it, other than character names and a couple of events, this has nothing to do with the show in any way. The story isn’t interesting and drags on at a snails pace, the main character is probably the least interesting character in the book, all in all it was a let down. Also, I listened to this on Audible and the narrator is incredibly milquetoast. I hate being negative about someone’s work, but I really felt the need to let fans of the show know. Definitely WATCH THE SERIES ON NETFLIX!! It’s incredible!
spacepandita2022's review against another edition
Quería tanto que me gustara este libro, porque me gusta muchísimo todo el trabajo de Guillermo del Toro (menos The Shape of Water). Y aunque era infantil, esta serie en Netflix me gustaba mucho porque era super entretenida y tenía la voz del nuevo actor Chekov en las nuevas pelis de Star Trek, y fue su último trabajo antes de que falleciera el actor. Y todo es me hace conservar un bonito recuerdo de la serie.
Libro: Primero parte fue hasta el 22%, me pareció bastante lenta,con la clásica historia de un niño y sus problemas con el bullying en la escuela. Creo que lo que más me llamaba la atención (los monstruos y trolls) tardo mucho en llegar (recién al 40% aparece en ese mundo). También para ser un libro infantil, me parece que contiene demasiadas descripciones y poco dialogo, al menos en lo que pude leer, y eso hizo que la lectura fuera bastante lenta.
Libro: Primero parte fue hasta el 22%, me pareció bastante lenta,
djwills369's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
wolverinefactor's review against another edition
1.0
Predictable and tired. The constant fat shaming of Tub. A barrage of foul language. It's written for what I'd assume is kids but offers gore and language of a book geared towards a pg13 crowd. It even has little cartoons. I only started this now because I want to give the tv series a shot. It's somehow worse than the book... oh well... Del Toro needs to stick to movies.
alyshadeshae's review against another edition
4.0
Very different from the Netflix show, but also very entertaining. The only reason it's not five stars is because there were a few things that bugged me, like the math teacher and the math test - they just seemed off to me. But other than that it was awesome!
esidden's review against another edition
3.0
While I definitely liked the tv show better, this book was nonetheless a good read. Plot and some characters different from the show, but when not compared to the show it’s probably worth 4 if not 5 stars. However, I am unable to not compare because I loved the show so much and expected to love this just as much if not more. It came short of my expectations but I’d say it is still worth the read.
evie_jane's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
betwixt_the_pages's review against another edition
3.0
In San Bernardino, California, children are going missing.
The townspeople don't believe the rumours of trolls, but fifteen-year-old Jim Jnr knows that they're a very real threat. At night, is anyone safe?
TROLLHUNTERS is a funny, gruesome and undeniably del Toro-esque adventure perfect for teen readers and fans of Pan's Labyrinth.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: trolls! (I mean, what else does a girl need, really?); fun, witty humor; interesting and multi-layered characters; inventive, entertaining plot; coming-of-age/finding yourself
First things first: If you own the hardcover of this, and haven't taken the dust jacket off yet...DO IT. Drop everything you're doing right now, find the book, and peel that top cover off. And then stare in awe—the naked hardcover is absolutely GORGEOUS. Also, the dust jacket isn't half-bad either. The whole outside package? A definite killer in my book.
Having watched many Guillermo del Toro films, and having read The Strain, I went in to this read knowing what to expect from him: disturbing, fearsome creatures; highly imaginative settings; a riveting, action-packed plot. Having NEVER read Daniel Kraus before, I wasn't sure WHAT to expect. I wasn't disappointed.
So: trolls. And not just ANY trolls, but evil, child-stealing, flesh-eating trolls. Taking over the world (or, in this case, the town).
I really enjoyed the characters. As a focal point of the story, the multi-faceted and complex personalities clashed, wove together, and found their way through this journey beautifully. The trauma that Jim's dad experiences as a child—of watching his big brother literally disappear into the darkness—has haunted him for years, mutating into a paranoid, delusional, panicky state. At least, this is what Jim has grown up believing—until the night he's inducted into the world of trolls, and missing Jack Sturgess...who hasn't aged since the day he vanished.
As the story unfolds, the humor and witty banter employed by Jim, his best friend Tubs, and the many interesting characters they come across left me giggling. The prose is descriptive and, as expected from the master of horror, often disturbing when thought about for too long.
I enjoyed the relationship growth, as well—the characters and their motivations are realistic and natural, given the story. The “good” trolls are easy to forgive and empathize with, the fact that Tubs cannot understand them makes for some awesome mood-breakers.
Of course, being a mid-grade novel, there are several “expected” plot points used throughout to keep the story going/keep readers interested. These don't, in the end, detract from the enjoyment of the reading in my opinion, and are at times flipped on their heads or employed in unexpected and inspiring ways.
This was a solid first step into young adult/mid-grade writing for del Toro, and while I can't speak much toward Daniel Kraus, I really enjoyed this collaboration! I definitely recommend to others who enjoy trolls, alternate worlds, and finding yourself in the midst of chaos.
The townspeople don't believe the rumours of trolls, but fifteen-year-old Jim Jnr knows that they're a very real threat. At night, is anyone safe?
TROLLHUNTERS is a funny, gruesome and undeniably del Toro-esque adventure perfect for teen readers and fans of Pan's Labyrinth.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: trolls! (I mean, what else does a girl need, really?); fun, witty humor; interesting and multi-layered characters; inventive, entertaining plot; coming-of-age/finding yourself
First things first: If you own the hardcover of this, and haven't taken the dust jacket off yet...DO IT. Drop everything you're doing right now, find the book, and peel that top cover off. And then stare in awe—the naked hardcover is absolutely GORGEOUS. Also, the dust jacket isn't half-bad either. The whole outside package? A definite killer in my book.
Having watched many Guillermo del Toro films, and having read The Strain, I went in to this read knowing what to expect from him: disturbing, fearsome creatures; highly imaginative settings; a riveting, action-packed plot. Having NEVER read Daniel Kraus before, I wasn't sure WHAT to expect. I wasn't disappointed.
So: trolls. And not just ANY trolls, but evil, child-stealing, flesh-eating trolls. Taking over the world (or, in this case, the town).
I really enjoyed the characters. As a focal point of the story, the multi-faceted and complex personalities clashed, wove together, and found their way through this journey beautifully. The trauma that Jim's dad experiences as a child—of watching his big brother literally disappear into the darkness—has haunted him for years, mutating into a paranoid, delusional, panicky state. At least, this is what Jim has grown up believing—until the night he's inducted into the world of trolls, and missing Jack Sturgess...who hasn't aged since the day he vanished.
As the story unfolds, the humor and witty banter employed by Jim, his best friend Tubs, and the many interesting characters they come across left me giggling. The prose is descriptive and, as expected from the master of horror, often disturbing when thought about for too long.
I enjoyed the relationship growth, as well—the characters and their motivations are realistic and natural, given the story. The “good” trolls are easy to forgive and empathize with, the fact that Tubs cannot understand them makes for some awesome mood-breakers.
Of course, being a mid-grade novel, there are several “expected” plot points used throughout to keep the story going/keep readers interested. These don't, in the end, detract from the enjoyment of the reading in my opinion, and are at times flipped on their heads or employed in unexpected and inspiring ways.
This was a solid first step into young adult/mid-grade writing for del Toro, and while I can't speak much toward Daniel Kraus, I really enjoyed this collaboration! I definitely recommend to others who enjoy trolls, alternate worlds, and finding yourself in the midst of chaos.
bmg20's review against another edition
3.0
“It’s a terrible thing, isn’t it? To be dragged under?”
In San Bernadino in the late 1960s, almost 200 hundred children went missing in what became known as The Milk Carton Epidemic. Children weren’t allowed on the streets past sunset, but on the day of Jack Sturges birthday, he and his little brother Jim were having too much fun on their bicycles to notice the sun was slowly making its exit. When Jack raced ahead towards the Holland Transit Bridge, Jim quickly lost sight of him. From the shadow of the bridge came a sight so terrifying that Jim could only run away in fear. Black fur, horns, claws, and massive teeth chased him home that day and while he managed to survive, he never saw his older brother Jack again.
Years later, Jim’s son, Jim Sturges Jr. is fifteen years old and lives alone with his paranoid father. Ever since he lost his older brother, his father has been terrified of the dark. Steel shutters cover their windows, ten locks secure their front door, and the flood lights and security cameras pick up anything that lurks outside. Jim never quite understands his father's paranoia, that is until the day that he’s dragged through a hole beneath his bed and sees his first troll. And his lost Uncle Jack who is somehow just as young as he was the day he went missing. He’s told that the Sturges family belongs to a line of trollhunters, that the battle between humans and trolls has been going on for ages, and that he’s the next in line to step up to the task. Jim’s life is never quite the same again.
“This is the only thing I’m good at. There are times when you have to do the right thing, no matter how scary. […] If I don’t fight now, right now, when am I supposed to fight?”
Trollhunters will appeal to fans of Percy Jackson, The Blackwell Pages, The Kane Chronicles and the multitude of series’ that center around kids/teenagers burdened with the task of saving the world. Trollhunters is tagged as YA but the goofiness that is typically present in Middle-Grade fiction is flying high in this one. But there are also several instances of profanity (asshole and bastard are two I remember off the top of my head) so it’s clear this author-duo was possibly trying to entice an audience of various ages. I’m just not sure the way they went about it is necessarily a recipe for success. The fact that it’s marketed as horror doesn’t necessarily help either, especially since it’s really not. Children stolen from their beds at night (by monsters nonetheless) should be straight nightmare fuel but it never quite reached the level of terror I would have expected since the intensity was constantly lessened by the presence of goofy humor.
I’m a huge fan of del Toro, so this became an immediate addition to my TBR, but what most intrigued me about this one is the difference in the fantasy focus: trolls. I’ve read plenty of vampire, werewolf, and faerie stories but a troll story? Can’t recall a single one. But these aren’t the trolls of my generation either.
Oh, no. These trolls are nasty, ugly things that like to snack on humans like they were tasty kernels of popcorn. While the horror was somewhat lacking (except for that bit about the troll fetus that takes up residence inside humans for the night? oh. my. god. Wire my mouth shut, I’ll just breathe through my nose, thank you very much), the gruesomeness is actually pretty intense. For a glimpse of what these disgusting trolls actually look like, check out some of the artwork by Sean A. Murray. One thing I have to note about the artwork, and due to the fact that I read an ARC I can’t be certain this is necessarily the case in the finished copy, but the artwork never coincided with what was occurring in the story. A certain scenes artwork would be shown 20 pages later which kind of threw you off from the scene that was currently happening.
Naturally, this is a start to a new series since various questions were left unanswered. I hope that some thought is put into future installments because at this point I can’t see how they can be anything but repetitive. Trolls try to take over, battles happen, people die, good wins. The story often dragged at times and lacked any twists that would have helped keep me (or any reader) engaged. Less goofiness, more horror, and much more excitement are all I’d like to ask for in the next installment. Still worth the read, but not nearly as thrilling as I had hoped for from an author duo like this.
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
In San Bernadino in the late 1960s, almost 200 hundred children went missing in what became known as The Milk Carton Epidemic. Children weren’t allowed on the streets past sunset, but on the day of Jack Sturges birthday, he and his little brother Jim were having too much fun on their bicycles to notice the sun was slowly making its exit. When Jack raced ahead towards the Holland Transit Bridge, Jim quickly lost sight of him. From the shadow of the bridge came a sight so terrifying that Jim could only run away in fear. Black fur, horns, claws, and massive teeth chased him home that day and while he managed to survive, he never saw his older brother Jack again.
Years later, Jim’s son, Jim Sturges Jr. is fifteen years old and lives alone with his paranoid father. Ever since he lost his older brother, his father has been terrified of the dark. Steel shutters cover their windows, ten locks secure their front door, and the flood lights and security cameras pick up anything that lurks outside. Jim never quite understands his father's paranoia, that is until the day that he’s dragged through a hole beneath his bed and sees his first troll. And his lost Uncle Jack who is somehow just as young as he was the day he went missing. He’s told that the Sturges family belongs to a line of trollhunters, that the battle between humans and trolls has been going on for ages, and that he’s the next in line to step up to the task. Jim’s life is never quite the same again.
“This is the only thing I’m good at. There are times when you have to do the right thing, no matter how scary. […] If I don’t fight now, right now, when am I supposed to fight?”
Trollhunters will appeal to fans of Percy Jackson, The Blackwell Pages, The Kane Chronicles and the multitude of series’ that center around kids/teenagers burdened with the task of saving the world. Trollhunters is tagged as YA but the goofiness that is typically present in Middle-Grade fiction is flying high in this one. But there are also several instances of profanity (asshole and bastard are two I remember off the top of my head) so it’s clear this author-duo was possibly trying to entice an audience of various ages. I’m just not sure the way they went about it is necessarily a recipe for success. The fact that it’s marketed as horror doesn’t necessarily help either, especially since it’s really not. Children stolen from their beds at night (by monsters nonetheless) should be straight nightmare fuel but it never quite reached the level of terror I would have expected since the intensity was constantly lessened by the presence of goofy humor.
I’m a huge fan of del Toro, so this became an immediate addition to my TBR, but what most intrigued me about this one is the difference in the fantasy focus: trolls. I’ve read plenty of vampire, werewolf, and faerie stories but a troll story? Can’t recall a single one. But these aren’t the trolls of my generation either.
Oh, no. These trolls are nasty, ugly things that like to snack on humans like they were tasty kernels of popcorn. While the horror was somewhat lacking (except for that bit about the troll fetus that takes up residence inside humans for the night? oh. my. god. Wire my mouth shut, I’ll just breathe through my nose, thank you very much), the gruesomeness is actually pretty intense. For a glimpse of what these disgusting trolls actually look like, check out some of the artwork by Sean A. Murray. One thing I have to note about the artwork, and due to the fact that I read an ARC I can’t be certain this is necessarily the case in the finished copy, but the artwork never coincided with what was occurring in the story. A certain scenes artwork would be shown 20 pages later which kind of threw you off from the scene that was currently happening.
Naturally, this is a start to a new series since various questions were left unanswered. I hope that some thought is put into future installments because at this point I can’t see how they can be anything but repetitive. Trolls try to take over, battles happen, people die, good wins. The story often dragged at times and lacked any twists that would have helped keep me (or any reader) engaged. Less goofiness, more horror, and much more excitement are all I’d like to ask for in the next installment. Still worth the read, but not nearly as thrilling as I had hoped for from an author duo like this.
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.