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mariemoreau's review
4.0
This was such a cool, yet horrifying read. Honestly, my skin crawled a good number of times at the descriptions for how all the creatures looked. I’ve never read a science fiction book before so this was new for me and yeah, that was something. Love how the author didn’t wait until the middle of the story to get the action going, I’d say by chapter 3 things started moving very quickly and I appreciated that. All these kids went through wayyyy too much like I don’t see how Riley made it as far as she did in that situation, I would’ve just succumbed to my fate. And of course I’m disgusted (but not surprised) at how powerful, rich men think they rule the world and can get away with anything. The ending was perfect (although I’m still sad at all the lives lost for no reason).
meggles10's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
annaavian's review against another edition
3.0
A fast paced YA horror story that is a derivative of The Thing, which made it very predictable. The prose was sometimes a bit clunky which took away from the overall feeling of terror and dread. There was a lot more that could have been done with the ending as well.
aw_reads's review
3.0
The author mentions that John Carpenter's cult classic The Thing was a source of inspiration. That film is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. It is grotesque and gruesome, an absolutely fascinating look at body horror and the natural human response to an alien presence that defies the impossible.
It Looks Like Us manages to capture the same fear of death and isolation in a remote location while confronting an unknown, hostile creature as was depicted in The Thing. The body horror is fantastic. There were some gnarly descriptions of body metamorphoses that hold the power to haunt readers, myself included. It's a little morbid to say that the death scenes and the transformations were my favorite part of the book, but it is what it is. Ames did a phenomenal job building up suspense and detailing the gruesome events.
However, I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters since they were all a little unlikeable, even Riley. And it was obvious that this was a book intended for an older audience that reads YA as there were plenty of references to pop culture most relevant to millennials or older generations. Only a pocket of newer readers might catch any X-file mentions.
The true villain is an Elon Musk ripoff. Basically, the book boils down to a commentary on industrial greed and mismanaged wealth in the face of climate change and the need for resources. It's a good premise, but the pacing throws off the entire delivery. The kids start to get hunted down very early in the book and the remainder of the story is a slowly executed journey of survival. All in all, this book was good, just not great in balancing all the notable elements that could have made it a standout horror read.
It Looks Like Us manages to capture the same fear of death and isolation in a remote location while confronting an unknown, hostile creature as was depicted in The Thing. The body horror is fantastic. There were some gnarly descriptions of body metamorphoses that hold the power to haunt readers, myself included. It's a little morbid to say that the death scenes and the transformations were my favorite part of the book, but it is what it is. Ames did a phenomenal job building up suspense and detailing the gruesome events.
However, I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters since they were all a little unlikeable, even Riley. And it was obvious that this was a book intended for an older audience that reads YA as there were plenty of references to pop culture most relevant to millennials or older generations. Only a pocket of newer readers might catch any X-file mentions.
The true villain is an Elon Musk ripoff. Basically, the book boils down to a commentary on industrial greed and mismanaged wealth in the face of climate change and the need for resources. It's a good premise, but the pacing throws off the entire delivery. The kids start to get hunted down very early in the book and the remainder of the story is a slowly executed journey of survival. All in all, this book was good, just not great in balancing all the notable elements that could have made it a standout horror read.
disnelyse's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Drug use
kaylaiscool321's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
That was gross and scary but I wanna know what happens after
abbyl0u's review
DNF @ page 21
I have a deep love for John W. Campbell's Who Goes There? and its various iterations. The Thing is a uniquely terrifying monster. But I can't sit through teenagers and a knockoff Elon Musk named Anton Rusk. Where was the editor??? Maybe it gets better, but personally it isn't worth sticking around to find out :/
I have a deep love for John W. Campbell's Who Goes There? and its various iterations. The Thing is a uniquely terrifying monster. But I can't sit through teenagers and a knockoff Elon Musk named Anton Rusk. Where was the editor??? Maybe it gets better, but personally it isn't worth sticking around to find out :/
willowmae's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is soooo good and really scary at parts
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
sandrareilly513's review
5.0
YA version of The Thing meets Resident Evil!
Six high school students, an adult chaperone, and a scientest head to Antarctica for a research expedition devised and funded by an incredibly wealthy businessman. But what starts as an exciting adventure turns into a complete terror when they realize they're there for more than just collecting ice samples as part of an environmental campaign. Something terrifying is hiding in the cold, waiting for its chance to strike. And it looks just like them. With no way to get home and no idea who to trust, this action-packed survival story will reach a disturbing end, leaving readers with wide eyes long after the last page.
Thoughts: This is one of the best YA horrors I"ve read this year! Alison Ames weaves current events with horror and greed to bring a truly terrifying story that unfortunately could be entirely true if such monsters existed. It Looks Like Us gave me Resident Evil feels with the Jeff Bezos-type character being the mastermind of the expedition and the greed he is driven by, combined with The Thing-like monster who can literally turn into anyone it touches in a polar ice cap setting. Ames fills each horror scene with descriptions that are creepily easy to imagine and captures the action in a way that made the book compulsively readable. I easily devoured this entire story. And yes, that was a terrible pun -- you're welcome. I'm excited to add this to my HS library's collection.
**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**
Six high school students, an adult chaperone, and a scientest head to Antarctica for a research expedition devised and funded by an incredibly wealthy businessman. But what starts as an exciting adventure turns into a complete terror when they realize they're there for more than just collecting ice samples as part of an environmental campaign. Something terrifying is hiding in the cold, waiting for its chance to strike. And it looks just like them. With no way to get home and no idea who to trust, this action-packed survival story will reach a disturbing end, leaving readers with wide eyes long after the last page.
Thoughts: This is one of the best YA horrors I"ve read this year! Alison Ames weaves current events with horror and greed to bring a truly terrifying story that unfortunately could be entirely true if such monsters existed. It Looks Like Us gave me Resident Evil feels with the Jeff Bezos-type character being the mastermind of the expedition and the greed he is driven by, combined with The Thing-like monster who can literally turn into anyone it touches in a polar ice cap setting. Ames fills each horror scene with descriptions that are creepily easy to imagine and captures the action in a way that made the book compulsively readable. I easily devoured this entire story. And yes, that was a terrible pun -- you're welcome. I'm excited to add this to my HS library's collection.
**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**