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A review by danyclarice
The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
- ‘When you find him’, she’d said to me, ‘you’ll probably be shocked at just how much to nothing he really is.’ She was right. -
This book was incredibly thrilling and nothing like I had ever read before. The structure of this book is ‘a book within a book’. Howard cleverly weaves two characters points of views throughout the book as Jim reads the ‘Nothing Man’ written by Eve.
A very quick and easy read with some good twists and moments that made me audibly gasp. However there were some points where the book was moving a little slow, mainly during descriptions of other victims and minute details of their lives.
I loved the concept of this book. We are introduced to Eve through Jim’s eyes as a faceless victim who survived his attack on her family. She is described as a nuisance who has failed to identify the Nothing Man. But, throughout the book, the author shines a spotlight on the victims and makes a social commentary on societies obsession with serial killers, forgetting families left behind and the victims. Jim slowly starts to realise he has utterly lost control of the situation and falls straight into Eve’s trap, who had always been one step ahead of him from the very beginning.
Overall, a satisfying read which will have you getting up in the middle of the night to check your doors are locked.
This book was incredibly thrilling and nothing like I had ever read before. The structure of this book is ‘a book within a book’. Howard cleverly weaves two characters points of views throughout the book as Jim reads the ‘Nothing Man’ written by Eve.
A very quick and easy read with some good twists and moments that made me audibly gasp. However there were some points where the book was moving a little slow, mainly during descriptions of other victims and minute details of their lives.
I loved the concept of this book. We are introduced to Eve through Jim’s eyes as a faceless victim who survived his attack on her family. She is described as a nuisance who has failed to identify the Nothing Man. But, throughout the book, the author shines a spotlight on the victims and makes a social commentary on societies obsession with serial killers, forgetting families left behind and the victims. Jim slowly starts to realise he has utterly lost control of the situation and falls straight into Eve’s trap, who had always been one step ahead of him from the very beginning.
Overall, a satisfying read which will have you getting up in the middle of the night to check your doors are locked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail