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quartzmaya 's review for:
The Book of Accidents
by Chuck Wendig
"“Question marks were shaped like a hook for a reason...”
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig felt like an overextended Stephen King fanfic. From the get-go, the premise had potential: a family returning to a haunted past, eerie happenings, and a looming battle of good versus evil. However, the execution was another story.
At over 500 pages, the novel dragged painfully, with far too many subplots and unresolved questions. The first half kept me hooked with its genuine creepiness and suspense, but as the story wore on, it lost steam. The endless buildup led to a finale that fell flat, leaving me more frustrated than satisfied.
The characters, unfortunately, were not particularly likable. Maddie’s constant irrational decisions were exasperating, and while I wanted to root for Nate and Oliver, they just didn’t resonate deeply enough. It didn’t help that the dialogue, though very thorough and descriptive, sometimes felt overly casual and forced, pulling me out of the story.
Despite its shortcomings, Wendig did manage to inject moments of real tension and horror that were enjoyable. The atmosphere was suitably creepy, and some of the supernatural elements were intriguing. Yet, these moments were too few and far between to redeem the overall experience.
In the end, "The Book of Accidents" was a mixed bag – some good scares and solid dialogue buried under a convoluted, overlong narrative. If you're a die-hard horror fan, you might find some redeeming qualities here, but for me, it was a struggle to finish.
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig felt like an overextended Stephen King fanfic. From the get-go, the premise had potential: a family returning to a haunted past, eerie happenings, and a looming battle of good versus evil. However, the execution was another story.
At over 500 pages, the novel dragged painfully, with far too many subplots and unresolved questions. The first half kept me hooked with its genuine creepiness and suspense, but as the story wore on, it lost steam. The endless buildup led to a finale that fell flat, leaving me more frustrated than satisfied.
The characters, unfortunately, were not particularly likable. Maddie’s constant irrational decisions were exasperating, and while I wanted to root for Nate and Oliver, they just didn’t resonate deeply enough. It didn’t help that the dialogue, though very thorough and descriptive, sometimes felt overly casual and forced, pulling me out of the story.
Despite its shortcomings, Wendig did manage to inject moments of real tension and horror that were enjoyable. The atmosphere was suitably creepy, and some of the supernatural elements were intriguing. Yet, these moments were too few and far between to redeem the overall experience.
In the end, "The Book of Accidents" was a mixed bag – some good scares and solid dialogue buried under a convoluted, overlong narrative. If you're a die-hard horror fan, you might find some redeeming qualities here, but for me, it was a struggle to finish.