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2.0
challenging dark emotional 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

This book as the Author intended 1/5 stars.
This book as a horror novel 5/5 stars.

In between the philosophical ramblings, this book reads like a horror novel. It was clearly not the author's intent to create a psychological thriller, and I think that makes the experience even better. 

When the narrator isn’t waxing philosophical, he is retelling a road trip he took with his son. For the entire trip,
the father is dealing with a mental health issue which is presented as if it’s something supernatural, shrouded in mystery. Which leads to the poor kid being constantly subjected to abuse (which is not recognised by the author as such). Honestly, the narrator’s behaviour reads like a character from a Stephen King novel.


When the book is focusing on philosophy, it is incredibly self-aggrandising. It feels as though the author genuinely considered himself to be a modern day Aristotle. He congratulates himself throughout the book on his own great ideas, and it seems like he expected the reader to do the same. He makes it so easy to hate him, which cements the narrator as a villain.