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asweetdevouring 's review for:
Every Dead Thing
by John Connolly
I hate this book.
I was surprised by this because I thought I was really going to like it. The Book of Lost Things is one of my all-time favorite novels. I like detective stories (on T.V.). I liked the Charlie Parker novella is his collection Nocturnes. So I thought I`d at least enjoy this book.
Unfortunately now I`m trying to decide if the novella was good because he`s improved as a writer or because, due to length, he simply had to cut out all the bullshit.
I had several problems, big and small, that kept me from enjoying this book.
Small example: All Parker has to do is glance at someone to know the exact brand of clothing they`re wearing. I found this to be obnoxious because 1) it happened every few pages and 2) it seemed really out of character.
All of the overly specific references in general, instead of making the story feel more real, just kept pulling me out. For instance Parker thinks “I have a memory of him at Jenny`s third birthday party, a cardboard clown`s hat jammed on his head and a bowl of Ben & Jerry`s Cherry Garcia ice cream in his hand.”
Why? What an oddly specific reference. If you were going to expressly state the brand of ice cream, wouldn`t you at least use one that is normally seen at parties? B&J is weird because it`s expensive and only comes in those little pints and not something you would buy for a birthday party full of toddlers.
That might seem nitpicky but I feel it sums up Connolly`s main problem: he`s trying too hard in all the wrong places to bring this story to life.
Big example 1: I felt like the side mysteries were just there to kill time. Frankly I found them to be boring and the first one is wrapped up super conveniently as if Connolly was just as bored with it as I was.
Big example 2: Every character felt like a cardboard cutout. There is not a single one I liked or cared about.
I found the main mystery, of who killed Parker`s family, much more interesting and wish this had also been a novella that simply focused on that.
I was surprised by this because I thought I was really going to like it. The Book of Lost Things is one of my all-time favorite novels. I like detective stories (on T.V.). I liked the Charlie Parker novella is his collection Nocturnes. So I thought I`d at least enjoy this book.
Unfortunately now I`m trying to decide if the novella was good because he`s improved as a writer or because, due to length, he simply had to cut out all the bullshit.
I had several problems, big and small, that kept me from enjoying this book.
Small example: All Parker has to do is glance at someone to know the exact brand of clothing they`re wearing. I found this to be obnoxious because 1) it happened every few pages and 2) it seemed really out of character.
All of the overly specific references in general, instead of making the story feel more real, just kept pulling me out. For instance Parker thinks “I have a memory of him at Jenny`s third birthday party, a cardboard clown`s hat jammed on his head and a bowl of Ben & Jerry`s Cherry Garcia ice cream in his hand.”
Why? What an oddly specific reference. If you were going to expressly state the brand of ice cream, wouldn`t you at least use one that is normally seen at parties? B&J is weird because it`s expensive and only comes in those little pints and not something you would buy for a birthday party full of toddlers.
That might seem nitpicky but I feel it sums up Connolly`s main problem: he`s trying too hard in all the wrong places to bring this story to life.
Big example 1: I felt like the side mysteries were just there to kill time. Frankly I found them to be boring and the first one is wrapped up super conveniently as if Connolly was just as bored with it as I was.
Big example 2: Every character felt like a cardboard cutout. There is not a single one I liked or cared about.
I found the main mystery, of who killed Parker`s family, much more interesting and wish this had also been a novella that simply focused on that.