A review by luminaryleah
Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

While I found this book fast pasted and thrilling, I can not say it’s well written. It keeps you turning pages, and glued to the book, so if you’re a horror lover looking to get out of a reading slump this might be a good book to read. HOWEVER, I found Lori’s obsessions and motivations bizarre and unearned. I love the idea of a main character we despise and don’t trust, but she just didn’t seem fully fleshed out. Her incredibly evil actions in her youth and then subsequent dark obsessions in adulthood do not feel real or lived in. We don’t feel her depravity, her suffering does not feel great or powerful. There was an opportunity to create empathy for her as a character that would have made this read gut wrenching, but instead it just felt shocking for shock sake. The setting was sometimes repetitive. The racism felt casual and disgusting and unneeded. Many of Lori’s actions felt unrealistic because we weren’t set up with the depth to earn them. This resulted in moments that felt like a wet dream, cheap, and self indulgent. 

*I do not typically look for TW before reading a book, I love extreme horror, but if you’re even a little bit squeamish you should read the TWs before reading. 

*Many folks have compared it to Tender is The Flesh in the review section. I think TITF is significantly better written and the depravity of the characters in that world feels earned and heart breaking. 
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