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sci_fi 's review for:
The Mask of Sanity
by Jacob M. Appel
probably the best serial killer/"sociopath" pov i've read, ever. felt like i had a fist clenched around my intestines the whole time. it was refreshing to closely follow the protagonist‰ЫЄs clinical decision to turn from normalcy and choose at every point to take it further. appel avoids being gratuitously violent; the book's built on the tension as you wonder if he'll get away with it and the dread as he does and continues to. but the horror does build up and there were some parts where balint's rationalization and lack of empathy got so disturbing i had to pause. yet the rhythm of the narrative voice always compelled me forward.
a star off bc in the last act it got too formulaic.
and to talk about the ending, because the ending is there to be talked about...
a star off bc in the last act it got too formulaic.
Spoiler
there was still dread and tension, but frustration as well as it became apparent if would all be mundane life improvements going forward. i just never recovered from how disappointed i was by balint‰ЫЄs non-reaction to amanda divorcing him, a moment that i felt flipped the entire story because the purpose of all of his actions is gone. i think it was a glaring oversight not to look more closely at balint's relationship with his daughters. the narrative plays with lampshading how delusional he is in playing house with them but never commits. it's like his genuine emotional attachments were a can of worms appel didn't have time to open.and to talk about the ending, because the ending is there to be talked about...