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itzami's Reviews (110)
While reading this book I commented with my wife: 'You know it's a good mystery book when you're on chapter 5 and no one has died'. And I stand for it.
Compared to the last mystery books I read, it was refreshing to get to know the characters before and after the event and they actually felt alive.
The murderer was pretty obvious but the tone and the characters were lovely.
I see some bad reviews here about the lack of description, but, for me, it was more than enough to completely embrace the story
Compared to the last mystery books I read, it was refreshing to get to know the characters before and after the event and they actually felt alive.
The murderer was pretty obvious but the tone and the characters were lovely.
I see some bad reviews here about the lack of description, but, for me, it was more than enough to completely embrace the story
This is my first read by Stephen King, so I can't compare it to other works. But it was a pleasant book and it definitely made me want to read more by him, mostly because of how the characters felt real and their conversations were natural.
Definitely not a horror book, but more of a thriller. Other than that, a good book.
Also, the audiobook is a must since it's narrated by Stephen King himself
Definitely not a horror book, but more of a thriller. Other than that, a good book.
Also, the audiobook is a must since it's narrated by Stephen King himself
This is my first book by Blake Crouch and I've heard great things about [b:Recursion: A Novel|42046112|Recursion A Novel|Blake Crouch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543687940l/42046112._SY75_.jpg|64277987] and [b:Dark Matter|27833670|Dark Matter|Blake Crouch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1472119680l/27833670._SY75_.jpg|43161998] but this book felt incredibly dull...
The first 1/3 of the book was fine and engaging but after that, it just went into the description-galore avenue and the book died for me. I found myself thinking several times: We get it dude, you're a but no one cares about the science / humble brag stuff that you are describing (there is a part where they are listing gene types for 2 minutes straight, which is basically dumping this list on you).
Some people call this book smart because it dumps a lot of info on you, but that, for me, throws me off completely and removes me from the story and plot (which is already thin).
I'll give [b:Dark Matter|27833670|Dark Matter|Blake Crouch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1472119680l/27833670._SY75_.jpg|43161998] a shot but... it isn't feeling compelling if it resembles anything like this one...
The first 1/3 of the book was fine and engaging but after that, it just went into the description-galore avenue and the book died for me. I found myself thinking several times: We get it dude, you're a
Spoiler
super smart and enhanced humanSome people call this book smart because it dumps a lot of info on you, but that, for me, throws me off completely and removes me from the story and plot (which is already thin).
I'll give [b:Dark Matter|27833670|Dark Matter|Blake Crouch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1472119680l/27833670._SY75_.jpg|43161998] a shot but... it isn't feeling compelling if it resembles anything like this one...
SF for me needs to be confusing, rash, and direct, and Roadside Picnic delivers just that.
It doesn't delve deep into technological descriptions because our main character, Red, isn't interested in that; it doesn't explore the current political panorama because Red, once again, isn't affected by it.
Our main character lives his own life and we reach the end with a true climax of his personality and place in the world.
It's not often that you get to read something that made a huge mark in history, but here is Roadside Picnic, doing just that.
I just wished it was a little bit longer so I could find more about the world
It doesn't delve deep into technological descriptions because our main character, Red, isn't interested in that; it doesn't explore the current political panorama because Red, once again, isn't affected by it.
Our main character lives his own life and we reach the end with a true climax of his personality and place in the world.
It's not often that you get to read something that made a huge mark in history, but here is Roadside Picnic, doing just that.
I just wished it was a little bit longer so I could find more about the world
A beautifully written book that felt like a breath of fresh air.
The plot was clever and well defined and everything ended up making a lot of sense.
While there's not a lot of description for the scenes, there's enough to properly enjoy it.
I wholeheartedly advise everybody to read it!
The plot was clever and well defined and everything ended up making a lot of sense.
While there's not a lot of description for the scenes, there's enough to properly enjoy it.
I wholeheartedly advise everybody to read it!
This is a very mild book...
While entertaining, I found myself upping the speed of the audio to 2x (or 3x) for the second half because so much nothing went long for so long.
The plot is very thin and the characters are kinda stereotypical but the book has its good jokes, definitely.
While entertaining, I found myself upping the speed of the audio to 2x (or 3x) for the second half because so much nothing went long for so long.
The plot is very thin and the characters are kinda stereotypical but the book has its good jokes, definitely.
I'm always in a moral dilemma when it comes to poorly rate stuff inspired by terrific events, but... It was an ok book.
The characters didn't feel particularly interesting and I personally felt like all the important subjects were lightly touched on (post-war PTSD, Nazi ideology, concentration camps, WWII) and they mostly felt distant (except for the Dust Bowl, which, somewhat, felt like it the most descriptive part).
Having back-and-forths on the timelines (and between two different characters) ended up making me feel completely detached from the story.
It wasn't a particularly pleasant reading...
The characters didn't feel particularly interesting and I personally felt like all the important subjects were lightly touched on (post-war PTSD, Nazi ideology, concentration camps, WWII) and they mostly felt distant (except for the Dust Bowl, which, somewhat, felt like it the most descriptive part).
Having back-and-forths on the timelines (and between two different characters) ended up making me feel completely detached from the story.
It wasn't a particularly pleasant reading...
This is a very dull book.
It reads like a beautiful poem (it's very atmospheric) but lacks a lot of sustenance!
The characters look and sound flat and are incredibly stereotypical.
Also, you can't call it a mystery/thriller just because.
About the audiobook: Louise Brealey's narration was very good and her calm voice certainly helped to create a certain ambiance (maybe that was the only thing salvaging the book!).
Certainly, not a fan of the book but will surely hear more stuff from Brealey!
It reads like a beautiful poem (it's very atmospheric) but lacks a lot of sustenance!
The characters look and sound flat and are incredibly stereotypical.
Also, you can't call it a mystery/thriller just because
Spoiler
you have your main character following the red herring the entire timeAbout the audiobook: Louise Brealey's narration was very good and her calm voice certainly helped to create a certain ambiance (maybe that was the only thing salvaging the book!).
Certainly, not a fan of the book but will surely hear more stuff from Brealey!