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149 reviews
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4.0
Over the past few years, I have seen many books of many genres that I told myself I would read eventually. I didn't read any of them. However, as I started this year of school, I thought to myself that I should read some of those books that I always wanted to read but never got around to reading. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was the first book that came to my mind, and from there, I started it.
Nick and Amy Dunne have a seemingly stable and happy relationship, having been married for five years. The two were almost opposites - Nick lived his whole life in the shadow of his twin sister Margo with two parents who never got along, and Amy lived as an only child of two happy parents and as the star of a book series. When the two met, they felt as though they had a connection, lost touch, found each other again, and later married. On their anniversary every year, Amy would create a treasure hunt that would lead Nick to his gift. However, on their fifth anniversary, Amy goes missing - leaving behind clues for her husband, as well as signs of a struggle. Soon, their families, their friends, and the police start to get involved, each set pointing fingers at different people and different possibilities, until they all begin pointing their fingers at the same person. And although this person claimed their innocence the entire time, nobody changed their minds until something very unexpected takes place.
The story itself was put together very well, especially the second of three parts. The buildup caused me to be unable to put the book down. I began to realize how different Nick and Amy really were from the people they were portrayed as in the beginning. At first, Nick explained his experiences starting from the day of Amy's disappearance, whereas Amy explained hers from a series of diary entries leading up to her disappearance. Seeing things from both perspectives filled in gaps that were opened by one character and explained by the other, and that was very helpful.
The only things that I did not enjoy about this book were the beginning and the end. The first part went by incredibly slowly because of the two different perspectives given, but it did help my understanding of what was going on. I did not like the third part, because I felt it was very anti-climactic and nothing really resolved. There wasn't of a cliffhanger, but the outcome was not what I had hoped for. I loved who Nick and Amy turned into, but nothing fixed itself - or fell apart - when they became the people they became.
I did really like this book until the end. The beginning was slow, but I read the second and third parts in one weekend in order to see how the story would end. I was, though, disappointed by the ending and where Nick and Amy ended up. If you're looking for a story of two people who think they have their lives figured out, but completely change by the end, read Gone Girl. It will be worth your time.
Nick and Amy Dunne have a seemingly stable and happy relationship, having been married for five years. The two were almost opposites - Nick lived his whole life in the shadow of his twin sister Margo with two parents who never got along, and Amy lived as an only child of two happy parents and as the star of a book series. When the two met, they felt as though they had a connection, lost touch, found each other again, and later married. On their anniversary every year, Amy would create a treasure hunt that would lead Nick to his gift. However, on their fifth anniversary, Amy goes missing - leaving behind clues for her husband, as well as signs of a struggle. Soon, their families, their friends, and the police start to get involved, each set pointing fingers at different people and different possibilities, until they all begin pointing their fingers at the same person. And although this person claimed their innocence the entire time, nobody changed their minds until something very unexpected takes place.
The story itself was put together very well, especially the second of three parts. The buildup caused me to be unable to put the book down. I began to realize how different Nick and Amy really were from the people they were portrayed as in the beginning. At first, Nick explained his experiences starting from the day of Amy's disappearance, whereas Amy explained hers from a series of diary entries leading up to her disappearance. Seeing things from both perspectives filled in gaps that were opened by one character and explained by the other, and that was very helpful.
The only things that I did not enjoy about this book were the beginning and the end. The first part went by incredibly slowly because of the two different perspectives given, but it did help my understanding of what was going on. I did not like the third part, because I felt it was very anti-climactic and nothing really resolved. There wasn't of a cliffhanger, but the outcome was not what I had hoped for. I loved who Nick and Amy turned into, but nothing fixed itself - or fell apart - when they became the people they became.
I did really like this book until the end. The beginning was slow, but I read the second and third parts in one weekend in order to see how the story would end. I was, though, disappointed by the ending and where Nick and Amy ended up. If you're looking for a story of two people who think they have their lives figured out, but completely change by the end, read Gone Girl. It will be worth your time.
It by Stephen King
5.0
With a remake of the movie just being released, It by Stephen King became popular all over the the globe. However, I am one of those people who has to read the book before seeing the movie. So instead of going out with my friends to watch it, I asked my English teacher if she had an extra copy of the book that I could borrow, and from there, I read It. It only took me eleven days.
It is 1958 when little George Denbrough was just a curious six-year-old. He and his brother had constructed their own paper boat to see if it would float in the drains of flooded Derry, Maine. George went out by himself, but is soon met by a clown called Pennywise who carries around balloons in the drains. He offers one to young George, but manages to kill the poor boy as he screams out. But he isn't the only child to be brutally murdered in the town, which brings together an unlikely group of kids, who called themselves "The Loser Club," all seeking revenge:
William "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough, a famous writer, Richard "Richie" Tozier, a man of many voices, Beverly "Bev" Marsh Rogan, an abused fashion designer, Benjamin "Ben" "Haystacks" Hanscom, an alcoholic, Stanley "Stan" Uris, a successful accountant, Edward "Eddie" Kaspbrak, an asthma-ridden business owner, and Michael "Mike" Hanlon, the only one of his friends to stick around in Derry.
These kids try to get rid of this creature that they call It when they are only about eleven years old. Despite having bullies like Henry Bowers constantly harping on their backs, they manage to give a good fight against It. It goes dormant for a long time, but twenty-seven years later, they are all forced to reunite to take down It once and for all.
The book was divided into five parts. The majority of the first, third, and fifth parts took place 27 years later in 1985, and the majority of the second and fourth parts in 1958. It left a feeling of suspense as it changed times and made me continue to read, even if I had hours worth of homework to do. Each part gave more and more information as to what the kids' lives were like and how they changed throughout their experiences. I also enjoyed how each part was broken into chapters, and was then further broken into smaller sections, with each section focused on one of the members of their club. The plot itself moved along quickly and was incredibly interesting - I couldn't put the book down.
The one thing that I was not a fan of was the length. Everything in the story moved along pretty quickly for 1100 pages and took up the necessary space - each page had something important to the storyline. However, I am not going to say I wish it was shorter, surprisingly. I wish quite honestly wish it was longer. There were many ideas that were approached and introduced, but they explained with as much detail as I would have hoped. I would still pick up this book if it was longer. It didn't take me much time in the first place, so a few more things added wouldn't change much for me.
As someone whose favorite books have been the books of the Harry Potter series since the age of five, I did not expect to enjoy this book to a level even close to that. However, I can now say that It by Stephen King is a new favorite of mine. This book easily deserves its high ratings and and recognition and is one that I would recommend to anyone I encounter in the future.
It is 1958 when little George Denbrough was just a curious six-year-old. He and his brother had constructed their own paper boat to see if it would float in the drains of flooded Derry, Maine. George went out by himself, but is soon met by a clown called Pennywise who carries around balloons in the drains. He offers one to young George, but manages to kill the poor boy as he screams out. But he isn't the only child to be brutally murdered in the town, which brings together an unlikely group of kids, who called themselves "The Loser Club," all seeking revenge:
William "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough, a famous writer, Richard "Richie" Tozier, a man of many voices, Beverly "Bev" Marsh Rogan, an abused fashion designer, Benjamin "Ben" "Haystacks" Hanscom, an alcoholic, Stanley "Stan" Uris, a successful accountant, Edward "Eddie" Kaspbrak, an asthma-ridden business owner, and Michael "Mike" Hanlon, the only one of his friends to stick around in Derry.
These kids try to get rid of this creature that they call It when they are only about eleven years old. Despite having bullies like Henry Bowers constantly harping on their backs, they manage to give a good fight against It. It goes dormant for a long time, but twenty-seven years later, they are all forced to reunite to take down It once and for all.
The book was divided into five parts. The majority of the first, third, and fifth parts took place 27 years later in 1985, and the majority of the second and fourth parts in 1958. It left a feeling of suspense as it changed times and made me continue to read, even if I had hours worth of homework to do. Each part gave more and more information as to what the kids' lives were like and how they changed throughout their experiences. I also enjoyed how each part was broken into chapters, and was then further broken into smaller sections, with each section focused on one of the members of their club. The plot itself moved along quickly and was incredibly interesting - I couldn't put the book down.
The one thing that I was not a fan of was the length. Everything in the story moved along pretty quickly for 1100 pages and took up the necessary space - each page had something important to the storyline. However, I am not going to say I wish it was shorter, surprisingly. I wish quite honestly wish it was longer. There were many ideas that were approached and introduced, but they explained with as much detail as I would have hoped. I would still pick up this book if it was longer. It didn't take me much time in the first place, so a few more things added wouldn't change much for me.
As someone whose favorite books have been the books of the Harry Potter series since the age of five, I did not expect to enjoy this book to a level even close to that. However, I can now say that It by Stephen King is a new favorite of mine. This book easily deserves its high ratings and and recognition and is one that I would recommend to anyone I encounter in the future.
The Shining by Stephen King
5.0
Recently, I have been reading a lot of books that fall into the horror genre. After reading Carrie and It - both by Stephen King - I decided it would be a good idea to read more of his books. That pushed me to pick up The Shining, which was recommended to me by a friend of mine.
Jack Torrance, a used-to-be alcoholic, gets fired from his job working at a school, prompting him to take his family across the country to Colorado to look for a new job. He, his wife Wendy, and his son Danny, stumble across the Overlook Hotel, which was closing for the harsh winter ahead of them. However, because of some rough patches that he and Wendy went through, Jack is eager to take this job to restart their lives together, while Wendy is hesitant and debates moving in with her mother instead. Despite that, Jack takes the job of being the caretaker and he and his family move into the hotel in order for him to take care of the building. However, Danny was not an ordinary child, and this was not an ordinary hotel. As the family meets Dick Hallorann, Danny finds out from him that they have a special ability - what Mr. Hallorann (or, Dick to his friends) calls the shining - where they can communicate telepathically. With the help of Dick and a made up friend called Tony, Danny is able to figure out that the Overlook Hotel is not as it seems, and that he has to find a way to save his family before the hotel takes them and kills them.
I really, really enjoyed this book. All of the characters in the book all had very important roles in the story. For example, Dr. Edmonds (who I did not mention in the summary above) was able to make Wendy and Jack aware of Danny’s Shining and his friend Tony. What was first considered an early sign of schizophrenia by this doctor ended up saving Wendy’s life and helped her and Jack repair their broken relationship for a period of time. Each part was broken into smaller parts, all of which had vital information in them that added to the storyline. Nothing mentioned once was unimportant to the story.
The one thing that I did not enjoy about this book was that it was a little slow to start. Right away, the book begins with Jack’s interview to be caretaker, but it took me a little while to figure out what exactly was going on. After I put the pieces together of who everyone was and what their initial role in the story was, it moved by very quickly and became a very enjoyable book.
Overall, I think I can say that The Shining by Stephen King is now one of my favorites. It was put together very well and the story itself was incredible. As there are two books in the series, the next on my list is definitely going to have to be the sequel, and I am definitely going to enjoy where that book takes me.
Jack Torrance, a used-to-be alcoholic, gets fired from his job working at a school, prompting him to take his family across the country to Colorado to look for a new job. He, his wife Wendy, and his son Danny, stumble across the Overlook Hotel, which was closing for the harsh winter ahead of them. However, because of some rough patches that he and Wendy went through, Jack is eager to take this job to restart their lives together, while Wendy is hesitant and debates moving in with her mother instead. Despite that, Jack takes the job of being the caretaker and he and his family move into the hotel in order for him to take care of the building. However, Danny was not an ordinary child, and this was not an ordinary hotel. As the family meets Dick Hallorann, Danny finds out from him that they have a special ability - what Mr. Hallorann (or, Dick to his friends) calls the shining - where they can communicate telepathically. With the help of Dick and a made up friend called Tony, Danny is able to figure out that the Overlook Hotel is not as it seems, and that he has to find a way to save his family before the hotel takes them and kills them.
I really, really enjoyed this book. All of the characters in the book all had very important roles in the story. For example, Dr. Edmonds (who I did not mention in the summary above) was able to make Wendy and Jack aware of Danny’s Shining and his friend Tony. What was first considered an early sign of schizophrenia by this doctor ended up saving Wendy’s life and helped her and Jack repair their broken relationship for a period of time. Each part was broken into smaller parts, all of which had vital information in them that added to the storyline. Nothing mentioned once was unimportant to the story.
The one thing that I did not enjoy about this book was that it was a little slow to start. Right away, the book begins with Jack’s interview to be caretaker, but it took me a little while to figure out what exactly was going on. After I put the pieces together of who everyone was and what their initial role in the story was, it moved by very quickly and became a very enjoyable book.
Overall, I think I can say that The Shining by Stephen King is now one of my favorites. It was put together very well and the story itself was incredible. As there are two books in the series, the next on my list is definitely going to have to be the sequel, and I am definitely going to enjoy where that book takes me.
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
4.0
When I first started reading The Shining by Stephen King, I had no idea that there was a sequel. I really loved The Shining, and decided to read Doctor Sleep, the sequel that was published over 30 years later. The story of Dan Torrance, a young girl from New Hampshire, and a cult-like, almost immortal group called the True Knot, all combine when their paths cross, not physically, but through their minds.
Dan Torrance used to be a young boy with a special ability - known as the shining - where he could read minds and move objects through his brain. However, with a raging alcoholic for a father, he vowed that he would never drink. That didn't last long. Dan Torrance, a recovering raging alcoholic like his father, meets a young girl who also has the shining, but to a much more curious and powerful extent. Their first encounter was when she was only a few months old and wrote her name on his chalkboard - "Abra" - and from there communications continued. Abra (yes, as in cadabra) Stone grew up with the ability to predict events like 9/11 and make spoons fly to the ceiling to show that she was a better magician than the one hired for her birthday party. Abra's shining started out very, very strong. In fact, it was so strong that just by picking up a flyer of missing children from the trash and running her hand over a boy's face, she could tell that he not only did he have the shining, but he was killed for it. The True Knot was a group that once had hundreds of people, but whose population was now tapering off, due to the lack of what they called steam. As Abra discovered what they did, she got back into communication with Dan after it had ceased for some time. The pair worked together to stop this group of people from killing more children. But when the head of the True Knot discovers a little girl from New England that can break into their minds, they decide to take matters into their own hands to collect her steam.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The plot was different enough from The Shining to a point where it could be unnecessary to read that first. As the story went on, it only became more and more intriguing and reeled me in further. It explained very well how Abra's abilities stregthened and weakened throughout her childhood, and developed her into a very strong character very quickly. It also explained the perspectives of Dan, Abra, and the True Knot in such drastic ways that it became easier to understand as the book carried on.
I did not enjoy how distant each groups' plots started, however. It made the story really slow and really hard to get into. From the birth of a baby who predicted 9/11 in her parents dreams, to a group who kidnapped a woman who was robbing a man and mutilating him, to an alcoholic who stole $70 from a woman who he had a one-night stand with, it was hard to keep track of what was going on. When Dan and Abra's stories merged, it was a lot easier to make sense of what was going on. Before that though, it was fairly confusing and hard to keep along with.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the works of Stephen King, or has read The Shining. It was a very good book, but it was really hard to get through the beginning and keep track of what was happening. Although the first book in the duology was better, I would definitely read Doctor Sleep again.
Dan Torrance used to be a young boy with a special ability - known as the shining - where he could read minds and move objects through his brain. However, with a raging alcoholic for a father, he vowed that he would never drink. That didn't last long. Dan Torrance, a recovering raging alcoholic like his father, meets a young girl who also has the shining, but to a much more curious and powerful extent. Their first encounter was when she was only a few months old and wrote her name on his chalkboard - "Abra" - and from there communications continued. Abra (yes, as in cadabra) Stone grew up with the ability to predict events like 9/11 and make spoons fly to the ceiling to show that she was a better magician than the one hired for her birthday party. Abra's shining started out very, very strong. In fact, it was so strong that just by picking up a flyer of missing children from the trash and running her hand over a boy's face, she could tell that he not only did he have the shining, but he was killed for it. The True Knot was a group that once had hundreds of people, but whose population was now tapering off, due to the lack of what they called steam. As Abra discovered what they did, she got back into communication with Dan after it had ceased for some time. The pair worked together to stop this group of people from killing more children. But when the head of the True Knot discovers a little girl from New England that can break into their minds, they decide to take matters into their own hands to collect her steam.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The plot was different enough from The Shining to a point where it could be unnecessary to read that first. As the story went on, it only became more and more intriguing and reeled me in further. It explained very well how Abra's abilities stregthened and weakened throughout her childhood, and developed her into a very strong character very quickly. It also explained the perspectives of Dan, Abra, and the True Knot in such drastic ways that it became easier to understand as the book carried on.
I did not enjoy how distant each groups' plots started, however. It made the story really slow and really hard to get into. From the birth of a baby who predicted 9/11 in her parents dreams, to a group who kidnapped a woman who was robbing a man and mutilating him, to an alcoholic who stole $70 from a woman who he had a one-night stand with, it was hard to keep track of what was going on. When Dan and Abra's stories merged, it was a lot easier to make sense of what was going on. Before that though, it was fairly confusing and hard to keep along with.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the works of Stephen King, or has read The Shining. It was a very good book, but it was really hard to get through the beginning and keep track of what was happening. Although the first book in the duology was better, I would definitely read Doctor Sleep again.
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
5.0
Realistic yet unrealistic, nightmare-worthy yet not, this book sent shivers down my spine. After hearing about the well-known book "The Silence of the Lambs" by Thomas Harris, I decided it would be a great idea to start this series. As a fanatic for horror and crime novels and movies, as well as someone who thinks that becoming an FBI detective would be really, really cool, Red Dragon fit right in with other books I have recently read.
The kicks off with Will Graham, an FBI agent from the Behavioral Sciences Unit, heading into the home of a family of five who was killed together in the place they were supposed to feel most safe. The Leeds family lived peacefully, but did not go in that way. Although it was quick for most of them, Mrs. Leeds suffered the most pain, including having peculiar bite marks scattered all over her body. As Graham profiled their murders, he came to the realization that this killer has struck before, but a long way from where the Leedses lived. However, Graham could not figure out this puzzling cases with only the help of other investigators. He turns to Hannibal Lecter, M.D., who was residing in a psychiatric hospital at the time. With letters from a fan who called himself the Red Dragon, despite the press calling him the Tooth Fairy, Graham used Lecter's help to try to track down this killer once and for all. Unfortunately, after being dragged down different roads and believing that the killer was the next victim for some time, the case only got more puzzling and harder to solve.
I really enjoyed this book. The deeper into the story I got, the easier it was to understand and stay along with. It switched between the third-person point of view of Graham to the third-person point of view of the Red Dragon himself. Also, it explained very well how the FBI profiled him and what drove him to kill. In this case, childhood trauma was the largest factor that drove the killer to kill. As someone who is a big fan of the TV show Criminal Minds, this process was something I had seen countless times on that show and led me to understand what was going on more.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book was how quickly it dove into things at the beginning. I was unsure if I was reading the first book in the series or the last because it provided very little background as to what was going on or what Lecter had to do with anything. I did believe that Lecter was going to be more of a focus throughout the story than he really was, which left me kind of confused at the beginning. However, once I got past that, it was incredibly easy to understand and quickly became a very enjoyable book.
Overall, I give this book five stars and stand by that. I thought that the story was incredible, and that the writing itself was incredible, despite having some confusion at the beginning. I really can't wait to read the rest of the series. Hopefully the other books can top this one!
The kicks off with Will Graham, an FBI agent from the Behavioral Sciences Unit, heading into the home of a family of five who was killed together in the place they were supposed to feel most safe. The Leeds family lived peacefully, but did not go in that way. Although it was quick for most of them, Mrs. Leeds suffered the most pain, including having peculiar bite marks scattered all over her body. As Graham profiled their murders, he came to the realization that this killer has struck before, but a long way from where the Leedses lived. However, Graham could not figure out this puzzling cases with only the help of other investigators. He turns to Hannibal Lecter, M.D., who was residing in a psychiatric hospital at the time. With letters from a fan who called himself the Red Dragon, despite the press calling him the Tooth Fairy, Graham used Lecter's help to try to track down this killer once and for all. Unfortunately, after being dragged down different roads and believing that the killer was the next victim for some time, the case only got more puzzling and harder to solve.
I really enjoyed this book. The deeper into the story I got, the easier it was to understand and stay along with. It switched between the third-person point of view of Graham to the third-person point of view of the Red Dragon himself. Also, it explained very well how the FBI profiled him and what drove him to kill. In this case, childhood trauma was the largest factor that drove the killer to kill. As someone who is a big fan of the TV show Criminal Minds, this process was something I had seen countless times on that show and led me to understand what was going on more.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book was how quickly it dove into things at the beginning. I was unsure if I was reading the first book in the series or the last because it provided very little background as to what was going on or what Lecter had to do with anything. I did believe that Lecter was going to be more of a focus throughout the story than he really was, which left me kind of confused at the beginning. However, once I got past that, it was incredibly easy to understand and quickly became a very enjoyable book.
Overall, I give this book five stars and stand by that. I thought that the story was incredible, and that the writing itself was incredible, despite having some confusion at the beginning. I really can't wait to read the rest of the series. Hopefully the other books can top this one!