lucashearn1's reviews
65 reviews

To Speak for the Dead by Paul Levine

3.0

My first legal thriller novel. The characters were engaging and the switch back and forth between the courtroom and Jake was well done. Felt a bit hokey in places but I feel like that might be just part of the genre. I’d definitely be interested in reading book 2. I have the fourth one but couldn’t bring myself to skip the next two.

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

4.0

This is more akin to a 3.5 but I’ll mark it as 4. Still very entertaining, even if the middle dragged a bit for me. The characters were likeable and the “twist” was half decent.

Billy Summers by Stephen King

5.0

One of King’s more engaging books in recent years. Billy is an intriguing anti-hero and I love the feel of the “one last job plot”. It might be an old classic but it feels fresh enough to have its own twist.

Deserter by Junji Ito

3.0

Honestly I was a little disappointed with this. Most of the stories were pretty lacklustre compared to his other collections. Enough to keep it interesting but didn’t feel like the full Ito force.

Galore by Michael Crummey

1.0

Unfortunately I was mostly bored through the whole run. I expected there to be a more concise story but it just felt all over the place. It jumped back and forth between so many characters, while simultaneously having me not care for one of them or garner any stakes. Just a snowball or events happening, until it ends. I expected there to be more of a jump into the fantasy portions but they’re so tertiary that I’m not even sure why they are in there at all. Extremely disappointed.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

3.0

{3.5} Not the most amazing piece I’ve ever read, but it certainly kept my attention. I felt the pacing in the middle dragged a bit, overall I’d say it kept good momentum. Though I found like half the clues they solved were just because random person A or B that was also in the area knew some obscure history fact the protagonist didn’t know. Felt like fast food of the literature, sometimes fast food is good though.

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

4.0

Working in retail is a nightmare. So setting a story within that sphere of corporate ‘yes men’ energy really shines through well. Grady Hendrix made a terrific decision to have it layed out like an IKEA manual. Super short fun read, if you’re looking for something to run through.

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

3.0

Typically I’ll write my review before checking out what others think, so I don’t feel like I’m having my opinion twisted. The ratings on the page caught me off guard. I mean yeah it can be kind of silly but I think 1 star is criminal. It’s still entertaining. I wasn’t bored at any point. It’s a rip on movies, in movies people make stupid decisions. It’s a short read and I think it’s well done. Take that as you will.

Man, Fuck This House by Brian Asman

3.0

The tone felt all over the place. I feel like they kind of did nothing with Damien or had resolution for the kids. Super quick read and it’s pace is fast enough I wasn’t bored.

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

5.0

Around part two I started to get hooked. Super interesting world building and great characters. Slowly getting into more fantasy and I’m hoping this doesn’t taint the genre for me, hard to start with greatness.