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mishmashedmagic's Reviews (323)
Thank you to NetGalley and IBPA for giving me an ARC for Review
Now that it’s October, I have been obsessed with thrillers and so I was excited when I snagged an ARC of Birgitte Märgen’s The Pvritan! This fast-paced thriller really brought the creepy chills and was just what I was looking for in a spooky Halloween-time read. If you’re a Law and Order fan looking to dive into a serial-killer murder story, this one is for you.
The story opens with a chilling murder-a man hanging on the tree, missing eyes and the skin from his torso pulled away to form giant wings under his arms. Soon after, another person is found-this time a young girl. And so we follow Detective Marti Zucco and her partner Neil Cavanaugh in a frantic race to track down the twisted killer…before he kills again.
Characters - 5/10
I enjoyed the dynamic between Marti and her partner. Though Marti did confuse me on occasion, as she was a seasoned detective of ten years, yet often got flustered in situations that I imagine she would have been somewhat accustomed to. She goes back and forth between stoic, experienced detective and naive-almost-innocent on occasion but I didn’t find this to be too terribly distracting, just something I noticed while I was reading.
Atmosphere - 8/10
This book was a great October read. The novel takes place during the late fall/early winter months in Boston and brought the chills right along with it.
Writing - 5/10
Ms. Märgen does well at keeping a reader’s attention. This story is fast paced and overall a great, quick read. There were some minor things that made this book fall short of a higher score. Character accents were occasionally inconsistent and there were a couple of character interactions that made little sense or didn’t really add to the story in a meaningful way. There was also a lot of trope-y detective lingo but it worked for this book.
Plot - 7 /10
This is a fast-paced plot. I mentioned earlier, it reads a lot like an intense episode of Law and Order. Some parts felt unnecessary and distracting. For example, we briefly get an interaction between Marti and her current boyfriend, which contributed absolutely nothing to the story whatsoever. Marti’s interaction with her apartment neighbor was also unusual, as it is mentioned it’s the first time they meet, yet they’ve presumably been living in close proximity for a decent amount of time.
Intrigue - 8/10
The pacing is good and the intrigue steadily builds in this book.
Logic - 6/10
Again, there were some parts that didn’t seem to make sense or fit within the context of this story. But overall I think the story was planned well.
Enjoyment - 8/10
This book was a great read for this time of year! Horrifyingly creepy, I really enjoyed cozying up with this book and a blanket. If you are Law and Order or Criminal Minds fan, I think you’ll enjoy this one as well.
Now that it’s October, I have been obsessed with thrillers and so I was excited when I snagged an ARC of Birgitte Märgen’s The Pvritan! This fast-paced thriller really brought the creepy chills and was just what I was looking for in a spooky Halloween-time read. If you’re a Law and Order fan looking to dive into a serial-killer murder story, this one is for you.
The story opens with a chilling murder-a man hanging on the tree, missing eyes and the skin from his torso pulled away to form giant wings under his arms. Soon after, another person is found-this time a young girl. And so we follow Detective Marti Zucco and her partner Neil Cavanaugh in a frantic race to track down the twisted killer…before he kills again.
Characters - 5/10
I enjoyed the dynamic between Marti and her partner. Though Marti did confuse me on occasion, as she was a seasoned detective of ten years, yet often got flustered in situations that I imagine she would have been somewhat accustomed to. She goes back and forth between stoic, experienced detective and naive-almost-innocent on occasion but I didn’t find this to be too terribly distracting, just something I noticed while I was reading.
Atmosphere - 8/10
This book was a great October read. The novel takes place during the late fall/early winter months in Boston and brought the chills right along with it.
Writing - 5/10
Ms. Märgen does well at keeping a reader’s attention. This story is fast paced and overall a great, quick read. There were some minor things that made this book fall short of a higher score. Character accents were occasionally inconsistent and there were a couple of character interactions that made little sense or didn’t really add to the story in a meaningful way. There was also a lot of trope-y detective lingo but it worked for this book.
Plot - 7 /10
This is a fast-paced plot. I mentioned earlier, it reads a lot like an intense episode of Law and Order. Some parts felt unnecessary and distracting. For example, we briefly get an interaction between Marti and her current boyfriend, which contributed absolutely nothing to the story whatsoever. Marti’s interaction with her apartment neighbor was also unusual, as it is mentioned it’s the first time they meet, yet they’ve presumably been living in close proximity for a decent amount of time.
Intrigue - 8/10
The pacing is good and the intrigue steadily builds in this book.
Logic - 6/10
Again, there were some parts that didn’t seem to make sense or fit within the context of this story. But overall I think the story was planned well.
Enjoyment - 8/10
This book was a great read for this time of year! Horrifyingly creepy, I really enjoyed cozying up with this book and a blanket. If you are Law and Order or Criminal Minds fan, I think you’ll enjoy this one as well.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Scribner for a copy of this Arc!
Don DeLillo’s The Silence is a type of book I’ve never encountered before and I find I am having a difficult time articulating my thoughts on it. I don’t think this book will be for everyone. This is my first Don DeLillo novel (novella? novellete? The book is a mere 128 pages long) so I cannot compare it to any of his previous work. I was really excited when I received this ARC because I found the premise intriguing. In the year 2022, an unknown event occurs, rendering all digital connections silent. The story follows several characters as they cope with this technological fallout (one couple in particular having the misfortune of being on a plane when it happens).
This book feels less like a plot-driven or character-driven story and more like a philosophical or psychological musing-of-sorts masquerading as a novel. I don’t believe myself to be the target audience for this kind of book and as such, I don’t think I’m in a position to appreciate the unusual prose as someone more versed in thought-provoking social-commentary fiction. Unfortunately for me, it came off as more pretentious. But again, I really don’t think I am the target audience.
Ultimately, I think the book’s description does it somewhat of a disservice and will attract the wrong audience for this book.
Characters - 4/10
I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. The dialog between them was strange, at times realistic and at times almost pedantic. I had a hard time understanding their motivations and feelings. I think the dialogue is the type meant for you to read-between-the-lines but it wasn’t for me.
Atmosphere - 5/10
The only time I felt any sort of atmosphere was near the beginning, where two of the characters were on the plane. Other than that, I felt strangely indifferent, despite the tumultuous circumstances.
Writing - 5/10
To reiterate again, I really don’t believe I am the ideal reader for this book. Mr. DeLillo’s writing style seems more in line with someone who likes a philosophical and analytical approach to writing. I feel like this would do well in a literary analysis classroom.
Plot - 5/10
The plot feels somehow incomplete, like the book just scratches the surface of the aftermath of such a life-changing situation. I am not sure if it’s the length, or possibly meant to feel incomplete intentionally.
Intrigue - 5/10
Unfortunately, this book quickly lost intrigue for me after the first couple chapters. Had it not been for the short length, I probably would have DNFed it.
Logic - 4/10
Again, since this seems to be more of a social commentary or philosophical type of book, I don’t think the characters were meant to talk or behave in a logical manner. Unfortunately, this made it difficult to understand or relate to.
Enjoyment - 2/10
I wish I could say I enjoyed this book but I did not. I think maybe if I had read it as part of a book club or class to induce thought-provoking conversation I may have enjoyed it more, but as someone who was hoping for a more straight-forward apocalyptic-esque novel, I was let down.
Don DeLillo’s The Silence is a type of book I’ve never encountered before and I find I am having a difficult time articulating my thoughts on it. I don’t think this book will be for everyone. This is my first Don DeLillo novel (novella? novellete? The book is a mere 128 pages long) so I cannot compare it to any of his previous work. I was really excited when I received this ARC because I found the premise intriguing. In the year 2022, an unknown event occurs, rendering all digital connections silent. The story follows several characters as they cope with this technological fallout (one couple in particular having the misfortune of being on a plane when it happens).
This book feels less like a plot-driven or character-driven story and more like a philosophical or psychological musing-of-sorts masquerading as a novel. I don’t believe myself to be the target audience for this kind of book and as such, I don’t think I’m in a position to appreciate the unusual prose as someone more versed in thought-provoking social-commentary fiction. Unfortunately for me, it came off as more pretentious. But again, I really don’t think I am the target audience.
Ultimately, I think the book’s description does it somewhat of a disservice and will attract the wrong audience for this book.
Characters - 4/10
I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. The dialog between them was strange, at times realistic and at times almost pedantic. I had a hard time understanding their motivations and feelings. I think the dialogue is the type meant for you to read-between-the-lines but it wasn’t for me.
Atmosphere - 5/10
The only time I felt any sort of atmosphere was near the beginning, where two of the characters were on the plane. Other than that, I felt strangely indifferent, despite the tumultuous circumstances.
Writing - 5/10
To reiterate again, I really don’t believe I am the ideal reader for this book. Mr. DeLillo’s writing style seems more in line with someone who likes a philosophical and analytical approach to writing. I feel like this would do well in a literary analysis classroom.
Plot - 5/10
The plot feels somehow incomplete, like the book just scratches the surface of the aftermath of such a life-changing situation. I am not sure if it’s the length, or possibly meant to feel incomplete intentionally.
Intrigue - 5/10
Unfortunately, this book quickly lost intrigue for me after the first couple chapters. Had it not been for the short length, I probably would have DNFed it.
Logic - 4/10
Again, since this seems to be more of a social commentary or philosophical type of book, I don’t think the characters were meant to talk or behave in a logical manner. Unfortunately, this made it difficult to understand or relate to.
Enjoyment - 2/10
I wish I could say I enjoyed this book but I did not. I think maybe if I had read it as part of a book club or class to induce thought-provoking conversation I may have enjoyed it more, but as someone who was hoping for a more straight-forward apocalyptic-esque novel, I was let down.
