Take a photo of a barcode or cover
pulp_fiction_books's reviews
493 reviews
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
2.25
On paper I really like the premise put forward here and for a period it reminded me of a TV show I watched growing up (Quantum Leap) but unfortunately the execution was severely lacking. The writing was very subpar and amateurish and none of the characters felt real. It was also quite boring. It felt like we were repeating the same scene over and over again, protagonist enters life, doesn't know what's going on, or who anyone is, figures it out, decides she doesn't like it and leaves. The ending was also extremely predictable from very early on.
I can see why this has such high ratings because what I didn't realise was disguised within is basically a self help book and that stuff always appeals to the masses but is not my cup of tea. Even at that, It's done in such a clunky, clumsy way where the author stops narration just to awkwardly shoehorn in the kind of run of the mill proverbs you constantly see posted on social media.
I can see why this has such high ratings because what I didn't realise was disguised within is basically a self help book and that stuff always appeals to the masses but is not my cup of tea. Even at that, It's done in such a clunky, clumsy way where the author stops narration just to awkwardly shoehorn in the kind of run of the mill proverbs you constantly see posted on social media.
The Hitchhiker by R.L. Stine
3.5
I'm a big fan of transport horror, cars, trains etc... Here we spend most of our time in a car with our three main characters which gives an intimate, claustrophobic feeling that I enjoy and lends to a pretty solid read with a good amount of tension and mystery without doing anything to reinvent the wheel. The twist unfortunately was fairly predictable but there is a portion after that at the end that's pretty wild
The Scarecrow by Edgar J. Hyde
4.0
This gets seriously dark for a children's book, I mean we're talking mutilation and suicide. The titular scarecrow is pretty terrifying but I wish we got more detailed writing around him, all we got was a brief description of his appearance and nothing more, like how he moved, what sounds he was making etc... I found the pacing pretty good and the writing standard but at the same time completely serviceable.
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Firstly I want to say even though there were times I found it to be overwritten that this was still very well written. So much so that I think the opening chapter may be my favourite opening I've ever read. The writing also manages to keep up a constant feeling of isolation and disorientation throughout. I loved the feeling of never knowing exactly what was going on. Unfortunately I did have a couple of issues... There's a link made between two characters which the only reasoning seemed to be to tell a totally random story that served no purpose to the ongoing plot and by the end just led to a massive loose thread that was never tied up. Speaking of the ending, sadly we were given a cop out ending when the perfect ending was staring the author (and reader) in the face. It would have wrapped everything up perfectly while still keeping with the author's open to interpretation aim. I didn't want any "answers" but there was a much better and obvious way to leave us guessing.
Bad Dreams by R.L. Stine
fast-paced
1.25
So... This was bad, really poor. It's poorly written, bland and boring. Nothing of note happens in the entire book and the couple of actual "incidents" that do occur make no sense and are never paid off or explained. One of the aforementioned incidents that happens is an absolute copy and paste job from another Fear Street book. Stine is also well known for his end of chapter cliffhangers and start of the following chapter fake-outs and this book takes it to a new level. There are so many of them and they're some of the most eye rollingly ridiculous ones he's ever come up with.
*Comic Book Guy voice* "Worst Fear Street ever!"
*Comic Book Guy voice* "Worst Fear Street ever!"
The Snatcher of Raven Hollow (Monsterious, Book 2) by Matt McMann
Dealing with the positives first, this had a very sinister, dark plot for a children's story. It also had references to lots of urban legends which is a subgenre of horror I've always been a fan of. Another thing that this series does really well is its portrayal of diversity when it comes to its protagonists. Finally a little bonus Easter egg I noticed was there's a retirement home in the story and it was named Shady Acres, which was a great little nod that I very much enjoyed.
So we get to why this only gets three stars and it's for only one reason but unfortunately it makes up most of the book and that's the fact that the meat of this story is the same scene repeated over and over again. Our two main characters on the hunt for the titular 'Snatcher' go into and return from the woods no fewer than six times (possibly seven, I lost count). I just found this so egregious and it just stank of page count filler. I just found it such a shame as this could have been really strong without so much repetitiveness. The first book in the series had no such thing and was so fun and action packed.
So we get to why this only gets three stars and it's for only one reason but unfortunately it makes up most of the book and that's the fact that the meat of this story is the same scene repeated over and over again. Our two main characters on the hunt for the titular 'Snatcher' go into and return from the woods no fewer than six times (possibly seven, I lost count). I just found this so egregious and it just stank of page count filler. I just found it such a shame as this could have been really strong without so much repetitiveness. The first book in the series had no such thing and was so fun and action packed.
Sewer Sharks by Christopher Robertson
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Firstly, a huge thank you to Christopher Robertson for this ARC. This is the story of a sleazy, run down, Floridian, party town called Skidd's Bay and it's cast of zany residents (including but not limited to an ex-pornstar, her drug dealer son, a mad scientist, a marine biologist intern, a gator Jesus cult, a trio of deadly party girls and a couple of swamp tour operator brothers plus many more). This is the most ridiculously fun, pulpy, creature feature I've ever read, It's horror comedy done right. Robertson apart from being a fantastically gifted writer with a let's say... unique mind, has such a gift for absolutely nailing a vibe and for vividly painting the worlds he creates.
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Holly Jackson is one of my favourite authors, I love her writing style and how you can always feel her stories have been meticulously planned out. This book is absolutely serviceable and a solid read, however I just found it to be bland. It felt very telegraphed, I knew what the reveal(s) were going to be from a long way out and so that made the whole middle portion of the book feel very long and drawn out. It's a strange one because a lot happens in here but it also feels like hardly anything happens. I think it could have benefited from some tightened up and shaving fifty to a hundred pages off of its four hundred and forty eight page count.