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vanishing_librarian's reviews
441 reviews
Below by Laurel Hightower
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was quite a scary and creepy novella! Quite enjoyed it even though I did struggle a little bit to imagine everything that was happening in the main part of the story and the ending was a little too abrupt for me. But since I am only getting into horror recently, this is probably more a me problem and not a book problem!
Overall, this is about a 3,5 star read for me!
Overall, this is about a 3,5 star read for me!
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well, this was just absolutely weird! I did not really know what I was expecting before I picked this up apart from the fact that there are two people having conversations online and something horrific is going to happen.
Both of these things did happen in the story but I was absolutely not expecting it to get as weird as it did. Nonetheless I was hooked and wanted to know what will happen in the end!
Without giving any spoilers: I was expecting more from the end. For my taste it just ended too abruptly. Bit maybe that’s just because I am used to reading full-length novels?
Still, if this sounds interesting to you - go for it! It’s definitely worth a read. But maybe check out content warning first - this gets pretty gross occasionally.
Both of these things did happen in the story but I was absolutely not expecting it to get as weird as it did. Nonetheless I was hooked and wanted to know what will happen in the end!
Without giving any spoilers: I was expecting more from the end. For my taste it just ended too abruptly. Bit maybe that’s just because I am used to reading full-length novels?
Still, if this sounds interesting to you - go for it! It’s definitely worth a read. But maybe check out content warning first - this gets pretty gross occasionally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Slavery, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal cruelty
1922 by Stephen King
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was the first novella I read by Stephen King and I was expecting a little more from it than it delivered.
What I liked:
- The writing: I quite enjoyed Stephen Kings writing - as I did in the outsider as well - usually his books are quite a slow burn and lengthy (see thoughts on that below) but the writing itself is really enjoyable
What I didn't like:
- The Length: This is a novella but I still found myself waiting for it to be over and skimming parts of it
- The characters: Even though I thought the descriptions of the place and characters were done pretty well, I still couldn't really empathize with anyone in the story
- The ending/The twist: I think the issues I had with the length and the missing empathy also lead to me not really enjoying the twist and the ending. To me, it didn't really feel "horrific" enough for a horror novel.
I just haven't yet found the right Stephen King novel for me it seems - so I will keep searching!
What I liked:
- The writing: I quite enjoyed Stephen Kings writing - as I did in the outsider as well - usually his books are quite a slow burn and lengthy (see thoughts on that below) but the writing itself is really enjoyable
What I didn't like:
- The Length: This is a novella but I still found myself waiting for it to be over and skimming parts of it
- The characters: Even though I thought the descriptions of the place and characters were done pretty well, I still couldn't really empathize with anyone in the story
- The ending/The twist: I think the issues I had with the length and the missing empathy also lead to me not really enjoying the twist and the ending. To me, it didn't really feel "horrific" enough for a horror novel.
I just haven't yet found the right Stephen King novel for me it seems - so I will keep searching!