Lori
I knew going in that this book was more about the friends’ group then the adventure. I was expecting some work with friendship and who these people are without their friends, but it was mostly a story about how big of messes they each became.
Chapter after chapter we go individually through each character’s experiences sometimes on the same event. There is a lot of inners monologuing about their lives after the last time they saved the world, how they don’t feel like they are enough, and about the death of their friend. It wouldn’t be a bad book to read but it done it a way that the characters a stuck in romance tropes and are so filled with self doubt that there is no space for their character growth.
The last quarter of the book was the worst for me as I didn’t care what happened to them and really just wanted to finish the book. The ending where one character has a completely overpowered ability that changes everything was the biggest blow to the story. It subtracted from their grief and made the tension of the action moot.
There is a lot of modern slang, items, and services through out the book. I wasn’t expecting this but I didn’t mind it either. I was sort of fun to see slightly more magical versions of modern tech. in the end I didn’t mind the book but I would not continue on to the next book.
I knew going in that this book was more about the friends’ group then the adventure. I was expecting some work with friendship and who these people are without their friends, but it was mostly a story about how big of messes they each became.
Chapter after chapter we go individually through each character’s experiences sometimes on the same event. There is a lot of inners monologuing about their lives after the last time they saved the world, how they don’t feel like they are enough, and about the death of their friend. It wouldn’t be a bad book to read but it done it a way that the characters a stuck in romance tropes and are so filled with self doubt that there is no space for their character growth.
The last quarter of the book was the worst for me as I didn’t care what happened to them and really just wanted to finish the book. The ending where one character has a completely overpowered ability that changes everything was the biggest blow to the story. It subtracted from their grief and made the tension of the action moot.
There is a lot of modern slang, items, and services through out the book. I wasn’t expecting this but I didn’t mind it either. I was sort of fun to see slightly more magical versions of modern tech. in the end I didn’t mind the book but I would not continue on to the next book.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book and the story kept me engaged throughout but… I didn’t like was how the women were treated in this book as there was a large focus on their sexuality and sex lives. On the other hand, the men’s sexuality, and ability to have sex are only briefly mentioned and not a big part of their haunting. This sexual discrimination is in almost every action from the men talking down to and about the women and even in the descriptions of them. It might just be that I am desensitized to sex that the horror related to sex wasn’t that horrifying.
The rest of the book is fast paced with many events happening in quick succession. I loved the action of the story. Unlike most other haunting books I have read lately, this book sets the foundation of the story and the house within the first part of the book. From there the story is placed in constant action either by the characters or the haunting. Overall, the author does well at keeping a state of suspense and terror.
I would say despite the over sexuality of the book it is worth a read.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book and the story kept me engaged throughout but… I didn’t like was how the women were treated in this book as there was a large focus on their sexuality and sex lives. On the other hand, the men’s sexuality, and ability to have sex are only briefly mentioned and not a big part of their haunting. This sexual discrimination is in almost every action from the men talking down to and about the women and even in the descriptions of them. It might just be that I am desensitized to sex that the horror related to sex wasn’t that horrifying.
The rest of the book is fast paced with many events happening in quick succession. I loved the action of the story. Unlike most other haunting books I have read lately, this book sets the foundation of the story and the house within the first part of the book. From there the story is placed in constant action either by the characters or the haunting. Overall, the author does well at keeping a state of suspense and terror.
I would say despite the over sexuality of the book it is worth a read.
I have always heard great things about this book and how scary it was, but it was terrible.
First impressions of the book was how blatant the grammatical and spelling errors were. I mean, I like reading Wattpad stories and they are full of errors but it was hard to get past how a published book could have such bad errors. After that you are assaulted with poorly written dialog. I feel like the author tried to be “hip with it” but it comes off cringey and stilted. There are some really bad conversations in this book with Kinderman being the worst conversationalist. The author tries to make him a shrewd detective but what he actually says is nonsensical.
I liked the idea of the book’s approach being scientific and waiving off things that could have a not demonic cause but the author takes this too far. The bed literally coming off the floor, no its random temporary super strength in the child. This goes on for almost the entire book with priests and doctors.
The book has no tension and the possession parts were never scary. The most feeling this book leaves is frustration and boredom. With the expectation of how scary this story is going to be, as talked up on websites and book reviewers, the book lets you down sentience after sentence.
Skip the book, watch the movie.
I have always heard great things about this book and how scary it was, but it was terrible.
First impressions of the book was how blatant the grammatical and spelling errors were. I mean, I like reading Wattpad stories and they are full of errors but it was hard to get past how a published book could have such bad errors. After that you are assaulted with poorly written dialog. I feel like the author tried to be “hip with it” but it comes off cringey and stilted. There are some really bad conversations in this book with Kinderman being the worst conversationalist. The author tries to make him a shrewd detective but what he actually says is nonsensical.
I liked the idea of the book’s approach being scientific and waiving off things that could have a not demonic cause but the author takes this too far. The bed literally coming off the floor, no its random temporary super strength in the child. This goes on for almost the entire book with priests and doctors.
The book has no tension and the possession parts were never scary. The most feeling this book leaves is frustration and boredom. With the expectation of how scary this story is going to be, as talked up on websites and book reviewers, the book lets you down sentience after sentence.
Skip the book, watch the movie.
Added to listBook Shelf (Own but not read)with 102 books.
Added to listOwnedwith 186 books.
It’s a more modern retelling of You’ve Got Mail, a film that I didn’t like. As much as I like Tom Hanks lying to someone you connected with online then not telling them once you find out who they are in real life. While trying to destroy their business is not the right way to start a relationship. That’s why I like this book so much is because it fixes some of that.
The way the author handles having the MMC come clean and the FMC’s reaction to it was refreshing. It felt adult and you don’t always get to see that in a third act problem. I do wish that the author made better use of additional characters, and they were more background noise and not players.
What takes away from the book is how the FMC talks down about the MMC reading romance books. Sure, I like literature books, but I also like romance and am even part of a smut club this year. I have read so many interesting books this year. I don’t like the hate it brings. Even at the end of the book the FMC is sort of accepting of it despite sexualizing the MMC thought out the book.
One last thing is that for an enemy to lovers story the hate that fires them at times felt childish.
It’s a more modern retelling of You’ve Got Mail, a film that I didn’t like. As much as I like Tom Hanks lying to someone you connected with online then not telling them once you find out who they are in real life. While trying to destroy their business is not the right way to start a relationship. That’s why I like this book so much is because it fixes some of that.
The way the author handles having the MMC come clean and the FMC’s reaction to it was refreshing. It felt adult and you don’t always get to see that in a third act problem. I do wish that the author made better use of additional characters, and they were more background noise and not players.
What takes away from the book is how the FMC talks down about the MMC reading romance books. Sure, I like literature books, but I also like romance and am even part of a smut club this year. I have read so many interesting books this year. I don’t like the hate it brings. Even at the end of the book the FMC is sort of accepting of it despite sexualizing the MMC thought out the book.
One last thing is that for an enemy to lovers story the hate that fires them at times felt childish.
The idea of the story told in reverse is interesting but getting to know two pretty unlikable characters wasn’t. It starts of when they are older and more bitter then goes back in time to tell us stories of when they were still the same awful people. Cutting past and present didn’t make them any better and all the stories seemed pointless. Why learn more about these people. When I finally got to the last quarter where the more interesting things happen, I was already checked out of the story.
The idea of the story told in reverse is interesting but getting to know two pretty unlikable characters wasn’t. It starts of when they are older and more bitter then goes back in time to tell us stories of when they were still the same awful people. Cutting past and present didn’t make them any better and all the stories seemed pointless. Why learn more about these people. When I finally got to the last quarter where the more interesting things happen, I was already checked out of the story.
This was another book with a great idea that falls flat. What hooked me into reading this book was when I was told that it was a paranormal investigation story where they actually prove paranormal activity. I don’t have to sit though increasingly ridiculous ways of characters writing off the supernatural. The book still gets things wrong though.
The start of the book is enjoyable with interesting characters and some good scares but quickly fizzles out with character side plots and repeated telling’s of the same events. There is a large gap in the story filled with explaining tech and figuring out each character’s motivations. This wasn’t needed and slowed the pacing considerably. The long time between the initial frights to the next ones felt like a lifetime.
Once the story goes underground, I was ready for something akin to the film As Above, So below. The book never quite gets there but there are some scenes that are worth the read. The final ending nature of the haunting is not for me and didn’t live up to expectations.
I like the writing and would probably read another book form this author, but this book wasn’t as good as I had hoped.
This was another book with a great idea that falls flat. What hooked me into reading this book was when I was told that it was a paranormal investigation story where they actually prove paranormal activity. I don’t have to sit though increasingly ridiculous ways of characters writing off the supernatural. The book still gets things wrong though.
The start of the book is enjoyable with interesting characters and some good scares but quickly fizzles out with character side plots and repeated telling’s of the same events. There is a large gap in the story filled with explaining tech and figuring out each character’s motivations. This wasn’t needed and slowed the pacing considerably. The long time between the initial frights to the next ones felt like a lifetime.
Once the story goes underground, I was ready for something akin to the film As Above, So below. The book never quite gets there but there are some scenes that are worth the read. The final ending nature of the haunting is not for me and didn’t live up to expectations.
I like the writing and would probably read another book form this author, but this book wasn’t as good as I had hoped.
After reading the authors other good books I had a high expectation for such a good premiss. This book could have gone more over the top or gone for something more serious on a terrifying scale of human casualty. I found this book to be the worst mix of both.
The fun weird parts of the book don’t land for me. There are X-Files references that make the comparison to the two main characters feel like they were the cheaper version. The campy fun of the story is almost depressing that you can’t have a good time with it. I wanted to like this story but by the halfway point I was just wondering when it will end.
The human connections and casualties in this book are dull. For such a horrific event to have happened not much is brought up about it. When talking about the event’s impact on the two characters we find out what happened but there it no feeling behind it.
There are still good parts in the book, and I like most of the writing, but I just couldn’t get behind the characters and enjoy the story as much as I wanted to.
After reading the authors other good books I had a high expectation for such a good premiss. This book could have gone more over the top or gone for something more serious on a terrifying scale of human casualty. I found this book to be the worst mix of both.
The fun weird parts of the book don’t land for me. There are X-Files references that make the comparison to the two main characters feel like they were the cheaper version. The campy fun of the story is almost depressing that you can’t have a good time with it. I wanted to like this story but by the halfway point I was just wondering when it will end.
The human connections and casualties in this book are dull. For such a horrific event to have happened not much is brought up about it. When talking about the event’s impact on the two characters we find out what happened but there it no feeling behind it.
There are still good parts in the book, and I like most of the writing, but I just couldn’t get behind the characters and enjoy the story as much as I wanted to.
This was a great collection of stories. It was sort of a pick me up to have a series of good stories to read.
My hands down favorite story was the first one called My Sad Dead. It was a slow start to lead to a great ending. It brings up a good discussion about community and helping others. After finishing the book, it was the first story I thought about. Other ones I really liked were Metamorphosis a body modification horror that was entertaining to read. I just loved the character in this one. Face of disgrace had me turning the page as it was a unique story. Different colors made of tears was my second favorite. Man, that guy was just a creepy ass but so worth the read.
One I didn’t care for was Julie as it was fatphobic, which is weird for a ghost sex story. A sunny place for shady people was another one that I didn’t care too much about as it was boring compared to the rest of the stories.
Listening to the audio book I had to relisten to the story Night Birds as it was a little confusing. Once I got into the story though it was a good idea executed well. The rest of the stories are just as good, and I had no issues listening to the rest of them.
This is a good book for some short stories with good plots that touch on mainly women’s issues.
This was a great collection of stories. It was sort of a pick me up to have a series of good stories to read.
My hands down favorite story was the first one called My Sad Dead. It was a slow start to lead to a great ending. It brings up a good discussion about community and helping others. After finishing the book, it was the first story I thought about. Other ones I really liked were Metamorphosis a body modification horror that was entertaining to read. I just loved the character in this one. Face of disgrace had me turning the page as it was a unique story. Different colors made of tears was my second favorite. Man, that guy was just a creepy ass but so worth the read.
One I didn’t care for was Julie as it was fatphobic, which is weird for a ghost sex story. A sunny place for shady people was another one that I didn’t care too much about as it was boring compared to the rest of the stories.
Listening to the audio book I had to relisten to the story Night Birds as it was a little confusing. Once I got into the story though it was a good idea executed well. The rest of the stories are just as good, and I had no issues listening to the rest of them.
This is a good book for some short stories with good plots that touch on mainly women’s issues.
The idea behind the story is great and could be a terrifying read but the execution of the book is not up to scratch. There are plenty of could be creepy scenes and scenarios throughout the book that the author doesn’t capitalize on. It’s almost like they choose not to make the book scary which is disappointing as the book is marked as horror. A lot of the negative points in the book come either from the lack of character personality and emotion or from the lack of history and answers.
The characters personalities are a little flavorless and they are written in a way that we are told what stereo type they should be. We don’t get a chance to decide for ourselves. Most of the characters are missing their memories from their time on the show when they were children so now as adults we get a chance to explore that mystery with them. But that is not what happens. The main character who remembers nothing of her childhood askes question after question, sometimes times with no pause for answer, and people just ignore it. Even when asked directly! Their connection as children is lost and because of this and we have no reason to care for the other characters effected by this show. They don’t truly work together to find out what’s happened.
The book has a religious kind of town cult plot to it that should have had a bigger role. There is a lot of opportunity to make a point or just have a deeper horror to the story that is not utilized.
The only reason it isn’t lower rated is that it don’t hate it and it can be ok in parts.
The idea behind the story is great and could be a terrifying read but the execution of the book is not up to scratch. There are plenty of could be creepy scenes and scenarios throughout the book that the author doesn’t capitalize on. It’s almost like they choose not to make the book scary which is disappointing as the book is marked as horror. A lot of the negative points in the book come either from the lack of character personality and emotion or from the lack of history and answers.
The characters personalities are a little flavorless and they are written in a way that we are told what stereo type they should be. We don’t get a chance to decide for ourselves. Most of the characters are missing their memories from their time on the show when they were children so now as adults we get a chance to explore that mystery with them. But that is not what happens. The main character who remembers nothing of her childhood askes question after question, sometimes times with no pause for answer, and people just ignore it. Even when asked directly! Their connection as children is lost and because of this and we have no reason to care for the other characters effected by this show. They don’t truly work together to find out what’s happened.
The book has a religious kind of town cult plot to it that should have had a bigger role. There is a lot of opportunity to make a point or just have a deeper horror to the story that is not utilized.
The only reason it isn’t lower rated is that it don’t hate it and it can be ok in parts.
When the main character wakes up, he has almost no memory and this was a great plot device as it was enjoyable to have him work out where he is and what is happening. With this device we get flash backs explaining the situation. There is a lot of deducing in this book and it’s part of why I like it so much. The unfolding of the story and working through mostly scientific methods in the book are interesting and easily kept my attention although I can’t speak to the accuracy of the science discussed in the book since I have no clue.
Two things that detract from the book is that most of that characters lack personality making the more emotional parts of the story feel flat. The second thing is that the main character almost solely figures out an answer to every problem he has. There is a clear lack of character development through out the book.
I found my self wanting to pick up the book and see what happens next. The book is not great for emotionality but is still a good read.
When the main character wakes up, he has almost no memory and this was a great plot device as it was enjoyable to have him work out where he is and what is happening. With this device we get flash backs explaining the situation. There is a lot of deducing in this book and it’s part of why I like it so much. The unfolding of the story and working through mostly scientific methods in the book are interesting and easily kept my attention although I can’t speak to the accuracy of the science discussed in the book since I have no clue.
Two things that detract from the book is that most of that characters lack personality making the more emotional parts of the story feel flat. The second thing is that the main character almost solely figures out an answer to every problem he has. There is a clear lack of character development through out the book.
I found my self wanting to pick up the book and see what happens next. The book is not great for emotionality but is still a good read.
The long-awaited couple is finally here, and it is such a disappointment. I was expecting an enemies to lovers story with good banter and what we got was bitter and unenjoyable.
The enemies to lovers is slightly a second chance romance as the characters briefly dated. The banter was bitter and harsh and made the characters more unlikable. The FMC is high-strung and rude while the MMC has no personality and is emotionally stupid. Together they are awful.
The issue that made them dislike each other is he left and said he would come back but didn’t. He was in town but didn’t want to reach out because he was ashamed that he didn’t have his life figured out after a year. She found out he was in town but wasn’t talking to her. Upset she kisses someone else to get over him, which he sees, and he becomes upset. Please know that the main story takes place 10 years after this event.
All the cozy romances in the first few books are lost in this book. The other characters in the community that I like hardly show up in this book. When they do show up the two main characters are awful to them. Who makes their friend cry at a rehearsal dinner because you simply can’t be nice. Their forced proximity reason was not worth reading through the book for either.
All that waiting for this couple that has been teased since the first book was not worth it. I may be done with this series.
The long-awaited couple is finally here, and it is such a disappointment. I was expecting an enemies to lovers story with good banter and what we got was bitter and unenjoyable.
The enemies to lovers is slightly a second chance romance as the characters briefly dated. The banter was bitter and harsh and made the characters more unlikable. The FMC is high-strung and rude while the MMC has no personality and is emotionally stupid. Together they are awful.
The issue that made them dislike each other is he left and said he would come back but didn’t. He was in town but didn’t want to reach out because he was ashamed that he didn’t have his life figured out after a year. She found out he was in town but wasn’t talking to her. Upset she kisses someone else to get over him, which he sees, and he becomes upset. Please know that the main story takes place 10 years after this event.
All the cozy romances in the first few books are lost in this book. The other characters in the community that I like hardly show up in this book. When they do show up the two main characters are awful to them. Who makes their friend cry at a rehearsal dinner because you simply can’t be nice. Their forced proximity reason was not worth reading through the book for either.
All that waiting for this couple that has been teased since the first book was not worth it. I may be done with this series.
For a bargain find this book surprised me with its slow hand charm.
One warning is that the main character is unlikeable at the beginning to the point I almost wondered why this was a cozy book. It takes a bit for the character to open up and trust others and even at the end she is not fully open but willing to reach out to others. For me this was really nice that her personality didn’t completely change from grumpy to sunshine. I also liked that the romance was not the focus of the book and at the end they weren’t in the deepest love ever known. It felt more real, not instant love but the start of a relationship.
The story tackles heavy subjects like grief, loss, withholding recourses and education (magic), and climate change. This is handled well throughout the book as it is tied to the story in a natural way and offers discussions through the conversations with other characters.
The MMC is a great part of the book as he is not emotionally unavailable or pushy but soft, caring, and open. Plus, he cooks. The plants that come alive are a great addition to the book and it was always funny that the one plant was friendly then the main character. Other characters like the more magical people of the island were better written with more personality while everyone else was just background noise.
What lowers my rating is the sudden jump in action at the end of the book. It felt off compared to the rest of the book. The book manages to not have much happen in terms of action but still be interesting. Its sort of like a Hallmark film with more magic.
I really enjoyed this book as it was more of a soft cozy story.
For a bargain find this book surprised me with its slow hand charm.
One warning is that the main character is unlikeable at the beginning to the point I almost wondered why this was a cozy book. It takes a bit for the character to open up and trust others and even at the end she is not fully open but willing to reach out to others. For me this was really nice that her personality didn’t completely change from grumpy to sunshine. I also liked that the romance was not the focus of the book and at the end they weren’t in the deepest love ever known. It felt more real, not instant love but the start of a relationship.
The story tackles heavy subjects like grief, loss, withholding recourses and education (magic), and climate change. This is handled well throughout the book as it is tied to the story in a natural way and offers discussions through the conversations with other characters.
The MMC is a great part of the book as he is not emotionally unavailable or pushy but soft, caring, and open. Plus, he cooks. The plants that come alive are a great addition to the book and it was always funny that the one plant was friendly then the main character. Other characters like the more magical people of the island were better written with more personality while everyone else was just background noise.
What lowers my rating is the sudden jump in action at the end of the book. It felt off compared to the rest of the book. The book manages to not have much happen in terms of action but still be interesting. Its sort of like a Hallmark film with more magic.
I really enjoyed this book as it was more of a soft cozy story.
This was one of the better King books that I read this year but it is one that I don’t see myself ever reading again.
I liked the first story Low Men in Yellow Coats the best out of all of them as it was the one that captured my attention most. Its not to long with a great cast of characters and a touching story. The rest of the stories I liked and I don’t have anything bad to say about them, but they were not as interesting to me.
This was one of the better King books that I read this year but it is one that I don’t see myself ever reading again.
I liked the first story Low Men in Yellow Coats the best out of all of them as it was the one that captured my attention most. Its not to long with a great cast of characters and a touching story. The rest of the stories I liked and I don’t have anything bad to say about them, but they were not as interesting to me.
The book is overall ok but it is still one that I could recommend. I think that you have to be in the right mood for this book to like it.
The biggest issue of why I rated it lower is that the main part of the book you have multiple POVs and side stories dealing with mostly superficial people. It was unnecessary considering the way the third act went. The other characters and their petty squabbles were a drag to the story with intermittent good parts like the letters to keep you interested.
I loved the last third of the book and its why I could recommend the book to others. Only liking a third of the book is not a great recommendation I know but the book is so short that its worth a read anyway. The violence and weirdness are what I like about the end. I do wish that the last part was expanded as it really was the best part of the book.
The book is overall ok but it is still one that I could recommend. I think that you have to be in the right mood for this book to like it.
The biggest issue of why I rated it lower is that the main part of the book you have multiple POVs and side stories dealing with mostly superficial people. It was unnecessary considering the way the third act went. The other characters and their petty squabbles were a drag to the story with intermittent good parts like the letters to keep you interested.
I loved the last third of the book and its why I could recommend the book to others. Only liking a third of the book is not a great recommendation I know but the book is so short that its worth a read anyway. The violence and weirdness are what I like about the end. I do wish that the last part was expanded as it really was the best part of the book.
I was really looking forward to reading this book as I wanted a simple slasher and this book sort of delivers. This is not a paranormal book like I thought it would be and that’s ok. Its also 100% young adult which was also ok. It has a lot of focus on old timers versus the new generation and that’s ok. So what I am saying is you will put up with a lot of things that are just ok for this book.
There are some good and gore filled scenes but it wont make up for the fact that the killer’s motives are thinner then 1 ply toilet paper. Even the twists aren’t worth it. You couldn’t really care less about the characters both good and bad. The end was really where I leaned more toward disliking the book as it was such a let down and a lot had to happen just so to get the ending. Things like someone surviving almost unsurvivable odds and the bad guys hesitating at the last moment before their victory.
The book is at most ok for me. Maybe if you want a more mindless killing spree you would like this more.
I was really looking forward to reading this book as I wanted a simple slasher and this book sort of delivers. This is not a paranormal book like I thought it would be and that’s ok. Its also 100% young adult which was also ok. It has a lot of focus on old timers versus the new generation and that’s ok. So what I am saying is you will put up with a lot of things that are just ok for this book.
There are some good and gore filled scenes but it wont make up for the fact that the killer’s motives are thinner then 1 ply toilet paper. Even the twists aren’t worth it. You couldn’t really care less about the characters both good and bad. The end was really where I leaned more toward disliking the book as it was such a let down and a lot had to happen just so to get the ending. Things like someone surviving almost unsurvivable odds and the bad guys hesitating at the last moment before their victory.
The book is at most ok for me. Maybe if you want a more mindless killing spree you would like this more.
This is another book where it’s marketed as horror but it’s not. This is a historical romance and not even a gothic one as it says it is. I really didn’t like this book as it was not at all what I thought it would be for genre and feel. That is not to say this is a bad book as it has some good writing in it.
The romance is a big part of the book and takes up the most time. It has a miscommunication as there reason they are not immediately together. As the male lead believes the female lead is dead. What I hate is that she has to stay virginal while he fucked anything that moved. I really hate this trope. The vampires are what I was looking forward to most but there are barely there and although they are not bad they not that interesting either.
Despite being a mixed point of view the first half of the book we are often in the males point of view and he just goes on long inner monologs. The second half switches to a majority female POV and she over describes things that just happened and repeats herself continuously. The book felt like a young adult story as the characters acted more like teenagers and the whole vibe of the story leaned into YA.
I was not in the right mood for a book like this and just couldn’t get into it.
This is another book where it’s marketed as horror but it’s not. This is a historical romance and not even a gothic one as it says it is. I really didn’t like this book as it was not at all what I thought it would be for genre and feel. That is not to say this is a bad book as it has some good writing in it.
The romance is a big part of the book and takes up the most time. It has a miscommunication as there reason they are not immediately together. As the male lead believes the female lead is dead. What I hate is that she has to stay virginal while he fucked anything that moved. I really hate this trope. The vampires are what I was looking forward to most but there are barely there and although they are not bad they not that interesting either.
Despite being a mixed point of view the first half of the book we are often in the males point of view and he just goes on long inner monologs. The second half switches to a majority female POV and she over describes things that just happened and repeats herself continuously. The book felt like a young adult story as the characters acted more like teenagers and the whole vibe of the story leaned into YA.
I was not in the right mood for a book like this and just couldn’t get into it.
Firstly this is not a mystery book. The description made me think there would be more of a mystery and journalistic side to this book that wasn’t there. If you go into the book as more of a opening to self care, eating good food, and looking into the Japanese dynamics of working woman it’s not bad. Not knowing this does putt a damper on the book.
I really liked some of the conversations between the main character and Kajii and the exploration of good food, self love, and feminism. The food descriptions and talk were some of the best parts of the book and honestly made me want to try more food. The self love part was a mixed bag as there is constant talk of the main character weight gain and how people react to it. There is a part where she comes to like her body but there is still a stigma about having a little extra weight that I don’t feel was handled well enough.
There is some great discussions on how women are treated and viewed in both the work place and in life. This is what makes me like the book so much. I will not say these parts are life changing but they really open up a dialog to issues women face. I do wish there was more on this but what’s there is good. I liked the discussion about how females are treated in the media and specially about Kajii’s treatment since she was not a stereotypical body type. A gripe that I have for the book is with all these good points about female treatment not much is done by the main character to help bring change.
When it comes to Kajii the beginning was great the middle was eh and the end wasn’t bad. The initial conversations are almost a little erotic but very interesting. As the relationship between reporter and criminal progresses there is a lot more back and forth on their dynamic that is still good but not as interesting. The end was pretty good as we had a better view of both women and their story was neatly wrapped up.
The book is a little long but overall I liked the book and would recommend as a read at least once type book.
Firstly this is not a mystery book. The description made me think there would be more of a mystery and journalistic side to this book that wasn’t there. If you go into the book as more of a opening to self care, eating good food, and looking into the Japanese dynamics of working woman it’s not bad. Not knowing this does putt a damper on the book.
I really liked some of the conversations between the main character and Kajii and the exploration of good food, self love, and feminism. The food descriptions and talk were some of the best parts of the book and honestly made me want to try more food. The self love part was a mixed bag as there is constant talk of the main character weight gain and how people react to it. There is a part where she comes to like her body but there is still a stigma about having a little extra weight that I don’t feel was handled well enough.
There is some great discussions on how women are treated and viewed in both the work place and in life. This is what makes me like the book so much. I will not say these parts are life changing but they really open up a dialog to issues women face. I do wish there was more on this but what’s there is good. I liked the discussion about how females are treated in the media and specially about Kajii’s treatment since she was not a stereotypical body type. A gripe that I have for the book is with all these good points about female treatment not much is done by the main character to help bring change.
When it comes to Kajii the beginning was great the middle was eh and the end wasn’t bad. The initial conversations are almost a little erotic but very interesting. As the relationship between reporter and criminal progresses there is a lot more back and forth on their dynamic that is still good but not as interesting. The end was pretty good as we had a better view of both women and their story was neatly wrapped up.
The book is a little long but overall I liked the book and would recommend as a read at least once type book.
This wasn’t as good as I thought it would be as most of the book had no point to it.
The beginning where we learn of the main character’s background and family life was well done and interesting. This does start us off with the main character’s constant lust for almost every one without even having the virus. This is sort of explained as being caused by her restrictive upbringing but damn is she lusty. There are parts though out that were interesting but a lot of the time wild shit happens for no payoff. This book could have said more with less.
I don’t have much to say about this book since the story its self doesn’t say much.
This wasn’t as good as I thought it would be as most of the book had no point to it.
The beginning where we learn of the main character’s background and family life was well done and interesting. This does start us off with the main character’s constant lust for almost every one without even having the virus. This is sort of explained as being caused by her restrictive upbringing but damn is she lusty. There are parts though out that were interesting but a lot of the time wild shit happens for no payoff. This book could have said more with less.
I don’t have much to say about this book since the story its self doesn’t say much.
This is a hard book to rate as I like the overall story but there are some glaring issues.
I have seen the movies before reading this book so I thought that it would be just as scary but this book is more of a mystery The main character mainly investigates the tape and the history of the woman behind it. The slow unraveling of each mystery are the best parts of the book. Although an issue I run into is that his friend who may or may not be a rapist just happens to have all the right insights to further the investigation. Each point where I stop and think where do we go from here the friend jumps in with an answer. As the book nears the end the is a few jumps in reasoning that we just have to accept.
Another point in the book that bothers me is that the main character isn’t that great of a guy. He’s not that good to his wife and child. Leaving them behind for his career, ignoring them when he’s home. The worst is that he believes his friend is a rapist and is still friends with him. This point is repeatedly brought up to the point that it seems he revels in the fact that he’s friends with him mostly because he was a rapist. Absolutely hated this.
There is also a plot point about a character being female with some male parts and I didn’t like the way this was handled. The book spends too much time trying to determine if this character is a she and if they are beautiful or not. Later the character is raped but it is just glossed over.
The book was hard to put down as I wanted to know more about the woman but there are some issues that aren’t handled well and really take you out of the book. This was also not scary.
This is a hard book to rate as I like the overall story but there are some glaring issues.
I have seen the movies before reading this book so I thought that it would be just as scary but this book is more of a mystery The main character mainly investigates the tape and the history of the woman behind it. The slow unraveling of each mystery are the best parts of the book. Although an issue I run into is that his friend who may or may not be a rapist just happens to have all the right insights to further the investigation. Each point where I stop and think where do we go from here the friend jumps in with an answer. As the book nears the end the is a few jumps in reasoning that we just have to accept.
Another point in the book that bothers me is that the main character isn’t that great of a guy. He’s not that good to his wife and child. Leaving them behind for his career, ignoring them when he’s home. The worst is that he believes his friend is a rapist and is still friends with him. This point is repeatedly brought up to the point that it seems he revels in the fact that he’s friends with him mostly because he was a rapist. Absolutely hated this.
There is also a plot point about a character being female with some male parts and I didn’t like the way this was handled. The book spends too much time trying to determine if this character is a she and if they are beautiful or not. Later the character is raped but it is just glossed over.
The book was hard to put down as I wanted to know more about the woman but there are some issues that aren’t handled well and really take you out of the book. This was also not scary.
I have always heard great things about this book and how scary it was, but it was terrible.
First impressions of the book was how blatant the grammatical and spelling errors were. I mean, I like reading Wattpad stories and they are full of errors but it was hard to get past how a published book could have such bad errors. After that you are assaulted with poorly written dialog. I feel like the author tried to be “hip with it” but it comes off cringey and stilted. There are some really bad conversations in this book with Kinderman being the worst conversationalist. The author tries to make him a shrewd detective but what he actually says is nonsensical.
I liked the idea of the book’s approach being scientific and waiving off things that could have a not demonic cause but the author takes this too far. The bed literally coming off the floor, no its random temporary super strength in the child. This goes on for almost the entire book with priests and doctors.
The book has no tension and the possession parts were never scary. The most feeling this book leaves is frustration and boredom. With the expectation of how scary this story is going to be, as talked up on websites and book reviewers, the book lets you down sentience after sentence.
Skip the book, watch the movie.
I have always heard great things about this book and how scary it was, but it was terrible.
First impressions of the book was how blatant the grammatical and spelling errors were. I mean, I like reading Wattpad stories and they are full of errors but it was hard to get past how a published book could have such bad errors. After that you are assaulted with poorly written dialog. I feel like the author tried to be “hip with it” but it comes off cringey and stilted. There are some really bad conversations in this book with Kinderman being the worst conversationalist. The author tries to make him a shrewd detective but what he actually says is nonsensical.
I liked the idea of the book’s approach being scientific and waiving off things that could have a not demonic cause but the author takes this too far. The bed literally coming off the floor, no its random temporary super strength in the child. This goes on for almost the entire book with priests and doctors.
The book has no tension and the possession parts were never scary. The most feeling this book leaves is frustration and boredom. With the expectation of how scary this story is going to be, as talked up on websites and book reviewers, the book lets you down sentience after sentence.
Skip the book, watch the movie.
Based on the description I had thought this would take place at the camp and would be a slasher but the book is not that. Instead it’s a person who questions her memories and her religious community that may be due to supernatural influences. There is killing in the book but it is more to the end of the story. This is not to say that the book wasn’t good as I did enjoy it.
This does feel like more of a young adult book based in the way it’s written but its still worth the read for anyone. It is not heavy into examining the ethics of religious persecution against the LGBTQ+ community which I thought would be bigger in the story. Its very light on this subject and even on the horror aspects of the story. Once you finally get to the camp that is more of the story I was expecting and it was hard to put down.
This book does show that there is talent in the author but doesn’t show it off to it’s full extent. I have already read another book by this author, Bury Your Gays, that shows off this talent and is just a great story.
Based on the description I had thought this would take place at the camp and would be a slasher but the book is not that. Instead it’s a person who questions her memories and her religious community that may be due to supernatural influences. There is killing in the book but it is more to the end of the story. This is not to say that the book wasn’t good as I did enjoy it.
This does feel like more of a young adult book based in the way it’s written but its still worth the read for anyone. It is not heavy into examining the ethics of religious persecution against the LGBTQ+ community which I thought would be bigger in the story. Its very light on this subject and even on the horror aspects of the story. Once you finally get to the camp that is more of the story I was expecting and it was hard to put down.
This book does show that there is talent in the author but doesn’t show it off to it’s full extent. I have already read another book by this author, Bury Your Gays, that shows off this talent and is just a great story.
I liked the idea of seeing a marriage between two killers, but the story falls flat as I thought this would be more fun then it was. The humor is missing through the book and I really didn’t like any of the characters. They barely function as a couple and it’s more of a story about two people who have a large amount of contempt for each other.
The beginning had a good hook about who they kill (people who harm women) that I thought this book would be a little more female empowering but it wasn’t. The main characters were stereotypes of the man who manages the household and provided for his family and the bord housewife.
The ending was not worth reading through the book. After hearing all their resentment for each other build all this time it was hard to believe one conversation solves everything.
I liked the idea of seeing a marriage between two killers, but the story falls flat as I thought this would be more fun then it was. The humor is missing through the book and I really didn’t like any of the characters. They barely function as a couple and it’s more of a story about two people who have a large amount of contempt for each other.
The beginning had a good hook about who they kill (people who harm women) that I thought this book would be a little more female empowering but it wasn’t. The main characters were stereotypes of the man who manages the household and provided for his family and the bord housewife.
The ending was not worth reading through the book. After hearing all their resentment for each other build all this time it was hard to believe one conversation solves everything.