Simon
Last year I read Violet by SJI Holliday and that was brilliant and I highly recommend it if you like psychological thrillers. This one isn't as good as Violet but still it was highly entertaining and completely bonkers, the only thing that spoils it is the ending which is a bit flat compared to the rest of the book. It won't win any awards but if you like stuff like Black Mirror then you will probably enjoy it. Last thing, there is no way this is a 1 star book. 3.5 rounded up to 4 because........ those one star reviews.
This was just ok for me, I think I knew too much about the story before hand to enjoy it fully. No surprises at all, nothing is left to the imagination. The only cool bit is towards the end everyone is saying to sheriff “you must let me know how it all turns out”. That made me think I had got it all wrong, but I hadn't.
3/5 rounded up. There's a lot going on in this book.. A LOT!! Lots of people are gushing about these Charlie Parker books and I definitely have one foot in the land of gush but my other foot is dangling in mid air looking for somewhere to land (like a game of twister). I hope I find that place to put my other foot in the next book.
Better than average twisty thriller with some really neat bits in it. I think the main problem with these type of thrillers is that I've read so many I spend too much time second guessing everything. The red herrings in this one are quite good but I wasn't totally surprised at the big reveal. Looking forward to the film, the casting looks spot on.
There's this place between the living and the dead and if you drag someone or a cat from that place between the living and the dead to the land of the living you must be careful because nasty things might come through, and if you drag a lady through it might be not one lady but three ladies rolled into one. But its ok because the hand you lost in an accident has magical powers and you might be saved by the ghost of traffic cop with a ginger goatee. Most of all trust no one.
This book is absolutely bonkers, I really like the writing but its not as good as The Plague Stones or Helkas Children.
If Chalk Man was a nod to IT and Taking Of Annie Thorn was a nod to Pet Cemetery, then this is pure CJ Tudor. What I really liked about this book was the fact that all the things you are trying to work out in your head are pretty much explained with 100 pages to go and then wham, there's more, and more. There are so many WTF moments and all of them work, non of them seem overly ridiculous, Can't wait for the next one.
In some horrible alternative America. 100 teen boys walk and walk and walk until only one remains. The flaggers, the ones who walk slower than 4 miles per hour, the ones who physically can't go on, the ones who literally go insane are shot dead. The real horror here is WHY? Why would they do this? What is the reason for doing this? You are given little snippets of info but you are never told and sometimes that works in a book but in this instance I don't think it does. There's lots of teenage sexy smut talk that some readers will find offensive. There's lots of teenage boy philosophising which some readers will find annoying.
The literary equivalent to a stomach ache. My first DNF of the year. I try and give a book at least 50 pages before deciding if I'm going to quit but I managed just 20 pages of this. I just feels like one big scream, maybe it develops into something else but I just couldn't go on. I might return at a later date, back on the shelf it goes.
Despite the grim subject matter, set in a world frighteningly within touching distance. This is such a joyous book. There are two narrators. Reg, broken and alone except for his dog. And Lineker, the hyperactive sweary dog. The difference in tone between the two narrators really sets this book apart and kudos to Adrian Walker for getting the “thoughts of the dog” spot on (in my opinion). If, like me, you are the owner of a mad mutt you will love this book. If you hate swearing be warned.
800 pages of bad road.
This is totally my sort of thing but its a really tough read. First half of the book is really slow but I really picks up during the second half. However, it really falls down with character development and I really didn't care enough about any Benji or Sharna and the most interesting characters Pete, Cassie (what happened to her) and Marcy just get lost in the swap of the book. That said, it is really interesting and the writing itself is really good. There is a political edge that some people will struggle with but I thought was really accurate. If you like end of the world speculative fiction then you will probably enjoy this.
I'm a bit torn. Really enjoyable read but the two twists....”shrugs shoulders” they didn't have the shock factor I was hoping for. CJ Tudor loves Stephen King and the influence here is Pet Cemetery but its not pets its humans. It's got a very dark feel with lots of unlikeable characters. There is a paragraph about books shelves which is spot on and after watching all these politicians being interviewed live from their studies you could almost call it prophetic. Probably more 3.5 than 4 but hey, lets be positive. I'll definitely be reading more from CJ Tudor.
Probably the most bonkers book I will read this year. Starts off like a bog standard horror then shifts into this bizarre fantasy with a body possessing cannibal type monster thing, a bronze age Frankensteinish warrior, time shifting realms. Ends up in modern day Norfolk via Grimsby, Sutton Coldfield and Wales. All rounded off with a cup of tea and a couple of custard creams. AND it really works.
“Dogs were with us from the very beginning. And of all the animals that walked the long centuries beside us, they always walked the closest.”
Favourite read of 2020 so far.
There is so much to enjoy with this book. The places, the little twists and turns, the word play are all near damn perfect. I was so stressed about the dog I kept flipping forward to make sure it was ok but I won't tell what happens with any of that.
I really hope in 40 years time (if we are still here) it is included in lists of classic dystopian fiction, because It really does deserve to be there.
