Kyle
Something about this one just did not work for me. I flew through it, but did not connect to a single character, found the “twist” just kind of strange - mainly because I didn't feel any connection to the main character - and ultimately found myself not really caring all that much where the story went.
Disappointing, but am interested in reading more from the author, as Knock at the Cabin does intrigue me. I think this premise just was not fully fleshed out or utilized to its full potential.
A really interesting book with a distinct voice and a lot to say, but I'm not sure there was enough in this premise to warrant the length.
It's not a particularly lengthy novel to begin with (although I'd say the text size does make it deceptively shorter), but it does begin to feel repetitive towards the middle sections of the novel. This becomes apparent with how often we are given the same themes and lessons over and over again, whether through example or monologue.
That doesn't mean a lot of the points and observations are uninteresting, but it did create a reading experience that made this feel like a novella may have sufficed.
Rachel Yoder creates a really immersive third person narration that experiments a lot with structure and style, which mostly lands for me. I don't know exactly how to feel about the lack of quotation marks (this is always a creative choice I question- Cormac McCarthy's reasoning stands out as a pretty terrible explanation), but it does remain fairly easy to follow.
The mother/Nightbitch is provided a lot of interiority, but many of the other characters do feel a bit lifeless and one-note. Some are given more of a chance for nuance towards the end, but this is a novel that rests solely on your interest in reading from our main character's perspective. It's loose in plot and focuses on day-to-day struggles and how they are indicative of societal attitudes towards women, motherhood, and the intersecting value of those things.
I would definitely be interested in more books by Yoder, but maybe not a must-read. I'd probably struggle to recommending this to the right person that this will work for, but I highly encourage anyone who finds the premise interesting to give it a try. Very curious how the adaptation will work.
I was really unsure about this one when I first started, but I found myself totally pulled in by Part II. This was surprisingly clever in the execution of the twists and I don't think I properly predicted a single one.
It even had a satisfying narrative arc, and although the prose sometimes left me a little confused at moments, I would definitely pick up another book by this author. It's not a perfect book, but definitely what I needed to read at this time.
I think this book is incredibly ambitious, which I appreciate, but often feels weighed down by that very same ambition.
There's really no justification for this book to be as long as it is while still having characters (namely Stan), who feel so thinly sketched out despite being a part of the core ensemble. This could have easily been solved by cutting down on repetition (whether an intentional literary device or not, I'm not sure I've read a book quite this repetitive before). There is also a degree of the unrealistic depictions of children and how they talk/interact (to me personally), that can mainly be excused away with the fairytale-esque nature the book has. A part of me is also curious to know what It looks like if the narrative was centered more around Mike than Bill, as the Derry Interludes had the parts of the book that felt the most profound and hit the hardest emotionally.
There's also of course parts of the book that have just aged like spoiled milk- I actually was surprised at how long THAT scene was, I had assumed it was a brief scene that isn't gone into with much detail but its reputation precedes itself. And the narrative explanation for why it's necessary is very thin and kind of ridiculous, making it all the more uncomfortable to read. The rest was fairly standard for some of the older King novels that I've read, which were obviously written 40-50 years ago; in this novel it felt particularly excessive, but that can also be attributed to length as well.
The story is incredibly imaginative and epic in scope, and does truly feel like a landmark in genre, with some really hard-hitting emotional beats and some truly scary sequences (all rooted in reality, never directly involving It). I feel like I've spent more time critiquing what I didn't care for, but I'm settling on a 4-star rating for a reason, because I truly enjoyed and am glad I finally read this book.
1.5 stars
I just did not find this at the same level of quality of Tender Is the Flesh. I'm not sure if some of it may have been a translation issue, but the writing in particular was one of my biggest complaints across many of the stories.
A lot of them just came across as very half-baked and lacking in any real substance, no true sense of creepiness or dread. There are a few, mainly in the front half of the collection, that do work, but almost none I'd describe as a real home run.
It's a real disappointment, and I'm hoping it's just that these are such short stories and not indicative of future quality from Bazterrica's works, as I'd like to continue reading them.
I felt very conflicted about what rating to give this book for the first 80% of it. I think that this one ultimately suffered under the weight of my own expectations, but I struggled to see the bigger picture and where this one was ultimately going.
I'll admit that I didn't find myself scared of this one like I'd hoped, but I don't think that reflected too strongly in my rating. There are absolutely some eerie sequences, particularly towards the end, but overall I felt like the promise of scares to come didn't end up paying off for me.
I did quite some the last 20% and think it was a worthwhile read overall, and perfect for October, and I actually felt perfectly satisfied by the ending, which I think is an unpopular opinion as of now. I'm pretty sure I have quite a bit of the plot figured out and didn't have many lingering questions given my own personal theories. The book is still wide open for interpretation and I'm not certain my own theories answer all the possible questions others may have, but it was enough for me to close the book satisfied with what I was given.
A promising beginning, a muddled middle, and a strong ending. Something about the middle of the book just was not clicking for me and those mixed feelings prevent me from being willing to give this a higher rating at this time. Perhaps if I re-read it I may feel differently knowing the plot direction, but 3 stars is going to have to be where it sits for now.
This was already pretty bad, but that final shoehorned plot twist was just so insultingly stupid that I couldn't give my standard 2 stars for compulsive readability.
Aside from that final twist, this is probably her most predictable/straightforward novel.
If you've enjoyed other books by McFadden, you'll probably still enjoy, but maybe slightly less than her others- it is far too long for a pretty thin plot that doesn't get going until far along into it.
I actually didn't mind some of the weirdest parts of the book that others haven't cared for (I won't mention as I feel they're massive spoilers). The final twist in the last couple of chapters was just a bit too much for me.
The major twist regarding one specific point towards the end actually caught me by surprise, but I'd need to really think if it holds up to scrutiny or not, especially since it's a main driver in Casey's actions.
I feel like this is a weaker The Girl on the Train, but I'd consider giving another Riley Sager book a try because there were elements of this one I liked.
A really bizarre dystopian/horror slice-of-life.
The story is meandering, and some of the writing is repetitive, but it is one of the books that has burrowed itself into my head in a really comfortable way more than maybe any other this year.
I just wish there'd been one more chapter after the ending.
Definitely check your content warnings for any of the things you can imagine from a book with this premise, as it's bleak and unforgiving.
This book was kind of a mess and clearly this was just a series concept that couldn't sustain itself longer than two books.
In a lot of ways it hardly even feels related to the first two, outside of the returning characters. Gave it an extra star for the usual readability of Freida McFadden's books, but can't find much to justify any higher of a rating.
3.5 stars
This is a really sad, sucker punch of a book. It disturbed me just as much as it depressed me.
I think the story felt a little too much like telling over showing in parts, but it's still a very devastating story.
I hated the last chapter before the epilogue, however. I'm surprised I haven't seen more complaints about that in reviews of I've seen/read of this book. It was a possibility that had crossed my mind, but I hated the execution of it.
2.5 stars
This wasn't bad, but I had higher expectations. I think my major issues are the conclusion (so many frustrating choices that don't feel remotely realistic and feel designed to add tension to the story- but in such an unbelievable way); the chopping writing style (lack of sentence variation really stood out); and some of the extra POV chapters that don't feel like they add much to the story from Emily and Cecilia.
I appreciate the opportunity I had to read an e-ARC of this novel provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have been a fan of a handful of Tarryn Fisher novels before. Even when not the best, I always was entertained and enjoyed them.
This book is a mess. The story is dull and nonexistent until the last 20%, the plot twists nonsensical, the characters all mostly one-note and unmemorable.
Huge swaths of this story feel so half-baked and jerky that I questioned at times if the book was actually complete. I did use my Spotify subscription to finish out the last 20% of the novel at well over 2x speed, and my e-ARC matched the final copy. This book almost certainly needed at least one more round of a developmental edit.
It was a struggle to push myself through this one. Some of the early chapters in the past kept things somewhat interesting but quickly fizzled out. The resolution we wait for comes so quickly at the end that it's completely numb and unsatisfying.
I genuinely can't identify a single thing I enjoyed about this one, which is a real shame. I likely would have DNF'd this around the 30% mark had I not been provided a copy for review.
I love a book that has something worthwhile and interesting to say but is still a wild, fun ride.
I'm not sure what exactly I expected when I started this, but I was shocked by how hard this book was to put down.
The satire is a little heavy handed, but still smart and funny in the most morbid way possible. I haven't read anything by R.F. Kuang before, but I'd definitely read another book in the same style.
As many moments as I found myself laughing at her sheer audacity, I also found myself profoundly sad reading about how pathetic June progressed to become. Kuang did an incredible job putting us inside her head and describing the toxic mindset of remaining in the industry.
There's no question that June is one villain in this story, but there's so many more to sit right alongside her that would also never admit it.
Damn. I expected to like this one, started it, was enjoying it (just not quite as much as I hoped), and then that ending...
I have a lot to mull over with this one. I'm not the least bit surprised with the mixed reviews, this is not one to read if you need a redeemable main character.
Sinister vibes all around.