Adam SP
Gritty, dark, compelling, and utterly confronting!
This novel is sensational. The way the story is progressed is an absolute masterclass in managing perspectives, and the story flowed so well.
The themes are truly confronting, but told in such a beautiful and respectful way.
The twists are twisty, the plot deep and enthralling, and I just couldn't put it down from the first chapter.
Well done on an exceptional debut novel, Hayley!
So very, very Hawkins!
Paula is able to write in such a way that it burrows into your psyche. Like an ink blot test, Paula is able to find parts of you and bring them forward as part of the story, so that your own scruples and unacknowledged anxieties become part of the story.
YOU progress the plot just by letting Paula's dark and thrilling narration unfold, and take root.
Incredible story, beautifully thrilling and petrifying plot and character developments, and what an ending.
Beautiful, gut and heart wrenchingly beautiful.
Katrina is a sensational author, who writes in a way that is approachable to younger minds, but still complex for the advanced/mature reader.
The characters are incredibly well written, with phenomenal growth and development.
The story is painfully hard at times, but so essential. With the rise of neo Nazism, we must remember how devistatingly evil that ideology is.
Thank you Katrina, for a most deep, heart and gut wrenchingly beautiful story of hope and love.
2.38/5.
Honestly, this book frustrated the hell out of me. The characters are impulsive and often unlike-able, the story is choppy and at times disjointed. There are at least three moments where what is said at the start of the page is contradicted later on the same page!
However, it's an absolute pageturner, and I had to keep reading.
It's possibly just a story and writing style that doesn't suit me, hence why I feel so frustrated, and rated it low.
It's definately in part the stupidity and brashness of the characters that gets under my skin. Aspects of the plot are given too much focus where they're just not that essential, and detract from other more key plot devices.
If it was a movie, I'd have been yelling at the screen.
Good book, good suspense and thriller novel.
As a story, it's a solid 4.5/5. Dave is a captivating author, with a vividity and excitement that is missing in a lot of autobiographies.
Unfortunately, at times, Dave gets too enraptured in his own words and gets a bit repetitive; this is one of the reasons for dropping the score a bit.
There's also a lot of jumping about through the past, which was amazing, but at times there is no "landmark" as to where in time we are.
But, what drags it down a bit, is Dave's lack of accountability with his infidelity. He cries out his absolute devotion to his daughters, his wife, and his mum, but never acknowledges his own contradictions. That missing accountability is what brought my rating down.
All in all, thoroughly enjoyable read for anyone who's even only heard one of the many songs Grohl has been a party to.
He's certainly a Storyteller!
2.25, rounded up to 2.5.
I think, for me, this may just not be my style of story. I found the first ~60% a challenge to get through, with the characters and story rudimentary and frustrating. The last 40% really picked up, though.
It has mystery, twists, turns, and a good amount of action.
The writing style very much fits with New Adult, as it does appear to be more approachable to a wider audience.
2.7/5, rounded down.
One of the reviews stated that it gets more and more unsettling as you turn the page, and that it's a slow burn. Both of these are true.
The pace is excellent. It is intriguing, thrilling, and devious.
But, the characters are unrefined, and the plot has been eaten by a few moths. There's some really, truly dumb decisions made by the characters, and some truly absurd omissions.
If you like thriller/suspense, you will enjoy this read. It's not the best read, but it was still a ride, and I enjoyed it.
Brilliant. Utterly brilliant.
The story is compelling, engrossing, and damned amusing. There is a beautiful balance of mind games, calls to action, and character development.
The half-star taken away was due to the clipped nature of some of the plot points, which could have done with a little more thought and expansion.
But overall, this was a sensational read.
2.75/5, rounded up. If you're after suspense, intrigue, and a page turning plot, this is a good one.
However, the main character is a frightfully frustrating, arrogant, entitled, turd of a person, and that was a bit of a detractor.
Other characters are just as grating.
Glad to have read it, but it won't be on my "read again" list.
Brilliant. Disturbing. Gut wrenchingly addictive.
There is a frustrating realness to the characters of this book, and that's so refreshing. It's a good frustration.
The suspense is so addictive and consuming. The pace of the sorry is varied, but very balanced, with no jarring. Your head will spin, but no muscles will be pulled.
4.35/5, glad to have read it.
So, this is more a suspenseful (light) romance novel, but incredibly well written.
Hilary has an incredible writing style, which makes it incredibly easy to get lost in the vividity of the scene, and at no point is it laborious.
The characters are complicated, detailed, and all with both faults, and incredible qualities.
Glad to have read this one, even if it is outside the norm for my preferences.
Absolutely fascinating story. The author's ability to inject such emotion and awareness into the characters, especially in the format, is fascinating.
The story unfolds as if you're reviewing transcripts from interviews; in some ways not too dissimilar to Bram Stoker's Dracula (a story told through journal entries).
For me, there are way too many unanswered questions, and my imagination is going too wild, which is why I've limited by review to 3/5. For others, this could easily be a 5/5.
Fantastic story, glad to have read it.
This is just pure James S.A. Corey. Brilliant, powerful, deep, confusing, and just perfection.
All I can really say is that if you enjoyed The Expanse, you will thoroughly enjoy this.
There are some really frustrating character traits, and that may feel like a drag at first, but it's all for a reason, and when you come out the other side, it all makes sense, and makes the story so much more rich.
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
This was a fascinating read. It features a story, that then has a story being written by the same author within.
There are many time jumps, which can leave you wanting for some better structure and stability, as at times it can be drastic and uncomfortable.
There are also [many] moments where it feels like it's about to climax, for the big reveal, and then it continues on. Like one of those movies that just keeps on going.
I'm glad to have read it.