drakaina16's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story of a man who commits suicide and wakes up in a world of his own creation, straight out of an unfinished book was a very intriguing premise. Metafiction can get messy quite quickly, but this was handled quite deftly and came to a satisfying conclusion. It's also very well written and the world building is fantastic. I'm looking forward to reading more titles by Matthew Tait.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicide attempt
camerontrost's review against another edition
4.0
I've been reading Matthew Tait's work for years now and haven't failed to notice the steady upward trend with regards to his ability to deftly fashion his prose. "Schizoid" is a particularly impressive accomplishment because the subject matter, plot, cultural references, and writing style accompany the reader through time. Tait offers us Victorian eloquence and a deeply disturbed protagonist, a combination which in places reminded me vaguely of "The Picture of Dorian Gray". At the same time, we are plunged into the nineteen-eighties and regaled with musical souvenirs and catchphrases from this decade. We are given an alternate reality in which Johnny Cash sings "Run on for a Long Time"... imagine! Above all, we are reminded that Matthew Tait is a great admirer of Clive Barker's tales, of horror that is by turns down-to-earth and gritty and fantastic and otherworldly, and to be honest, with "Schizoid", one can't help but feel that he is standing on the podium with this renowned writer.
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