annarella's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating, atmospheric and enthralling book that keeps you hooked til the last page.
I loved this dystopian novel, well written and full of well developed and interesting characters.
There is a lot of darkness but there's also hope.
The ending is open and I hope this is going to be a series with further instalment.
Recommended!
Many thanks to John Hunt Publishing Ltd and Netgalley for this ARC
I loved this dystopian novel, well written and full of well developed and interesting characters.
There is a lot of darkness but there's also hope.
The ending is open and I hope this is going to be a series with further instalment.
Recommended!
Many thanks to John Hunt Publishing Ltd and Netgalley for this ARC
jasonswrench's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, so I enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book. I enjoyed the premise of a small group of people coming together to make do in a world that went made because of technology.
However, the ending was abrupt and at times nonsensical. For example, we are led to believe that a girl and guy will fall in love and the son will help kill his father all in the matter of a few short hours?! This part of the book really lacked the storytelling that the rest of the book had. There was little development and it just seemed not to fit with the rest of the books
However, the ending was abrupt and at times nonsensical. For example, we are led to believe that a girl and guy will fall in love and the son will help kill his father all in the matter of a few short hours?! This part of the book really lacked the storytelling that the rest of the book had. There was little development and it just seemed not to fit with the rest of the books
readwithblue's review against another edition
3.0
Wasn't the worst, wasn't the best. There were a few things I didn't like - the first paragraph of the second section felt really awkwardly phrased; I didn't like the main character, at all, he was too self-important; third was the pacing, the ending in particular happened within a handful of pages whilst other bits were dragged out.
On a more positive note, the other characters were decent and the majority was interesting and at times a page-turner.
On a more positive note, the other characters were decent and the majority was interesting and at times a page-turner.
annarella's review
4.0
A fascinating, atmospheric and enthralling book that keeps you hooked til the last page.
I loved this dystopian novel, well written and full of well developed and interesting characters.
There is a lot of darkness but there's also hope.
The ending is open and I hope this is going to be a series with further instalment.
Recommended!
Many thanks to John Hunt Publishing Ltd and Netgalley for this ARC
I loved this dystopian novel, well written and full of well developed and interesting characters.
There is a lot of darkness but there's also hope.
The ending is open and I hope this is going to be a series with further instalment.
Recommended!
Many thanks to John Hunt Publishing Ltd and Netgalley for this ARC
nietzschesghost's review
4.0
The Malaise, David Turton's full-length debut novel, is part techno-thriller, part post-apocalyptic horror story and is all too real. I found that once I began reading I had major trouble putting it down and so devoured it in one excitement filled sitting. It's a chilling tale which is more than a little disturbing, and the author used the ubiquity of technology to masterfully craft a truly thrilling story. However, I didn't feel that the writing style suited me too well as it was over simplistic, but testament to the strength of the concept, I still found the book completely captivating.
I was also not particularly enamoured with the conclusion as it felt rushed and disappointing as opposed to the rest of the book. There were some events that came off as contrived and a little too convenient. It's an easy, quick and entertaining read, but if you're looking for a well-built world this may not be for you as there is a lack of attention paid to that very important aspect. That said, it is clear the author is talented as the atmosphere he creates is wonderful and very dark. The cliffhanger ending implies that there will be a sequel, so I hope we get more intricate details of the world and characters when that follow-up is released.
Many thanks to Cosmic Egg Books for an ARC.
I was also not particularly enamoured with the conclusion as it felt rushed and disappointing as opposed to the rest of the book. There were some events that came off as contrived and a little too convenient. It's an easy, quick and entertaining read, but if you're looking for a well-built world this may not be for you as there is a lack of attention paid to that very important aspect. That said, it is clear the author is talented as the atmosphere he creates is wonderful and very dark. The cliffhanger ending implies that there will be a sequel, so I hope we get more intricate details of the world and characters when that follow-up is released.
Many thanks to Cosmic Egg Books for an ARC.
swiff's review
3.0
2.75 / 5 Stars
Full RTC, but basic premise is that it’s the near future, and the world’s tech is run by one man. Then this tech is used to have all of mankind wipe itself out, with barely a few survivors left to inherit a world where all tech has now been turned off.
Feels like a Black Mirror ep that didn’t get past the cutting room floor, with some later-stage Walking Dead elements thrown in.
Tech is bad, getting back to nature is good, and people will always be both good and evil. Ehhh. The messages are fine, but it’s nothing we haven’t considered before. Nothing really new here to get excited about.
The cover seems to want it push it as a horror novel, and that’s what initially attracted me to it, but it’s more of an apocalyptic story with lots of gory descriptions of death. Gore is fine, but it’s not scary. Too much gore without anything truly terrifying behind its use feels a bit lazy.
The book is fine, there’s nothing much wrong with it - it’s competently written and concise - but there were more than a couple of instances where the thing everyone is looking for just happens to be the first thing they find. Convenient for storytelling purposes, but not for immersive purposes. Also, not a ton of new ideas here, but people new to the genre might enjoy it more than I did.
Full RTC, but basic premise is that it’s the near future, and the world’s tech is run by one man. Then this tech is used to have all of mankind wipe itself out, with barely a few survivors left to inherit a world where all tech has now been turned off.
Feels like a Black Mirror ep that didn’t get past the cutting room floor, with some later-stage Walking Dead elements thrown in.
Tech is bad, getting back to nature is good, and people will always be both good and evil. Ehhh. The messages are fine, but it’s nothing we haven’t considered before. Nothing really new here to get excited about.
The cover seems to want it push it as a horror novel, and that’s what initially attracted me to it, but it’s more of an apocalyptic story with lots of gory descriptions of death. Gore is fine, but it’s not scary. Too much gore without anything truly terrifying behind its use feels a bit lazy.
The book is fine, there’s nothing much wrong with it - it’s competently written and concise - but there were more than a couple of instances where the thing everyone is looking for just happens to be the first thing they find. Convenient for storytelling purposes, but not for immersive purposes. Also, not a ton of new ideas here, but people new to the genre might enjoy it more than I did.
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