Reviews

30%: Puh. This one is a hard read for me. I definitely wouldn’t have picked it up if it wasn’t a part of Different Seasons which I’m currently reading.

I’m not fond of reading about Animal Abuse — usually a reason for me to DNF if it gets too explicit. I’m also not a fan of using Nazis and the Holocaust as a gimmick. Always seems to trivialise it to an extent, no matter how explicit the horrors.

75.0%: This short novel —which is not that short, after all, it seems — drags on much too long for my taste. It meanders, and the point it continues to try to make has been made about 150 pages ago.

Yes, the protagonists are horrible.
They deserve everything they get and more.

The backstory reminds me of Der Verdacht in a way, which is done better, imo.

90.0%: While I’m still not fond of this story, I have to admit that them getting what they deserve feels incredibly satisfying.
Even though D would have deserved to face justice.

Finished: Overall a disappointing read for the reasons mentioned above. I‘m debating if I should provide a better argument for why I didn‘t like this story, but, in all honesty, it seems like it‘s not worth the effort. The emotional catharsis I had hoped for, wishing the protagonists would get their comeuppance in a satisfying manner was ultimately disappointed too.

sueread2030's review

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If you are familiar with Stephen King, then you probably know his doctrine on "the influence of OTHER"
King believes that outer circumstances have a deep sway on how a human turns out to be. That a person is neither good nor bad, but a culmination of outside effects turn one into Good or Evil.

He has written such characters many times
But in my humble opinion, none is as chilling example as Todd Bowen

Todd Bowden, the central character of "Apt Pupil," is a scary portrayal of a young sociopath's descent into darkness.
Initially presented as an all-American boy, with his white skin and blond hair, Todd's true nature is gradually revealed as he becomes obsessed with the atrocities of the Holocaust. His encounter with Arthur Denker, a Nazi war criminal in hiding, ignites a perverse mentorship, with Todd forcing Denker to recount his horrific past.
Todd and Denker become the notion of the Arian Race.

This relationship corrupts Todd, leading him to commit heinous acts, reflecting his inner depravity. Todd's character is a study in the banality of evil, showing how a seemingly normal teenager can harbor a monstrous identity beneath a veneer of innocence.

Todd's journey is not just a personal descent but a broader commentary on the seductive nature of power and the ease with which one can be swayed by it, especially when hidden under the guise of curiosity and knowledge-seeking.

What would have happened if Todd hadn't met Denker? would he still continued on this path?

2lax_cooper's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m pretty sure Ellis took this as his starting point for Bateman in Psycho.

lysha90's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

goodvibeswife2016's review

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1.0

Immensely disturbing. I'm a huge King fan and read his books constantly. In fact, this is my fourth book this year. This is the first story, and thank God it was a short one, that bothered me to the core. Had it not been for my stubbornness and refusal to give up on anything once I start it, much less a book, I would have put the book down and never lifted another page. It pains me to give only 1 star to my favorite author. I've tried seeing how this was a good story, aside from the atrocious acts committed throughout the story, and blindness overwhelms me. I'm very glad to be done with this story, now on to the next.

jamieped's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

wavymave's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5. this was honestly just so absurd

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