curlymango's review against another edition
2.5
Getting to the acknowledgements page, I was surprised to see Darnielle describing this story as “largely about mothers.” There are mothers in the book, but it felt to me more focused on people left behind by their mothers (mothers who are all more or less ghosts with minimal exploration of their characters), or at least about how they grieve. So, featuring mothers but not really about them. Maybe I just didn’t understand. It felt aimless, confusing, and needlessly wordy starting with part 2 and like there was so much unfulfilled potential to explore loss and memory further. I feel as though Darnielle tried to embody the characters’ lack of closure with the mess of loose ends at the end of the novel, but that seems lazy to me.
kieserachel's review against another edition
1.0
The premise is intriguing in the beginning, but really is not interesting as the book continues. It was also very difficult to follow along since viewpoints would switch back and forth between characters in conversation with little explanation. The chapters also drastically change viewpoints to completely new characters which is only understood after several pages.
Seemed like the author tried a bit too hard to create a book that was confusing to follow and had a boring overall plot.
Seemed like the author tried a bit too hard to create a book that was confusing to follow and had a boring overall plot.
katfrenn_reads's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Enjoyable read, but not outstanding
citizenskein's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
applesodaperson's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This book started so strong, with super interesting characters and an atmospheric small town setting. But then out of nowhere, instead of sticking with the characters it’s spent the whole time building up, it just randomly time skips and switches to new characters we haven’t seen and then we never see the og characters again really. This really took me out of the story, and made me way less interested. As for the mystery of the whole book, which was the video tapes, it was seriously explained in the most confusing way, and I still don’t even really understand what happened. I don’t get why they didn’t stick with jeremy’s POV and have him continue to figure out the mystery. Because also we didn’t get to see any more of his relationship with his father or the other people investigating the mystery. I also found the whole thing about Sarah Lee moving in with Lisa really confusing. Basically, I just don’t understand why the book was written in the way it was, because all the choices made things more confusing and less compelling.
I would have so much rather had a story with just one character and through line.
Read from the Provo library.
I would have so much rather had a story with just one character and through line.
Read from the Provo library.
sauriansouls's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rep2342's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
steve_sanders's review against another edition
4.0
Imagine Alice Munro writing The Ring or Paranormal Activity and you’ll have some idea of the territory Darnielle maps out here, though that description doesn’t fully do justice to the originality of his vision. The story has loose ends and Darnielle’s/the narrator’s insertions come to feel a bit overbearing, but the writing (his prose’s combination of specificity and restraint are reminiscent of his song lyrics) kept the material engaging throughout.