Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp

8 reviews

killmoore_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book was a blast to read. All the elements of a campy, modern day exorcism with a deplorable MC. Jack Sparks leaves you questioning reality, and in the final pages manages to close up gaping potholes that you barely noticed while reading, which left me wanting to punch Alistair in the face.

Would be 5 stars but good lort I needed closure on Corvi 😂

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

readerfromtheblacklagoon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Incest, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

anissawren's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Blood, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

keiraonyxraven's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Last Days Of Jack Sparks is a masterpiece of chaos, humour, suspense and plot twists. It follows our main character, Jack, on his research quest to observe (and disprove) a number of different supernatural phenomena. However, he might be in for more than he bargained for (to say the least!). 

This novel truly has everything, it is jam packed full of action, gore, mystery, humour, horror, trauma, and a rollercoaster of emotions. From cover to cover, never once did I find myself bored or find a lull in my interest for this book. 

Arnopp’s ability to portray the classic unreliable narrator in such a creative and unique fashion deserves unending applause and I honestly lost count of how many times throughout this novel where I audibly gasped at twists I never saw coming.

I’ve never read anything like The Last Days Of Jack Sparks and doubt I ever will again, it is so rare that you get a unique style, engrossing plot and flawless execution all in one book but Arnopp has achieved exactly that. This novel sits firmly in my top 5 favourite books and I will forever be recommending it to absolutely anyone with even the faintest interest in the supernatural.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

hocuscrocus's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

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

3.0

I'm struggling to review this book.
The first half was a cool take on exorcisms and laid some really interesting groundwork. The format had a fun found footage feel, all told by a jackass you love to hate. I cranked through that first half at light speed. 
Then came the second half. I don't mean to be harsh, but the story just fell apart. The groundwork that was so carefully laid in the first half is turned into ridiculous scenario after ridiculous scenario (and I normally love a good ridiculous scenario!).
In short, it was like reading two separate books and I greatly preferred the first one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol

Moderate: Fatphobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual violence

spooderman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Car accident

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment

quakinginmybooks's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

I don’t want to spoil the ending, but this book has one of the tropes I hate:

time travel

. There’s very few times that trope is done well. This book does it okay, but rather ruined what was an enjoyable listen.

The main character is an unlikeable, arrogant ass, which sets himself up for quite the fall. And fall he does, this book is a question of how not if. While there were points I had sympathy for him and wanted him to better himself, most of the book, I cheered for the supernatural to get him. Which might have been the point of the way he’s portrayed.

Overall, it was fun and spooky but ultimate something I won’t touch again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing

anxiousbookclub's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis