read_late's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
The story takes place in Missouri, something I was looking forward to since I haven't read many Missouri-based novels. It's written by an indigenous writer, who also served in the military, and it features some indigenous characters--one, a veteran.
Crota features a monster I enjoyed quite a bit. The creature falls somewhere in-between Jeff Long's monsters from the book The Descent, an HG Wells Morlock from The Time Machine, and the monster from the movie Jeepers Creepers (unlike Jeepers Creepers, the Crota doesn't drive).
The creature provides some nicely gruesome moments.
The partially underground setting offers some fun claustrophobic thrills.
The narrator didn't drone, provided ambience, and had good pacing.
Unfortunately, it was Goingback's treatment of female characters that gave me pause. With the exception of a dead grandmother (the reader encounters her only briefly), there are no strong female characters in this novel. Not only are the handful of named females cookie cutter, most aren't even given speaking roles beyond the most bland and monosyllabic of content. Females in this book are brainless, helpless, and unlikable. They're either sex objects or in need of comforting/protection with no character development or personality. They don't add to the plot. They exist for decorative purposes only.
Crota comes across as misogynistic, even for a 90's read.
Also, everyone in this book is *very* straight, something that came across as odd. Having come-to-age in the era the book was written, I can attest, personally, that the world was NOT that straight. Gay people 100% existed.
The only other major negative, was that there was also a great deal of cliche in terms of figurative language and action. Descriptions rarely offered anything fresh.
Finally, near the beginning, firearms were over-explained in a way that happens frequently in action books, but not as frequently in horror (readers who know firearms don't need an overabundance of detail... readers who don't know firearms are likely to not care about firearm details). In a print book, sections like that can be skipped, but in an audiobook there's no way around it, the reader just has to push through.
This book was originally published in 1996. While reading, I tried to give it some wiggle room, knowing it's almost 30 years old.
Age alone can't excuse the warts.
3 stars. Worth reading... but know what you're getting.
Crota features a monster I enjoyed quite a bit. The creature falls somewhere in-between Jeff Long's monsters from the book The Descent, an HG Wells Morlock from The Time Machine, and the monster from the movie Jeepers Creepers (unlike Jeepers Creepers, the Crota doesn't drive).
The creature provides some nicely gruesome moments.
The partially underground setting offers some fun claustrophobic thrills.
The narrator didn't drone, provided ambience, and had good pacing.
Unfortunately, it was Goingback's treatment of female characters that gave me pause. With the exception of a dead grandmother (the reader encounters her only briefly), there are no strong female characters in this novel. Not only are the handful of named females cookie cutter, most aren't even given speaking roles beyond the most bland and monosyllabic of content. Females in this book are brainless, helpless, and unlikable. They're either sex objects or in need of comforting/protection with no character development or personality. They don't add to the plot. They exist for decorative purposes only.
Crota comes across as misogynistic, even for a 90's read.
Also, everyone in this book is *very* straight, something that came across as odd. Having come-to-age in the era the book was written, I can attest, personally, that the world was NOT that straight. Gay people 100% existed.
The only other major negative, was that there was also a great deal of cliche in terms of figurative language and action. Descriptions rarely offered anything fresh.
Finally, near the beginning, firearms were over-explained in a way that happens frequently in action books, but not as frequently in horror (readers who know firearms don't need an overabundance of detail... readers who don't know firearms are likely to not care about firearm details). In a print book, sections like that can be skipped, but in an audiobook there's no way around it, the reader just has to push through.
This book was originally published in 1996. While reading, I tried to give it some wiggle room, knowing it's almost 30 years old.
Age alone can't excuse the warts.
3 stars. Worth reading... but know what you're getting.
syddnixx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hollsbooks78's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
clarke's review
4.0
Really interesting and suspenseful, with a lot of Native American culture in the second half. The first half was quite slow, and I think there were a few scenes or details that weren't needed and damaged the pacing, but overall I liked it.
sssmoser's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Owl Goingback
𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭: When an earthquake hits a small town in Missouri, it shakes loose a long-sealef cave and awakens an old monster.
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 320
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Horror
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: Yes
𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭: No, not even close
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝: contemporary
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
This was a really great monster novel. A small town sheriff struggles to uncover the mystery of a series of gruesome murders of both people and local farm animals. Meanwhile, the game warden/local Medicine Man realizes a mythical beast from the beginning of time may have just woken up and is both angry and hungry.
I really liked this one, but took off half a star because there is literally 1 woman in this whole book, and she's in maybe 3 scenes. I just feel he could've done a little better there. Otherwise, really entertaining though.
𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭: When an earthquake hits a small town in Missouri, it shakes loose a long-sealef cave and awakens an old monster.
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 320
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Horror
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: Yes
𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭: No, not even close
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝: contemporary
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
This was a really great monster novel. A small town sheriff struggles to uncover the mystery of a series of gruesome murders of both people and local farm animals. Meanwhile, the game warden/local Medicine Man realizes a mythical beast from the beginning of time may have just woken up and is both angry and hungry.
I really liked this one, but took off half a star because there is literally 1 woman in this whole book, and she's in maybe 3 scenes. I just feel he could've done a little better there. Otherwise, really entertaining though.
catsy2022's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
eclairedelune's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
claudyne's review
2.0
This book read like a B movie and I was fine with that. I hated the sexist language.
the_endless_void's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
3.0