balthazarlawson's review against another edition
1.0
I wanted to enjoy this book but just couldn't get into it. There is a good story here, however, it is badly written and that is the biggest fault with this book. The writing style did not flow and was so badly structured as to be distracting.
This is a paragraph that just doesn't make sense and is just one of many through out the book. It makes the book seem more like a first novel from a new author.
Disappointed.
He threw open the front door as if he was about to confront a band of insurgents, as if something about the room might have shifted and given up evidence of Alex's intention in the few minutes he had been gone. His sister had to say his name several times in a row before he could feel his feet again.
This is a paragraph that just doesn't make sense and is just one of many through out the book. It makes the book seem more like a first novel from a new author.
Disappointed.
catladylover94's review
I must have liked it the first time cause I picked it up and read it a second, new cover but still a good mystery even if I knew who done it.
working_title's review
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ginger_curmudgeon's review
4.0
I've loved all of his books. I put down everything else I was reading when I got the Advanced Reader Copy so I could spend time with his characters again. It was definitely worth the wait because this book is as good as his others, though I am still partial to Density of Souls and Snow Garden.
claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, this book was fantastic.
It's very complex and with characters whose motivations are hard to grasp and yet that doesn't make it difficult to follow. The main idea seems simple, at first: John Houck wants to redeem what he sees as his worst mistake and to do that, he needs to face his former comrade and tell him why he was distracted that day.
But nothing goes the way he had expected and from then on the story pick-ups its pace and it becomes hard to stop.
The characters are really interesting, and when we finally have all the threads coming together there is a sense of real satisfaction from a tale very well told.
I'll be listening to another story by this author ASAP.
Oh, and I really liked Frederick Weller's narration.
It's very complex and with characters whose motivations are hard to grasp and yet that doesn't make it difficult to follow. The main idea seems simple, at first: John Houck wants to redeem what he sees as his worst mistake and to do that, he needs to face his former comrade and tell him why he was distracted that day.
But nothing goes the way he had expected and from then on the story pick-ups its pace and it becomes hard to stop.
The characters are really interesting, and when we finally have all the threads coming together there is a sense of real satisfaction from a tale very well told.
I'll be listening to another story by this author ASAP.
Oh, and I really liked Frederick Weller's narration.
kacyinthecosmos's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ryan_the_reader's review against another edition
4.0
A page turner for sure. Sometimes the action and choices seemed far fetched or super convenient... and I wasn't particularly wild about the resolution. But, I still thought it was a good story. And line by line, I liked the writing.
binx906's review against another edition
5.0
*4.5 Stars*
What I disliked:
*The homophobia in this book felt forced at times which was a bit disappointing to me. Given how well the other parts of the book flowed for me. I wish maybe he had taken a bit more time to work some of those moments out a little bit better.
What I liked:
*The pacing of the story worked well for me! Because of this the book became a quick read for me as I didn’t want to put it down!
*I enjoyed the entire cast of characters which is a rare thing for me. I felt like the each character had its place and they didn’t feel like any of them where to fill up some space on a page. Overall though John has to be my favorite character throughout the story.
*There is one scene towards the end of the book that caught me completely off guard and I wasn’t expecting it! Once you get to that point you’ll see what I mean!
It was a great read and I recommend picking it up!
What I disliked:
*The homophobia in this book felt forced at times which was a bit disappointing to me. Given how well the other parts of the book flowed for me. I wish maybe he had taken a bit more time to work some of those moments out a little bit better.
What I liked:
*The pacing of the story worked well for me! Because of this the book became a quick read for me as I didn’t want to put it down!
*I enjoyed the entire cast of characters which is a rare thing for me. I felt like the each character had its place and they didn’t feel like any of them where to fill up some space on a page. Overall though John has to be my favorite character throughout the story.
*There is one scene towards the end of the book that caught me completely off guard and I wasn’t expecting it! Once you get to that point you’ll see what I mean!
It was a great read and I recommend picking it up!
madredeleones's review
4.0
Great multi-dimensional characters and a satisfying but not drawn out ending. I'll have to check out some more of his books!
haldoor's review
4.0
All of Christopher Rice's books are worth a second look. I love the intricate way he weaves together a mystery and makes coincidences something more.