Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Family Business by Jonathan Sims

5 reviews

decafdirtychai's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

Ending is a little abrupt and kind of simple? Good creepiness though. I was a bit spooked in the middle!
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bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

“We do not disappear after death. Small pieces of our being can remain, persisting in those places that were once so meaningful to us. These traces can be found where we lived or loved or worked, and will linger especially where we died. They stand as a testament to a life; stubborn reminders that call out to those who know how to spot them and scream I was here! I will not be forgotten!” 

➽ Family Business is another fantastic novel by Jonathan Sims! Ever since listening to The Magnus Archives I've loved how he writes Horror. Unlike Thirteen Storeys, his newest book focuses on only one perspective. We follow Diya, who recently lost her best friend Angie and is now working for Slough & Sons, a company that cleans up after the dead. She's still grieving and feeling detached from everyone else. The job is demanding and grim, but at least it's something completely different from her office job. However, as times goes on, weird incidents keep happening and Diya begins to see visions of the deceased. Something is off with Slough & Sons and she has to find out why before things get worse!

➽ I felt for Diya's situation. The story is a bit more of a slow-burn, but it helped to be in Diya's perspective since she felt so realistic. Grief is a big theme of the book and Diya still mourns her best friend. Now living alone, she can't help but feel isolated as everyone around her moves on. She's like a different person now and struggles to connect to her family and old friends. Her coworkers are the only steady contact she has left and even they seem to be hiding something from her. I loved how the story touched upon the fact that the loss of a close friend isn't seen as drastic as the loss of a parent or spouse. But Angie was Diya's closest confidante and meant the world to her! Grieving friends should be met with the same sympathy even though society continues to prioritize romantic relationships.

➽ The Slough's cleanup business perfectly connected with the discussion of what we leave behind after death. Some of the deceased had no one or were outcasts from society. There is no one to mourn them and Diya is tasked with cleaning up their few remains. I appreciated the discussion about how those on the fringes of society are forgotten and how those in power want them to disappear, both in life and death. Diya only gets her visions when it comes to the marginalized and abandoned, as it seems someone doesn't deem them important enough and soon she keeps forgetting their names. The theme of who gets remembered and who gets to leave a legacy was so well done. It tied into the secret behind the Slough's business and how we treat the ones who we deem 'less worthy' in society. 
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iamastraythought's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Mr. Sims you have done it again. Diverse in that way that isn't really mentioned, horrifying in both a soul crushing and mundane way. 
this book is like the lonely on steroids. Of course it's a separate media, but all the same.
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ratgerry's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Jonathan Sims does it again, demonstrating his skill in crafting a mystery that gradually comes together, sharpens, and builds towards an exhilaratingly horrifying finale. Beyond that, I never expected a horror novel to inspire me to seek out community and connect more closely with the people around me, but this one did it. 
My only point of critique is that
Mr Bill's Memory Prisons at the end
felt a little underexplored and like a slightly rushed addition for Plot Convenience, but not enough to break my suspension of disbelief.
All in all a ride that I could hardly put down!
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fraeyalise's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I want to like this book so much more because I like the author, but this book has some of the same problems as Thirteen Storeys. The characters felt one dimensional to me, except Diya. I could see where the book was going, and the reveals felt flat as a result. There seemed to be an underlying message about those who fall through the cracks in society but it wasn't quite fleshed out, and felt half-baked. The story and writing is a bit clunky at times. 

Positives: some of the imagery is really creepy, and some of the descriptions are really well done. It has a neat premise. The cat doesn't die. 
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