xilaneda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
robotswithpersonality's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
Vengeance is never the answer. It doesn't change the past, and it twists those who would wield it.
I was prepared for creepy, but not for the sad! And I miss the quirky, it was in very spare supply here vs in the Welcome to Night Vale podcast where the titular character first appears.
As charmingly abstract as the Welcome to Night Vale podcast can be, I honestly underestimated how well the writers of said podcast could create a tightly knit plot. The moments of rare, poetic beauty were not a surprise.
I think it adds something to be familiar with that podcast but it's not necessary to follow the story.
Genrewise I'd say this is as much adventure/tragedy as paranormal horror.
I guessed parts of some twists, by not others, and it didn't hamper my enthrallment with how this origin story unfolded.
Aswcual character, Jewish character,
⚠️ antisemitism
I was prepared for creepy, but not for the sad! And I miss the quirky, it was in very spare supply here vs in the Welcome to Night Vale podcast where the titular character first appears.
As charmingly abstract as the Welcome to Night Vale podcast can be, I honestly underestimated how well the writers of said podcast could create a tightly knit plot. The moments of rare, poetic beauty were not a surprise.
I think it adds something to be familiar with that podcast but it's not necessary to follow the story.
Genrewise I'd say this is as much adventure/tragedy as paranormal horror.
I guessed parts of some twists, by not others, and it didn't hamper my enthrallment with how this origin story unfolded.
Aswcual character, Jewish character,
⚠️ antisemitism
madelaine__grace's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
namaenani's review against another edition
5.0
Lovely writing, a plot full of devastating twists and turns, and finally, an utterly terrifying resolution.
Side note: If you, like me, read the part in the thank you's at the end about the hidden pages, and feel a lumpy part inside the back cover, and think that is exactly something the creators of Night Vale would do. Do not cut open the back cover to get at the lumpy part. It is not secretly hidden pages. It is the thicker canvas part of the book binding.
Side note: If you, like me, read the part in the thank you's at the end about the hidden pages, and feel a lumpy part inside the back cover, and think that is exactly something the creators of Night Vale would do. Do not cut open the back cover to get at the lumpy part. It is not secretly hidden pages. It is the thicker canvas part of the book binding.
boggedmummy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
5.0
This was a fantastic book, and another reminder of why I keep coming back to Night Vale even after long stretches of time. It honestly felt like two different books that began converging, and I was so intrigued to see how the narrator would eventually become The Faceless Old Woman as I listened. I couldn’t have been more satisfied with how it resolved. I want to start listening back at the beginning of WTNV now that I have this better understanding of The Faceless Old Woman to see if I can find hints of her past peeking through.
chlorentine's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Going from the podcast to this novel, I couldn't help but feel let down by how conventional this novel was in every way. The fantastical elements were few and far between, and most of the book is a swashbuckling pirate story. The pirate angle was not uninteresting, but I didn't come to read about a normal human woman. That said, when the supernatural did come into play towards the end, everything clicked. I enjoyed it, but as with all lengthier Night Vale tales, it struggles in the middle act.
All in all, I think the book did not play to the writer's strengths until the very end. It left off on a haunting note, which is what they're good at, but my impression of the Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In My Home is that she's somehow less sympathetic now that I know her tragic back story (and, sorry all, but she makes so many mistakes in this book that she reads as a little pathetic at times). How ironic that the recent Night Vale arc is about how over-explaining supernatural phenomena robs them of their magic and renders them inert, when that is exactly what the WTNV writers have done to their own character.
All in all, I think the book did not play to the writer's strengths until the very end. It left off on a haunting note, which is what they're good at, but my impression of the Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In My Home is that she's somehow less sympathetic now that I know her tragic back story (and, sorry all, but she makes so many mistakes in this book that she reads as a little pathetic at times). How ironic that the recent Night Vale arc is about how over-explaining supernatural phenomena robs them of their magic and renders them inert, when that is exactly what the WTNV writers have done to their own character.
craftycarl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
alyanna77's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the origin story, but the explanation of her change & the connection to Night Vale fell flat for me. As a standalone story I'd give it 5 stars, but as the explanation for WTNV's Faceless Old Woman, it only deserves 3.
I actually think this book would be better if you read it with no knowledge of the podcast, and it doesn't have any spoilers that I noticed (outside of the faceless woman's existence, which isn't pivotal to anything before she's introduced anyway).
I actually think this book would be better if you read it with no knowledge of the podcast, and it doesn't have any spoilers that I noticed (outside of the faceless woman's existence, which isn't pivotal to anything before she's introduced anyway).
larrie_berrie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5