Reviews

Blacklands by Belinda Bauer

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This is the closest to a Ramsey Campbell book I've read by somebody who isn't Ramsey Campbell. Belinda Bauer's prose style isn't similar to Campbell's but the thought processes of the characters are highly reminiscent, especially the petty cruelties. I found it engrossing and often suspenseful, but there were too many plot contrivances to call it a complete success. I'm very interested in reading her subsequent books.

lisam0183_bookworm's review

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4.0

Steven is digging his way through Exmoor looking for a body, which he hopes will solve all his families issues. Avery is in prison and looking for a way out.

Avery receives a letter from Steven and so, ensues a game of cat and mouse. I enjoyed this and became engaged with the story and characters pretty early on. Towards the end I actually got scared for Steven and the thought that he would be very badly harmed.

This goes to show how manipulative people can be to get what they want and how innocent people can get sucked into things.

bunnieslikediamonds's review

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1.0

Twelve year old Billy's uncle was murdered as a child. His grandma treats him horribly, his mom treats him even worse. He's bullied at school and his best friend doesn't want to hang out with him anymore, Billy's favorite pasttime being looking for his uncle's corpse on the moor. So, wanting to cheer everyone up, Billy takes up a correspondence with his uncle's murderer, who is in prison. You know, to get some help finding the body. The killer/child molester Avery is delighted, and we're treated to nostalgic reminiscences of his most gruesome killings and rapes. I did not enjoy it.

kandicez's review

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4.0

This is the story of a young boy, Steven, trying to "fix" his broken family. His mother and grandmother have never gotten past the rape and murder of his uncle because his body has never been found. His murderer is in prison and Steven begins a game of cat and mouse with him trying to ferret out the location of the body. He doesn't understand the danger this poses, he simply wants his mum and nan to be able to move on. He thinks if he can just find the body they will finally begin to heal.

I love when an author can really get inside the head of youth. Steven's sad story was told in genius strokes. Bauer's style reminded me a bit of [a:John Ajvide Lindqvist|479779|John Ajvide Lindqvist|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1230566222p2/479779.jpg] in [b:Let the Right One In|943402|Let the Right One In|John Ajvide Lindqvist|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327893384s/943402.jpg|928338]. Steven has almost no friends, his family is no help and he is bullied in a way that seems almost incomprehensible to an adult as they read. We know things like this this happen everyday, but it hurts to see them in black and white. It hurts even more when the adults in the story are unaware, or worse yet, are and do nothing.

Steven's letters to pedophile Avery excite him in ways beyond comprehension. Bauer doesn't go into graphic detail, but like Bruce the shark in Spielberg's version of [b:Jaws|126232|Jaws|Peter Benchley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327958767s/126232.jpg|2318370], she writes enough that our imaginations fill in the nasty blanks. Avery is truly despicable. I actually shuddered at times when reading from his POV. The longer he and Steven correspond, the more Avery wants what he should not have. He leads poor Steven on, dangling hope in front of him. Sick bastard.

The conclusion felt a bit rushed and coincidental, but was still satisfying. I will be looking for more from Belinda Bauer.

yoneb_26's review

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4.0

Not easy to read a book about a child murderer but despite the subject matter, I really enjoyed the style of writing in this book.

stineym's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

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

2.0

erika_berglund's review against another edition

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1.0

Den här boken är mörk, så pass mörk att jag funderade på att sluta läsa. Det är svårt att läsa om barnen som far illa. Efter att ha funderat på om jag skulle lägga bort den så bestämde jag mig för att fortsätta med förhoppningen om att monstret skulle få sitt straff.
Utöver den hemska handlingen så är boken lättläst, det gick snabbt att komma fram till slutet. .