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stiltowl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I've struggled to read for years. I've reread The Secret History and Darnielle's Master Of Reality at some points but apart from those, I don't think I've read a new to me novel for about 9 years?
But I read this! I couldn't put it down sometimes! It's amazing! I'm going to have to sit with it some more as there's some things that happened towards the end which changed my perspective - but this is just fantastic. Wolf In White Van is one of my favourite novels of all time and this is nearly as good.
But I read this! I couldn't put it down sometimes! It's amazing! I'm going to have to sit with it some more as there's some things that happened towards the end which changed my perspective - but this is just fantastic. Wolf In White Van is one of my favourite novels of all time and this is nearly as good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse
haveagoodday's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s a mystery but also a critique on true crime, and about authorial responsibility and how we treat victims and perpetrators of crimes when we write about them, as well as the crimes themselves. If you don’t read or watch true crime usually, the critiques and self awareness might not shine through but it is still a very well written book. Very stylish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
There’s an in depth description of a (fictional) home invasion which might be uncomfortable to readsage_bee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Murder
raebeiss's review against another edition
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse and Sexual content
sourcherrysyrup's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A story about stories, abour urban myths, and abour the people behind them. Who gets the sympathy in a true story, who deserves it? Who decides?
This book kept changing, the back cover said it would but I didn’t realize to what extent. I love John Darnielle’s music and both his songwriting and prose has a haunting quality that is just itching to tell you about the deeper theme in the work. His care and his voice bleeds through all he does, resulting in a tense and fragile feeling. He is incredible at creating worlds, at drawing you into them, and snapping the strings that hold them up, dropping you into the void.
This book kept changing, the back cover said it would but I didn’t realize to what extent. I love John Darnielle’s music and both his songwriting and prose has a haunting quality that is just itching to tell you about the deeper theme in the work. His care and his voice bleeds through all he does, resulting in a tense and fragile feeling. He is incredible at creating worlds, at drawing you into them, and snapping the strings that hold them up, dropping you into the void.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
doctadri44's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
whofilets's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Read by the author, in a slow and detached voice. Jumps around with narrators and situations. I was invested though, and wanted to find out the mystery of the killer... In the end it was a total letdown. I would have been happier if it ended a couple chapters early and the main writer-character just had to wrestle with his actions after being called out by the victims family member, and never knowing who the 'real killer' was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Vomit
swivelhead's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
5.0
I LOVE this book! Most of the negative reviews for this seem to be from folks who were expecting a straight true crime story, which this book is not. This is more a meta-commentary about storytelling using the fictional investigation of a true crime author as the conceit to drive things forward.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Bullying
sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The idea is there, but the execution was lacking. I had really high hopes for this book, having loved the cover and enjoying a good mystery. That isn’t what this book is, though, and I would emphasize to anyone who wants to read it that I would hardly categorize it as crime either.
The book takes a long time to say what it wants to say. It takes WAY too long, like 350 pages too long. So much of the story is spent building up flat characters from an author whose characterization is also nonexistent. When it finally came to the plot twist, it just didn’t have much of an effect on me because there was nothing from the rest of the novel that I was truly holding on to.
I would like to think that maybe I am just so smart I saw Darnielle’s intention from the get go and that this was not a book directed toward me but I don’t think either of us should get too much credit. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.
The book takes a long time to say what it wants to say. It takes WAY too long, like 350 pages too long. So much of the story is spent building up flat characters from an author whose characterization is also nonexistent. When it finally came to the plot twist, it just didn’t have much of an effect on me because there was nothing from the rest of the novel that I was truly holding on to.
I would like to think that maybe I am just so smart I saw Darnielle’s intention from the get go and that this was not a book directed toward me but I don’t think either of us should get too much credit. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
directorpurry's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Murder