siobhan27's review against another edition
3.0
First of all I would like to thank Simon Pulse for allowing me to review this book for this blog tour. Having said that, I will say that this book was creepy from the moment I started reading it. Carly has a way of writing a character so well that you cannot stop reading. Sophie was damaged, broken and afraid. The voices in her head made Sophie that much more interesting because she was unreliable. Throughout the entire book you never knew if she was insane or if the voices in her head were something more.
From the very beginning I felt the strong bond between Sophie and her sister Nell. Although Nell is not physically present in the story, she still has a very large role in Sophies sanity. I loved the journal entries that Sophie read throughout the book, I thought they brought out a different side of the narrative and showed us who Nell really was when she was alive. And as the story progressed you saw how similar Sophie became to her sister, and you saw how that was terrifying to Sophie.
The end was an issue for me, only because I wanted more explanation as to the murmurings themselves and the Taker that Sophie sees every time she looks in the mirror. The Taker character was something I was very weary of, only because it wast fully explained. That lead to some questions near the end when everything combusts' into a horrifying scene.
Overall I really enjoyed this thrilling read. The characters, whether main or secondary had a part in advancing the plot and had a purpose. The writing style was simple yet all encompassing. It draws you in from the very beginning and doesn't let you go until the end. The Murmurings is a thriller that borders on horror at times, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
From the very beginning I felt the strong bond between Sophie and her sister Nell. Although Nell is not physically present in the story, she still has a very large role in Sophies sanity. I loved the journal entries that Sophie read throughout the book, I thought they brought out a different side of the narrative and showed us who Nell really was when she was alive. And as the story progressed you saw how similar Sophie became to her sister, and you saw how that was terrifying to Sophie.
The end was an issue for me, only because I wanted more explanation as to the murmurings themselves and the Taker that Sophie sees every time she looks in the mirror. The Taker character was something I was very weary of, only because it wast fully explained. That lead to some questions near the end when everything combusts' into a horrifying scene.
Overall I really enjoyed this thrilling read. The characters, whether main or secondary had a part in advancing the plot and had a purpose. The writing style was simple yet all encompassing. It draws you in from the very beginning and doesn't let you go until the end. The Murmurings is a thriller that borders on horror at times, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
nikki_mcclaran's review against another edition
2.0
I went into this book blind. Literally, I was at the pool so I had removed the sleeve and forgot to read it before I left it at home.
When the novel started out in an English class talking about "The Metamorphosis," I was slightly intrigued. That's the most intrigued I felt throughout the whole thing.
Starting off with the good, I honestly did like the characters. I wished Nell wasn't dead because her character actually seemed interesting and personable. I looked forward to her flashbacks. Sophie was a little all over the place, but you could say that is fitting with someone feeling like they are losing their mind. Evan, the main love interest, was a little dull but didn't do anything for me not to like him.
If the character were placed in any other storyline, I might have liked them even more, but it was the plot that really killed this novel for me.
The premise is interesting and the world she sets up was clearly one with a ton of promise. But... it just wasn't developed enough. There wasn't enough horror for a horror novel (which I found out later that this was). There wasn't enough explanation to make it believable. There just wasn't enough to make this novel great.
If you're really bored and have nothing else to read, then sure, give this one a shot. I bought it for $2 so I don't feel really cheated. But I wouldn't make a special trip to hunt it down.
When the novel started out in an English class talking about "The Metamorphosis," I was slightly intrigued. That's the most intrigued I felt throughout the whole thing.
Starting off with the good, I honestly did like the characters. I wished Nell wasn't dead because her character actually seemed interesting and personable. I looked forward to her flashbacks. Sophie was a little all over the place, but you could say that is fitting with someone feeling like they are losing their mind. Evan, the main love interest, was a little dull but didn't do anything for me not to like him.
If the character were placed in any other storyline, I might have liked them even more, but it was the plot that really killed this novel for me.
The premise is interesting and the world she sets up was clearly one with a ton of promise. But... it just wasn't developed enough. There wasn't enough horror for a horror novel (which I found out later that this was). There wasn't enough explanation to make it believable. There just wasn't enough to make this novel great.
If you're really bored and have nothing else to read, then sure, give this one a shot. I bought it for $2 so I don't feel really cheated. But I wouldn't make a special trip to hunt it down.
pagesplotsandpints's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
Initial Impressions: If I wasn't reading this for SC, I probably wouldn't have finished. What a disappointing read. I was hoping for something creepy and psychologically thrilling but instead the story felt way too far-fetched to even begin to scare me (and I'm a chicken. I'm afraid of everything... This didn't do it).
So yes, pretty disappointed and I ended up rushing/skimming through the second half just so I could finish. I wasn't very happy with it at all.
Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: I’m not usually one for creepy-type books because let’s face it. I’m a scaredy cat and I’m willing to admit it! THE MURMURINGS, however, seemed really interesting and I was willing to be a little creeped out in a good way. It seemed like part paranormal, part psychological thriller and I was definitely interested in getting my hands on it! After reading though… I was pretty disappointed. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews for THE MURMURINGS and now I understand why. I think some people will find the concept delightfully creepy, but others (like me) will feel like although it was an interesting idea, the pacing and the follow-through of the concept fall flat as well as some characters that I didn’t feel were developed enough.
I was less than a quarter of the way through the book when already I felt like too many plot points had just been given to the audience instead of being drawn out and suspenseful. Then things I didn’t think needed to be drawn out went on for several chapters. I felt like Nell’s diary entries really slowed down the pacing of the book instead of adding extra mystery and bringing some of her personality to the book. Even with horrifying scenes that involve SEEING THINGS IN MIRRORS THAT AREN’T THERE (WTF… My worst nightmare come true), I actually didn’t find myself being creeped out and I totally should have. Too many aspects of the ghostly happenings (mostly the way Nell died) seemed too unrealistic to me. In order to scare me like it should have, I should have felt like this was real and any of it could happen to me. I felt like it was juuust outside of believable and unfortunately it kind of killed the whole feel of the book for me.
I never connected with the characters in the book either. Sophie was okay but her personality didn’t really stand out to me. The only times she really caught my attention was when she was being sarcastic and I was amused by her snark, but other than that, she was a little flat for me. I also felt like her character wasn’t consistent and her actions were contradictory, and not in a growing & changing way. She jumped back and forth between being fearless and being fearful, compliant and obstinate, skeptical and trusting – It didn’t really seem to create a clear picture of who she was. I wasn’t a fan of the secondary characters either. I was very skeptical of Evan the whole time and at the VERY beginning he seemed so unreal that I almost thought he was a manifestation of Sophie’s schizophrenia. (I guess that was my almost Psych minor wanting to see something that wasn’t there, ironically enough…)
I guess I could say THE MURMURINGS wasn’t a “bad” book, but it was really just not the book for me. I didn’t make an emotional connection with it and I didn’t make any connection with the characters either. The plot was interesting, but never quite made it past an exciting idea for me as a reader. I was just bummed!
Initial Impressions: If I wasn't reading this for SC, I probably wouldn't have finished. What a disappointing read. I was hoping for something creepy and psychologically thrilling but instead the story felt way too far-fetched to even begin to scare me (and I'm a chicken. I'm afraid of everything... This didn't do it).
So yes, pretty disappointed and I ended up rushing/skimming through the second half just so I could finish. I wasn't very happy with it at all.
Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: I’m not usually one for creepy-type books because let’s face it. I’m a scaredy cat and I’m willing to admit it! THE MURMURINGS, however, seemed really interesting and I was willing to be a little creeped out in a good way. It seemed like part paranormal, part psychological thriller and I was definitely interested in getting my hands on it! After reading though… I was pretty disappointed. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews for THE MURMURINGS and now I understand why. I think some people will find the concept delightfully creepy, but others (like me) will feel like although it was an interesting idea, the pacing and the follow-through of the concept fall flat as well as some characters that I didn’t feel were developed enough.
I was less than a quarter of the way through the book when already I felt like too many plot points had just been given to the audience instead of being drawn out and suspenseful. Then things I didn’t think needed to be drawn out went on for several chapters. I felt like Nell’s diary entries really slowed down the pacing of the book instead of adding extra mystery and bringing some of her personality to the book. Even with horrifying scenes that involve SEEING THINGS IN MIRRORS THAT AREN’T THERE (WTF… My worst nightmare come true), I actually didn’t find myself being creeped out and I totally should have. Too many aspects of the ghostly happenings (mostly the way Nell died) seemed too unrealistic to me. In order to scare me like it should have, I should have felt like this was real and any of it could happen to me. I felt like it was juuust outside of believable and unfortunately it kind of killed the whole feel of the book for me.
I never connected with the characters in the book either. Sophie was okay but her personality didn’t really stand out to me. The only times she really caught my attention was when she was being sarcastic and I was amused by her snark, but other than that, she was a little flat for me. I also felt like her character wasn’t consistent and her actions were contradictory, and not in a growing & changing way. She jumped back and forth between being fearless and being fearful, compliant and obstinate, skeptical and trusting – It didn’t really seem to create a clear picture of who she was. I wasn’t a fan of the secondary characters either. I was very skeptical of Evan the whole time and at the VERY beginning he seemed so unreal that I almost thought he was a manifestation of Sophie’s schizophrenia. (I guess that was my almost Psych minor wanting to see something that wasn’t there, ironically enough…)
I guess I could say THE MURMURINGS wasn’t a “bad” book, but it was really just not the book for me. I didn’t make an emotional connection with it and I didn’t make any connection with the characters either. The plot was interesting, but never quite made it past an exciting idea for me as a reader. I was just bummed!
mherrup's review against another edition
3.0
This book is pretty depressing, so if you're looking for a happy book don't read this. Some parts were kind of disturbing, and the story line was good and everything, but there are so many depressing scenes. Not the best book I've ever read.
skochara's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
hannahcollierrr's review against another edition
5.0
This book is absolutely amazing! It draws you in to all of the drama that the book contains, all while telling a captivating romantic story about Sophie and Evan.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
3.0
Grief and mental illness go hand in hand in this horror novel. But it relies far too much on telling, rather than showing, to be entirely effective. There's also too much reliance on coincidence
Good atmosphere, good creepy tension at times, and good writing, but quite a few missteps in the story telling and execution to make this entirely memorable. The Taker/Insider/Seer thing was over the top and detracted from the real horror in grief and loss. Telling, telling, telling, and explaining instead of letting the reader figure it out.
ETA: The longer I'm away from the reading experience of it and the frustration of the tell vs. show, the more I think some of what's done here in terms of metaphor is pretty smart. A good scary story sticks with you, whether or not it's entirely successful, and you know, I think maybe this is a good scary story.
Spoiler
of course the boy who transfers to Sophie's school has a cousin who is also at the bad mental institution her sister was at and of course, the sister and his cousin were friends there. Come on.Good atmosphere, good creepy tension at times, and good writing, but quite a few missteps in the story telling and execution to make this entirely memorable. The Taker/Insider/Seer thing was over the top and detracted from the real horror in grief and loss. Telling, telling, telling, and explaining instead of letting the reader figure it out.
ETA: The longer I'm away from the reading experience of it and the frustration of the tell vs. show, the more I think some of what's done here in terms of metaphor is pretty smart. A good scary story sticks with you, whether or not it's entirely successful, and you know, I think maybe this is a good scary story.
hannah5273's review against another edition
4.0
Over all a really good book. It was more sci-fi than horror but still a good amount of scary. Somewhere around Chapter 22/23 it started to feel a little rush but ended on a good note.
azrielsbookshop's review against another edition
3.0
Did not buy knowing there would be a supernatural element but it actually was written pretty well!