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innatejames's review against another edition
3.0
Yeah, I could just sum up the book by saying that the narrator was possessed by a demon as a boy, but after finishing the book I realize its not that simple. This book could have gone capital S Spooky and explained the strange incidents of George, the narrator's, boyhood with some remarkable evidence proving the demon in question existed, but the author decided to leave it as a big question mark. This book brought up some interesting questions: Do humans create Evil or does Evil exist outside of people? Where exactly is the line between Innocent by reason of insanity and a crime commited by passion? Is evil in humans nature or nurture? Are we too quick to turn off when someone is spouting a bunch of crazy?
Hmm. Should be a good book group conversation. I liked the narrative arc; I liked how layered the subject matter remained. I did not find myself going back and rereading passages to enjoy how they were written though, and that's usually how I determine good writing. Good solid storytelling, not great in my opinion.
Hmm. Should be a good book group conversation. I liked the narrative arc; I liked how layered the subject matter remained. I did not find myself going back and rereading passages to enjoy how they were written though, and that's usually how I determine good writing. Good solid storytelling, not great in my opinion.
clownface04530's review against another edition
3.0
Once the plot was revealed it was a real page turner. Wish the balance of suspenseful interior action to exterior action was higher. Much took place in the protagonist's psyche, & more tension with other characters would have made the story more gripping to me. It was a fascinating book, but characters, relationships & plot weren't as well-developed as I wanted.
nikkijasper's review against another edition
4.0
This book was, to quote my sister, "weird as a beard"... I liked it, but it was creeeeepy.
llyrrhiannon's review against another edition
5.0
An amazing read. Truly terrifying to the very end.
emjwriting's review against another edition
3.0
It has been compared to _The Secret History_ and was recommended in "O" and a few other choice spots so I figured, 'why not?'. Well, meh. It's OK. Not anywhere as compelling at _The Secret History_ but it also leaves more than a few loose ends that I'm not sure if Evans feels as if he tied up, if he just plain ran out of steam or if he wasn't sure anyone would notice. I did and you likely will too. Interesting in spots but I wasn't wowed. Would give 2.5 stars if I could so felt generous and rounded up.
jmack491's review against another edition
5.0
Wow.
This may be the creepiest book I've ever read. I don't think it had the "horror" of a Stephen King novel, and it didn't have the "this-is-really-disturbing" factor of We Need To Talk About Kevin, but it was somewhere in between. Just looking at the cover made me uneasy. I'll admit, I do scare easily, and this book was no exception. There were times when I actually needed my husband to stay in the room with me after I had finished reading for the night. I even had a quasi-nightmare about spiders that I attribute to this book (though there was no mention of spiders in it)!
Overall, I really thought this book was fantastic. Though there were a few slow parts, for the majority of the book I did not want to stop reading. I thought I had everything figured out, and then the rug was pulled out from under me (I love when that happens!) It was smart, and it was intriguing, and I loved it.
This may be the creepiest book I've ever read. I don't think it had the "horror" of a Stephen King novel, and it didn't have the "this-is-really-disturbing" factor of We Need To Talk About Kevin, but it was somewhere in between. Just looking at the cover made me uneasy. I'll admit, I do scare easily, and this book was no exception. There were times when I actually needed my husband to stay in the room with me after I had finished reading for the night. I even had a quasi-nightmare about spiders that I attribute to this book (though there was no mention of spiders in it)!
Overall, I really thought this book was fantastic. Though there were a few slow parts, for the majority of the book I did not want to stop reading. I thought I had everything figured out, and then the rug was pulled out from under me (I love when that happens!) It was smart, and it was intriguing, and I loved it.
pr1mr053200k's review against another edition
4.0
I admit, I picked it for its cover. Very good, but creepy. Couldn't read this one at night.
emmaoftheleighs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
estellitus's review against another edition
3.0
I was hesitant between 3 and 4 stars. I got dragged into the quality of the narration and the suspense of the book from the first few pages, and I really loved reading this book. But for me, the end was too frustrating... the last few chapters do not bring answers to the questions raised during the book, and eventhough I understand the advantage for the author to keep an open end, for me it just got too disappointing and appeared like an easy way out. Yet, I just really enjoyed reading the book!
fagis_crumpet's review against another edition
3.0
A story about grief, mental health, religion and possession. Lots to like but also lots to dislike. Older George, a pretentious narrator resulting in a general lack of empathy for him both as a child and grown up. The whole thing pretty much saved by the last 60 or so pages. Would recommend if you like possession stories, this one is a bit different and keeps you thinking.