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cherrybomble'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
mrsbooknerd's review
4.0
My thoughts are all over the place with this one. I would say that this felt like a first draft rather than a final draft (see what I did there) Sentences were in the wrong place, names were wrong, chunks were missing. But that should all be ironed out in the final.
All I can say is that I read this in a day and I have been utterly immersed in the setting and the crazy Horror story/Horror Film Inception style plot.
The first 40% is given to setting up Adele as the lead character and getting us into the feel of the set and the filming process.
Once you hit that 40% mark the action ramps up and tbe plot comes into its own.
The atmosphere was intensely creepy, I loved how I felt the wrongness of everything from the very start. There were elements of classic horror films throughout, and that really appealed to me. I even loved how much Adele knew she was in danger of becoming a horror trope and acted much more level-headed than horror film characters.
The tension was so taut in places my heart was going. I think my Fitbit probably thought I was hiking Everest. The contrast of the script and the real life events helped this enormously, with the script acting as a warning of things to come.
The feminist/Me Too elements were great and got me thinking and added more tension. There wasn't just the threat of a killer or whatever but a real threat of a woman being alone in a remote location with some awful men who were used to getting away with shit as part of their industry.
I loved that this was highlighted, but some.of the issues did feel a bit clumsy, especially the first couple of mentions. Almost like they've been shoehorned into the plot. I think they came up fairly naturally, but the dialogue surrounding them was quite wooden. But I loved that they were there. A few times I was like, YES Adele!
There were a couple of elements that felt a bit loose. Like when Adele gets tripped in the woods. How did someone know she would go that way and then get in front of her and get close enough to trip her up. The other mind games, okay I'll bite on the explanations, but some .parts felt a bit underdevloped.
I think the ending was a bit mundane as Adele herself noted. But only because the tension had been so high throughout that the who and why felt a bit like a school playground fight rather than the motive for everything that had come before.
With some proper polishing I think this wi be a cracker of a read. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I read the ARC via Netgalley .
All I can say is that I read this in a day and I have been utterly immersed in the setting and the crazy Horror story/Horror Film Inception style plot.
The first 40% is given to setting up Adele as the lead character and getting us into the feel of the set and the filming process.
Once you hit that 40% mark the action ramps up and tbe plot comes into its own.
The atmosphere was intensely creepy, I loved how I felt the wrongness of everything from the very start. There were elements of classic horror films throughout, and that really appealed to me. I even loved how much Adele knew she was in danger of becoming a horror trope and acted much more level-headed than horror film characters.
The tension was so taut in places my heart was going. I think my Fitbit probably thought I was hiking Everest. The contrast of the script and the real life events helped this enormously, with the script acting as a warning of things to come.
The feminist/Me Too elements were great and got me thinking and added more tension. There wasn't just the threat of a killer or whatever but a real threat of a woman being alone in a remote location with some awful men who were used to getting away with shit as part of their industry.
I loved that this was highlighted, but some.of the issues did feel a bit clumsy, especially the first couple of mentions. Almost like they've been shoehorned into the plot. I think they came up fairly naturally, but the dialogue surrounding them was quite wooden. But I loved that they were there. A few times I was like, YES Adele!
There were a couple of elements that felt a bit loose. Like when Adele gets tripped in the woods. How did someone know she would go that way and then get in front of her and get close enough to trip her up. The other mind games, okay I'll bite on the explanations, but some .parts felt a bit underdevloped.
I think the ending was a bit mundane as Adele herself noted. But only because the tension had been so high throughout that the who and why felt a bit like a school playground fight rather than the motive for everything that had come before.
With some proper polishing I think this wi be a cracker of a read. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I read the ARC via Netgalley .
jessica_reading_writing's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book! I've seen rather a lot of negative reviews, but it didn't put me off at all. The cover is gorgeous and is what drew me in from the start and the premise is unique and not something I've read before in a thriller.
It's about an actor who's hired last minute to fill in on a lead role in a horror movie, but then weird stuff starts happening on set, similar to what's happening in the book the character in the movie is reading ...
I won't lie, I did get a little confused at times keeping up with the different names of the film/book/characters, as they were all really similar. But this book really hooked me and it was super tense at times.
I enjoyed the snippets of the film script too. The only thing that let it down ever so slightly was at the end. The big reveal didn't quite wow me like I hoped it would, but nonetheless, I still enjoyed being creeped out by this book before I went to bed at night.
I really enjoyed this book! I've seen rather a lot of negative reviews, but it didn't put me off at all. The cover is gorgeous and is what drew me in from the start and the premise is unique and not something I've read before in a thriller.
It's about an actor who's hired last minute to fill in on a lead role in a horror movie, but then weird stuff starts happening on set, similar to what's happening in the book the character in the movie is reading ...
I won't lie, I did get a little confused at times keeping up with the different names of the film/book/characters, as they were all really similar. But this book really hooked me and it was super tense at times.
I enjoyed the snippets of the film script too. The only thing that let it down ever so slightly was at the end. The big reveal didn't quite wow me like I hoped it would, but nonetheless, I still enjoyed being creeped out by this book before I went to bed at night.
katiescho741's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars.
A bit slow to get going, but there's great tension when it finally does. I liked the way the story unfolded and alternated between the script and Adele's time on set, and the author balances the story well so that things don't really slow down when we swap between them. Adele is a good character and easy to root for. I enjoyed the classic horror location of the cabin in the woods with no phone signal, and this put a fun twist on things.
The reveal got a little complicated, but it kept me guessing.
A bit slow to get going, but there's great tension when it finally does. I liked the way the story unfolded and alternated between the script and Adele's time on set, and the author balances the story well so that things don't really slow down when we swap between them. Adele is a good character and easy to root for. I enjoyed the classic horror location of the cabin in the woods with no phone signal, and this put a fun twist on things.
The reveal got a little complicated, but it kept me guessing.
babychreez's review against another edition
3.0
Yikes… 2.75 stars, rounded up. I typically really enjoy CRH, but this one just completely missed the mark for me. All of that build up for… Absolutely nothing? No climax, no real action, no stakes… What was the point? The ending was super lame.
sarahevonne's review against another edition
5.0
Parts of the middle do drag a little and the reveals may be a little too clever, but this is a really fun and enjoyable read.
thekatiechronicles's review against another edition
1.0
If you enjoy reading a main character’s inner dialogue through an entire novel coupled with a glacially slow plot, this book is for you.
giigii__e's review against another edition
2.0
It’s the second thriller I read from this author and just like Nothing Man I didn’t enjoy it. Until the 50% mark nothing really happens and after that there are some reveals, which were quite obvious to begin with. The book was too long, the script and movie scenes were gimmicky and repetitive and the characters were flat and featureless. The ending was just mundane.
Unfortunately I think that this author and I are not compatible.
Thank you NetGalley / Atlantic Books for providing me with this novel in exchange of an honest review.
Unfortunately I think that this author and I are not compatible.
Thank you NetGalley / Atlantic Books for providing me with this novel in exchange of an honest review.
paradise_library's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
This was just OK.
Considering this book is 500+ pages I expected a fair few twists and a fast-paced action-packed plot. I just wanted something (anything) to happen, but sadly it was extremely predictable and far too long.
It also didn’t get off to a good start and I almost tossed it aside on page two, because the writing style was unnecessarily descriptive and not particularly well-written; sentences were long and lacked commas.
However, the story did improve once Adele arrived and I did finish it, despite finding it obvious what was going to happen. There were times I felt a prickle on my neck, but mostly it was just a bit long-winded and there were absolutely no twists at all. In fact, the execution felt a bit like a budget B-movie.
I did like the format, particularly the inclusion of the movie script. However, for those who dislike or struggle to read scripts, this may deter readers.
It hasn’t put me off the author’s books per se, but I might leave it a while before picking another one up.
This was just OK.
Considering this book is 500+ pages I expected a fair few twists and a fast-paced action-packed plot. I just wanted something (anything) to happen, but sadly it was extremely predictable and far too long.
It also didn’t get off to a good start and I almost tossed it aside on page two, because the writing style was unnecessarily descriptive and not particularly well-written; sentences were long and lacked commas.
However, the story did improve once Adele arrived and I did finish it, despite finding it obvious what was going to happen. There were times I felt a prickle on my neck, but mostly it was just a bit long-winded and there were absolutely no twists at all. In fact, the execution felt a bit like a budget B-movie.
I did like the format, particularly the inclusion of the movie script. However, for those who dislike or struggle to read scripts, this may deter readers.
It hasn’t put me off the author’s books per se, but I might leave it a while before picking another one up.