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joensign's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Antisemitism, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
kailovesfrogs333's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this book works so much better as a podcast, as somebody who adores the podcast and finished it in 4 days. However, I'm still giving this book a 4-star because it has a special place in my heart, and because there were some very quotable moments in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Stalking
Minor: Cursing, Antisemitism, and Colonisation
kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 rounded up! i was in a bit of a slump when i started this, and it didn’t fully pull me out of it tbh. i think switching from podcast to book dulled some of the overall excitement for me, but I really liked Keisha as a protagonist!
worldbuilding is a bit handwavy but fun nonetheless! this would be a good low stakes Halloween read
worldbuilding is a bit handwavy but fun nonetheless! this would be a good low stakes Halloween read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, and War
racinghiro's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Violence, and Murder
justsimplehonestjuice's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
absolutely excellent. a whirlwind. fight a good fight and keep fighting it even though the war will never end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and War
haileyhardcover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I used to be big into podcasts but I haven’t listened to one in ages. I had no idea about Alice Isn’t Dead (in podcast OR book form) until I happened to notice it at B&N, read half of the description on the back and decided to buy it on a whim.
The premise is cool - Keisha’s wife goes missing, is presumed dead, and then Keisha sees her repeatedly popping up in the background of the news, so she goes looking for her and discovers way more than she bargained for. The story was well written and easy to read fast (short chapters!) but there were several points where I was just… bored. I wonder if I might’ve felt more emotionally invested if I’d listened to the podcast.
My favorite bit was the most relatable to me - Keisha, having resolved to remain single, sees Alice for the first time and thinks, “Well, shit.” And ain’t that just how it goes… lol Best laid plans.
For someone who LOVES horror, I didn’t read enough of it this year. I’m looking forward to reading more of it in 2024. Maybe I’ll find something actually scary for a change lol
The premise is cool - Keisha’s wife goes missing, is presumed dead, and then Keisha sees her repeatedly popping up in the background of the news, so she goes looking for her and discovers way more than she bargained for. The story was well written and easy to read fast (short chapters!) but there were several points where I was just… bored. I wonder if I might’ve felt more emotionally invested if I’d listened to the podcast.
My favorite bit was the most relatable to me - Keisha, having resolved to remain single, sees Alice for the first time and thinks, “Well, shit.” And ain’t that just how it goes… lol Best laid plans.
For someone who LOVES horror, I didn’t read enough of it this year. I’m looking forward to reading more of it in 2024. Maybe I’ll find something actually scary for a change lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Racism, Stalking, and War
Minor: Sexism and Gaslighting
bumblemee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Listened to this classic of a fiction podcast to finally know why people love it so much - and also because I'm always here for badass queer women.
The story is creepy, brutal at times, well performed by the voice actresses and has a lot of creative ideas. Keisha is a very brave protagonist, facing the dangers she encounters head on, I also liked that we got some anxiety-rep with her. She's really cool, as well as Sylvia. I liked discovering the bigger and smaller mysteries with them.
I also liked the explanation of how thistle-men are created, that they used to be human. As well as the oracles; the oracles in general were fascinating and I love that Sylvia became an oracle after being saved by one when her mother was murdered.
The story is creepy, brutal at times, well performed by the voice actresses and has a lot of creative ideas. Keisha is a very brave protagonist, facing the dangers she encounters head on, I also liked that we got some anxiety-rep with her. She's really cool, as well as Sylvia. I liked discovering the bigger and smaller mysteries with them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder
olive_lol's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
3.5
I feel overwhelmingly neutral about this book.
At first, I loved the way it took place almost entirely on the road, but the charm eventually wore off. Some of the pacing is a bit clunky—really fast at times before becoming really slow, with little middle ground. However, the descriptions were great and really added to the atmosphere (I especially loved the unique descriptions of sound).
A lot of parts, especially the central mystery, are pretty out there and the type of thing a reader probably couldn't guess. After a few reveals like that, it got harder for me to stay fully invested in trying to solve it myself.
The book has few frequently recurring characters besides Keishaand for the second half, Alice . It makes sense in the context of the story but still contributed to my difficulty staying invested. As a result, the novel feels like it has a smaller scope than it really does.
Overall, this was a novel with a unique road trip atmosphere, some great descriptions, and an odd storyline that left me not feeling very strongly about it one way or another.
At first, I loved the way it took place almost entirely on the road, but the charm eventually wore off. Some of the pacing is a bit clunky—really fast at times before becoming really slow, with little middle ground. However, the descriptions were great and really added to the atmosphere (I especially loved the unique descriptions of sound).
A lot of parts, especially the central mystery, are pretty out there and the type of thing a reader probably couldn't guess. After a few reveals like that, it got harder for me to stay fully invested in trying to solve it myself.
The book has few frequently recurring characters besides Keisha
Overall, this was a novel with a unique road trip atmosphere, some great descriptions, and an odd storyline that left me not feeling very strongly about it one way or another.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Antisemitism, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism and Vomit
magikorbert's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Minor: Racism
catalyst226's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm finding there are a few authors that I will basically love anything they write regardless of genre. Joseph Fink is definitely one of these. This time a legitimately frightening horror novel set in various locations across the country on a road trip. The author's note on anxiety and it's role in the story was a nice touch. Again, recommending to fans of Welcome to Night Vale. The narrator is also the voice of the podcast and I may jump in to the podcast for more details of this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Antisemitism