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simcha13's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a good premise, but ultimately was too long. I love a long book where I can really be immersed in the story, but this one just felt like it dragged. By the time we get to the twist, I was ready for it to be over and just sighed that there was still more to go.
kayyy4106's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
raichoreads's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
I honestly didn’t know I could hate a book this much. The first few hours of this book are pretty engaging. And then things start to get really tense with the madness in the town rising and Christopher’s growing power - and then it just doesn’t end. This book goes on for waaaaaay too long and it just made me resentful of every aspect of it. I started to get annoyed with all of the pointless self referential diction. I got annoyed anytime there was an unnecessary sentence. I started listening at 2x speed and it still wasn’t over fast enough. Get an editor.
Rapid fire content complaints: The strange religious turn this book makes is bizarre and out of place. The female characters in this book spend much too much of their time being victimized by men or feeling pre-occupied by their relationships (whereas the men in this story do not). There are way too many side characters who are never mentioned again who speak in “broken English” and who the white voice actor puts on accents for. There’s just a lot of annoying white man story writing choices here. Also the “psychosis is a death sentence” mentality so supremely frustrating and demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of mental illness and what living with psychosis is like (doesn’t make people inherently violent or suicidal - shocker)
The .25 stars here are for Mary-Catherine’s arc. And while most of the female characters do feel very written by a man, the way Kate is written feels like a little boy’s love letter to his working class mom. There’s a few good emotional nuggets in here.
It takes Christopher WAY too long to realize he’s in hell and I’m so annoyed that the hissing lady is Eve. And okay so Eve tells God she’s sorry for what she did and he says “I know. I’m sorry too.” And honestly that pissed me off because it still insinuates that Eve did anything wrong (when it felt like Mary-Catherine’s tirade suggested she didn’t??) Also the book ends with a suggestion to the second coming of Christ???? Wild choice bro.
Rapid fire content complaints: The strange religious turn this book makes is bizarre and out of place. The female characters in this book spend much too much of their time being victimized by men or feeling pre-occupied by their relationships (whereas the men in this story do not). There are way too many side characters who are never mentioned again who speak in “broken English” and who the white voice actor puts on accents for. There’s just a lot of annoying white man story writing choices here. Also the “psychosis is a death sentence” mentality so supremely frustrating and demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of mental illness and what living with psychosis is like (doesn’t make people inherently violent or suicidal - shocker)
The .25 stars here are for Mary-Catherine’s arc. And while most of the female characters do feel very written by a man, the way Kate is written feels like a little boy’s love letter to his working class mom. There’s a few good emotional nuggets in here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Racism and Vomit
Racism is tagged cuz of the racist side characters.sarahoo's review against another edition
3.0
Can definitely feel it as a love letter to Stephen King. Child on a coming of age quest with a band of brothers, fighting against forces of evil. Pretty engaging, but 2/3 the way through the book begins to drag with excess action, which I guess stands in for character development--i don't know. The book needs a stronger editor. 2/3 of the final third could go, and it would be a much better book. Worth reading, but I definitely began speed skimming to get to the end.
thehhugg's review against another edition
I figured out where this was going less than an hour into listening to it, and the writing wasn't good enough to make me want to finish it despite knowing the ending.
anonymousreader12345's review against another edition
1.0
I have strong feelings about this book and none of them are kind.
draiochta's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
awaitingoblivion's review against another edition
2.0
Would be so much better without the christian undertones. Warning to anybody that isn’t into that BS. It was a long book for that kind of soft jesusy crap.
As you’ll see in a lot of places, the last third of the book is just a cheesy christian cop out.
It had so much potential then. Boom. Church shit.
As you’ll see in a lot of places, the last third of the book is just a cheesy christian cop out.
It had so much potential then. Boom. Church shit.
ksoks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Entirely too long but overall worth a read
lisa_reads_a_lot's review against another edition
5.0
What. A. Book.
You guys...this book....i can't even put into words how fantastic it is. Stephen Chbosky has blown me away AGAIN with his brilliant writing style.
Eenie-meenie-miney- MOE!
You guys...this book....i can't even put into words how fantastic it is. Stephen Chbosky has blown me away AGAIN with his brilliant writing style.
Eenie-meenie-miney- MOE!