jbmorgan86's review against another edition
3.0
Take Montag from Fahrenheit 451, change his name to Murtagh, and drop him into the world of the Handmaid’s Tale and you essentially have The Acolyte.
Murtagh is an Acolyte in the Faith Crimes division of New Bethlehem. Essentially, it is his job to hunt down and eliminate anyone who holds beliefs that are contrary to the One True Faith (a weird mishmash of Levitical laws, snake handling, 19th century revivalism, Catholicism, megachurch evangelicalism, and cultism). His life changes suddenly when terrorists set off bombs throughout the city, killing the daughter of the Prophet of New Bethlehem.
I came into this book with high expectations. A friend had recently praised Cutter (but had not read this book). I was underwhelmed. Maybe it’s just the concept of the novel. After 1984, A Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, A Clockwork Orange, Alas Babylon, The Handmaid’s Tale, V for Vendetta, The Giver, The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc., I’m just over dystopian stories where a singular hero takes on the oppressive government.
Cutter’s writing is interesting. This novel had a very “noir” feel to it. Very gritty. There is some dark humor and some overly graphic scenes (in particular a very graphic description of an involuntary abortion).
It’s hard to pull off a first person limited narrator novel. The perspective in this novel made it just seem like Murtagh was just present as the events of the novel unfolded rather than a participant.
Finally, some of the world-building just seems silly. CSI no longer stands for Crime Scene Investigator but Christian Science Investigation (true science has been rejected because it proves the existence of dinosaurs). All products have now been Christianized . . . including Hallelujah Energy drinks.
Murtagh is an Acolyte in the Faith Crimes division of New Bethlehem. Essentially, it is his job to hunt down and eliminate anyone who holds beliefs that are contrary to the One True Faith (a weird mishmash of Levitical laws, snake handling, 19th century revivalism, Catholicism, megachurch evangelicalism, and cultism). His life changes suddenly when terrorists set off bombs throughout the city, killing the daughter of the Prophet of New Bethlehem.
I came into this book with high expectations. A friend had recently praised Cutter (but had not read this book). I was underwhelmed. Maybe it’s just the concept of the novel. After 1984, A Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, A Clockwork Orange, Alas Babylon, The Handmaid’s Tale, V for Vendetta, The Giver, The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc., I’m just over dystopian stories where a singular hero takes on the oppressive government.
Cutter’s writing is interesting. This novel had a very “noir” feel to it. Very gritty. There is some dark humor and some overly graphic scenes (in particular a very graphic description of an involuntary abortion).
It’s hard to pull off a first person limited narrator novel. The perspective in this novel made it just seem like Murtagh was just present as the events of the novel unfolded rather than a participant.
Finally, some of the world-building just seems silly. CSI no longer stands for Crime Scene Investigator but Christian Science Investigation (true science has been rejected because it proves the existence of dinosaurs). All products have now been Christianized . . . including Hallelujah Energy drinks.
haileyldavidson's review against another edition
3.0
Ok like 1984 vibes but also heavy on the L. Ron Hubbard energy
3.5 bc the gore just really nauseates me lmao this guy writes with a tremendous amount of pulpy gore. I gasped aloud at some parts. Had some killer quotes though- "I want to tell you that the greatest freedom you can enjoy is obedience." and "what is the velocity of a prayer?" ate.
Somewhere Lauren just sat up in a cold sweat bc It's been 111 days since I took this book from her
3.5 bc the gore just really nauseates me lmao this guy writes with a tremendous amount of pulpy gore. I gasped aloud at some parts. Had some killer quotes though- "I want to tell you that the greatest freedom you can enjoy is obedience." and "what is the velocity of a prayer?" ate.
Somewhere Lauren just sat up in a cold sweat bc It's been 111 days since I took this book from her
spacem0nkeyyy's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
talbet's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ciwifrukt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
pirate_jesus's review against another edition
4.0
Easy to read and impossible to put down, not unlike the other three horror novels under this pen name. I particularly like how, in each, Cutter redefines the genre. Why is it, though, this one is so rare and difficult to find? I’d love an answer, if anyone has one to share…
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know how to describe the mad, dark, mash-up genius contained in the pages of Nick Cutter's upcoming release The Acolyte -- but I've found myself in a similar state of speechlessness with other titles released by the incomparable ChiZine Publications. Their motto is Embrace the Odd and embrace it they do with abandon. ChiZine's book covers alone are enough to send this bibliophile into paroxysms of delight. Here are a few of my favorites:
ChiZine has also recently gotten into the graphic novel game and I adore this cover too:
Let me wrap up the fangirling over cover art to conclude that ChiZine is a wickedly weird publishing house seemingly ruthless in seeking out unique voices in speculative fiction. Enter this book and Nick Cutter.
Nick Cutter (a pseudonym for [a:Craig Davidson|49903|Craig Davidson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1526038636p2/49903.jpg]) blasted onto the horror scene in 2014 with [b:The Troop|17571466|The Troop|Nick Cutter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1397768496l/17571466._SY75_.jpg|24510359] -- the book Stephen King declared scared the hell out of him. For the record, it scared the hell out of me too. In January, Cutter followed up with an equally gripping and richly written sci-fi horror novel The Deep.
Fans of either or both of those books should not expect the same kind of story in The Acolyte. I'm not surprised it was ChiZine who published it for him because it is an odd, intense mixture of horror, police procedural, dystopia, and noir. It is violent, contemplative, thematic, and disturbing. It's not a book you 'enjoy' or 'savor': it is one you endure and survive.
And that's all I'm going to say about it. Read the plot summary if you want, but it's not going to help prepare you for what lies in wait in its pages. If you are feeling adventurous and brave, and want a taste of something not so mainstream that will take you off the beaten path into a darker part of the forest, then by all means take The Acolyte home with you.
An advanced reading copy was provided by the publisher for review.
ChiZine has also recently gotten into the graphic novel game and I adore this cover too:
Let me wrap up the fangirling over cover art to conclude that ChiZine is a wickedly weird publishing house seemingly ruthless in seeking out unique voices in speculative fiction. Enter this book and Nick Cutter.
Nick Cutter (a pseudonym for [a:Craig Davidson|49903|Craig Davidson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1526038636p2/49903.jpg]) blasted onto the horror scene in 2014 with [b:The Troop|17571466|The Troop|Nick Cutter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1397768496l/17571466._SY75_.jpg|24510359] -- the book Stephen King declared scared the hell out of him. For the record, it scared the hell out of me too. In January, Cutter followed up with an equally gripping and richly written sci-fi horror novel The Deep.
Fans of either or both of those books should not expect the same kind of story in The Acolyte. I'm not surprised it was ChiZine who published it for him because it is an odd, intense mixture of horror, police procedural, dystopia, and noir. It is violent, contemplative, thematic, and disturbing. It's not a book you 'enjoy' or 'savor': it is one you endure and survive.
And that's all I'm going to say about it. Read the plot summary if you want, but it's not going to help prepare you for what lies in wait in its pages. If you are feeling adventurous and brave, and want a taste of something not so mainstream that will take you off the beaten path into a darker part of the forest, then by all means take The Acolyte home with you.
An advanced reading copy was provided by the publisher for review.
nicksenior's review against another edition
4.0
It's biggest flaw was I wanted much more time in this world. This is a gritty and dark world, and while "Evangelicals are evil" has been a bit overplayed lately, Cutter makes it more about power than more typical Bible bashing. The scenes of violence were masterful and vivd.