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sincerely_inayah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I truly, honestly wish the worst for him 😅.
My only irritation was Jerome's constant switch to "Tyrone," it's okay to do once or twice, but it was his "thing" and it was a bit more than irritating.
Other than that, loved the ending.
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Incest
kyemmpem's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
trexbexx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, and Death
samanthabee's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcoholism and Child death
ruthypoo2's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
There are several distinctive characters in this story and it's a great ensemble with the story told from multiple points of view. The primary narrator is retired police detective Bill Hodges who finds himself bored and frequently despondent as he sits daily in his armchair watching TV and without the feeling that his life serves any serious purpose since leaving law enforcement. Bill is isolated with only a handful of people to interact with from time to time. This all changes when he's contacted by the villain whose crime is described in the opening pages of the book. The killer wants to remind Bill that he failed to catch them and let him know they may have a new plan to surpass the body count achieved in their last murderous act.
The book is about a twisted cat and mouse game between Bill Hodges and an intelligent sociopathic killer, each narrating their own chapters to tell their respective stories. Throughout, the reader learns about the people that Bill and the killer encounter in their daily lives. In fact, those who end up joining Bill on his quest to subvert the killer are a pure delight and where the SK sense of humor comes through load and clear. The storytelling in this book is very rewarding, giving the reader a complex character study for both of the primary characters. There's a lot of tension in the story, especially in the ending, and it was a definite page-turner for me. Constant Readers will find little SK Easter Eggs planted here and there and a joy to come across.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Will Patton who did a magnificent job voicing all the characters and bringing each to life. Mr. Patton is a stellar actor and brings his finely honed skill to create a unique voice and emotional range for each character. I'll be continuing with the next two books in this series, and I'm thrilled to see that Mr. Patton is the narrator for all the Mr. Mercedes books.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Grief
maddieloves_books1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Grief, and Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit
paperbackanggo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
skitch41's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse and Racial slurs
seraxiel87's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Incest, Car accident, and Alcohol
ripxreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Car accident
Minor: Suicide attempt
I very rarely post spoilers even if it’s a TW, but there was a scene in here that is making me break that rule: there is couple pages in the book that involve killing a child that has a developmental disability. It is very graphic and leading up to the death it’s rife with ableist abuse