Reviews

Strange Ink by Gary Kemble

mlawson98's review against another edition

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3.0

It was a good book but not what I think of when I want horror. Gruesome but stunning imagery.

rachelkat's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

pterodashtyl's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ladyj1989's review against another edition

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Hard to understand. Felt like author was just filling pages with whatever words he could find. 

rharrison_'s review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

devilndisguise's review against another edition

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4.0

This book first caught my eyes while I was browsing the Sci-fi/Fantasy genre section like I normally do every Friday at one of my nearest bookstores. The cover intrigued me, as did the title, so I sat down and read the prologue. Realizing it apparently consisted of my favorite things; tattoos and horror, I bought it immediately.
Personally, it never crossed me as horror, though. I think it seems more fitting as a paranormal mystery/thriller. But I wasn’t specifically seeking the horror genre; this book simply just called out to me. And for myself not caring much about the paranormal genre in general, this was very well-done and I actually really enjoyed it.

The story intrigued me right from the beginning, but I will admit that it felt slow-paced at times, mostly at the start of it all. It didn’t really grip my desire to not put the book down until I made it about halfway through, but it really started to pick up for me at that point and then all I wanted to do was find out what came next.

I liked Harry’s character development and the way he handled and reacted to everything that was happening to him. To me, nothing ever really seemed all that far-fetched. He didn’t immediately take to the “oh, must-be-ghosts” theory, but instead actually sought mental help before continuing to unravel, then realizing that something more was definitely going on.
I also really enjoyed how he and Rob started to become one. Very subtle at first, and then he entirely takes over. But Harry is still there, trying to fight him off. A good take on basically being possessed, but not being overbearing about it or trying to get the “ghoulish-spooks” out.
There’re also his relationships with the ladies in his life. Being heartbroken, lonely, and under a lot of stress, he definitely needed and wanted some type of comfort. But the ending didn’t give him a happily-ever-after with either of the women in question, which I appreciated. Though it did hint at the possibility of having another chance with his ex, but that’s left for the readers to create in their own minds afterwards.

Everything fell into place, while not being rushed or feeling like it was a perfect ending. Harry still has things he needs to deal with, things he needs to let go, and yet probably a lot to look forward to.
Overall, the plot was really good and very well-executed, and I loved the writing style.

emerrick's review against another edition

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1.0

Ultimately, this was pretty boring

alice_clawford's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0


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thona's review against another edition

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5.0

this book shook me to my core, has teared the very fabric of my essence, rocked my soul, this book has shaken the mfkin TABLE YALL. a page turn at best whilst simultaneously being a book you have to put down every so often because it’s so damn wild. The concept of this book has never been done before to my knowledge and was played out and written extremely well god bless can’t wait for the sequel

kluwes's review against another edition

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4.0

Some parts were a little slow. A lot of talk about Australian politics but over all a good thriller with a dash of the supernatural.