brookey8888's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Body horror, Confinement, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Violence, Blood, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
gondorgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Body horror, Death of parent, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide attempt, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Torture
turtle_puff95's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This ended up being a book I wouldn't read late at night.
I didn't really care for the ending, I felt some of it was a bit cliche and like the epilogue was just a quick wrap up. This was a fun spooky book overall though if psychological space madness is something you like to read.
Graphic: Death, Murder, Blood, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
haleybre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death, Child death, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm
stephjlw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
the first 200 pages of this novel were fantastic. the atmosphere was amazing, the tension was high, the mystery was... mystery-ing. but then, a couple things happened.
one, I didn't like the explanation for why things on the Aurora were so fucked.
Spoiler
it wasn't aliens, and that made me madtwo, a lot of Claire's weird personal shit just doesn't get resolved. she still holds herself responsible for events that occurred when she was a literal child, AND she has a weird moral equivalency that decisions she made that had bad outcomes (she couldn't possibly have predicted) makes her as morally reprehensible as the corporation that intentionally acts maliciously and covers it up.... girl be so real right now you are not the same.
Spoiler
also ghosts are real I guess and Claire can see them but we have no explanation as to why??I don't need characters to be THAT fleshed out in a horror novel. for me they need to exist enough on the page so that I can imagine myself in their shoes, and inside the scariness. However, if they have glaring delusions, I would like for those to be resolved by the novels end IF the book is aiming for a resolution. this novel was, it gives the characters an ending and arc. Claire, manages to do some dealing with her aversion to forming close relationships and you know.. wants to live. But those things I mentioned above were also significant to her character, and they were just left. Bothered me. Especially because the novel goes a timeless - corporations being evil route, which I support BUT the characters should probably honestly conceptualize themselves on the victim to complicit scale. Claire viewed herself as far more complicit in Verux's crimes than she had any business thinking, and that was delulu.
whateverrr, it's not that serious. also this is a very impressive debut novel, and I would definitely read whatever Barnes writes next.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Mental illness, Blood, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
mich3ll31221's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Blood, Genocide, Chronic illness, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Grief, Suicide, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Car accident, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
darquedreamer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love the thrill of the chills, but sometimes feeling those chills from books seems near impossible. Dead Silence not only ticked off the horror box, and the space setting box, but it also delivered on the thrills and chills. This is the first time I have really experienced those wickedly wonderful creepy feels while reading a horror novel.
Barnes did an incredible job weaving in so many layers to the story and the characters. The details were vivid. The fear felt real, and the psychological mind games were quite intriguing. I got Ghosts of Mars, Ghost Ship, and Event Horizon vibes from the story, as well heavy influences from the story of the Titanic. So, needless to say, it was not only chilling, thrilling, and gripping, but it had plenty of emotional moments to really fly it home.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Gore, Murder, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
kt_jams's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Gun violence and Suicidal thoughts
theebster's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Gun violence, Body horror, and Medical content
annaplatypus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I did feel the ending fell a bit flat in comparison to the rest of the book; it was tied up quite neatly, almost too neatly to be satisfying. I especially felt the main character was lacking in development. Despite that, I liked it overall.
Graphic: Death and Gore
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent