saturnscratch's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Yeah that was cute
soleadohmbt's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, clever, smart detective fiction inspired by HG Wells, without all the colonialist racism, plus a boyband, a detective worthy of Carr, Christie, or Chandler, and a little girl who might make you cry.
shaffe71's review against another edition
4.0
Delightfully absurd. The ending reminded me of another book that I didn't really like.
verkisto's review against another edition
4.0
You might think the premise of this book -- five engineered human-animal hybrids form a boy band and are accused of murder just before they plan to break up -- is strange, but this is par for the course for Daryl Gregory. Check out Raising Stony Mayhall (a family discovers a zombie baby they take home and raise to young adulthood) or The Devil's Alphabet (survivors of a plague in a small town become mutated in unique and unusual ways) to see what passes for normal in Daryl Gregory's world. Because those are just the places Gregory starts; the stories themselves are beautiful dissections of humanity, through the eyes of those who have become inhuman.
It's brilliant stuff. Just start with Pandemonium (random acts of possession take over the country in the 1950s) and move forward from there.
It's brilliant stuff. Just start with Pandemonium (random acts of possession take over the country in the 1950s) and move forward from there.
jenaneter's review against another edition
The Album of Dr. Moreau is witty, clever, and filled to bursting with animal puns. Daryl Gregory plays with structure and genre, using the scant pages he provides the reader deftly. He shows a deep understanding and appreciation of mysteries and detective stories, as well as boy bands (and puns -- really cannot overemphasize how many amazing puns are in this book). This book is little, but excellent, and provides the reader with a sometimes dark, always funny, little mystery that will keep you guessing. Plus, the fact that it is set in 2001 gives a little taste of nostalgia that hits just right.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the ARC!
snchard's review against another edition
4.0
I don't read a lot of print books, but when I do, it's because a concept is so outlandish that I ask the library to buy a copy so I can carry it around and whenever anyone asks me what I'm reading I can say "It's a murder mystery about a human-animal hybrid boy band in 2001, with lots of puns" and then it takes me 3 months to finish it because I don't read a lot of print books. I appreciated the list of detective fiction rules at the beginning, since I also don't read many mysteries, so it was good to know which rules were broken when. As someone who was 13 in 2001, I can say with certainty that the while the underlying concept of the WyldBoyZ as sci fi is obviously dubious, their marketability and resulting spot as the hottest boy band in the early 2000s requires precisely zero suspension of disbelief.
kem1883's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
amphytrite's review against another edition
4.0
Delightfully off kilter, solidly built locked room SF mystery, with the added personal bonus of taking place in the hotel tower of a casino.
mayarelmahdy's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5
This book was so good. It's clever and weird, which is probably the best combination ever. I enjoyed it so much.
It really packs a punch in so few pages. Great stuff.
This book was so good. It's clever and weird, which is probably the best combination ever. I enjoyed it so much.
It really packs a punch in so few pages. Great stuff.