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literatureleaf's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Difficulty level: 2.5/5
Rating: 3/5
Nathan, a devoted father and workworn city cop, Maddie, a passionate artist and doting mother, and Oliver, their big-hearted, if somewhat unusual, teenage son appear to be a normal, loving family. Yet, underneath this picturesque exterior, secrets lurk. Nathan is holding back the abuse he experienced at the hands of his father, Maddie is desperately seeking answers for the gaps in her childhood memories, and Oliver may just be a little more different than his parents bargained for.
When Nathan’s father dies and leaves his childhood house to him in the will, he moves his family to his hometown. As they settle in, Nathan sees things that aren’t there, Maddie loses chunks of time, and Oliver finds an unlikely friend in a neighborhood boy who appears to have secrets of his own. As the strange occurrences pile up, Nathan and Maddie realize that sinister forces are working against their family, and the key to stopping it may just lie in the truths that they’ve spent their lives running from.
Like a Russian nesting doll, The Book of Accidents unveils the grander horror through interconnected bits and pieces that slowly come together to form the bigger picture. Invoking intense dread and unease in the reader as the sense that something is very wrong becomes clearer, you will be screaming at the characters, hoping against all hope to warn them that something bad is coming.
A tour-de-force in in the utilization of horror as a vehicle for exploring grief, generational trauma, and interfamilial relationships, The Book of Accidents doesn’t hold back from examining the gritty, uncomfortable details surrounding the seedy underbelly of domestic life that humanity shies away from. Shining a spotlight on the darkest corners of love, empathy, and family, Wendig excels at reminding the reader that the world is far from a peaceful place, even in your own backyard.
Despite the emotional magnitude that lingers amongst the pages, the character depth that is needed for a book of this caliber to feel complete is missing. The cast feels too similar to one another in all the ways that matter, and the everyday family dynamics are stilted and unnatural, lending to the feeling of never quite being able to forget that you’re reading a story about fictional people and are not actively enmeshed in the horrors that they’re going through.
Wendig’s talent shines through in his plot and pacing, but he suffers from a lack of direction. At times he zeroes in on vivid imagery, beautiful scenery, and the intensity of the emotions his characters are experiencing, which paints an intricate, palpable picture. However, there are other instances where he attempts to use humor or pop culture references as comic relief, which falls flat, creating the impression that he is undercutting his own writing and cheapening the story.
An intense probe into how our childhoods impact who we grow into, and how that affects our own children, and then their children later down the line, The Book of Accidents serves as a stark reminder that we are not what happened to us, but rather who we choose to become. Lingering long after the final page is closed, this book shows us that, through empathy, healing, and love, we have the power to overcome our trauma and be better than those who came before us
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, and Suicide attempt
aparker89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kbio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Mass/school shootings, and Car accident
iamastraythought'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
4.25
I was afraid of this book going in to it, I hadn't read anything this daunting in a long time, closest I got was Hell Bent, and just the sheer size of it had me wary.
I'm glad I pushed through that fear. This book was spectacular. It reminded me a bit of the show Dark, a bit of Interstellar, and a tiny bit of It. I usually don't go for tales of apocalypse, but this was different, was unique in a way that kept me on my toes. I almost saw what was coming, but couldn't quite guess, and that, too, kept me intrigued.
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Torture, Excrement, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
jaedia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Still, there were some great moments and Chuck is definitely a great writer. If you go into this one, just drop any expectations you have.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, and Pregnancy
ladygray_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
midnightgremlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity
mburnsides's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Gun violence
ten_telegrams's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Vomit, Mass/school shootings, and Pregnancy
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail