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ghost_cat99's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
2.0
I really just couldn't get into this. It was not bad written or anything, it just didn't catch my attention at all.
Just not the right book for me - I gave up about 50 pages in.
Just not the right book for me - I gave up about 50 pages in.
sxphie12's review against another edition
3.0
Puhh, das war ein interessantes Buch. Ich habe der Geschichte und dem Fantasy-Genre eine Chance gegeben. Allerdings habe ich schnell feststellt, dass mir weder die Geschichte, noch das Genre zusagt. Ich konnte nur schwer in die Geschichte eintauchen und war die meiste Zeit eher gelangweilt. Vielleicht lag es daran, dass es ein Jugendbuch ist und ich aus dem Alter einfach raus bin. Aber noch eher lag es vermutlich an den wirren Szenen, brutalen Ereignissen, in denen auch Kinder involviert waren, und den Charakteren. Für keinen einzigen wurde mein Interesse geweckt.
Andere werden vermutlich nicht der gleichen Meinung sein und das ist gut so. Jedes Genre hat seine Fans, weshalb ich dieses Buch allen empfehlen kann, die die Fantasy so sehr lieben. Denn die Grundidee der Geschichte ist eigentlich gut.
2,9/5 ⭐️
Andere werden vermutlich nicht der gleichen Meinung sein und das ist gut so. Jedes Genre hat seine Fans, weshalb ich dieses Buch allen empfehlen kann, die die Fantasy so sehr lieben. Denn die Grundidee der Geschichte ist eigentlich gut.
2,9/5 ⭐️
emilia__x's review against another edition
dark
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? No
2.5
I don't know... it was just too dark and hopeless for me. It was a very interesting and promising idea but not captivating enough. I liked the description of the characters but the whole additude of this book and its characters was too negative for my taste.
eule's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
This book is evil. Not just the book in the book but the book itself. Gorgeous premise and writing style. (By the way: Have you had a look at this cover?! I am in love. You know what everyone says: don’t judge a book by its cover and whatever. Yes, yes I do.) Normally, I am neither a thriller nor a horror reader and therefore, I was grossed out by the intimidating and eerie things happening in this book (of course, some of you might think of it as lame). You could literally experience the spread of this world through the town and what it did to loved ones. I especially enjoyed the many character perspectives and developments. Most if them were eventually sucked into this book but you just knew that they were tailored to their book character from the beginning. Yet, If I think about this book right now, it did not give me a lot of content. Just vibes of horror. After all, I am looking forward to read the sequel and loosing another night’s sleep.
Ps: thank you to my friend Thea for recommending me this book and letting me borrow her copy ^^
Ps: thank you to my friend Thea for recommending me this book and letting me borrow her copy ^^
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
ellen5525's review against another edition
3.0
This book wasn't that great. The blurb made it sound so much more interesting than it actually was.
This was one of my longer reads, it took me six days to get through it because it was so mind numbingly boring.
It took forever to get going, the book got interesting at about page 400 (roughly just 120 pages from the end). In the last 120 pages things really started happening there was a lot of excitement, however when I got to end literally no cliff hanger (considering there are sequels) nothing to compel you to read the next book.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
This was one of my longer reads, it took me six days to get through it because it was so mind numbingly boring.
It took forever to get going, the book got interesting at about page 400 (roughly just 120 pages from the end). In the last 120 pages things really started happening there was a lot of excitement, however when I got to end literally no cliff hanger (considering there are sequels) nothing to compel you to read the next book.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
softbooknerd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
mjmoore's review against another edition
4.0
For some reason, I found the opening section of this book quite hard to get into, and I wasn't looking forward to continuing. Then there suddenly came a point where everything suddenly seemed clear, and I had trouble putting it down!
It opens with a group of adults going into an abandoned house, where the leader appears to become possessed by something. Whilst in the house, they discover and take crates of a book - when others in his group start to read it, they also start to change.
As the story continues, it becomes apparent how important this book is - almost everyone who reads it becomes changed.. mainly children and teens, but then also adults. I won't spoil any more of the story by explaining why or how.
I do have small criticisms - the first is the fact that the opening section appears to be more confusing than the rest of the book, which may lose it some readers, but then it's quite possible that was just me. I would say though, that if you do struggle with the opening, it's worth carrying on.
The other criticism I have is of the small 'rants' the author makes, through some of the characters speeches. They are good observations of our society, but they could have been put across in a more subtle way - it really did feel like a sledgehammer approach, and to me affected the flow.
However, these two things aside, my overall impression of this book is really rather good. It's a clever idea that reading can affect people in such a negative way, there's a building sense of anxiety, and some rather disturbing scenes. For me, this falls into the genre of YA horror, mainly because of the scenes mentioned. It's not particularly gory or scary in the traditional horror way, but it is rather disturbing. I wouldn't recommend it for young children, or those too sensitive. But for someone looking for an absorbing, disturbing read, it comes recommended.. for young or old.
It opens with a group of adults going into an abandoned house, where the leader appears to become possessed by something. Whilst in the house, they discover and take crates of a book - when others in his group start to read it, they also start to change.
As the story continues, it becomes apparent how important this book is - almost everyone who reads it becomes changed.. mainly children and teens, but then also adults. I won't spoil any more of the story by explaining why or how.
I do have small criticisms - the first is the fact that the opening section appears to be more confusing than the rest of the book, which may lose it some readers, but then it's quite possible that was just me. I would say though, that if you do struggle with the opening, it's worth carrying on.
The other criticism I have is of the small 'rants' the author makes, through some of the characters speeches. They are good observations of our society, but they could have been put across in a more subtle way - it really did feel like a sledgehammer approach, and to me affected the flow.
However, these two things aside, my overall impression of this book is really rather good. It's a clever idea that reading can affect people in such a negative way, there's a building sense of anxiety, and some rather disturbing scenes. For me, this falls into the genre of YA horror, mainly because of the scenes mentioned. It's not particularly gory or scary in the traditional horror way, but it is rather disturbing. I wouldn't recommend it for young children, or those too sensitive. But for someone looking for an absorbing, disturbing read, it comes recommended.. for young or old.
ordinarilybi's review against another edition
3.0
Die deutsche Rezension findet ihr hier.
___________________________
Words are powerful and some books are so dangerous they should never be read. The Dancing Jacks’ is such a book, but so far nobody knows that. When it is put into circulation few are interested and nobody realizes how much it changes its readers: they start to manically rock back and forth while reading, express themselves in an odd way and act illogically, but those are only the most prominent symptoms. People start to believe they are characters of the book, that the reality they live in is only a dream. Not many can resist the book, and those who can are persecuted and persuaded with violence of the “truth”.
Time is getting short in order to do something against those developments, but rarely anybody sees them or takes them seriously. Young Paul is one of those who realize what is going on, but who is supposed to give credit to a child that is telling such a fantastic story?
“Dancing Jax” is a book that wants much and achieves only some of it. To name the positive things first: there are some passages important issues are addressed in, often only in a subordinate clause or a short remark – which is the good thing about it. The author is not trying to lecture you but offers thoughts that might lead to other ideas. It is up to you.
Furthermore, the book has kind of a negative presence. You will often find passages that hint towards a coming disaster; in addition, “Dancing Jax” will not give you many reasons to laugh but even starts with a scene even I found hard to stomach. The situation simply was too perfidiously planned and extremely cruel in its consequences.
The book within the book seems to be interesting at first, too, but that is all that can be said about it. Each chapter starts with a little excerpt which is very confusing at the beginning; later, when you found your way into the story, you have already forgotten all the details. This leaves us with the later excerpts and those included in the main text – those are not many, though.
A big problem of the book is that there are too many characters who get introduced but whom we do not get to know properly. There is never any depth even though the potential is there, I guess. I never felt as if those were stereotypes; however, I was never really interested in them either.
This is why there is no balance to the parts you will find rather boring because you do not care about the narrators at all.
To make matters worse, the plot never really thickens. What we get is an introduction; the main problem is established very thoroughly, unfortunately. The author does not alter his approach to that: it is always the same when people get lured into the book’s world, some show resistance but give way in the end all the same. When this pattern is repeated for the third or fourth time, you cannot even pretend to be surprised any longer. And it gets really boring, of course.
In the end, barely any interest in the future events is left, so I do not feel the need to continue reading this series. It is a pity if you think of how thrilling this book could have been if Robin Jarvis had concentrated on the progress of the story instead of the numerous characters.
It has been a good idea and an unsatisfying realization: too many characters and an uneventful story that keeps repeating itself often take all the joy of reading “Dancing Jax”. I am sorry for the good moments this books had; all in all, this is not a terrible book but it left me utterly unimpressed.
___________________________
Words are powerful and some books are so dangerous they should never be read. The Dancing Jacks’ is such a book, but so far nobody knows that. When it is put into circulation few are interested and nobody realizes how much it changes its readers: they start to manically rock back and forth while reading, express themselves in an odd way and act illogically, but those are only the most prominent symptoms. People start to believe they are characters of the book, that the reality they live in is only a dream. Not many can resist the book, and those who can are persecuted and persuaded with violence of the “truth”.
Time is getting short in order to do something against those developments, but rarely anybody sees them or takes them seriously. Young Paul is one of those who realize what is going on, but who is supposed to give credit to a child that is telling such a fantastic story?
“Dancing Jax” is a book that wants much and achieves only some of it. To name the positive things first: there are some passages important issues are addressed in, often only in a subordinate clause or a short remark – which is the good thing about it. The author is not trying to lecture you but offers thoughts that might lead to other ideas. It is up to you.
Furthermore, the book has kind of a negative presence. You will often find passages that hint towards a coming disaster; in addition, “Dancing Jax” will not give you many reasons to laugh but even starts with a scene even I found hard to stomach. The situation simply was too perfidiously planned and extremely cruel in its consequences.
The book within the book seems to be interesting at first, too, but that is all that can be said about it. Each chapter starts with a little excerpt which is very confusing at the beginning; later, when you found your way into the story, you have already forgotten all the details. This leaves us with the later excerpts and those included in the main text – those are not many, though.
A big problem of the book is that there are too many characters who get introduced but whom we do not get to know properly. There is never any depth even though the potential is there, I guess. I never felt as if those were stereotypes; however, I was never really interested in them either.
This is why there is no balance to the parts you will find rather boring because you do not care about the narrators at all.
To make matters worse, the plot never really thickens. What we get is an introduction; the main problem is established very thoroughly, unfortunately. The author does not alter his approach to that: it is always the same when people get lured into the book’s world, some show resistance but give way in the end all the same. When this pattern is repeated for the third or fourth time, you cannot even pretend to be surprised any longer. And it gets really boring, of course.
In the end, barely any interest in the future events is left, so I do not feel the need to continue reading this series. It is a pity if you think of how thrilling this book could have been if Robin Jarvis had concentrated on the progress of the story instead of the numerous characters.
It has been a good idea and an unsatisfying realization: too many characters and an uneventful story that keeps repeating itself often take all the joy of reading “Dancing Jax”. I am sorry for the good moments this books had; all in all, this is not a terrible book but it left me utterly unimpressed.
podcast_buecherreich's review against another edition
3.0
Die ersten Kapitel lasen sich wie ein (Horror-)Film - das Buch hat sich dann aber ganz anders entwickelt, als ich dachte.
Es lebt auf jeden Fall von seinen liebevoll detailliert beschriebenen Charakteren, die sehr lebendig wirken.
Es geht um ein Spukhaus, was von Dieben ins Auge gefasst wird. Schlechte Idee! Das Haus übernimmt die Kontrolle über den Anführer der Diebe und benutzt ihn, um „böse Bücher“ aus dem Keller in die weite Welt zu bringen.
Gleichzeitig lernen wir einen desillusionierten Lehrer, seine Freundin und deren Sohn sowie seine asozialen Schüler kennen. Das alles spielt in Suffolk, England, in einem Küstenstädtchen namens Felixstowe.
Die Bücher richten hier viel Unheil an, und es wird oft spannend und mitreißend, auch sehr fantastische Stellen gab es, die an Märchen oder eine Feenwelt anmuten.
Schlussendlich übernimmt das Buch fast alle Bewohner von Felixstowe, und alle gehen in der darin beschriebenen Fantasiewelt auf - der eine denkt, er wäre der Karobube, der nächste, er sei der Joker usw. Es gibt wahnsinnig viele Figuren, die alle verschiedene Eigenschaften haben und je nach Hierarchie höhere Spielkartenzahlen (daher auch die Buch-Cover, die ich im Deutschen übrigens viel schöner finde als die Originalcover; die sind total bunt-drüber und haben was von Jahrmarkt).
Das Buch im Buch ist von einem bösen, dem Okkultismus verfallenen Mann namens Austerly Fellows geschrieben worden und greift wie eine Seuche um sich. Jeder, der das Buch liest/vorgelesen bekommt, verfällt ihm.
Es gibt allerdings auch einen kleinen Prozentsatz Menschen, die immun gegen die Wirkung des Buches sind. Und die werden nach und nach gejagt, unterdrückt, gefoltert und/oder getötet - was eine unheimliche Parallel zu Hitler und den Konzentrationslagern aufzeigt (in die Richtung geht wohl auch Band 2).
Das Buch war stellenweise echt gut geschrieben, stellenweise zog es sich aber auch.
Ich habe dann mehrfach gehört, dass insb. Band 3 sich total zieht und werde die Reihe daher nicht mehr weiterverfolgen. Vielleicht finde ich noch jemanden, der mir Band 2 und 3 spoilert :D
Es lebt auf jeden Fall von seinen liebevoll detailliert beschriebenen Charakteren, die sehr lebendig wirken.
Es geht um ein Spukhaus, was von Dieben ins Auge gefasst wird. Schlechte Idee! Das Haus übernimmt die Kontrolle über den Anführer der Diebe und benutzt ihn, um „böse Bücher“ aus dem Keller in die weite Welt zu bringen.
Gleichzeitig lernen wir einen desillusionierten Lehrer, seine Freundin und deren Sohn sowie seine asozialen Schüler kennen. Das alles spielt in Suffolk, England, in einem Küstenstädtchen namens Felixstowe.
Die Bücher richten hier viel Unheil an, und es wird oft spannend und mitreißend, auch sehr fantastische Stellen gab es, die an Märchen oder eine Feenwelt anmuten.
Schlussendlich übernimmt das Buch fast alle Bewohner von Felixstowe, und alle gehen in der darin beschriebenen Fantasiewelt auf - der eine denkt, er wäre der Karobube, der nächste, er sei der Joker usw. Es gibt wahnsinnig viele Figuren, die alle verschiedene Eigenschaften haben und je nach Hierarchie höhere Spielkartenzahlen (daher auch die Buch-Cover, die ich im Deutschen übrigens viel schöner finde als die Originalcover; die sind total bunt-drüber und haben was von Jahrmarkt).
Das Buch im Buch ist von einem bösen, dem Okkultismus verfallenen Mann namens Austerly Fellows geschrieben worden und greift wie eine Seuche um sich. Jeder, der das Buch liest/vorgelesen bekommt, verfällt ihm.
Es gibt allerdings auch einen kleinen Prozentsatz Menschen, die immun gegen die Wirkung des Buches sind. Und die werden nach und nach gejagt, unterdrückt, gefoltert und/oder getötet - was eine unheimliche Parallel zu Hitler und den Konzentrationslagern aufzeigt (in die Richtung geht wohl auch Band 2).
Das Buch war stellenweise echt gut geschrieben, stellenweise zog es sich aber auch.
Ich habe dann mehrfach gehört, dass insb. Band 3 sich total zieht und werde die Reihe daher nicht mehr weiterverfolgen. Vielleicht finde ich noch jemanden, der mir Band 2 und 3 spoilert :D