Scan barcode
bolivianrash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pedophilia
Minor: Drug use
madalina0_0'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, and War
sueking365's review
- 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
5.0
I haven’t read Stephen King in a minute (or perhaps in many, many years). As a youth I read everything he wrote: the scarier the better. Then came The Tommyknockers and I was out. I’ve read Misery and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, both of which I loved, but I’ve avoided all other King content until someone highly recommended this audio book to me.
Billy Summers is a hit man about to take on his final assignment and then he’s retiring. Things go sort of as expected…until they don’t. I was completely blindsided by a major plot change but ultimately I enjoyed the direction that the story took after that. There is a “book within a book” device, as Billy is an Iraqi war vet who joined the Marines after spending years in a foster home, and he decided to bide his time by writing his story. There are also some Easter eggs that call back to King’s other stories (big ones from one of his high-profile novels, possibly others which I didn’t catch).
I really enjoyed this book and can report that this is not a horror novel in anyway.
Content warning: rape, intense war scenes.
Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, and War
Moderate: Gun violence
garlicbread247's review against another edition
Also, it felt like King wrote two different books and tried to merge them somehow (and I don't mean the "book within a book" - oh so it's actually three different plots).
For these reasons, I didn't finish Billy Summers (at 74%). Maybe I could have struggled through somehow, but the writing style killed it for me.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
nailartklaudia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
catcherntheryebread'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? No
5.0
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
franny__'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
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, and Violence
ju_harue'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
3.5
Relacionar a história de volta ao passado, com o ato libertador de colocar em palavras, através da escrita de um livro, foi ótimo.
Camadas de densidade de cada personagem que vai aparecendo, até culminar em transferir talvez o cargo de protagonista vs enredo, achei maravilhoso. Me motivou a ler mais obras.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and War
marine2907'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
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
emmasbookishself's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Billy Summers is a hired hit man, and he’s about to finish his final job. He immerses himself in this new community under the guise of a writer, working on a book. He becomes a neighbour and a friend, all while discovering that he’s enjoying writing… His own story.
This last job takes a turn when Billy accomplishes his final hit, but he doesn’t comply with the provided out. He fears it’s a set up. Billy manages to hideout under yet another identity but once again it gets messy when he discovers a young woman, Alice, beaten and bloody, left in the ditch outside his home.
The pair take to each other, and soon they’re two outlaws on the run together…
This kinship between Billy and Alice, could it be Stockholm Syndrome, or could it be two lost souls coming together to find a way to heal?
I felt very connected to the characters and was desperately hoping for a “happy” ending.. or as happy of an ending it could be. In a way, it was.. Alice gets a chance to start fresh and be whoever she wants to be. I think by Billy helping Alice accomplish that, it helped absolve some of the guilt he felt surrounding his sister’s death.
There are a lot of triggers in this book so be sure to check trigger warnings before reading!!
Favourite quotes:
“Fucking Marge!!”
“A stranger came, and he turned into a neighbour, but here’s the punchline, he turned out to be a stranger all along.”
“She’s in love with you, and she’ll follow you as long as you let her, and if you let her, you’ll ruin her.”
“When you give pain, it leaves a scar. It scars your mind, it scars your spirit, and it should because hurting someone, killing someone is no little thing.”
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail