thaydra's review against another edition
3.0
Slow to get my attention. The story behind what happened to Alicia in her youth was intriguing enough eventually to get me to want to finish the book. However, the story seemed disjointed, and I'm not sure what all of the different parts meant. It seemed like she had started with some good ideas, but didn't really know how to put them all together. I'm not sure how Mr. Wicker actually fit in with Alicia's back story, or what his story had to do with why he runs the library or why he got put there in the first place, or how Dr. Farron fit in with everything.
twocents's review against another edition
2.0
I picked it up expecting a horror novel, and instead I got a weird, cliched romance triangle. Not pleased about the switcheroo, and struggled to get through the actual novel.
triptychdreams's review
5.0
Wow.
Dark, loving, brutal, heartbreaking, disturbing, devastating. This book surprised and moved me in ways I never expected, and I can already feel, only seconds after reading the last words, that it will continue to sear my soul for years to come.
Dark, loving, brutal, heartbreaking, disturbing, devastating. This book surprised and moved me in ways I never expected, and I can already feel, only seconds after reading the last words, that it will continue to sear my soul for years to come.
evavroslin's review against another edition
4.0
Alicia Baum is a horror writer who thinks she has successfully committed suicide only to end up across from a demon called Mr. Wicker. He wants to subject her to all kinds of vile things and she ends up more confused to have ended up from being with him to being in a psych ward, which would be jarring for anyone.
One of the praise quotes compares the author to an angrier Neil Gaiman, but after reading "Mr. Wicker," I sensed more of a Clive Barker feel to it. One of the aspects that most resonated with me was that Alicia seemed to have "lost it" as in her writing mojo to the point that she felt she wasn't a writer anymore. Another aspect I liked was Alicia's simultaneous revulsion of--and desire for--Mr. Wicker. As the book went on, the story became more intriguing.
Though some of Alicia's behaviour was erratic, violent and unstable, I sympathized with her and the struggles she'd gone through. The tension between Alicia and Dr. Farron also added to the narrative, making things more complex and interesting. What stood out to me most was the attention to characterization from the most major players to the ravens associated with Mr. Wicker, which brought back shades of the "Sandman" graphic novel series from Neil Gaiman.
One of my quibbles was that I didn't enjoy the sections involving the history of Mr. Wicker and the past lives coming full circle to the present day, which, although it was vital to the overall story felt like it dragged for me at times. Still, Mr. Wicker was as much a tragic figure as Alicia, a tormented antagonist with his own nuances and complexities. Although I initially didn't care for the forays into the past, by the end, Alexander did tie up the loose ends and everything made sense as things began to click into place for Alicia.
"Mr. Wicker" doesn't follow the usual trajectory of "bad guy threatens to get in good guy's way, good guy fights bad guy, good guy wins, happily ever after," which made it that much more of an impactful tale. If you're looking for cookie cutter fantasy, look somewhere else. This book is dark urban fantasy that's a breath of fresh air.
One of the praise quotes compares the author to an angrier Neil Gaiman, but after reading "Mr. Wicker," I sensed more of a Clive Barker feel to it. One of the aspects that most resonated with me was that Alicia seemed to have "lost it" as in her writing mojo to the point that she felt she wasn't a writer anymore. Another aspect I liked was Alicia's simultaneous revulsion of--and desire for--Mr. Wicker. As the book went on, the story became more intriguing.
Though some of Alicia's behaviour was erratic, violent and unstable, I sympathized with her and the struggles she'd gone through. The tension between Alicia and Dr. Farron also added to the narrative, making things more complex and interesting. What stood out to me most was the attention to characterization from the most major players to the ravens associated with Mr. Wicker, which brought back shades of the "Sandman" graphic novel series from Neil Gaiman.
One of my quibbles was that I didn't enjoy the sections involving the history of Mr. Wicker and the past lives coming full circle to the present day, which, although it was vital to the overall story felt like it dragged for me at times. Still, Mr. Wicker was as much a tragic figure as Alicia, a tormented antagonist with his own nuances and complexities. Although I initially didn't care for the forays into the past, by the end, Alexander did tie up the loose ends and everything made sense as things began to click into place for Alicia.
"Mr. Wicker" doesn't follow the usual trajectory of "bad guy threatens to get in good guy's way, good guy fights bad guy, good guy wins, happily ever after," which made it that much more of an impactful tale. If you're looking for cookie cutter fantasy, look somewhere else. This book is dark urban fantasy that's a breath of fresh air.
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