epilogues's review against another edition
5.0
a begrudging fav!
i stumbled across a recommendation that pitched this as a horror comedy - as someone who doesn’t usually read this genre and doesn’t do well with horror, i went into it thinking i’d have a fun, casual time with some spooks on the side. a rookie mistake evidently! cut to five compelling hours later, i had to finish this in my flatmate’s room because i was absolutely terrified. the unreliable narrator, contemporary elements, plus an unexpectedly familiar setting made for a truly meta experience that had me questioning reality.
i initially rated this as 3 stars, mostly because i heavily disliked the narrator - but this speaks to jason arnopp’s skill in creating an effective unlikeable narrator. only when i explained the entire plot of the book to my flatmate (who conceded that my interrupting her night was justified) did i realise the brilliance of this book. the plot is meticulously crafted right from the start, there were so many twists and turns that i didn’t see coming which i thought i had figured out. if a movie adaptation ever comes out i will be seated, covering my eyes and watching! this book stuck with me, i’ll be taking a break before attempting another horror book :’)
i stumbled across a recommendation that pitched this as a horror comedy - as someone who doesn’t usually read this genre and doesn’t do well with horror, i went into it thinking i’d have a fun, casual time with some spooks on the side. a rookie mistake evidently! cut to five compelling hours later, i had to finish this in my flatmate’s room because i was absolutely terrified. the unreliable narrator, contemporary elements, plus an unexpectedly familiar setting made for a truly meta experience that had me questioning reality.
i initially rated this as 3 stars, mostly because i heavily disliked the narrator - but this speaks to jason arnopp’s skill in creating an effective unlikeable narrator. only when i explained the entire plot of the book to my flatmate (who conceded that my interrupting her night was justified) did i realise the brilliance of this book. the plot is meticulously crafted right from the start, there were so many twists and turns that i didn’t see coming which i thought i had figured out. if a movie adaptation ever comes out i will be seated, covering my eyes and watching! this book stuck with me, i’ll be taking a break before attempting another horror book :’)
austinhavens21's review against another edition
3.0
A weird one. Great premise that is strong for 3/4 then descends into insanity and is easy to lose the plot. Lots of fun moments though!
categal's review against another edition
3.0
I was looking for something to read while stuck on public transportation, and this fit the bill and so much more - what a fun read! Jack Sparks is a writer who writes about himself incessantly, and often not truthfully. He goes in search of debunking the paranormal, with great results - for the reader, that is.
katmurph12's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
too much man, creepy though so that was fun
tiffanie39e8e's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ryanodino's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
gavod's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
tobesmagobes's review against another edition
5.0
Glad I stuck with this because man I hated Jack at the beginning. Good thing I remembered that I found the recommendation on a thread about unreliable narrators in horror. The formatting of the edition is unhinged though: there are full chapter previews for other novels before the final chapter of the book. So I wouldn’t have read the entire thing if I didn’t have a habit of staying for the cutscene I guess
mellii's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. This was so fucking good, from start to finish. Can't really explain my thoughts but omg wtf yess?? Loved it
tacanderson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a very clever story. Without any spoilers - The good is how well the author wraps everything back in on itself and weaves the story together. The bad, if you read a story about a narcissist written in first person, you have to put up with a narcissistic narrator.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Incest and Pedophilia