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deathbypaperbacks's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I enjoyed this book more then I did. I absolutely love carnival settings and the revenge plot was fun and aggressive. However I just found the writing to be very repetitive and somewhat boring. There were exciting parts, but overall a bland turn out for such a fun idea.
I was also very disappointed with how quickly I felt it ended. There was a lot of build up for such a quick end and unsatisfying end.
I was also very disappointed with how quickly I felt it ended. There was a lot of build up for such a quick end and unsatisfying end.
eimalouise's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read this when I was 11. It has lived with me ever since. I go back regularly to re-read.
jbrown_leo's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely not one of my favorites. It was a somewhat interesting storyline yet not too terribly unique. And for the most part it was more suspenseful and scary, which I don’t usually mind from Koontz but usually when he’s not scary he’s at least funny and this really wasn’t funny either. He does mention in the Afterward that he wrote this book based on a screenplay which explains why it isn’t great. Overall not a complete waste of time just definitely not his best.
terriblelynne's review against another edition
It just got boring and predictable to me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Ableism, and Child abuse
pn_hinton's review against another edition
2.0
I was left wanting with this one. It was not my least favorite by Koontz (that 'honor' goes to "Your Heart Belongs to Me") but it was not a favorite or one I would even return to. This book was pretty anti-climatic and I dislike that in books, especially when there is such a huge build up like there was here and everything is resolved in two pages. Plus there were a lot of loose threads left hanging with no resolution and that was disappointing as well.
I get that this was based on a screenplay (since it was a case where that came first) but I felt like there were other unnecessary aspects that could have been trimmed off or even a bit of an epilogue to let people know how the ends tied up. True the characters were clichéd but this was 80's horror so with the exception of Liz (who annoyed me because she reminded me of a vulgar Peppermint Patty) it was almost forgivable.
Pretty much this was one that I will likely forget reading. I do like Koontz but more of his later works it appears like the ones that are just thrillers (not horror) or the Odd Thomas books. If you're looking for something that reminds you of the slasher pics of the 80's pick this up. If not you may want to pass it on by.
I get that this was based on a screenplay (since it was a case where that came first) but I felt like there were other unnecessary aspects that could have been trimmed off or even a bit of an epilogue to let people know how the ends tied up. True the characters were clichéd but this was 80's horror so with the exception of Liz (who annoyed me because she reminded me of a vulgar Peppermint Patty) it was almost forgivable.
Pretty much this was one that I will likely forget reading. I do like Koontz but more of his later works it appears like the ones that are just thrillers (not horror) or the Odd Thomas books. If you're looking for something that reminds you of the slasher pics of the 80's pick this up. If not you may want to pass it on by.
dananoel's review against another edition
4.0
My first Dean Koontz book that I finished! Yay! Thanks for the rec baby!
wombat_88's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
alyssa_christine's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.5
Only issue I really had was the pace was a little slow at some points. But I think even in those parts, the information was necessary to the story. Had a really good build up, and I think a really good ending.
steviepenn's review against another edition
5.0
This one really scared the crap out of me if memory serves me
tracic0384's review against another edition
5.0
This was my first Dean Knootz novel. It was exactly what I was looking for a gory, gruesome time at a carnival. It started from the first chapter and wrapped up at the end really nicely. It was a perfect read for spooky season.