traceyh's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
sad
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
4.0
orizenda's review against another edition
challenging
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I liked this book but not fully. I think I just didn’t care about Frank that much for some reason. like he’s just some guy. guess i’d rather have it from dora’s perspective.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Infertility, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Confinement
aristocraticraven's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Though Buehlman’s writing is quite lush and beautiful, and I understand that this book is set in the 1930s, I felt that his use of racial slurs was excessive and seemingly took advantage of the setting to use those slurs as often as possible. I was also very disappointed in the reveal of the main villain. As if the use of slurs throughout the book wasn’t bad enough. I had hoped for some redemption, and maybe that’s what Buehlman was going for with what happens to the protagonist, but I don’t think it was well-executed nor does it make up for the blatant racism throughout the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Racism
kelnej's review against another edition
2.0
1.5.
I'M SO LET DOWN. If I wanted to read a book about. For a book that is under the "horror" genre, I was expecting more. But Mr. Buehlman see's fit to provide unnecessary details to the narrator's healthy sex life, which, yawn, and his nightmares. I don't know about other readers, but I stopped reading the nightmares after the third one and just skipped them entirely, and 100% did not miss a beat of the book. Also, wtf was the two times the narrator gives unneeded details about nipples?????
It had all the build up and I was actually mildly creeped out one night after reading it, but it feels like the author ran out of steam and took the easy way out with the "Look-a-roo's". Because that + the anticlimactic ending does not pair with the ground-work laid in the first half of the book.
I'M SO LET DOWN. If I wanted to read a book about
Spoiler
werewolves, I WOULD READ A BOOK ABOUT WEREWOLVESIt had all the build up and I was actually mildly creeped out one night after reading it, but it feels like the author ran out of steam and took the easy way out with the "Look-a-roo's". Because that + the anticlimactic ending does not pair with the ground-work laid in the first half of the book.
sporsh's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not 100% sure of my feelings on this one, I'd probably give it a 3.5 rounded up to 4. I really love the plot idea and setting (especially because I have a mild obsession with ), and I liked getting to know the residents of the town while unravelling the mystery. The atmosphere was very strong and there were some very creepy and thrilling scenes when things started to pick up.
The 2 main characters, Frank and Eudora, fell kind of flat for me though. I did like how Frank was flawed, but in some cases too much so, such as when he leered at and "flirted" with a literal 14 year old which was just weird - and never really addressed or built into his character development. Eudora was pretty much just there to be an author fantasy, this amazingly hot 12 years younger woman who every guy she meets is smitten with and she bangs the protagonist every chapter. She seemed more like a prop than a character.
The villains were a bit underdeveloped too, I didn't feel quite satisfied at the end and the "main" villain wasn't very fleshed out at all. Overall I enjoyed it, it had a cool concept, some memorable scenes and nice prose, but some characters needed more development and it dragged on at parts.
Spoiler
werewolvesThe 2 main characters, Frank and Eudora, fell kind of flat for me though. I did like how Frank was flawed, but in some cases too much so, such as when he leered at and "flirted" with a literal 14 year old which was just weird - and never really addressed or built into his character development. Eudora was pretty much just there to be an author fantasy, this amazingly hot 12 years younger woman who every guy she meets is smitten with and she bangs the protagonist every chapter. She seemed more like a prop than a character.
The villains were a bit underdeveloped too, I didn't feel quite satisfied at the end and the "main" villain wasn't very fleshed out at all. Overall I enjoyed it, it had a cool concept, some memorable scenes and nice prose, but some characters needed more development and it dragged on at parts.
dipt_in_folly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ereid641's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
interpretagain's review against another edition
4.0
Creepy
This is very good especially considering it is a first book. Interesting take on an old legend. The author manages to genuinely horrify the reader with some scenes. I did not like the CODA.
This is very good especially considering it is a first book. Interesting take on an old legend. The author manages to genuinely horrify the reader with some scenes. I did not like the CODA.