mistylyn's review
1.0
One star...it was just that bad. Ridiculously unlikable characters, a dismal setting and no real plot all work together to make this a short story you will want to consider skipping altogether...unless you’re masochistic beyond measure.
shanaqui's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Meh? Both of the characters are awful; the premise is that the hotter the temperatures in the world, the more horrible people will be.
Implying that people in very hot countries are already awful, I suppose.
Implying that people in very hot countries are already awful, I suppose.
bleonard's review
2.0
Ehhhh. Well-written, and suspenseful, but feels ultimately way too repetitive for my liking. There's also no real depth to the characters, which leads to his portrayal of the female characters as being a little, as they say, problematic. And the ending is just weird. If I have to flip back to the start of the story three or four times to figure out what you're trying to say and I'm still not sure...maybe not with that.
bookloversboudoir's review
4.0
https://thebookloversboudoir.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/controller-by-jessekellerman/
This is my first time reading the author.
Controller is a good story even though it has nothing to do with climate change or a vision of a dark possible future. This is a story about a power play between a bed-ridden cantankerous old woman and her put-upon son. The fact the story takes place during an unseasonably hot winter is glossed over. I liked the intense, often disturbing relationship between mother and son. The tug-of-war between them over the air conditioner controller is intense and disturbing. Who will crack first? Controller is an enjoyable story if not what I was expecting.
This is my first time reading the author.
Controller is a good story even though it has nothing to do with climate change or a vision of a dark possible future. This is a story about a power play between a bed-ridden cantankerous old woman and her put-upon son. The fact the story takes place during an unseasonably hot winter is glossed over. I liked the intense, often disturbing relationship between mother and son. The tug-of-war between them over the air conditioner controller is intense and disturbing. Who will crack first? Controller is an enjoyable story if not what I was expecting.
hananas's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
apatter7's review
2.0
By the end, I was ready to strangle the guys mother for him. She was beyond annoying. I listened to the audio version and the guy did the voice perfectly. I guess its good when a book makes you feel something but I'm glad to be finished with this one.
hannahcorness's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
rjsthumbelina's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sunny76's review
3.0
Part of the Warmer collection from Amazon Prime. Caregiver son lives with his Mother who can't walk - or can she? She controls the house and keeps the temp well above what anyone would consider normal in the summertime. Is the son loosing it or is the mother the one that is crazy? (free prime read)
heather_lt's review
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Set in the near-future, in a world where the climate has heated up to really uncomfortable temperatures, this short story zooms in on a mother and son duo who are somewhat at war over the thermostat. It would be laughable if the mother wasn't so abusive and the heat wasn't driving the son, quite literally, to madness.
I didn't like this one very much, and not because I'm intolerant to heat and it was making me itchy just reading about the temperatures referenced in this story. Probably because I'm not into psychological thriller type stories. It didn't grip me and I had to trudge through it. So hard going. But I will say it was a unique perspective to read about and for that it was interesting. A snapshot of life during the worsening of the climate which I'm beginning to understand is the focus of this collection of stories.
I didn't like this one very much, and not because I'm intolerant to heat and it was making me itchy just reading about the temperatures referenced in this story. Probably because I'm not into psychological thriller type stories. It didn't grip me and I had to trudge through it. So hard going. But I will say it was a unique perspective to read about and for that it was interesting. A snapshot of life during the worsening of the climate which I'm beginning to understand is the focus of this collection of stories.