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souleater99's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
kimbekaw's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
unfranchisablereadr's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. I don’t think the play format is for me. I feel like I lose the atmosphere
stephanieluxton's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This review has spoilers.
Reading a play is a little different but I am a big fan of live theatre so I was excited to give it a go.
Was it good? No, not really.
The concept had some potential. But there isn't a good enough rise and fall of action here. I know plays have to be dialogue heavy but the beginning is a ton of talking and then the rest of the play feels rushed.
The box is weird because most of the stuff in it doesn't seem to mean anything? I thought each item would have a purpose. And what did the boxer want Greg to mail him? We never find that out.
The motives for the villain were stupid. Also the entity didn't actually have any effect on the story. It doesn't do anything except be spooky in 2 scenes. What's the odds that the boxer just happens to live near our main characters? And why is he so obsessed with making Greg appreciate Alice more? Like who in their right mind commits crimes to make a random dude realize his girlfriend means a lot to him?
This book is less than 100 pages but a dog still dies. Did the entity kill the dog or the boxer? Did the entity install a camera in their home or was that the boxer? Did the entity kidnap Alice or the boxer? What the heck happened? The boxer is just a dude. Idk why he's like all powerful or why he has an underground bunker in the park. Maybe he's like the witch doctor dude from Disney's Princess and the Frog. Idk man.
The moral of the story is that your loved ones should always be a priority over everything else. The ending was weird though because Greg didn't need to quit his youtube channel and throw away his career goals just to spend more time with Alice. Is Alice going to be the breadwinner now? Who's going to pay the bills?! Also, even though Greg lashed out at Alice in the beginning and did mean things, Alice should also know better to respect when Greg is working as she's well aware of the nature of his job and how important it is to him and their lifestyle.
I think Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill would be a better option if you want to see what happens when a guy buys a ghost.
Reading a play is a little different but I am a big fan of live theatre so I was excited to give it a go.
Was it good? No, not really.
The concept had some potential. But there isn't a good enough rise and fall of action here. I know plays have to be dialogue heavy but the beginning is a ton of talking and then the rest of the play feels rushed.
The box is weird because most of the stuff in it doesn't seem to mean anything? I thought each item would have a purpose. And what did the boxer want Greg to mail him? We never find that out.
The motives for the villain were stupid. Also the entity didn't actually have any effect on the story. It doesn't do anything except be spooky in 2 scenes. What's the odds that the boxer just happens to live near our main characters? And why is he so obsessed with making Greg appreciate Alice more? Like who in their right mind commits crimes to make a random dude realize his girlfriend means a lot to him?
This book is less than 100 pages but a dog still dies. Did the entity kill the dog or the boxer? Did the entity install a camera in their home or was that the boxer? Did the entity kidnap Alice or the boxer? What the heck happened? The boxer is just a dude. Idk why he's like all powerful or why he has an underground bunker in the park. Maybe he's like the witch doctor dude from Disney's Princess and the Frog. Idk man.
The moral of the story is that your loved ones should always be a priority over everything else. The ending was weird though because Greg didn't need to quit his youtube channel and throw away his career goals just to spend more time with Alice. Is Alice going to be the breadwinner now? Who's going to pay the bills?! Also, even though Greg lashed out at Alice in the beginning and did mean things, Alice should also know better to respect when Greg is working as she's well aware of the nature of his job and how important it is to him and their lifestyle.
I think Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill would be a better option if you want to see what happens when a guy buys a ghost.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Minor: Animal death
beastreader's review against another edition
2.0
I have read a few books in play format. They are unique and can add an element to a story. I was drawn to this book first by the book cover and second by the concept of the story. I got both the audio and ebook versions of this book. Which I started out with the audio version.
When I got to the halfway point of the audio book, I realized that I could not remember a thing that had happened. Therefore, I read the ebook as I thought maybe it was the narrator that might have been the issue. No, it was not the narrator.
Both Alice and Greg were not very likable. Greg more than Alice. The events that transpired after Greg opened the mystery box were not goosebump worthy to me. In fact, I found myself at times re-reading passages as I was like that is it. Overall, I liked the concept and the play format but not very scary to me.
When I got to the halfway point of the audio book, I realized that I could not remember a thing that had happened. Therefore, I read the ebook as I thought maybe it was the narrator that might have been the issue. No, it was not the narrator.
Both Alice and Greg were not very likable. Greg more than Alice. The events that transpired after Greg opened the mystery box were not goosebump worthy to me. In fact, I found myself at times re-reading passages as I was like that is it. Overall, I liked the concept and the play format but not very scary to me.
classicbhaer's review against another edition
5.0
Great plot and writing, great horror aspect and I like the used of an online "celebrity". I knew I would enjoy this play, but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, I finished it in a single sitting.
sarina_langer's review against another edition
5.0
Friends, this book was an EXPERIENCE! I've read nearly every book by Briana Morgan, and this is her first journey into horror - and what a triumph it is. This author belongs to horror. I hope she'll write many more books in this genre, because she owned it here.
Unboxed is a short play. I'm a slow reader and read it in one sitting. And may I recommend you read it at night by candlelight? You're welcome.
It developed beautifully and flowed smoothly. The characters were real, and I think anyone who's been in a long-term relationship will be able to relate to Greg and Alice's fight to some degree. What follows that fight is a nightmare, and my heart will be forever broken for Rocco.
If you love a quick disturbing horror, then you won't want to miss this when it comes out in July!
My thanks to the author for letting me have an ARC copy.
Unboxed is a short play. I'm a slow reader and read it in one sitting. And may I recommend you read it at night by candlelight? You're welcome.
It developed beautifully and flowed smoothly. The characters were real, and I think anyone who's been in a long-term relationship will be able to relate to Greg and Alice's fight to some degree. What follows that fight is a nightmare, and my heart will be forever broken for Rocco.
If you love a quick disturbing horror, then you won't want to miss this when it comes out in July!
My thanks to the author for letting me have an ARC copy.
michael_benavidez's review against another edition
4.0
I should admit that I've never been fond of reading scripts. There's something about the format that doesn't read well for my brain, be it not being able to imagine what's happening or just losing interest in the story because of that script format.
However, with many on and off readings (more due to my real life stuff rather than being the book's fault) I found myself genuinely intrigued by the story. While I may put it down for periods at a time, I would constantly come back to it. And each time I did, I found myself captivated by what was happening.
The characters were vivid, their personalities coming through. The build up into the story was decently paced, and the done as organically as one could do with such a plot. Overall, I enjoyed it and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
However, with many on and off readings (more due to my real life stuff rather than being the book's fault) I found myself genuinely intrigued by the story. While I may put it down for periods at a time, I would constantly come back to it. And each time I did, I found myself captivated by what was happening.
The characters were vivid, their personalities coming through. The build up into the story was decently paced, and the done as organically as one could do with such a plot. Overall, I enjoyed it and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
bergamotandbooks's review against another edition
5.0
5 STARS
Greg Zipper is a paranormal vlogger whose livelihood relies on his online popularity. When a fight between him and his girlfriend goes viral for all the wrong reasons, Greg purchases a dark web mystery box in hopes of restoring his audience's faith in him and hitting one million subscribers.
But when Greg opens the box, he gets much more than he bargained for, including a Boxer who’s determined to stop him from taking his loved ones for granted. Now Greg must do all he can to stop the Boxer, or else he'll lose his livelihood - along with the woman he loves.
.
.
.
I didn't realize that UNBOXED was written as a play until I began reading but I have to say that I really enjoyed that format! It made for a quick read and allowed my own imagination to run wild and fill in the gaps. I was picturing a small stage performance the whole time I was reading and honestly, I would pay good money to see this live!
Honestly, I don't have much more to say about UNBOXED since the synopsis explains the general plot so well but I would definitely recommend this to any horror buffs out there! It was a fun, entertaining read and i look forward to reading more by this author in the near future.
Greg Zipper is a paranormal vlogger whose livelihood relies on his online popularity. When a fight between him and his girlfriend goes viral for all the wrong reasons, Greg purchases a dark web mystery box in hopes of restoring his audience's faith in him and hitting one million subscribers.
But when Greg opens the box, he gets much more than he bargained for, including a Boxer who’s determined to stop him from taking his loved ones for granted. Now Greg must do all he can to stop the Boxer, or else he'll lose his livelihood - along with the woman he loves.
.
.
.
I didn't realize that UNBOXED was written as a play until I began reading but I have to say that I really enjoyed that format! It made for a quick read and allowed my own imagination to run wild and fill in the gaps. I was picturing a small stage performance the whole time I was reading and honestly, I would pay good money to see this live!
Honestly, I don't have much more to say about UNBOXED since the synopsis explains the general plot so well but I would definitely recommend this to any horror buffs out there! It was a fun, entertaining read and i look forward to reading more by this author in the near future.