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A review by rmnedder
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
This book was really intriguing. It had such a strong start, a really interesting premise, and some fantastic ideas. The motif of cycles and the way the author deals with generational trauma as an aspect of horror is particularly interesting, as is the entire character of Oliver.
Unfortunately, this book ultimately felt way too busy. There is so much going on at all times, there are so many plot threads to follow, there are so many tertiary characters - it feels stuffed to the point of bursting and it ultimately left me feeling overwhelmed. There were so many fantastic concepts and ideas in here that could have been compelling as their own story, but since they were woven in and out of this story I felt like they were less impactful than they could have been. Honestly, this book could have been about 20% shorter without all the fluff and filler in the plot and dialogue, and it would have been better for it.
Also, all the random semi-irrelevant political tangents in here were weird. I'm a firm believer that a lot of good horror is inherently political, but this didn't feel inherent - it felt like the author was Attempting to insert politics into this book in a way that was both inelegant and ineffectual, since like 95% of it was not relevant to any plot or true character development.
Overall, not a bad book! It's got some good bones and some brilliant moments, but it kinda manages to get in its own way sometimes.
Unfortunately, this book ultimately felt way too busy. There is so much going on at all times, there are so many plot threads to follow, there are so many tertiary characters - it feels stuffed to the point of bursting and it ultimately left me feeling overwhelmed. There were so many fantastic concepts and ideas in here that could have been compelling as their own story, but since they were woven in and out of this story I felt like they were less impactful than they could have been. Honestly, this book could have been about 20% shorter without all the fluff and filler in the plot and dialogue, and it would have been better for it.
Also, all the random semi-irrelevant political tangents in here were weird. I'm a firm believer that a lot of good horror is inherently political, but this didn't feel inherent - it felt like the author was Attempting to insert politics into this book in a way that was both inelegant and ineffectual, since like 95% of it was not relevant to any plot or true character development.
Overall, not a bad book! It's got some good bones and some brilliant moments, but it kinda manages to get in its own way sometimes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Blood
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Alcohol