mayaatmidnight's reviews
45 reviews

Always Raining Here 02 by Hazel + Bell

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emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

I absolutely loved reading Pet Sematary; I'd have to say it's one of my favorite books of all time. This story does a wonderful job of instilling a sense of dread in the reader which grows as the pages turn. It's a slow-burn type of story that doesn't try to shock you with loads of gore and tons of death - instead it slowly gets under your skin, filling you with unease and enticing you to read more. It's the type of fear that sneaks up on you.

One thing that I especially appreciate about this story is that the horrors that the family encounter are largely due to Lewis's choices, rather than them being attacked by some physical outside danger. The Pet Sematary holds power over the people of the town, influencing them to bury their deceased in hopes of them coming back to life, regardless of knowing the consequences. If Jud had never shown Lewis the cemetery beyond the deadfall, if Lewis had never decided to bury anyone there, nothing else would have happened to the family. The idea of being influenced to cause your own downfall, to me, is a terrifying concept. And as time goes on in the book, Lewis's mind gradually deteriorates, and because the audience is seeing the events of the book through his eyes, we essentially get to go insane along with him.

For anyone who is a fan of horror, I could not recommend this book enough.