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mcgbreads's reviews
1027 reviews
The Mist by Stephen King
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.0
A rare case where I feel like the movie is better, though I think I've only watched it once. I like the story and the themes it explores, and I think it does it well in a short length, I just wasn't particularly engaged or scared overall. Good audiobook to listen to while working, that's pretty much it.
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
I have a love/hate relationship with Stephen King's books and stories. It's not always a given that I'll enjoy them, but it's always exciting to explore them. This one might just be my favorite book of his so far. Like, wow.
I expected it to be good, but I didn't expect it to be this good. I already knew the story because I've watched a couple of movie adaptations, but the reading experience is its own thing and it's unbeatable.
This is elite Stephen King, in my opinion, and it's a book I definitely want in my library. The writing, the characterizations, the plot, the horror elements, the emotions... it all has so much depth. Just wonderful; it's a wonderful story. Very heartbreaking.
I did a bit of a tandem read with the audiobook and the ebook when I could pick my Kindle up because there's so much to highlight, so I will definitely be doing a reread when I get a copy. The audiobook was great, I highly recommend it. It's narrated by Michael C. Hall, a.k.a Dexter, and he was fantastic with it.
I expected it to be good, but I didn't expect it to be this good. I already knew the story because I've watched a couple of movie adaptations, but the reading experience is its own thing and it's unbeatable.
This is elite Stephen King, in my opinion, and it's a book I definitely want in my library. The writing, the characterizations, the plot, the horror elements, the emotions... it all has so much depth. Just wonderful; it's a wonderful story. Very heartbreaking.
I did a bit of a tandem read with the audiobook and the ebook when I could pick my Kindle up because there's so much to highlight, so I will definitely be doing a reread when I get a copy. The audiobook was great, I highly recommend it. It's narrated by Michael C. Hall, a.k.a Dexter, and he was fantastic with it.
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Solid Victorian ghost story, but it's lacking a little something for me. Don't get me wrong, this was creepy and it had good, tense moments, there's just something about it that didn't fully click for me to make it more effective. I'm honestly not sure what it is. Maybe the way the story is structured?
Or maybe it's just that I read it at a weird time when my brain couldn't fully immerse in any book because I was slumping a bit and had very limited time to sit and read. Whatever it may be, I didn't fall into this book as I expected.
That ending was quite something. I sort of expected something like that, but it was still surprising. The thing is, and this is my biggest con: it felt so rushed. That's one thing I'm certain of; the ending could've been more impactful if the twist had been set up a bit better, with breadcrumbs along the way, or throughout the last 30% of the book, and the execution had more meat to it.
That said, this was still good and creepy. I think it blended paranormal horror elements with mystery well, and I liked the dual timeline.
Or maybe it's just that I read it at a weird time when my brain couldn't fully immerse in any book because I was slumping a bit and had very limited time to sit and read. Whatever it may be, I didn't fall into this book as I expected.
That ending was quite something. I sort of expected something like that, but it was still surprising. The thing is, and this is my biggest con: it felt so rushed. That's one thing I'm certain of; the ending could've been more impactful if the twist had been set up a bit better, with breadcrumbs along the way, or throughout the last 30% of the book, and the execution had more meat to it.
That said, this was still good and creepy. I think it blended paranormal horror elements with mystery well, and I liked the dual timeline.
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
dark
mysterious
reflective
3.5
I don't think I've read a book like this one before. I thought it would be grief mixed with horror, but it's more grief mixed with magical realism and a little gore. Some of the imagery in this book is crazy, I loved it.
I don't think grief is explored as deeply as I expected it to be, though. These characters do keep a distance from their grief and how they talk about it, so I didn't find it to be as emotional as I was expecting. I was expecting to be wrecked by this story, but I wasn't. It was like I was watching it from above, you know? I was detached. I only felt something at the end, cause it was sad, but I don't feel like the writing style engaged me as much as I wanted to be engaged by it.
That said, it's a unique story and though I feel the characters lacked some depth, I did enjoy my time with this book.
I don't think grief is explored as deeply as I expected it to be, though. These characters do keep a distance from their grief and how they talk about it, so I didn't find it to be as emotional as I was expecting. I was expecting to be wrecked by this story, but I wasn't. It was like I was watching it from above, you know? I was detached. I only felt something at the end, cause it was sad, but I don't feel like the writing style engaged me as much as I wanted to be engaged by it.
That said, it's a unique story and though I feel the characters lacked some depth, I did enjoy my time with this book.
The Ash-Born Boy by V.E. Schwab
dark
emotional
4.0
Cole's backstory was so good! I was a bit more engaged in this than I was in The Near Witch, but that's probably because this is a short story and because I already loved Cole as a character and was interested in him, which wouldn't have happened without The Near Witch. Heartbreaking and darkly beautiful; I loved it.
The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab, V.E. Schwab
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.5
"Part fairy tale, part love story" says the description, and that's exactly correct. I really enjoyed this audiobook. The story felt like a fairy tale, indeed, and was very engaging. It's nothing out of the ordinary or unexpected in terms of what happens, what the characters are like, and how the story unfolds, it's just a solid, dark fantasy story. The writing felt a little less "Schwaby" to me (I don't know how to explain it) than the other stories I've read so far, but it was still quite lovely. Overall, it's nothing to write home about, but I enjoyed it.
Spy x Family, Vol. 12 by Tatsuya Endo
funny
tense
fast-paced
5.0
This was so tense, wtf. And that cliffhanger???? Foul. I need Vol. 13 ASAP.
Narraciones extraordinarias by Edgar Allan Poe
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Es una muy buena antología de cuentos, me gustó mucho la selección. Una que otra no me cuadró, pero es imposible que me gusten todos los cuentos en una antología. Algunas fueron nuevas para mí porque no he explorado el trabajo de Edgar Allan Poe a profundiad, pero la mayoría ya las había leído hace años y me gustó mucho volver a visitarlas. Esta edición es preciosa, me encantaron las illustraciones con ese estilo macabro y deforme; complementan muy bien las historias y el tono que tienen.
Gallant by V.E. Schwab
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Okay, so this is categorized as YA, but I would argue middle grade is more fitting. I read it as a middle grade and I'm reviewing it as such.
This was a lot better than I expected because several of the BookTubers I watch didn't vibe with it. I vibed with it very much! I started with the audiobook and then switched to ebook + audiobook for the second half when I got done with work because the writing was so beautiful that I just had to highlight stuff.
That's one thing about my experience so far with V. E. Schwab, her writing is exquisite to me. I love the way she describes, characterizes, and sets the mood in her stories. This was no exception. I loved the main character and was very invested in what was happening.
I agree that it's a bit of a slow read, particularly in the first half, and the ending is very anticlimactic and just... easy. But, overall, I really connected to this and was enchanted by the writing. The themes of loss, grief, and desire for family, connection, and a home, mixed with whimsical horror fantasy elements really worked for me.
The audiobook for this was great, I really enjoyed the narrator, but I do recommend checking out the ebook or physical book because the cover is beautiful, the illustrations are gorgeous, and it's easier to tell when the book switches to diary entries.
This was a lot better than I expected because several of the BookTubers I watch didn't vibe with it. I vibed with it very much! I started with the audiobook and then switched to ebook + audiobook for the second half when I got done with work because the writing was so beautiful that I just had to highlight stuff.
That's one thing about my experience so far with V. E. Schwab, her writing is exquisite to me. I love the way she describes, characterizes, and sets the mood in her stories. This was no exception. I loved the main character and was very invested in what was happening.
I agree that it's a bit of a slow read, particularly in the first half, and the ending is very anticlimactic and just... easy. But, overall, I really connected to this and was enchanted by the writing. The themes of loss, grief, and desire for family, connection, and a home, mixed with whimsical horror fantasy elements really worked for me.
The audiobook for this was great, I really enjoyed the narrator, but I do recommend checking out the ebook or physical book because the cover is beautiful, the illustrations are gorgeous, and it's easier to tell when the book switches to diary entries.