The narrative on this one was excellent, but I have a lot of questions, such as how anyone can devote years of their life to a trial, how a trial can The narrative on this one was excellent, but I have a lot of questions, such as how anyone can devote years of their life to a trial, how a trial can take this many consecutive years to conclude, and how many trials are happening in Tokyo at the same time.
I also hope never to need to go on trial there. In a way it is a bit like being in jail for years while a case is built against/for you.
Worth a read. He's a serial rapist at the very least.
I highly recommend the audio version of this. Delanie Nicole Gill’s voice acting lifted this one up to a whole other experience in the creep factor! FI highly recommend the audio version of this. Delanie Nicole Gill’s voice acting lifted this one up to a whole other experience in the creep factor! From that first opening sentence, she gives 8-year-old Bela a voice that lets you know you are in for a ride of horror and suspense.
Josh Malerman gives his readers a LOT to love in this horrific haunting. Bela is a spectacular character, even if her parents are less than stellar.
There are some interesting characters, but by the time the séance and security protocols are involved, it gets a bit much.
The "loss of innocence" could have gone many different ways.
Overall, everything up to leaving the house with many rooms was 5-star material, but everything after brought it down to a 4-star for me.
I liked the case of the author, and the things going on behind the scenes. Kay being a target may get tiresome if it is every book, but I guess it wasI liked the case of the author, and the things going on behind the scenes. Kay being a target may get tiresome if it is every book, but I guess it was the same with Alex Cross.
I forgot how much nonstop smoking there was in the early 90s. It's pretty cringe to read about in 2024, haha.
I will continue on; I love the scientific bits that are thrown in.
Grant County is substantially darker than most of Will Trent. Karin Slaughter seems to be taking out of all of her anger at the injustices done to womGrant County is substantially darker than most of Will Trent. Karin Slaughter seems to be taking out of all of her anger at the injustices done to women here, and honestly good for her.
Lots of character development on a mostly darker slant.
Sara Linton- much self-guilt and self-exploration here. I liked the softer parts with Jeff and the strong parts at her clinic.
Chief Jeffrey Tolliver is surprisingly the softest character in the book, which I guess was echoed and expounded upon by Will Trent. In this one, he has a lot of the "Why won't you just let me love you" trope with Sara. The guilt of having to shoot someone and not knowing if it was the right choice.
Lena Adams-This one was almost more demanding on her than the first book. Dark connections with dark people, darkness in her own mind. I love how the relationship with her uncle and her career struggle developed. It's amazing how she can still accomplish anything, but she is a badass in her own way.
TW: Pedophiles, incest, cutting, teen pregnancy, genital mutilation, torture, suicide by police, death and dismemberment of an infant, attempted suicide, etc.
It was fun to have so much of the book involve my home state and places I have spent much time in. I have always been curious about what a peyote visiIt was fun to have so much of the book involve my home state and places I have spent much time in. I have always been curious about what a peyote vision trip would be like.
I can't believe Walt didn't react more to that last-second news.
This was a great one for the further evolution of Henry as a character, even though I always wanted more.
The reservation was the main setting, and the mystery was a bit convoluted.
A good one for showing that we all have craziness going on in our lives, but when someone takes a chance on us, it can make a big difference.
Chris Whitaker has woven together a richly developed cast of characters. This is a bit of a saga as it spans more than 25 years of these characters' lChris Whitaker has woven together a richly developed cast of characters. This is a bit of a saga as it spans more than 25 years of these characters' lives (starting in 1976 and ending in 2001).
Narrated through the eyes of Patch, a one-eyes boy who revels in his disability and takes on the persona of a pirate. He ends up kidnapped in place of one of the girls, and his plight to save and locate the rest of the girls ends up consuming him.
Saint, whose neverending search leads her to a life in law enforcement, constant feelings of inadequacy, and a struggle between her drive and her strict religious upbringing.
Misty, a girl who was saved yet feels unworthy of the life she was given.
Charlotte comes in later to narrate and enrich the story's further development as it grows. I love that Charlotte brings in some random, witty, foul-mouthed comedic relief in an otherwise mostly serious novel.
Ancillary characters abound, and Chris Whitaker does not waste the significance of characters.
I absolutely loved the details of the search for the missing and coinciding with the search for the serial killer. I love that the characters were flawed and real.
However, something about this just kind of started to feel TOO long. There are a LOT LOT LOT of chapters, to the point that it was kind of crazy. More than 200 chapters is insane. Sometimes in the last third of the book, I just wanted to skip ahead and see what happened. I think it drug on a bit too long.
This was my first novel by the author; he is obviously very talented. I will be picking up other novels in the near future.
It was great to see Walt deal with a case that devoted more time to tribal spiritualism and to have a different tone foLOVED how Native this one got!
It was great to see Walt deal with a case that devoted more time to tribal spiritualism and to have a different tone for this book. While I missed many regular ancillary characters, this was a great internal look into what Walt stands for.
I think this was a necessary healing that he needed and will bring greater strength to his character moving forward.
I loved this until the end when it felt like I was missing pages, but nope, that was it.
The most hilarious part was when a character is pushed off toI loved this until the end when it felt like I was missing pages, but nope, that was it.
The most hilarious part was when a character is pushed off to their death. I know that's irreverent of me, but for some reason, the way it was written made me think of about a thousand ways to parody it.
I loved Spindrift; wish I liked the ancillary characters more and wanted a bit more of the history.
The Abarat: a vast archipelago where every island is a different hour of the day, from the sunlit wonders of Three in the Afternoon, where dragons roaThe Abarat: a vast archipelago where every island is a different hour of the day, from the sunlit wonders of Three in the Afternoon, where dragons roam, to the dark terrors of the island of Midnight, ruled by Christopher Carrion.
I have only read Horror novels by Clive Barker, and I wasn't prepared for how whimsical and lyrically beautiful this would be.
I love the motley crew and the sea battle.
The way that the "real world" is portrayed as a type of heaven to the Abarat.
I love the ideas of the islands and all of their different traits.
This starts out with a girl and her mother and the pond of water they guard from animals and enemies so that they have enough water.
Before long, the tThis starts out with a girl and her mother and the pond of water they guard from animals and enemies so that they have enough water.
Before long, the teenager, Lynn ends up having to leave their home in search for a way to survive on her own.
Along the way, she encounters different groups of people, one that she has seen before, and a romantic potential.
Many dystopian topics that you may expect come up, including a lot of women being more of a commodity than a human.
I'm not sure that there's anything that I would pinpoint as being a standout from any other dystopian novel, but I liked the narrative style, and the pacing was pretty good. It was easy to sit down and get through this one quickly.
This could have been a standalone, but I am intrigued by what a 2nd novel will bring to the table
Before reading this, I didn't know much about the Cook County hospital or Dr. Cory Franklin, but it was enjoyable.
A lot went on at this Chicago hospitBefore reading this, I didn't know much about the Cook County hospital or Dr. Cory Franklin, but it was enjoyable.
A lot went on at this Chicago hospital, and Franklin shared some of his best stories throughout his career.
The only negative thing is that, in talking about the hubris of doctors, he also has his own, which comes through in some of the stories. It wasn't overly unexpected, but still a bit off-putting.
Phoebe Townsend has an obsession with breaking things down and learning all about them from a scientific standpoint.
Her obsession started around the Phoebe Townsend has an obsession with breaking things down and learning all about them from a scientific standpoint.
Her obsession started around the age of 10, and her main area of interest is all things related to the human reproductive parts and anything sexual in nature.
For years, she collected diagrams and medical textbooks and kept a diary. During her junior year of high school, she decides to start an anonymous blog after her disgust at the state of information being provided during sex ed class in her conservative town.
Most issues that you may think would arise do.
It was a pretty good story but there were some lacking subplots.
Huh... I liked it enough, but it wasn't without its share of issues.
The narrator's overly egotistical views about many things skew much of this book. Huh... I liked it enough, but it wasn't without its share of issues.
The narrator's overly egotistical views about many things skew much of this book.
The ex-pats, referred to by their years of whence they came, were the stars of the show for me.
Kaliane Bradley did a great job of showing their integration into today's world, which was the main strength of the novel.
Graham Gore is definitely a male character written by a woman. I will leave it at that, haha.
The end was extremely chaotic and could have been less rushed. This hurt the overall book to rush the ending and leave things unfinished. I'm ok with the unfinished end, given the events in the novel, and time-traveling, however to barge in like a fox in a hen house, stir everything up, and then just end things somewhat abruptly was dissatisfying.
It's good to speculate about, but it could have been better polished and delivered.