As others have said, this is a very short story that will either greatly disturb someone or provide a dark but fun experience. As someone that's read As others have said, this is a very short story that will either greatly disturb someone or provide a dark but fun experience. As someone that's read books like Cannibal Killers and watches shows like The Following and Dexter, I think it's fairly obvious why I picked this up.
It's a short read, only getting to 52 pages on my Nook. But it's chock full of content, not only chronicling our main character (I can't really call him a protagonist, can I?) and his murders but the inner workings of his mind as well. I can't really say that I felt bad for his victims, considering they all seemed to be the kind of people that weren't really benefiting society in any way. The way our main character killed them was actually pretty nice, which I realize sounds absolutely crazy to say. They die after experiencing pleasure.
One thing I had a hard time with was our character's conflicting views of himself. He sees himself as godlike and above all others, who he considers lowly life forms. Yet he constantly calls himself a monster. I won't claim to be an expert in at all, but I've taken a couple sociology classes and I thought the mindset of sociopaths and the like was that they were above all others and believed themselves to be supreme. That doesn't fit with calling yourself a monster.
Aside from that though, it's definitely a dark and strangely interesting read. Perhaps a good yearly read right around Halloween time, just to get in the mood?
Merged review:
As others have said, this is a very short story that will either greatly disturb someone or provide a dark but fun experience. As someone that's read books like Cannibal Killers and watches shows like The Following and Dexter, I think it's fairly obvious why I picked this up.
It's a short read, only getting to 52 pages on my Nook. But it's chock full of content, not only chronicling our main character (I can't really call him a protagonist, can I?) and his murders but the inner workings of his mind as well. I can't really say that I felt bad for his victims, considering they all seemed to be the kind of people that weren't really benefiting society in any way. The way our main character killed them was actually pretty nice, which I realize sounds absolutely crazy to say. They die after experiencing pleasure.
One thing I had a hard time with was our character's conflicting views of himself. He sees himself as godlike and above all others, who he considers lowly life forms. Yet he constantly calls himself a monster. I won't claim to be an expert in at all, but I've taken a couple sociology classes and I thought the mindset of sociopaths and the like was that they were above all others and believed themselves to be supreme. That doesn't fit with calling yourself a monster.
Aside from that though, it's definitely a dark and strangely interesting read. Perhaps a good yearly read right around Halloween time, just to get in the mood?...more
If you're expecting Gone Girl, you're way off base.
Well, maybe not TOTALLY off base. If you're looking for twists and red herrings and all kinds of miIf you're expecting Gone Girl, you're way off base.
Well, maybe not TOTALLY off base. If you're looking for twists and red herrings and all kinds of misdirection, you'll definitely get that here. The book is from Flynn's point of view, January's boyfriend who is left behind. Does he know where she went, or what happened to her? Possibly. You find out pretty early on what he knows and doesn't know. It's his hunt for the truth that makes this an intriguing read.
Honestly? I'm a little disappointed in myself. I'm decently good at figuring out who the culprit is with these types of books normally. I slog through all the useless information and come up with one little gold mine, one little tidbit, that's enough to get me in the right direction. In the past I've predicted how books will end within the first fifty pages and been proven right.
With Last Seen Leaving, I only guessed part of it, and how it came to fruition was vastly different than what I was expecting. Frankly, I expected a YA version of Gone Girl--which is a compliment, because Gillian Flynn is a friggin' genius with psychopath characters. Instead, I was blundering around with Flynn (this Flynn, not Gillian Flynn) trying to figure out how the puzzle pieces fit together.
Parts of it were a little too silly sometimes. Flynn's choices were too funky sometimes, and I couldn't really go along with it. Other than that I have no qualms about admitting how much I liked this book. It was fun, fast-paced, and had characters that had a little more depth than "the mysterious girlfriend" and "the bumbling, awkward boyfriend". It was a great take on the missing person thing, and I enjoyed the ride.
Merged review:
If you're expecting Gone Girl, you're way off base.
Well, maybe not TOTALLY off base. If you're looking for twists and red herrings and all kinds of misdirection, you'll definitely get that here. The book is from Flynn's point of view, January's boyfriend who is left behind. Does he know where she went, or what happened to her? Possibly. You find out pretty early on what he knows and doesn't know. It's his hunt for the truth that makes this an intriguing read.
Honestly? I'm a little disappointed in myself. I'm decently good at figuring out who the culprit is with these types of books normally. I slog through all the useless information and come up with one little gold mine, one little tidbit, that's enough to get me in the right direction. In the past I've predicted how books will end within the first fifty pages and been proven right.
With Last Seen Leaving, I only guessed part of it, and how it came to fruition was vastly different than what I was expecting. Frankly, I expected a YA version of Gone Girl--which is a compliment, because Gillian Flynn is a friggin' genius with psychopath characters. Instead, I was blundering around with Flynn (this Flynn, not Gillian Flynn) trying to figure out how the puzzle pieces fit together.
Parts of it were a little too silly sometimes. Flynn's choices were too funky sometimes, and I couldn't really go along with it. Other than that I have no qualms about admitting how much I liked this book. It was fun, fast-paced, and had characters that had a little more depth than "the mysterious girlfriend" and "the bumbling, awkward boyfriend". It was a great take on the missing person thing, and I enjoyed the ride....more
The Unseen Country is just what I expect from an accomplished author like Simpson. The plot moved at a fast pace and didn't meander. There weren't anyThe Unseen Country is just what I expect from an accomplished author like Simpson. The plot moved at a fast pace and didn't meander. There weren't any issues of unnecessary events or stories, and all the characters had a role to play.
I really loved all the characters. Tom's insistence in what he believed in was admirable, and I relished in his stubborn refusal to believe his brother was dead. It was great that there was so much loyalty and tenacity. Rosie and Ben, for being such minor characters, resonated with me. With Rosie I loved that she was open to listening to what Tom had to say, which no one else would do. Ben I felt was glossed over a bit. He paid pretty much the ultimate sacrifice for Tom and he wasn't mentioned again; I think at least mentioning him once more would have sufficed.
I adored the villains, particularly Baba Yaga and Black Annie. The images I had in my head of the way they moved was absolutely terrifying, especially with Black Annie's hair. Maybe because I've seen my fair share of horror movies (The Grudge, anyone?) that focus on dark hair being all creepy-crawly. Red Cap was unnerving too; I think seeing blood dripping down a grotesque face continually would be damn scary.
Taking and eating the children was a bit harsh, but I think it was handled brilliantly. It could have easily turned into a tacky point just to get a jarring feature into the book, but that didn't happen. Instead, we are aware of it, and it's present enough for me as the reader to feel uncomfortable with it, yet doesn't take away from the story. Plus I know that it's in plenty of old fairy tales. I have a friend that was just telling me last month about the krampus, a creature originating in her country (Austria). Guess what it does? Steal children.
It's not a new idea, but the depth that was added to the story is fantastic. I couldn't ask for a better fleshing out of a fairy tale kind of story.
Merged review:
The Unseen Country is just what I expect from an accomplished author like Simpson. The plot moved at a fast pace and didn't meander. There weren't any issues of unnecessary events or stories, and all the characters had a role to play.
I really loved all the characters. Tom's insistence in what he believed in was admirable, and I relished in his stubborn refusal to believe his brother was dead. It was great that there was so much loyalty and tenacity. Rosie and Ben, for being such minor characters, resonated with me. With Rosie I loved that she was open to listening to what Tom had to say, which no one else would do. Ben I felt was glossed over a bit. He paid pretty much the ultimate sacrifice for Tom and he wasn't mentioned again; I think at least mentioning him once more would have sufficed.
I adored the villains, particularly Baba Yaga and Black Annie. The images I had in my head of the way they moved was absolutely terrifying, especially with Black Annie's hair. Maybe because I've seen my fair share of horror movies (The Grudge, anyone?) that focus on dark hair being all creepy-crawly. Red Cap was unnerving too; I think seeing blood dripping down a grotesque face continually would be damn scary.
Taking and eating the children was a bit harsh, but I think it was handled brilliantly. It could have easily turned into a tacky point just to get a jarring feature into the book, but that didn't happen. Instead, we are aware of it, and it's present enough for me as the reader to feel uncomfortable with it, yet doesn't take away from the story. Plus I know that it's in plenty of old fairy tales. I have a friend that was just telling me last month about the krampus, a creature originating in her country (Austria). Guess what it does? Steal children.
It's not a new idea, but the depth that was added to the story is fantastic. I couldn't ask for a better fleshing out of a fairy tale kind of story....more
This is everything I wanted. I鈥檝e only read one other Brom book and it was several years ago now, but it was such a strong introduction to him that whThis is everything I wanted. I鈥檝e only read one other Brom book and it was several years ago now, but it was such a strong introduction to him that when I saw this offered I jumped at it.
Our main character, Abitha, was a young woman who was struggling to fit into Puritan (tyrannical) norms when she was raised on pagan ideas. I actually really loved her husband and was sad when he died so quickly in the beginning (no surprise there since it is in the book synopsis).
Once Samson and Abitha are together it quickly turns into the sort of novel you鈥檇 expect鈥攏atural beings trying to carve out a home for themselves while the rest circle closer to rid the world of 鈥渦ngodly鈥� beings.
A dark story about witch hunts and accepting all parts of yourself鈥攂oth dark and light鈥攗nfolds. I absolutely LOVED Abitha鈥檚 story as she tried to adapt to Puritan values the shirked it and strove for revenge for the wrongs she experienced. It鈥檚 a fantastic story that I absolutely loved, and it reminded me why I enjoyed the first book I read from Brom all over again.
Merged review:
This is everything I wanted. I鈥檝e only read one other Brom book and it was several years ago now, but it was such a strong introduction to him that when I saw this offered I jumped at it.
Our main character, Abitha, was a young woman who was struggling to fit into Puritan (tyrannical) norms when she was raised on pagan ideas. I actually really loved her husband and was sad when he died so quickly in the beginning (no surprise there since it is in the book synopsis).
Once Samson and Abitha are together it quickly turns into the sort of novel you鈥檇 expect鈥攏atural beings trying to carve out a home for themselves while the rest circle closer to rid the world of 鈥渦ngodly鈥� beings.
A dark story about witch hunts and accepting all parts of yourself鈥攂oth dark and light鈥攗nfolds. I absolutely LOVED Abitha鈥檚 story as she tried to adapt to Puritan values the shirked it and strove for revenge for the wrongs she experienced. It鈥檚 a fantastic story that I absolutely loved, and it reminded me why I enjoyed the first book I read from Brom all over again....more
There is no point to a great deal of this book. Ridiculous amounts of brutality coupled with no reason for this brutality makes a superfluous amount oThere is no point to a great deal of this book. Ridiculous amounts of brutality coupled with no reason for this brutality makes a superfluous amount of unsettling situations that are clearly only designed to make the reader uncomfortable.
Literally the second-ish chapter follows a robot girl being bullied by a group of guys and girls. They violently abuse her both verbally and physically, to the point that her secret superpowers surface and blast all of them to smithereens. Frankly, it was a pretty awesome scene that had nothing but redemption and karma. It also confused the hell out of me.
Why? Because no reason is ever given for why these people hate this girl. They call her a piece of shit and hate her so much that they brutalize her--kick her, punch her, choke her. No reason is given for this treatment.
The author also seems to have a very low opinion of parents. All of our robots are emotionally damaged by whatever guardian is watching them. For our main character, Izaak, his mother HATES him. Like how is it that this woman hates him so much when he has done nothing to deserve it? He's a fundamentally good kid and he never causes problems but he is ostracized in his own household because.... he's adopted. Okay. The girl who got the shit kicked out of her? Her grandmother is her guardian and all she does is relentlessly remind the girl that her mother died in childbirth and it's all her fault and she ruined everyone's lives by being born. Why? Why the hell is there so much animosity?
It's also stupid that they're called Robots. Just saying. I won't bother going to the rape issues or the total lack of real characterization or even the excessively purple prose used by the author. Just all around bad.
Merged review:
There is no point to a great deal of this book. Ridiculous amounts of brutality coupled with no reason for this brutality makes a superfluous amount of unsettling situations that are clearly only designed to make the reader uncomfortable.
Literally the second-ish chapter follows a robot girl being bullied by a group of guys and girls. They violently abuse her both verbally and physically, to the point that her secret superpowers surface and blast all of them to smithereens. Frankly, it was a pretty awesome scene that had nothing but redemption and karma. It also confused the hell out of me.
Why? Because no reason is ever given for why these people hate this girl. They call her a piece of shit and hate her so much that they brutalize her--kick her, punch her, choke her. No reason is given for this treatment.
The author also seems to have a very low opinion of parents. All of our robots are emotionally damaged by whatever guardian is watching them. For our main character, Izaak, his mother HATES him. Like how is it that this woman hates him so much when he has done nothing to deserve it? He's a fundamentally good kid and he never causes problems but he is ostracized in his own household because.... he's adopted. Okay. The girl who got the shit kicked out of her? Her grandmother is her guardian and all she does is relentlessly remind the girl that her mother died in childbirth and it's all her fault and she ruined everyone's lives by being born. Why? Why the hell is there so much animosity?
It's also stupid that they're called Robots. Just saying. I won't bother going to the rape issues or the total lack of real characterization or even the excessively purple prose used by the author. Just all around bad....more
Everyone and their brother has reviewed this book, so I鈥檓 not adding anything new to the fold. However I will happily add my voice to all the rest in Everyone and their brother has reviewed this book, so I鈥檓 not adding anything new to the fold. However I will happily add my voice to all the rest in saying that Jones is fun to read鈥攈e had all the makings of me hating his work, but I loved it.
I鈥檓 generally not a fan of slow burns. The handful of books I鈥檝e reviewed very very poorly have almost all been slow burns that didn鈥檛 seem worth the wait. We don鈥檛 have that problem here; yes, it is ABSOLUTELY a very slow burn. A few times I huffed in annoyance at yet another page of Jade鈥檚 long-winded internal monologues.
When things kicked into high gear in the last 70% or so though, I was hooked. I actually had to consciously slow down how fast I was reading because I was scared I would miss something, I was that excited to keep the plot going!
What works the most is the constant guessing of who the killer will end up being, or if there is one at all.
A note of caution: I googled the sentence the teenager shouted at the end of the first chapter and that gave me a very distinct idea about who was going to be our baddie. If you prefer to be surprised, definitely don鈥檛 translate it. Hopefully you don鈥檛 already know the language.
It鈥檚 a perfect blend of many horror genres: slasher, supernatural, and psychological. It鈥檚 a love story to horror movies we grew up watching, and you could feel that love Jones has within the pages. Plus I was happy to see I understood almost every reference! Just gotta fix my knowledge of the seventies movies.
My only issue is I didn鈥檛 love the very very end, but I鈥檓 in the minority there so I do recommend the book to try. ...more
These are quintessential fortune cookie blurbs. Little quips of insight that are happy little trees a la Bob Ross, there to make you feel content and These are quintessential fortune cookie blurbs. Little quips of insight that are happy little trees a la Bob Ross, there to make you feel content and thoughtful in five seconds or less.
And you know what? The book is damn good at it. I screenshot a few pages just because I loved the message and accompanying drawing so much. I hadn鈥檛 heard of this artist before reading the book so consider me converted. ...more
This is like peak Stephen King except without the overly long interludes to things that don鈥檛 necessarily matter.
Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I love King and hThis is like peak Stephen King except without the overly long interludes to things that don鈥檛 necessarily matter.
Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I love King and his tangents, but it makes his books several hundred pages longer than needed. Wendig takes the best parts of what he鈥檚 crafted and I loved every bit of it. At its heart it is an adventure story, a family of knights battling an evil wizard and dragon with the help of some sidekicks. They have to work through the evil henchmen and save the world.
It has a deliciously dark element that is so interesting. The entire book is a study in how people鈥檚 pain can entirely overtake them, or they can find a way to battle the darkness in themselves. So many Oliver鈥檚 and Nate鈥檚 and Maddie鈥檚 succumbed to the badness, and yet our plot focuses on the one in a hundred where all three managed to find a healthier outlet.
It鈥檚 a dark and morbid book in many ways, but it鈥檚 also hopeful. It鈥檚 the best of good versus evil.
Loading...
