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bethmara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gore
occultmorning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Alcohol
eadrianschmitz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
mccormicke2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Mass/school shootings, and Injury/Injury detail
klosterphobia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
As someone who aligns with King's and Holly's liberal perspective, it's disappointing that the novel misses opportunities to delve into the parallels between the killer's obsession with health and the proliferation of dubious COVID cures, a potential avenue for poignant social commentary that remains unexplored.
A notable issue arises in the portrayal of race and violence against Black men throughout the narrative. The treatment of this sensitive topic by an older white male author feels somewhat off, with the racism exhibited by the main antagonists coming across as a caricature rather than a meaningful exploration that adds depth to the narrative.
Despite these shortcomings, King's ability to captivate readers remains powerful. Even when the "whodunnit" aspect is apparent early on, the looming sense of doom as the story progresses keeps the pages turning. However, the fairy tale-like ending feels formulaic and lacks the excitement or novelty.
Holly entertains but falls short of its potential to engage deeply with complex societal issues and deliver a truly satisfying and thought-provoking narrative.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Gore, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
matty29's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
mitsyleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Medical content, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
dcampb201's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Another fantastic read by the King of Horror - now crime writer. I enjoyed this continuation of Holly Gibney’s story, having followed her through The Outsider and If It Bleeds (you don’t have to have read these books to dive right into this story as it gives you everything you need about the characters, however, I would highly recommend reading them beforehand).
King states ‘fiction is most believable when it coexists with real-world events’. Holly is set during the Covid pandemic, something King refers to frequently throughout the book. His strong political views match that of his main character’s - something that may rub some people up the wrong way…
I thoroughly enjoy King’s more recent venture into crime writing. In a way, it makes the books scarier as they are set in the ‘real’ world and document the deepest evils of humankind.
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Alcoholism
muteoflight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death of parent