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bafauxmet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In a surface sense, it comes out in the character actions. A cop gesturing to another cop with a derisive thought about voting for Trump, like we're not in the POV of a cop. Gesturing heavily to a Trump sign in a rural area as a sort of brush to tell you what type of place this is. Little things from a man whose heart is in the right place but who doesn't quite Get It.
But it's also in the politics of the book, of its creature. I don't want to spoil too heavily, but
Still... Well, he's still Stephen King. It's still gripping and interesting and tense. The guy's still got it, I just wish he spent a little more time thinking about this little community he's created on the page and where the darkness really lurks because, while it's a fiction novel and not a depiction of the real world, it still matters. It still solidifies certain ideas. It still means something.
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, and Sexual violence
gardner98's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
piverb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
zachm82's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Minor: Sexual violence
eadrianschmitz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
ariajb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore and Death of parent
sethers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
scottwgonzalez'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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, and Alcohol
somebodys_fool's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
jourdanicus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
SK is a comfort author for me at this point. There were some parts of this book that would make it an immediate DNF if written by an author I'm less familiar with. The random Spanish words/phrases spoken by everyone else in the presence of the one Latino character? ๐คจ "Considerable bosoms" and mild fatphobia? ๐ค Plot and setting exposition blurted out by characters in phrasing that wouldn't make sense coming from someone of that demographic? ๐
And yet, I listened along anyway. This definitely wasn't one of my favorites, I think he could have better developed the premise. But the idea of a shapeshifting serial killer is pretty spooky, and I appreciated Holly's point towards the end that a supernatural explanation isn't any less plausible than whatever reason a human being might do something so horrible as to maim and kill a child. This did make me want to read more Holly content so I will likely be checking out the Bill Hodges trilogy next!
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Fatphobia, Racism, and Alcohol