Reviews

Along Came a Spider: 25th Anniversary Edition by James Patterson

venusdoom517's review against another edition

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dark mysterious

3.0

shananigansreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Along Came a Spider
Alex Cross, Book 1

I Picked Up This Book Because: I want to watch the show but of course I need to read the source material first.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: HC Public Library
Dates Read: 12/1/24 - 12/3/24
Stars: 3.5 Stars
Narrator(s): Taye Diggs

The Characters:

Alex Cross:
Jezzie Flanagan
Gary Sonji, Solomon (or maybe Sampson, Alex’s BFF), Nana Momma, Alex’s Kids

The Story:

Writing: Good. Fast paced with a lot of storylines. Dark and gritty almost urban fantasy leaning.
Overall Interest: This is a book you have to pay attention to, or you will be lost. The twist and turns are non-stop and I honestly don’t think I caught all the nuances of the story.
Length of Reading Time: It is a long book but worth it.
Re-read-ability: No. 

celeste_velocci's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

So glad I am finally reading a James Patterson book! Also so happy there’s over 30 books in this series because I am so ready to dive more into it! After watching the new show on Prime I knew I had to see where these amazing characters originated from. 

I love a good crime fiction series and this was a gem! Short chapters , engaging writing , and very fast paced even for how long the book was. For sure recommend this one and it is a great place to start as it’s the first book in James Patterson’s Alex Cross series. 

domspinon_'s review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.0

o all the James Patterson stans, I have one question: This is your king? Seriously!? I really disliked how Patterson wrote most of the characters in this book. The one character who was supposed to be the focal point—the most interesting one—was completely underwhelming. I was left wanting so much more. 
 
It’s a shame because the Gary Soneji/Murphy storyline had so much potential. Hopefully, the screen adaptation (the real reason I pushed through this book) can redeem it. 
 
2 stars. 

stayshiny's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

It was fine. Not bad, not great. Maybe I'm not a huge fan of his writing, though this was from the 90s. Maybe he's gotten better. 

kdmiddlebrooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

3.5

buffbookworm89's review against another edition

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2.0

Poorly written book. I truly do not understand the hype of this novel. Super cringe and pretty racist in parts. One of the first times I can truly say the movie is better then the book.

adecinque62's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious relaxing tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

jpustka's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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veganbookie's review against another edition

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5.0

Finally, after all these years! I loved it. Great plot, suspenseful, gritty, believable characters, likeable main character...I'm officially an Alex Cross fan! Starting the next one immediately.