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A review by alexiacambaling
One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence
4.0
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley and 47North!
One of the best books I’ve read last year was Red Sister by Mark Lawrence so when I got the opportunity to review his sci-fi book set in the 1980s, I jumped on the chance. Now, I’ve only watched the first episode of Stranger Things but I can see why One Word Kill gets compared and I imagine fans of the series would like this book.
First, the writing. I loved Mark Lawrence’s prose in Red Sister but the writing style there differs from the one here and I think it works very well. One Word Kill is written in a more contemporary, modern style and it’s very fast-paced and readable. The writing wasn’t flowery but it was perfect for this kind of setting. It’s a short book so you could finish it in one sitting and you might as the pacing it so fast-paced it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
The characters are all rich and well-characterized and honestly, I just love this friend group. I like how they act like teens, react to their friend’s illness like teens, and plan things like teens. I feel like a lot of teens in YA don’t really act like teenagers do, so I’m really happy to find that teens are portrayed realistically in this book. I also like how this group of friends stick together and I enjoyed their dynamic a lot. It actually made me wish me and my group of friends know how to play D&D.
The plot involves time-travel, saving a girl in danger, and also quite possibly saving Nick’s own life. It’s very interesting and it goes in directions I did not expect it to go, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I don’t want to spoil too much but the plot about making sure things happen so that the future doesn’t go awry is a compelling one.
Overall, I can recommend One Word Kill to fans of Science Fiction, Mark Lawrence, and/or Stranger Things. It’s a novella so it won’t take you long to read but packs quite a punch and is very worth it.
One of the best books I’ve read last year was Red Sister by Mark Lawrence so when I got the opportunity to review his sci-fi book set in the 1980s, I jumped on the chance. Now, I’ve only watched the first episode of Stranger Things but I can see why One Word Kill gets compared and I imagine fans of the series would like this book.
First, the writing. I loved Mark Lawrence’s prose in Red Sister but the writing style there differs from the one here and I think it works very well. One Word Kill is written in a more contemporary, modern style and it’s very fast-paced and readable. The writing wasn’t flowery but it was perfect for this kind of setting. It’s a short book so you could finish it in one sitting and you might as the pacing it so fast-paced it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
The characters are all rich and well-characterized and honestly, I just love this friend group. I like how they act like teens, react to their friend’s illness like teens, and plan things like teens. I feel like a lot of teens in YA don’t really act like teenagers do, so I’m really happy to find that teens are portrayed realistically in this book. I also like how this group of friends stick together and I enjoyed their dynamic a lot. It actually made me wish me and my group of friends know how to play D&D.
The plot involves time-travel, saving a girl in danger, and also quite possibly saving Nick’s own life. It’s very interesting and it goes in directions I did not expect it to go, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I don’t want to spoil too much but the plot about making sure things happen so that the future doesn’t go awry is a compelling one.
Overall, I can recommend One Word Kill to fans of Science Fiction, Mark Lawrence, and/or Stranger Things. It’s a novella so it won’t take you long to read but packs quite a punch and is very worth it.