tori_storydelver's reviews
625 reviews

I loved this book it was very fast paced and a fun read! It was predictable (up until the last twist) but I still wanted to keep reading just to see it all unfold. I can understand why some people might hate the end of this book and Tom, but I thought the book was really enjoyable. The ending was unsettling, but I loved it! Okay...I admit, I still kinda hate Tom.

I loved this book when I was a kid. It was one of the creepiest stories I had read. Certain parts of the book have really stuck with me. I recently reread it and I still think this is a truly creepy story. The writing is very simplistic, but it's great for young readers just getting into chapter books.

Maybe I just wasn't in a great mood when reading this. I didn't think it was as great as everyone else seems to think it is. I didn't really care about trying to figure out who the murderer was. I will definitely re read this one (especially because it is so short) to see if I can figure out what all the hype is about. I do admit I liked how everything was based on the rhyme, it just kinda fell flat for me.

Let me start by saying there were many times while listening to this book that I almost DNF'd it. The writing is horrible, the characters are flat, It's not scary or creepy at all, and it ends abruptly leaving the reader with so many unanswered questions. Overall the book was just a mess! It takes place in the 1970's which the author makes clear by throwing in several name drops of popular musicians of the time. Which, as annoying as it was, helped a little because the young couple the book centers around behave like they were from a much older time period. The dialogues are awkward and unrealistic. There were lots of things thrown in (including an affair) that didn't go anywhere. I am now almost certain those parts are just filler to make this boring book seem like it might be going somewhere else, but no, it turns out this book was just as predictable as I thought it would be from the start. I thought the idea of this story was interesting, but it just did not live up to its potential.

It is hard to get past the first chapter or two of this book. It is clear that the author has fallen in love with Karla Faye, a murderer, and so it makes the whole book seem a bit unreliable. That being said I found this story very interesting. It seems to be one of few accounts of this horrendous murder that does not focus on Karla's religious rehabilitation. This, along with the fact that the author includes a lot of personal stories Karla has told her make me feel like Beverly Lowry might actually be quite credible. Although Karla's story and Beverly's (or should I say Peter's) stories don't seem at all connected the ending tied the two together very well. I'm glad I kept reading after the first chapter!

I was excited to keep reading it after the first few chapters when the story was being told from Ruth Malone's perspective. Then Peter, the reporter, was introduced and it quickly changed from an interesting crime novel to a cheesy....mystery? full of cliches. I do not suggest reading unless you are very interested in the crime this book is based on.

This is the most basic knowledge on paganism and the author steers more towards the Wiccan side of things. Any information in this book is easily found other places and the other books and websites dedicated to these introductory tools and symbols will go much more in depth. I suggest new pagans spend their money on a different book with more substance.

I read The Jungle Book earlier this year, so when Halloween came around and I was reminded of this re-telling I had to read it. Like any of Neil Gaiman's writing, it did not disappoint! I love Bod and his unique friends and family. I love the perspective of the dead commenting on life. I just loved this story! Even though Bod's biological family is killed in the very beginning it is still appropriate for kids, it never gets graphic. In fact, This is the type of book I sought out when I was around 11-13 years old.