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chuckstafer's reviews
746 reviews
The Vacation by T.M. Logan
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Vacation (or The Holiday in the UK) was a pretty good little "closed room" thriller dealing with hidden secrets, family ties, lies, and scandalous secretes! I liked getting to know all the characters and each of them were different enough to bring a bit more to the story. The writing was easy to understand and follow along with and I really enjoyed the occationsl flashbacks to add some background and additional hints at the "big secret" coming during the story.
The main gripe I had with this story, was the structure. We spent about 73 chapters before we finally got to the big reveal and there were many different occasions that the main character could have confronted her husband about that was going on, and she chickened out (so much so that I got really annoyed with her lol). The big secret was a doosy and created quite the ending to the story, but I would have loved to have seen that secret revealed sooner so that the characters had more time to deal with that revelation and make the end of the trip that much more harrowing and exciting. I think if we could have had the main character uncover this secret 1/2 way through it would have created opportunities for some really exciting developments to the story.
I REALLY loved the finale to the story as well and thought it was so clever.
The main gripe I had with this story, was the structure. We spent about 73 chapters before we finally got to the big reveal and there were many different occasions that the main character could have confronted her husband about that was going on, and she chickened out (so much so that I got really annoyed with her lol). The big secret was a doosy and created quite the ending to the story, but I would have loved to have seen that secret revealed sooner so that the characters had more time to deal with that revelation and make the end of the trip that much more harrowing and exciting. I think if we could have had the main character uncover this secret 1/2 way through it would have created opportunities for some really exciting developments to the story.
I REALLY loved the finale to the story as well and thought it was so clever.
Tremor Dose by Michael W. Conrad
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
This was a creepy, Matrix-esque graphic novel that was really quite deep. I liked the imaginative, dark story and the artwork was really gorgeous as well.
Until I Find You by Rea Frey
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This novel was just not that spectacular to me. It had a pretty interesting premise: "legally blind mom discovers her baby isn't really her baby and begins a search to find him but one one believes her" Had all the makings for a pretty solid psychological thriller, but the execution just fell flat for me.
Too many mentions of the MCs breats and feeding her baby (I know she was a relatively new mother and that's part of raising kiddos, I have two of my own), but the times that this was mentioned didn't add any substance to the story at all. The main character was also just a touch too whiny and was constantly sobbing and unable to stand and other things like that due to her crying and it got old pretty quick. The other characters that came into and out of the story were all pretty flat as well. Her "love interest" felt a bit forced and the other mothers didn't contribute much to the story either. Crystal, the other protagonist of the story, was so vague that I didn't really care too much for her.
Combine all of that with a pretty uninteresting plot and equally uninteresting conclusion to the story, you got a pretty solid dud unfortunately.
Too many mentions of the MCs breats and feeding her baby (I know she was a relatively new mother and that's part of raising kiddos, I have two of my own), but the times that this was mentioned didn't add any substance to the story at all. The main character was also just a touch too whiny and was constantly sobbing and unable to stand and other things like that due to her crying and it got old pretty quick. The other characters that came into and out of the story were all pretty flat as well. Her "love interest" felt a bit forced and the other mothers didn't contribute much to the story either. Crystal, the other protagonist of the story, was so vague that I didn't really care too much for her.
Combine all of that with a pretty uninteresting plot and equally uninteresting conclusion to the story, you got a pretty solid dud unfortunately.
The Night Eaters, Book 2: Her Little Reapers by Sana Takeda, Marjorie Liu
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night by Marjorie Liu
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a fiery little novel about mysterious deaths, nefarious scheming to amass a fortune, and one innocent young woman caught in the middle. The story was for sure interesting, getting kicked off with a bombshell reveal followed by a story that would make a pretty good movie or episode of Law & Order. I really enjoyed the twists that the story took the reader on, but the characters were a huge miss for me. The main character, Tabitha, was whiny and annoying. Her husband, Conner, was a dick, and none of the other characters that entered into the story were necessarily likable.
I would also say that while the overall plot was engaging, twisty, and easy-to-follow, the ending just felt too predictable and rushed, and left me wanting more. This was an OK, just not great, thriller to me.
I would also say that while the overall plot was engaging, twisty, and easy-to-follow, the ending just felt too predictable and rushed, and left me wanting more. This was an OK, just not great, thriller to me.
BRZRKR, Vol. 2 by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Run and Hide by Alan McDermott
adventurous
dark
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
3.0
This was one of those novels that shot out of the gate and sprinted all the way to the finish line. There was pretty much no lead-up to the main plot getting started and characters were introduced left and right and sometimes it got a bit confusing. Some of the plot seemed a bit far-fetched a times, then seemed a bit too easy for the protagonists to solve, and then other parts seemed very believable. Certainly not a bad spy-thriller, but one that could have used a bit of work here and there. It did succeed in keeping me entertained and wanting to read the remaining books in the series to find out how things end.
Good Night, Sleep Tight by Brian Evenson
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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? N/A
5.0
This was an amazing collection of short fiction by a writer that I am quickly holding in high esteem. The stories ranged in genre from science fiction to horror to speculative fiction, but each entry contained so much emotional weight. It was amazing how much gravitas the author was able to build into each story in such a short amount of time. I highly recommend anyone who enjoys short fiction on the darker side, to read this collection.
Logging Off by Nick Spalding
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
Logging Off was billed as a silly novel about a technology/internet-obsessed man who decided to take a "digital detox" from his screens and stumbled into some shenanigans during his time away from his technology. I really read a silly novel with a ton of heart. I read a dang Hallmark Movie!
Yes, some parts of this novel were just silly (driving into a duck pond for one example). Still, each chapter seemed to relay some profound message about finding balance in your life and focusing on the important things, like friends, and family, and actually doing something with your life.
I really enjoyed getting to know the main character, Andy Bellows, and the various characters that crossed his path along the way, and loved the heart that the author was able to build into his novel. The only thing that I think could have been changed, was how much talk of poo was included in the novel. It did serve a purpose for the larger plot, but at the beginning, it seemed a bit excessive.
Yes, some parts of this novel were just silly (driving into a duck pond for one example). Still, each chapter seemed to relay some profound message about finding balance in your life and focusing on the important things, like friends, and family, and actually doing something with your life.
I really enjoyed getting to know the main character, Andy Bellows, and the various characters that crossed his path along the way, and loved the heart that the author was able to build into his novel. The only thing that I think could have been changed, was how much talk of poo was included in the novel. It did serve a purpose for the larger plot, but at the beginning, it seemed a bit excessive.