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chuckstafer's reviews
747 reviews
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
Just could not get into this one. I felt like the story was just puttering around with no clear direction. The serial killer aspect of the synopsis was covered in the first part of the novel and after that, I just didn't have any connection to the story.
Where the Dead Wait by Ally Wilkes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I so wanted this novel to be a blockbuster but, unfortunately, it fell short for me. The concept sounded like a doozy: crew resorting to cannibalism when they are shipwrecked in the Arctic with only a few survivors. The captain being called back to rescue his friend who has gone missing in those same ill-fated waters as before, and ice ghosts trying to stop them. Spooky stuff indeed.
But this novel just felt really convoluted. I commend the author for her writing style and really doing a great job of writing this novel from the point of view of a late 19th-century guy, but that made the story hard to follow in parts due to the strange verbiage and the over-explanation of things.
There were for sure parts of the novel that were intriguing and captivating, but a large part of the novel felt very slow and uneventful, and the conclusion to the story was very unsatisfying.
This novel felt less like a horror novel and more like a grief and guilt-stricken man being haunted by his past and trying to overcome his personal demons en route to saving his friend. Just not what I was hoping for.
But this novel just felt really convoluted. I commend the author for her writing style and really doing a great job of writing this novel from the point of view of a late 19th-century guy, but that made the story hard to follow in parts due to the strange verbiage and the over-explanation of things.
There were for sure parts of the novel that were intriguing and captivating, but a large part of the novel felt very slow and uneventful, and the conclusion to the story was very unsatisfying.
This novel felt less like a horror novel and more like a grief and guilt-stricken man being haunted by his past and trying to overcome his personal demons en route to saving his friend. Just not what I was hoping for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Lakes of Mars by Merritt Graves
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Very much like Ender’s Game and The Hunger Games. I’m starting to thinks that academia novels are just not my thing. The plot sounded interesting, but the story just wasn’t doing it for me.
Hide and Seek by M.J. Arlidge
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
So I received an ARC for this novel a while back and did not get around to reading it until now (thanks a ton Netgalley!) and the first thing that I noticed is that if you didn't read the novel right before this, you are at a huge disadvantage when trying to understand the story when the book begins. Sometimes you can pick up an installment of a series and it reads like a standalone novel, but this is one where you really need the prior novels for this one to make sense.
That being said, once I got past the first portion of the story, things did start to make more sense, and this novel progressed in the usual crime/thriller trajectory: uncovering the mystery killer (and in this case, trying to prove if DI Grace is innocent of her crimes). The structure of this novel was a big bother for me though, as the chapters were very, very short, and the story felt really "choppy". The constantly shifting perspectives of the chapters made it hard for me to keep track of some of the story at times and I think this novel would have really benefitted from longer, more "sustained" chapters to allow the story to really develop in parts.
Not the best crime thriller I've ever read, but the story was at least engrossing at times.
That being said, once I got past the first portion of the story, things did start to make more sense, and this novel progressed in the usual crime/thriller trajectory: uncovering the mystery killer (and in this case, trying to prove if DI Grace is innocent of her crimes). The structure of this novel was a big bother for me though, as the chapters were very, very short, and the story felt really "choppy". The constantly shifting perspectives of the chapters made it hard for me to keep track of some of the story at times and I think this novel would have really benefitted from longer, more "sustained" chapters to allow the story to really develop in parts.
Not the best crime thriller I've ever read, but the story was at least engrossing at times.
Visible Empire by Hannah Pittard
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Got just under 1/2 through and it just felt like the story wasn't going anywhere and there were too many characters being introduced with no descernable reason why or future in sight. Just couldn't get into it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Not too bad of a space thriller/mystery/horror novel. I liked the mystery of the MCs past and the slow uncovering of her history and how it plays into the events of the novel and I enjoyed the first-ish contact, strange planet setting as well. The main character was just unsteady enough to ground her, but I enjoyed how she grew during the novel. Just enough gore in the descriptions to keep things interesting along the way as well. Another good one from S.A. Barnes!
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This novel is a great example of one that really lived up to the hype! It was spooky, claustrophobic, tense, and confusing, and everything mixed well together to present one wild story. The included documents at the end of each chapter sometimes didn't make much sense while you were in the thick of things, but once you got to the end of the story, all the pieces fell together nicely.
Speaking about the end of this story: woah! The conclusion was tense and violent and the final chapter helped set the stage for the MC's future, but the final page and subsequent document really helped the theory that I had formed during the story come into complete focus and it was a great ending.
Very cool concept and it was executed very well!
Speaking about the end of this story: woah! The conclusion was tense and violent and the final chapter helped set the stage for the MC's future, but the final page and subsequent document really helped the theory that I had formed during the story come into complete focus and it was a great ending.
Very cool concept and it was executed very well!
Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The premise of this novel sounded very interesting (cult living on an island after they ran away from some apocalypse. Girl sees something she shouldn't which starts a chain reaction of revolt and rebellion to reveal what really happened and why the cult started fresh on the island), but ultimately the story just fell flat for me.
The plot was nothing original, even though it did flash some new ideas every once in a while. I think this novel was more of an exploration of the trauma that adults can inflict on their children, both intended and unintended, and how these same children will fight back eventually. The continued implied instances of rape, incest, abuse, and misogyny did have me shocked/appalled a few times, but ultimately those incidents were not enough to completely save this story for me.
This was not a bad story or anything, it just did not hook me as I was hoping it would and did not feel original enough to really stand out either.
The plot was nothing original, even though it did flash some new ideas every once in a while. I think this novel was more of an exploration of the trauma that adults can inflict on their children, both intended and unintended, and how these same children will fight back eventually. The continued implied instances of rape, incest, abuse, and misogyny did have me shocked/appalled a few times, but ultimately those incidents were not enough to completely save this story for me.
This was not a bad story or anything, it just did not hook me as I was hoping it would and did not feel original enough to really stand out either.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment
The Unforgotten by Laura Powell
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was ultimately a less-than-great mystery, that suffered from a pretty bland ending. I did enjoy the dual timeline of the story where part of the novel told the beginning of the story, and the other half told the story 50 years after the original events.
I was disappointed in the novel as it really didn't have a lot of mystery regarding the killer, the main characters tracking the killer down, or ultimately getting justice served on them. It was more focused on the super awkward love story of the 2 main characters and them doing NOTHING but worrying about getting caught and stuff. I started reading hoping for a cool serial killer mystery, and ended up with a story about doomed romance and regret.
I was disappointed in the novel as it really didn't have a lot of mystery regarding the killer, the main characters tracking the killer down, or ultimately getting justice served on them. It was more focused on the super awkward love story of the 2 main characters and them doing NOTHING but worrying about getting caught and stuff. I started reading hoping for a cool serial killer mystery, and ended up with a story about doomed romance and regret.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Solution by Brian Evenson
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A very short, but really good short story about the end of the world/humankind and the lengths one will go to in order to “help” the human race. Great pacing and prose really helped this story standout.