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skeletonia's review
4.0
I didn't enjoy this book too much at the very beginning, particularly because of Masterton's writing style. I found that there was a lot of telling rather than showing, demonstrated with the descriptions of all Jim's students which seemed excessive to me. I didn't need to know what all of them looked like as soon as they were introduced, it could have been shown through their dialogue or slowly revealed. A few physical descriptions are fine, but after a while they got tiresome to me.
Maybe I became accustomed to Masterton's writing after a bit, but I ended up enjoying the book a lot more once I passed the first few chapters. I feel like the writing genuinely improved and I become quite invested in Jim's character. I really liked him! It took me a while to really root for his students, but I did want to see them succeed in the end. They'd been through a lot!
I think Masterton's writing skills truly shine in the scenes of action/horror. He does a great job at describing the creepy and morbid.
There was a minor plot point that threw me off though. Jim's students are supposed to be university/college kids. In my opinion, the unique relationship Jim had with his students, the way Jim conducted the classroom and the students themselves didn't convince me that the story was set in a university. To me, it really felt like a high school. It's not a major issue or something that ruined my reading experience, it was just something I picked up on.
That being said, I had a lot of fun reading this book. It's a short and light read, but it has a great protagonist and the story is interesting enough to keep you entertained. I definitely really enjoyed it.
Maybe I became accustomed to Masterton's writing after a bit, but I ended up enjoying the book a lot more once I passed the first few chapters. I feel like the writing genuinely improved and I become quite invested in Jim's character. I really liked him! It took me a while to really root for his students, but I did want to see them succeed in the end. They'd been through a lot!
I think Masterton's writing skills truly shine in the scenes of action/horror. He does a great job at describing the creepy and morbid.
There was a minor plot point that threw me off though. Jim's students are supposed to be university/college kids. In my opinion, the unique relationship Jim had with his students, the way Jim conducted the classroom and the students themselves didn't convince me that the story was set in a university. To me, it really felt like a high school. It's not a major issue or something that ruined my reading experience, it was just something I picked up on.
That being said, I had a lot of fun reading this book. It's a short and light read, but it has a great protagonist and the story is interesting enough to keep you entertained. I definitely really enjoyed it.
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