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smilesgiggle's review
5.0
Family drama and dynamics. Lockdown situation. Health threat. Long term relationship.
How well do you know your partner? Even after 15 years of marriage? Let's be honest - you don't. And @axl.malton will prove it with Cries of Joy.
Anna has been watching her husband lose it since the death of his father - who was a crap person. Graham pours his energy into his obsession with the lockdown, current health scare - locking himself in the basement for days.
Anna finally accepts she needs to pack up their children, seek shelter with her close friend and her family. But the next health scare begins - Anna can't leave, forced to face what Graham has become. And the his treasured work in the basement.
Which should Anna fear more - the pandemic or her husband?
#criesofjoy #pandemicfiction #familydrama #fiction #thriller #zooloosbt #zooloosbooktours
How well do you know your partner? Even after 15 years of marriage? Let's be honest - you don't. And @axl.malton will prove it with Cries of Joy.
Anna has been watching her husband lose it since the death of his father - who was a crap person. Graham pours his energy into his obsession with the lockdown, current health scare - locking himself in the basement for days.
Anna finally accepts she needs to pack up their children, seek shelter with her close friend and her family. But the next health scare begins - Anna can't leave, forced to face what Graham has become. And the his treasured work in the basement.
Which should Anna fear more - the pandemic or her husband?
#criesofjoy #pandemicfiction #familydrama #fiction #thriller #zooloosbt #zooloosbooktours
brosephasaurus's review
2.0
I tried really hard go like this
Pros: Well written
Cons: Makes no sense.
The virus is real....right?
Graham's "descent" into Insanity is completely unbelievable
Stated multiple times that Graham "didn't used to be like this" but all we ever see is "Insane Graham"
Would have been much better off starting at the beginning of the "Lockdowns" which I think are supposed to be real? And actually showing Grahams transition from a loving father to what he is in this book. Or is Anna insane too?
Pros: Well written
Cons: Makes no sense.
The virus is real....right?
Graham's "descent" into Insanity is completely unbelievable
Stated multiple times that Graham "didn't used to be like this" but all we ever see is "Insane Graham"
Would have been much better off starting at the beginning of the "Lockdowns" which I think are supposed to be real? And actually showing Grahams transition from a loving father to what he is in this book. Or is Anna insane too?
aratecla_the_bookrat's review
5.0
This book is amazing! It is a fast and gripping read since the beginning and I couldn't wait to read more every time I had to put it down. The characters and the story, everything really is so relatable and that's also why it is so scary. My heart was beating together with Anna, Mikey and Joy, and it was a rollercoaster of emotions for me all the way through! It was a difficult read at times (I won't say anything about Barney) but even so I couldn't stop reading it. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants to dip in the dark side of life!
barmyjen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Playing on everyone's fears from lockdown 2020, this book takes what happened and asks, what if it was so much worse? From personal relationships falling apart, to viruses taking over, this story is a whirlwind of worst case scenarios. But what is the truth? And who can you trust when the norm no longer exists? This is a bit of a hard read, as it covers topics that could be an issue for some, and really ramps up towards the end to a pretty devastating finish.
drakaina16's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Whew, this book was gut-wrenching from start to finish. I find books like Cries of Joy to be much more disturbing than anything supernatural could possibly be. Reading about Graham's descent into madness was frankly, pretty tough. Great book, but all the trigger warnings.
Whew, this book was gut-wrenching from start to finish. I find books like Cries of Joy to be much more disturbing than anything supernatural could possibly be. Reading about Graham's descent into madness was frankly, pretty tough. Great book, but all the trigger warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, and Domestic abuse
leeann20's review
4.5
Cries of Joy is set during the lock downs of the pandemic in England. The reader feels the claustrophobia and madness just like Anna and her children. Her husband Graham tries to be a protector and takes it to extreme levels. This novel probably wasn't too far off from the truth for some families during the lock downs, unfortunately. This was very good, but very difficult to read.
TW: pet death, child death, domestic abuse
adora_belle's review
4.0
I had to take a minute before reviewing this book. Axl Malton struck every nerve I had with this one in the best and most gut wrenching way. I don't know how to review a book without ruining it, and detest spoilers so vague praise is the best I got. My hands never left my face. Start to finish, I just kept getting so wound up that my hands found their way back up to my face. I was so engrossed that the anxiety made me clutch my damn pearls! Horror isn't about monsters. It's about people. It's always people. Just read it. Do it, and then come sit in my office and talk to me about it.
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