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author_d_r_oestreicher's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Racism, Stalking, Terminal illness, Blood, Cannibalism, and Gaslighting
eadrianschmitz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Deadnaming, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Body horror, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racial slurs, Suicide, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, Abortion, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Outing, Stalking, Violence, Biphobia, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Addiction, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Confinement, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Dementia, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Grief, Kidnapping, and Lesbophobia
klosterphobia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
As someone who aligns with King's and Holly's liberal perspective, it's disappointing that the novel misses opportunities to delve into the parallels between the killer's obsession with health and the proliferation of dubious COVID cures, a potential avenue for poignant social commentary that remains unexplored.
A notable issue arises in the portrayal of race and violence against Black men throughout the narrative. The treatment of this sensitive topic by an older white male author feels somewhat off, with the racism exhibited by the main antagonists coming across as a caricature rather than a meaningful exploration that adds depth to the narrative.
Despite these shortcomings, King's ability to captivate readers remains powerful. Even when the "whodunnit" aspect is apparent early on, the looming sense of doom as the story progresses keeps the pages turning. However, the fairy tale-like ending feels formulaic and lacks the excitement or novelty.
Holly entertains but falls short of its potential to engage deeply with complex societal issues and deliver a truly satisfying and thought-provoking narrative.
Graphic: Racism, Gore, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Alcoholism, Torture, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Child death, Cancer, Racial slurs, Murder, and Death of parent
rjohnson0583's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Cursing, and Murder
dcampb201's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Another fantastic read by the King of Horror - now crime writer. I enjoyed this continuation of Holly Gibney’s story, having followed her through The Outsider and If It Bleeds (you don’t have to have read these books to dive right into this story as it gives you everything you need about the characters, however, I would highly recommend reading them beforehand).
King states ‘fiction is most believable when it coexists with real-world events’. Holly is set during the Covid pandemic, something King refers to frequently throughout the book. His strong political views match that of his main character’s - something that may rub some people up the wrong way…
I thoroughly enjoy King’s more recent venture into crime writing. In a way, it makes the books scarier as they are set in the ‘real’ world and document the deepest evils of humankind.
Graphic: Cannibalism, Murder, Kidnapping, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Alcoholism
muteoflight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, Racial slurs, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent
bookishchaos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I haven't read the other books she's in, (big mistake, I know.) but this was a library loan that was due so I kinda had to read it. From what I've heard, the rest of the series is fantastic so I'm looking forward to reading those next.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Stalking and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Vomit
frannieman's review
- Loveable characters? No
1.75
Graphic: Torture, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Gore, Dementia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cannibalism, and Chronic illness
minimicropup's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
- Check the content heads-up because COVID pandemic times were prominent. It brought out all my gratefulness that we are no longer in 2021-2022, while also giving nostalgic feels for the quieting down of the world. But it could be too soon, too much, or too political depending on reader experiences.
- My favourite tropes + slow-burn made this a perfect match for me. If you’re looking for nuanced (or zero) COVID themes, or something where the stakes remain high and are plot driven, it could feel never-ending.
- Forever Young. Footsteps. Car doors. Skateboards. Doorbells. Silence. Knife chopping. Aromatic roast smells. Dessert spoons clinking. Zoom calls.
- Immersive, cinematic style strangeness and descriptive food and body horror
- Demented serial killer psychoanalysis
- Co-sleuthing with private investigator, missing persons mysteries
Graphic: Cannibalism and Confinement
Moderate: Body horror, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Alcoholism, Racism, Dementia, Homophobia, and Cancer
catherine_t's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
As Holly begins to look into Bonnie's disappearance, she discovers other people have gone missing: 11-year-old Peter "Stinky" Steinman, three years earlier; Cary Dressler, stoner but all-around good guy, three years before that; and Ellen Craslow, a few months before Peter Steinman. It doesn't look like a serial killer--the victims, if that's what they are, are too different, for one thing--but Holly begins to think that the missing persons are connected. As she digs deeper, she'll uncover a horror unlike anything she's ever faced.
I'm a die-hard Stephen King fan, but on top of that, I love Holly Gibney. She started, as King says, as a walk-on character in Mr. Mercedes, but she grew to be so much more. I think she's one of the best characters King has ever written; she's definitely in my top five. If you've read any of the previous books with Holly in them, you have to read this one. Even if you haven't, read this book.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Blood, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Death of parent, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic