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ambysha's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
boldconfused's review
Already feels like it will be a predictable slow read. Three chapters in and no intrigue. A man is interviewing for a teaching job at a haunted elementary school.
castamere's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
bookishwyrm's review
3.0
I didn't really know what to expect going in to this.
Throughout the book everything just felt sort of... Superficial. It lacked any real depth. The plot and the characters both felt thin.
There was also a borderline weird attempt to physically emulate King in the structure of his sentences and paragraphs. It really turned me off. It causes him to come across as a try hard fan boy.
It's not a slow burn, that's for sure. But I think that Menapace just moved a bit too quickly.
The curtain draw was anticlimactic and the final showdown was a bit humdrum as well.
The romantic relationship between Ryan and Rebecca was bordering on pathetic.
And the end credits/epilogue bit at the end was cringey and extremely out of place, with the absolute ending being dangerously eyeroll-y.
Didn't hate it, but surely didn't love it either.
Throughout the book everything just felt sort of... Superficial. It lacked any real depth. The plot and the characters both felt thin.
There was also a borderline weird attempt to physically emulate King in the structure of his sentences and paragraphs. It really turned me off. It causes him to come across as a try hard fan boy.
It's not a slow burn, that's for sure. But I think that Menapace just moved a bit too quickly.
The curtain draw was anticlimactic and the final showdown was a bit humdrum as well.
The romantic relationship between Ryan and Rebecca was bordering on pathetic.
And the end credits/epilogue bit at the end was cringey and extremely out of place, with the absolute ending being dangerously eyeroll-y.
Didn't hate it, but surely didn't love it either.
natetonysmom's review
5.0
This book…. Wow I don’t have words. Make sure you read this during the day. Seriously creepy. I am going to sleep with my lights on for awhile. I work at a school so maybe I should call in for awhile
martianscuba's review
3.0
"Am I any different than the puppet master people call God?"
Easy to follow and doesn't take long to get into the heavy stuff. However, (for me) very predictable and overexplained at times.
Definitely takes an award for having one of the coolest covers I've ever seen, though.
Easy to follow and doesn't take long to get into the heavy stuff. However, (for me) very predictable and overexplained at times.
Definitely takes an award for having one of the coolest covers I've ever seen, though.
jmg4475's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
aliyahky's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ashley__reads's review
5.0
My last read of 2019 and my first finished book in 2020 and it’s a five star? Absurd!
This book was so hard to put down. I read it via my Kindle and I carried that thing everywhere with me more than usual. The twists and turns in this one nearly gave me whiplash in the best possible way, and there was never a dull moment. So fast paced and exciting, the writing was so good it was almost like watching a movie but only better because you get to pick the cast! I will never look at elementary schools the same again. This one was a wild, incredible ride. This is my first Jeff Menapace book and it certainly won’t be my last. The cast of characters was so good, and the ending was not expected at all. Definitely one of my new favorite horror writers. Can’t wait to dive into the rest of his work!
This book was so hard to put down. I read it via my Kindle and I carried that thing everywhere with me more than usual. The twists and turns in this one nearly gave me whiplash in the best possible way, and there was never a dull moment. So fast paced and exciting, the writing was so good it was almost like watching a movie but only better because you get to pick the cast! I will never look at elementary schools the same again. This one was a wild, incredible ride. This is my first Jeff Menapace book and it certainly won’t be my last. The cast of characters was so good, and the ending was not expected at all. Definitely one of my new favorite horror writers. Can’t wait to dive into the rest of his work!