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ericarobyn 's review for:
The Devil of Nanking
by Mo Hayder
The first thing out of my mouth when I finished this book was, "Thank God..." To which my boyfriend asked, "You finally finish that book?" Add this to my list of "SHOULD HAVE ADDED TO MY DNF STACK..."
Another miss for me. I got so bored with it that stopped and read another book just to prevent this one from putting me in a reading slump.
There were two storylines in this book, which merged at the end in a very predictable way. I'm not sure if the "twist" was really that predictable, or I'm just getting really good at guessing book endings.
I found one storyline (the one based in the past- so violent, so terrifying!) was a lot more captivating that the other (in present time). In the last 100 pages or so, I thought the storyline in the present was great! It was just a major bummer that it took so long to get there.
I didn't care for any of the characters at all, and I know I will have completely forgotten about them a day from now. Even in the story, when the main character (Grey) in the present was in serious danger, I didn't care one bit. Which is upsetting... But perhaps why I didn't think this book was so scary? If I had really liked the character or felt a connection to her in the slightest bit, I may have found it to be more terrifying like many reviewers did.
I'm struggling with my review for this book because on one hand, I thought this book was creepy, but on the other I thought it was very drawn out and just plain boring. I'm not sure I would recommend it.
Favorite lines/passages:
Sometimes you have to go a long way to prove things. Even if it turns out that you’re only proving things to yourself.
Remember that life is short. Always turn your face to the sun when you have the chance.
Sometimes you get to a point in your life when you just have to hold your breath and jump.
You can be as brave and confident as you like, you can convince yourself that you're invulnerable, that you know what you're dealing with. You think that it won't ever really get too serious - that there'll be some kind of a warning before it goes that far, danger music, maybe, playing offstage, the way you get in films. But it seems to me that disasters aren't like that. Disasters are life's great ambushers: they have a way of jumping on you when your eyes are fixed on something else.
Another miss for me. I got so bored with it that stopped and read another book just to prevent this one from putting me in a reading slump.
There were two storylines in this book, which merged at the end in a very predictable way. I'm not sure if the "twist" was really that predictable, or I'm just getting really good at guessing book endings.
I found one storyline (the one based in the past- so violent, so terrifying!) was a lot more captivating that the other (in present time). In the last 100 pages or so, I thought the storyline in the present was great! It was just a major bummer that it took so long to get there.
I didn't care for any of the characters at all, and I know I will have completely forgotten about them a day from now. Even in the story, when the main character (Grey) in the present was in serious danger, I didn't care one bit. Which is upsetting... But perhaps why I didn't think this book was so scary? If I had really liked the character or felt a connection to her in the slightest bit, I may have found it to be more terrifying like many reviewers did.
I'm struggling with my review for this book because on one hand, I thought this book was creepy, but on the other I thought it was very drawn out and just plain boring. I'm not sure I would recommend it.
Favorite lines/passages:
Sometimes you have to go a long way to prove things. Even if it turns out that you’re only proving things to yourself.
Remember that life is short. Always turn your face to the sun when you have the chance.
Sometimes you get to a point in your life when you just have to hold your breath and jump.
You can be as brave and confident as you like, you can convince yourself that you're invulnerable, that you know what you're dealing with. You think that it won't ever really get too serious - that there'll be some kind of a warning before it goes that far, danger music, maybe, playing offstage, the way you get in films. But it seems to me that disasters aren't like that. Disasters are life's great ambushers: they have a way of jumping on you when your eyes are fixed on something else.