rickjones's Reviews (1.66k)

While this book handles difficult and traumatic subject matter, I really loved reading it. Jones has an immense skill for developing her characters through precise, memorable scenes. She understands that people learn who they, and their loved ones, are through small moments that have resounding effects. Multiple times I paused to re-read passages so I could further appreciate what Jones had to say through her characters. However, there were some characters that felt underdeveloped, even though they had significant weight in the narrative. This was the only issue I had with the book, and I am excited to continue reading Jones' work. 

Typically I dislike stories surrounding spies, but this one was pretty engaging. I liked the mysteriousness of Emil's attempts are vengeance, and how Betty's education in theology was helpful in solving what he was planning. Usually her skills are either underutilized or exaggerated by writers who don't appreciate her. I felt that Bruce, and Rick during his brief appearance, were written well too. The pacing of the story was great, and I ended up reading it much quicker than I was anticipating. I would recommend this people who are interested in Hulk, or science fiction and crime stories in general. 

This was a unique, tense horror story that is heavy on nostalgia. While I am too young to have pleasant memories of some of the experiences and settings in this book, they added a richness to Heath's youth before it was destroyed. However, I was somewhat disappointed by how much of the story was taken up by descriptions of Heath's daily life. This is a short book, and there wasn't much horror during some segments of it. The beginning and ending also felt rushed, and I wish they had been polished more. Yet the creativity of Heath's monster, and how it relates to internalized homophobia, definitely made the story worth reading.