the_pale_woman's Reviews (542)

This book fell short for me. I was into it at the start, but I gradually lost interest in the characters and events in the story. It had potential, but it failed to fully deliver on what I was interested in. I wouldn't call it a bad book. If anything, I would consider it an average read. It was easy to read and had some entertaining moments. I just didn't feel connected to the story or characters. I think that might have been due to the pacing. It felt like some of the events and story beats were forced. All-in-all, I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. Super mid, in my opinion. I plan to read the sequel. I just hope it gets better. 

I found Vicious, easy to like. About two super powered dudes, with slightly disappointing abilities, fighting their inner demons while seeking vengeance on each other. It jumps between the past and the present. The story starts with some low-grade Secret History vibes mixed with a superhero origin story.  But overall, it felt like a 90's or early 2000s thriller. While I would categorize it as urban fantasy, the book felt more like the novelization of a comic. I liked the morally grey characters, but I wish there was more depth to their motives. This story could have been bigger in scope. However, I can't deny that I enjoyed the read. 

The audiobook was decent, not the best, but no faults to really complain about. 

I know this has a sequel and plans for another, but I think you could read this as a standalone. 

I would recommend this to people who like quick, easy to read books. Or to someone who's into comics and graphic novels. It might even be a must-read for readers who love being in the head of the villain. 

Not for me. I've only been recently stepping into the horror genre. Decided to pick this up based on the cover vibes. It's a great cover. Unfortunately, the story wasn't that interesting to me. On the surface, the subject matter is intriguing, but the execution of those ideas lacked any impact. The writing was fine, but I disliked the characters. And the plot felt irratic and slow all at once. In short, I didn't enjoy reading this. The more I think about it, the more I don't like it. The audio narration wasn't great either. Occasionally, it sounded robotic.

I wouldn't recommend this read. 

This is an incredibly bleak and depressing book. Father and son travel a road in the apocalypse. They lack hope, but they continue anyway. 

I find its portrayal of humanity during the apocalypse more believable than other dystopian stories. How every encounter with other people would be a terrifying gamble. Thinking if these strangers survived this long, they're probably cannibals. It would be soul crushing to have to constantly scavenge for anything you would need. All the good and useful items picked clean years ago. And worst of all, to have to care for a child in that completely broken world. 

The ending was heartbreaking. I know I'll be thinking about this story for a while, so it gets 5 stars. I wish it had more information on the why and how the environment became the way it did. On the other hand, it makes sense that the characters wouldn't really know. It just is what it is.

I would recommend this to fans of dystopian but also horror. While it might not be categorized that way, I think it qualifies. I would also recommend this to fans of Stephen King. The audiobook was great, too. Especially considering it has to be an older recording since it apparently had 6 discs before it was available digitally. 

There are a few aspects of this book that I clicked with and a few that prevented me from really liking it. Overall, I would say it's an above average thriller and would recommend it to fans of the genre. I listened to the audiobook, and I found it well read.

The unreliable narrator was well done, especially in the beginning. You can clearly pick out inconsistencies in her perception of events. That coupled with her voyeuristic personality is engrossing. I wish this had come into play more in the final showdown. If she was forced to question her understanding of reality more. 

The ending, while interesting, didn't completely satisfy. I felt like it was missing something. And I really don't understand the final story told to the cops. Why would you need to lie? How was it not self-defense already? Is this a UK thing? When someone tries to murder you here, you can fight back. Although if this took place in America, it would not make any sense for her to go to the cops to help the case in the first place. It would have been as good as a false confession. They would have known she took the train and was in the area the night of the murder. The cops would also be questioning Tom, as well. A man who recently left his wife for his mistress. Then the nanny ends up dead. He would at least be in the mix of possible suspects. Poor police work here, in my opinion. 

I just wasn't enjoying it. I might try it again an other time in physical form but it's going to the bottom of the pile. 

I wouldn't recommend the audio book. It's not the type of story that's easy to listen to. However, I don't think that's a good excuse for the book. I've listened to plenty of intricate books before and still enjoyed the read. Just because you built an interesting world doesn't mean it has good world building. 

The biggest disappointment here was the humor. I heard this was funny but it didn't land for me.