Gotta admit, the hype had me curious. And I was very happy with the end result. It’s far from a perfect story, but just based on sheer enjoyability, IGotta admit, the hype had me curious. And I was very happy with the end result. It’s far from a perfect story, but just based on sheer enjoyability, I have little to complain about.
For some reason, this review disappeared into the ether? No idea what happened, but whatever. Here it is, again, shouting into the internet void aboutFor some reason, this review disappeared into the ether? No idea what happened, but whatever. Here it is, again, shouting into the internet void about books. It's what I do best.
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If you’ve yet to read this, I cannot emphasize enough how much I recommend going in COMPLETELY blind. Talk about a mind fuck.
I tend to be mildly defensive coming into any book that markets itself as "shocking" or "mind-blowing" or any variation there of. It puts my hackles up a bit. Makes me think, Oh, you think you're so shocking and twisty? I'll be the judge of that.
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Well. The Last House on Needless Street fucking delivered like next day shipping. It delivered jaw dropping twists and supported their existence with well crafted writing and careful construction. It knew when to ease you into the plot and when to let the floor out from under you and drop you into another level you didn't even know the story was packing.
And you know what else? It delivered a cat narrator who enjoys gazing longingly out the window at another cat and reading the Bible, and the fact that I can even type that sentence and still genuinely praise this book should be a testament to it's quality.
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Is it perfect? No. But not much in life is. And as The Last House on Needless Street proves, the messy imperfections are where we all live.
PS - Thanks to Tor and Nightfire for the free copy! Just in time for spooky book season! Well, if I’m being honest, all year ‘round is spooky book season for me. But I still can’t resist a few extra thrills and chills....more
3.5 stars from me, 10 stars from Penny. A pretty good book and an excellent cat pillow.
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If you know me at all, you know I like horror, lots of d3.5 stars from me, 10 stars from Penny. A pretty good book and an excellent cat pillow.
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If you know me at all, you know I like horror, lots of different kinds of horror. But there's a special place for 'trapped' horror in my heart and brain. Think The Ruins, Buried, The Descent. Anything that invokes that sense of claustrophobic panic terrifies me like nothing else.
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So I suppose that's where the positives begin. This book manages to be claustrophobic as hell. And it felt like something different from King - I'm far from an expert, but it seems like a lot of what he writes is jam packed with characters. This one feels pared back, simpler almost. It's a woman chained to a bed. No help is coming, not in time to save her. It's just her, her thoughts and memories, and the terrors that come by moonlight.
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Men and women alone in the dark are like open doors, Jessie, and if they call out or scream for help, who knows what dread things may answer?
Perhaps I was just in the right mood for a smaller, introspective horror. There were plenty of times when I got chills and they were multiplying. But what scares us is so subjective; what reads as creepy to me might read to others as a bore. You never know.
So, for stuff I didn't like, I don't think I have any complaints that haven't already been made. I know it's a common and cliche thing to note about King, but man did this ending miss the mark. I know that's not the case every time - matter of fact, I think out of the handful I've read, It is the only one that stands out to me as having a truly hot mess of an ending. But I guess I can add Gerald's Game to that stack now.
I suppose I just don't see how it improves the previous chapters in any way. (view spoiler)[The letter writing device just didn't wow me. It struck me as lazy almost. And the Moonlight Man / Space Cowboy, who I felt was delightfully creepy before, was over explained. I don't always need to know where reality meets madness. Knowing without a doubt that he is real adds nothing to the story. (hide spoiler)] I honestly think I would have preferred an element of doubt or vagueness.
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I have other minor complaints - mainly, there was little sense of time. Which on one hand I get, because if you're trapped on a bed and hallucinating and possibly dehydrated, time is going to go a bit wobbly. But at the same time, I wanted to know concretely - how long has she been chained to this bed? (view spoiler)[And based on my estimate, not all that long. I don't know the plausibility of how long it would take someone to die in that situation, despite my best attempts at googling. But it just felt really fast. (hide spoiler)]
This voice insisted that things changed in the dark. Things especially changed in the dark, it said, when a person was alone. When that happened, the locks fell off the cage which held the imagination, and anything - any things - might be set free.
I have to say, I enjoyed the movie more. I think a large part of that was Carla Gugino's performance - she was downright fantastic. I also think that because of the small scale of the story, it lends itself well to adapting. It's well worth a watch if you have a strong stomach. (view spoiler)[I could barely watch that hand scene peeking through my fingers. Gruesome and visceral and just plain gross. (hide spoiler)]
I don't think Gerald's Game will make any of my favorites lists, but it's a memorable and immersive story that was worth my time to dive into. King doesn't always nail it, but he sure knows how to creep a girl out....more
After all the anticipation, I was worried I had overhyped this for myself. But as I frequently am, about oh so many things, I was wrong.
It was everythAfter all the anticipation, I was worried I had overhyped this for myself. But as I frequently am, about oh so many things, I was wrong.
It was everything it needed to be.
Five stars.
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You guys! My copy is finally here! I even tried to do a pretty artsy photo with it, despite not being whatsoever artsy. It did not go well. Turns out, Chloe wants to eat fairy lights for some reason. Idk. Cat reasons.
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Anyway. I'm reading this now!
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Literally my most anticipated book right now. And it will be until I get my paws on it.
Ararat is a tense, claustrophobic novel, a slow collision of terror and belief on an isolated mountain, The mountain killed people. It always had.
Ararat is a tense, claustrophobic novel, a slow collision of terror and belief on an isolated mountain, aboard a ship that shouldn't be there. And inside the ship, maybe the actual proverbial Noah's ark itself, is something that fills the air with terror, and challenges the beliefs of every documentarian, explorer, archaeologist, and scientist on that mountain.
He had never believed in tangible, physical demons. Though he had trouble confessing it aloud, that had changed.
As the unease grows and a blizzard rages, it becomes more and more evident that something is very wrong. And escape might not be possible.
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This isn't a flawless read. The last 1/4 had some derivative elements that didn't feel as original or exciting as what came before. Which isn't necessarily bad, but there was room for improvement. I liked most of the characters and despite the large cast I thought most of them were developed well. Even some of the more minor characters (view spoiler)[early kills who got yeeted off the cliff (hide spoiler)] didn't feel one dimensional.
At the end of the day, Ararat was just an enjoyable read. I love isolated horror like this - it's right up my alley....more
Ellen Gail
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