Rob

Despite it being a bit explainy around the middle, it was a great conclusion to the epic Olynx saga.

So nearly a 4 but I struggled to care about the characters enough to want them to succeed. Despite this, as the book progressed it slowly pushed beyond the usual cliches and by the end I really liked the universe mechanics/rules.

Started with a bang and had a great premise but I felt pretty let down at the end when they avoided answering any of the many questions the book itself raised. It's a lot easier to write a mystery book if you're not constrained by actually having to explain anything.

Stephen King at his best. It's not quite up there with 22/11/63 but the relatively quick pace and great characters really hit the spot. It's ripe for an adaptation but maybe Stanger Things has beaten them to to it.

Reading this was like a mix of attending a history of language lecture and reading a detailed explanation of what the future of the internet would be like from a 90's perspective.

This sounds worse than it is as I actually really enjoyed the concept of linguistic viruses affecting our evolution and was blown away at how much the author got right about how we interact on the internet today; however, the characters and through arc let the story down a bit as I wasn't as invested in them as I needed to be for such a book.

Glad I read it but wouldn't be tempted to pick it up again.

I thought having watched the film the book may have been a let down as I knew exactly what was coming; however, although this may have been true for the start, I was totally gripped for the second half and enjoyed (I think!) getting to know Annie Wilkes a lot better :s

Great concept and execution but the best thing about this book is also the worst.

I loved how many different plot points came up throughout the huge adventures story, touching on science, religion, history and philosophy, but many of the questions raised are never actually answered. Normally I'm a stickler for tying up every plot point but it's a testament to the core plot (which does get resolved) that I actually didn't mind not finding out all the answers.

I eventually gave this book 4 stars but there were large parts of the book where I thought it would be 3. The main story is interesting and engaging but the pace was awfully slow at times and the level of detail some of the back stories were given was a bit much. Saying that, I could see the pay off of all that detail when the threads came together at the end.

Tldr: Beautifully written characters but at times a bit slow

For such a simple story it really does pack a lot of ideas in and raises some really interesting ideas. I loved reading it and was totally absorbed but I felt the ending dipped slightly so it just missed out on 5 stars

Wow. After reading number 4 I was dubious about continuing the series beyond the original 3 but this has proved me wrong. Thrilling story with brilliantly well written characters. Can't wait for number 6 now!

Gets a little dense towards the end but if you can still enjoy it it adds to the world building and sets up an intriguing conclusion.

Although the core concept isn't particularly new and ground breaking, the main character and the books philosophy was well written. This made it compelling and thought provoking and a really enjoyable book.

Short, sharp and funny murder mystery. Interesting to read the now clichéd who dunnit tropes as well.

Badly written, annoying characters and endless writing about everything other than what is actually interesting.

I'm sure this is unfair given the great reviews but it annoyed me so much that I don't care if I'm being unreasonable.

I Liked the mix of Indiana Jones, X-Files and Stargate. It was a great start to what will hopefully be a great trilogy with a satisfying conclusion (hopefully!).

I'm surprised this book doesn't get more recognition as a sci-fi classic. Octavia Butler has a real talent for nailing both the characters and the pace of her stories and in this one she raises extremely prescient ideas that seem more relevant today than when they were written.

I was looking for a ‘Stephen King Lite' book as my daughter showed an interest in reading one of his and I obviously didn't want to traumatise her ;) Unfortunately, this isn't just light on adult themes but also light on the other things King is known for, like suspense and intrigue.

Although the ending picked up a bit I think I'll suggest she waits a few years and reads ‘full fat King' when she's ready.

There's not much I can say about this book that wouldn't do it a disservice so I'll just say that Charlie's story will stay with me for a while.

This would have been a great book at half the length but the over describing and tiny chapters flitting between the various characters really slowed the momentum down and made what was a good ending too drawn out.

Just like the mystery of the book, the plot seemed simple for most of it until all is revealed at the end and you realise what you've been reading. Interesting read.

This turned into a real slog unfortunately. The idea was interesting and I enjoyed parts of it but the ending was too predictable and the miniscule detail of some of the battle scenes was interminable.

I was gripped from page 1 and couldn't help but blitz through the whole thing. It's a simple story but told so well and the author avoided making people 2-dimensionally good or bad.

Pet Sematary really snuck up on me. Around half way it was 3 stars all day long and although enjoyable it was a bit pedestrian; however, slowly it got it's claws into me and before long I was severely invested in the family and even considered not finishing it when the sadness hit.

All the build up from the first one paid off in spades in this one. The characters were great and the plot was right up my street. Hopefully the conclusion lives up to it!

Another family book club read and I really enjoyed it. Great ideas and fun powers, I can see why my son enjoys the series so much.