Becca

I like Starling's character a lot. I came at this book not knowing the story, just the name. It wasn't what I expected, definitely thought it'd be more gruesome. Sadly I think Criminal Minds is to blame for desensitizing me to this book.

Interesting. Draws you in. Sometimes confused, but I appreciate the unique writing style used. I'm not quite satisfied with the end.

I really enjoyed this read, the take on vampires is cool and I like Shori. I like the way it's written, but there's some typos??? I'm also a little sketched by the slight pedo vibes happening.

Wow. Recently I've been reading horror novels back to back, and I've gotta say this book has been the most suspenseful. In trying to read it, so many of my own obsessions and compulsions were triggered that I almost had to do the CBT along with her. I'm relieved that it's over and glad that I read it. Back to something calmer now.

The Queen's Gambit is interesting; I like Beth's character and the writing style. I like how addiction is accurately portrayed, and am impressed with the authors ability to understand chess well enough to write this. I cannot picture chessboards in my head as clearly as Beth, though, so I mostly skimmed her descriptions of gameplay. Tevis touches on some important topics like feminism, racism, and class, but doesn't expand in any meaningful way...it's just there. The book doesn't have a real climax, everything feels the same the entire way through.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, regardless.

My main complaint, and something I'm glad the Netflix adaptation leaves out (Spoiler:) is the unusual and out of place sexual content in the beginning of the novel. She is a child. He writes of her sexual assault in gross detail, and then it has absolutely no impact on her or the book whatsoever. It ruins the character of Jolene, who she continues to idolize. He implies that Jolene and Fergussen have a relationship, when he is of college age and she is 13, ruining another character. It was just really gross and uncomfortable to read especially from an adult man's writing. Why was it included??