hyzie's reviews
4973 reviews

The writing was really good, the world-building was great, but what was that ending?? That did not end! That stopped! I have to check to see if there are novels coming in this world. 

Worth the trip, but be aware. 

I know it's titled for the first story, but the last story with the video tapes was really good. 

The story wrapped up so quickly I saw the percentage going up at the end and thought I'd accidentally picked up the first in a duology or something. It felt like a cliff's notes of an ending.
 
I'd be more annoyed by that had I been excited for the ending, admittedly. I pegged what I thought was likely early on and then proceeded through a few hundred pages waiting for the twist.

Having books be kind of predictable in the final act is not the worst thing in the world, but the problem was the trip. Harry was a horrible head to live in. The thing is that she wasn't supposed to be. We were clearly intended to sympathize with her, and I did to an extent, I felt bad for what she was going through, but her reactions just made her frustrating to spend time with. She took "untrusting" and "unable to open up" and "intensely focused on one thing and sure she is right at all times" to a place that I just got bored with. 

It was made worse by the ending, which

heavily reinforced the idea that she was right -- spending time with anyone else or trusting them or opening up or literally acting like a human was clearly a bad idea. Not an uncommon thing in a horror novel, but it felt her character went nowhere, learned nothing, and came out the other side just as positive that her way was the only right way. It's particularly odd given she's given a backstory stating she came a family that was super religious and also felt that way. She dropped any interest in having faith in anything, but apparently kept the attitude that comes with the type of religion she grew up with. Neat.

I started this book excited and finished it exhausted.