In the summer of 1983, thirteen-year-old Cyndi and her three new-found friends, Stacy, Zack, and …
Killer setting, but a little bit dead in the water
3 stars
This book definitely had some flaws. For one, it was overly descriptive. Knowing the very specific layout of the park to such specificity wasn’t a necessity. I can imagine a water park in my mind on my own with only some basic details, and it would have sufficed for this purpose. Also, I didn’t feel myself rooting too strongly for the protagonist. She was well-rounded, but just not as likable as I felt she should have been. And in the end, we didn’t get anything about the motivations of the killer(s).
And yet, the book was pretty much exactly what I was looking for—a summer camp (almost) slasher with a nostalgia factor (the 80s!)—and I couldn’t put it down. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Hopefully the author revises his writing style, brings me closer to the characters, and throws down interesting breadcrumbs about the …
This book definitely had some flaws. For one, it was overly descriptive. Knowing the very specific layout of the park to such specificity wasn’t a necessity. I can imagine a water park in my mind on my own with only some basic details, and it would have sufficed for this purpose. Also, I didn’t feel myself rooting too strongly for the protagonist. She was well-rounded, but just not as likable as I felt she should have been. And in the end, we didn’t get anything about the motivations of the killer(s).
And yet, the book was pretty much exactly what I was looking for—a summer camp (almost) slasher with a nostalgia factor (the 80s!)—and I couldn’t put it down. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Hopefully the author revises his writing style, brings me closer to the characters, and throws down interesting breadcrumbs about the slasher backstory. If those things can be accomplished, it will earn a couple more stars.
From just the back cover, I was excited to start this book. But it ultimately became something different and unbelievable in the same vein as MSW #2: Brandy and Bullets. I almost didn’t even really start this book. At the end of one of the first chapters, Jessica plays a cruel trick on a shop owner, for no reason other than her own amusement. It was so far removed from the Jessica I know. I really didn’t enjoy this installment very much.
Helping her lawyer friend, Malcolm McLoon, defend a tycoon who has been accused of fratricide, …
Split Verdict
3 stars
Interesting premise, sort of, but the story was a little bit of a maze. The final outcome of Jessica’s lawyer friend (was he really a friend?) felt odd too. I did not sympathize with the defendant at any point. Not awful, but definitely not great.
Edit to add: While this didn’t impact my review of the story, whatever edition I read of it was rife with spelling mistakes and incorrect names (e.g. J.“D.” Fletcher…) to an embarrassing degree. I hope the book was proofread and all these errors were fixed in a later edition.