Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (1762)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Duncan in Books

May 22, 2019  
Duncan
Duncan
Dennis McCort | 2019
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A cunning pederastic serial killer nicknamed “Santa” is making his way up the East Coast from New Orleans to Boston, leaving a trail of young bodies in his wake. Santa covers his tracks along the way by working as an itinerant bass player in a series of jazz combos. At the same time, the Driscoll family – Mark, Julie and their nine-year-old son Nate – who live in an upstate suburb of Syracuse, New York, struggle to come to grips with Mom’s quadriplegia following a horrific auto accident. The suspense builds to a fever pitch as these two plot strands approach each other for the inevitable confrontation. All this tension is heightened by the mystery of Duncan, Nate’s stuffed-toy gorilla, who is not only the boy’s beloved companion but becomes a kind of family totem, and, later on in the story, so much more.


Trigger warning for pedophilia, disability, murder, and so forth

This is a novel not only for readers addicted to thrill rides and maddening suspense, but also those who are curious about the abnormal psychology of the pedophiliac killer. The book gives food for thought as well as a kind of perverse satisfaction for the imagination and senses. It is a thinking reader’s thriller.
There are some graphic scenes that would make any normal human uncomfortable to say the least.
I loved how Mr. McCort portrays the heart-warming relationship dynamics within the Driscoll family. Oh I did love Duncan too!
The book also delivers on its' promise to the insight of the killers mind as well (the diabolical Santa).
Disturbing but excellent read.
Recommend reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
  
40x40

Kristin (149 KP) rated 'Till the Last Petal Falls (Once Upon a Reality #1) in Books

Dec 7, 2018  
'T
'Till the Last Petal Falls (Once Upon a Reality #1)
Elizabeth Rose | 2013
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

"Never settle for a fairytale."

During my Psychology classes in college, we discussed how various characters have psychological issues: popular cartoon characters, the cast of "Winnie the Pooh," and the vast majority of the Disney Princesses. Belle is no exception, and this book explores that idea beautifully, no pun intended.

Jolee answers a Craigslist ad which sounds too good to be true, and she finds herself in the mountains of Aspen, tutoring a shut-in with some very serious issues of his own. As time goes by, she learns for and more about this man, and most of it is not good. However, she sticks by him, hoping to "fix" him with her love.

Sound like a recipe for disaster?

I used to teach a rehabilitation class for men convicted of domestic violence, and this book definitely delves into that dynamic head-first. It's a real eye-opener into the lives of those involved in those situations, from both sides of the coin as well as an outsider's perspective. Comparing it to the story of "Beauty and the Beast" really adds a whole new layer to it, as most of us either grew up with that story/movie or fell in love with it because of our kids/grandkids/etc. It's a crazy thought, but the more you think about it, the more you realize Belle suffered from Stockholm syndrome as well as battered-woman syndrome, and that HEA Disney ending is not the one generally associated with those situations.

Bravo to the author for writing this cross-examination of a beloved children's story and shedding some light on this serious issue while also maintaining a gripping novel.

5 stars