JMKP’s review of Mean Spirited > Likes and Comments
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Thank you so much for taking your time and writing this review. I didn’t know how to put it into words but I completely agree with everything you say. The 4.47 average rating completely took me off guard. How??
Thank you for capturing, well, pretty much all of my qualms with this book. If the author wants to improve his writing, I seriously think this comment would benefit him- it captures the problems I imagine most of his more-critical readers have.
Personally, the flaws didn't take me too much out of the book. I gave it 3/5 because I like a book that keeps my attention. I felt like the characters were pretty dumb at times but it didn't get to a point where I stopped caring. Ironically the mentions of COVID took me out of it wayy more than the attempted rape.
I agree with you on the ending, I rolled my eyes when Lucy, after this demon thing literally killed HER MOTHER and almost did the same with her ex husband, son, and boyfriend to be like, "hey wait don't kill him we can still save him!" From that point on, besides the exact details of the twist, I knew where the ending was going. We were going to get to the vet center, have a final "tear-bending" showdown, and then have a big ole happy ending (with, of course, a little, "or is it?" sprinkled at the end).
Overall this book reminded me a lot of the "Terrifier" movies. Fiction surrounding a malevolent, "beyond-human" force with absolutely no motivations besides pure sadistic pleasure. I don't mind that premise, but I definitely wish more people would treat it like it is rather than hype it up the way that many are (which is confusing, especially on a platform as critical as Goodreads). The near 4.5 star rating is absolutely bonkers to me.
"One trick to making a reader like a horror character is to make them observant, smart, or proactive: our fear for their safety tends to stem from the horror of being in danger despite trying to escape or fight it."
This is a really good insight!
Couldn't agree more with this review. This was such an annoying read. Especially the moments where, as a parent myself, I wouldn't think twice about shooting the dog in the head. But no, in this story, the protagonist keeps hesitating based on bizarre moral reflections from a veterinarian. The final hesitation at the end was just the last straw. Because of this hesitation, two more people end up dead at a gas station. Never do the characters even consider that they are morally responsible for these unnecessary deaths, just so they can keep a dog their spoiled son has only known for a few days. Absolutely ridiculous. This is everything you'd expect from a dumb American horror movie, and it's clear the author has seen way too many of them.
100% agree, thank you for putting it into words, 3/5 though since I did think it was gripping, and I liked the alcoholic angle
Thanks for this. Keep seeing recommendations but will give this a miss!
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Emma
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Jul 12, 2024 11:56AM
Thank you so much for taking your time and writing this review. I didn’t know how to put it into words but I completely agree with everything you say. The 4.47 average rating completely took me off guard. How??
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Thank you for capturing, well, pretty much all of my qualms with this book. If the author wants to improve his writing, I seriously think this comment would benefit him- it captures the problems I imagine most of his more-critical readers have.Personally, the flaws didn't take me too much out of the book. I gave it 3/5 because I like a book that keeps my attention. I felt like the characters were pretty dumb at times but it didn't get to a point where I stopped caring. Ironically the mentions of COVID took me out of it wayy more than the attempted rape.
I agree with you on the ending, I rolled my eyes when Lucy, after this demon thing literally killed HER MOTHER and almost did the same with her ex husband, son, and boyfriend to be like, "hey wait don't kill him we can still save him!" From that point on, besides the exact details of the twist, I knew where the ending was going. We were going to get to the vet center, have a final "tear-bending" showdown, and then have a big ole happy ending (with, of course, a little, "or is it?" sprinkled at the end).
Overall this book reminded me a lot of the "Terrifier" movies. Fiction surrounding a malevolent, "beyond-human" force with absolutely no motivations besides pure sadistic pleasure. I don't mind that premise, but I definitely wish more people would treat it like it is rather than hype it up the way that many are (which is confusing, especially on a platform as critical as Goodreads). The near 4.5 star rating is absolutely bonkers to me.
"One trick to making a reader like a horror character is to make them observant, smart, or proactive: our fear for their safety tends to stem from the horror of being in danger despite trying to escape or fight it."This is a really good insight!
Couldn't agree more with this review. This was such an annoying read. Especially the moments where, as a parent myself, I wouldn't think twice about shooting the dog in the head. But no, in this story, the protagonist keeps hesitating based on bizarre moral reflections from a veterinarian. The final hesitation at the end was just the last straw. Because of this hesitation, two more people end up dead at a gas station. Never do the characters even consider that they are morally responsible for these unnecessary deaths, just so they can keep a dog their spoiled son has only known for a few days. Absolutely ridiculous. This is everything you'd expect from a dumb American horror movie, and it's clear the author has seen way too many of them.
100% agree, thank you for putting it into words, 3/5 though since I did think it was gripping, and I liked the alcoholic angle
Thanks for this. Keep seeing recommendations but will give this a miss!
