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Down the River by John Hart
This John Hart book is a wild ride from start to finish. Down the River is a gripping novel that'll keep you up all night, turning pages to see what happens next. If you're a fan of suspenseful stories, this one's a must-read.
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A Disappointing Read - 'Down by the River' Falls Short
summarizeEditor's Summary
I was really looking forward to diving into 'Down by the River', but unfortunately, it failed to impress. The cover art and blurb had me hooked, but the actual story was a letdown. The writing style was decent, but the plot was predictable and lacked any real tension. I finished the book, but only because I felt obligated to see it through. If you're a fan of John Hart, you might enjoy this one, but for me, it was a total letdown. I'd say it's worth checking out if you're a die-hard fan of the author, but otherwise, you can skip it. To be honest, I was expecting a lot more from this book, especially given its Edgar Award-winning author. Unfortunately, the story just didn't deliver. The characters were underdeveloped, the plot was predictable, and the writing style was nothing special. I'm not saying it's a bad book, but it's definitely not a great one either. If you're looking for a compelling story, you might want to look elsewhere.
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Dil8/10
KararKötü
Konus7/10
YazarStili9/10
HikayeKalitesi6/10
Hello everyone!
I have to admit, I've seen this book on the shelves before, but I passed it over for other titles. This time, I decided to give it a try because the cover looked really interesting.
Unfortunately, the book's blurb was way more intriguing than the actual book itself. So, today I'm going to share my thoughts on what I didn't like about it and what it's all about.
A Little About 'Down by the River'
The book was published by EKSMO in 2022, making it a relatively new release. To be honest, it doesn't seem to be very popular, given the lack of reviews and the author's name not ringing a bell.
The book has a solid cover and a title that caught my attention at first. I scanned the blurb and thought, 'This looks promising!'
John Hart Down by the River ReviewsOn the back cover, there's a brief bio of the author. What's really interesting is that this author is the only one in history to have won the Edgar Allan Poe Award not once, but twice in a row.
Imagine winning a prestigious award like that! However, this is the only book of theirs I've read, so I can't speak to their overall body of work.
Along with the author bio, you'll also find the book's blurb and a quote from the media about the novel, which caught my eye.
John Hart Down River ReviewsI was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the book itself - the binding is well done, the pages are just a tad yellowed, and the font is a standard size. I did notice a couple of typos, though. And in one place, they got the word 'district' wrong, writing 'raión' instead, which really stood out to me.
This is a pretty substantial novel, clocking in at 448 pages, and I think it could have been safely trimmed down. It's just too cluttered with unnecessary details.
About the Book
Let's start with what caught my attention - the blurb: 'He became that river. Here, on its banks, soaked in greed, shame, and blood, he'll fight not just for his name, but for his life. As a child, Adam experienced something no one should ever have to go through. It warped his soul, made him unlike anyone else, a perpetual outcast always suspected of something. By a miracle, he escaped punishment for a murder he didn't commit, and he vanished from that small town for five years, lost in the gray anonymity of New York. And now he's back. No one knows why. But when a new body turns up, everyone's convinced Adam's the one to blame...'
Isn't that an intriguing and even heart-wrenching premise? A guy who was traumatized as a kid, accused of a murder he didn't commit, and then just shows up again after all these years. What's driving him? What's behind the curse that's following him? And is he actually guilty of these crimes? I've got a lot of questions, but I'll only find the answers by reading the book.
John Hart Down River ReviewsMy Take on the Book
Okay, so I'll start with the good stuff, even though the book didn't really grab me. There are some positives, and I want to give credit where credit's due.
The author's style, tone, and language are all top-notch. They've done an amazing job of describing everything in minute detail, and while reading it, I felt like I was right there with the characters, surrounded by the same atmosphere.
But sometimes I felt like the author got a bit too carried away with the details, which made the book feel more like a tedious, slow burn than a thrilling page-turner. I found myself reading it diagonally for most of the time, just to get to the end already.
And when I finally finished, I let out a sigh of relief and thought, 'thank goodness, I'm finally done.' Of course, you could just close the book and be done with it, but I hate leaving books unfinished – it leaves me with this nagging feeling that I've left something undone, and that's just frustrating.
John Hart Down the River ReviewsSo, secondly, the plot and intrigue. The author has woven a tale that's so intriguing, you're practically on the edge of your seat until the very end, trying to figure out who's behind all the crimes. It's a big part of what kept me going, even when the book was feeling a bit slow.
And the ending? It was pretty thrilling, but a bit too Hollywood-esque for my taste. It felt like the author was writing with the intention of turning this into a movie, and some of the dialogue and scenes felt like they were straight out of a film. It was a bit jarring, to be honest.
I have to say, the book has a great potential to be made into a movie, or even a series. But for a series, the storyline would be way too slow and dragging. That's why I'm not a fan of series – they can really ruin the atmosphere. The whole thing could have been condensed into a fraction of the time. The same goes for the author's novel; it could have been made a lot shorter.
John Hart Down by the River ReviewsI was really looking forward to a thriller when I picked up this book. But in reality, it turned out to be a pretty emotional drama with some detective elements.
The main character just whined and whined throughout the whole book. It was really off-putting to read about him rehashing the same old wounds over and over again. I wanted to tell him to just stop whining already. But no, he just kept on whining. The fact that the book is written in first-person from the main character's perspective, Adam, made it even worse. He's this poor guy who got wrongfully accused of a crime, and to cope with his pain and anger, he left town. And now he's back...
Another thing that bugged me was when Adam's thoughts about Robin would occasionally veer into 'she's the one who made that choice' territory. Well, yeah, she did make that choice. But does that mean he has to dwell on it for hundreds of pages? I mean, people have the right to make their own decisions. And is it really worth rehashing the same old drama over and over again? Throughout the book, I kept picturing Adam as this whiny guy who got hurt and now he's back to rub it in everyone's face.
It's like, if he was really that hurt, he should have just stayed away forever and stopped whining about it.
But when I read the blurb, I had a different image of Adam in my head. I thought he was coming back to clear up the mystery of what happened all those years ago. He was young and naive back then, but now he's a grown man. But no, instead he's just a whiny victim who's come back to rehash his old wounds.
John Hart Down by the River ReviewsAs for the other characters, I'm not going to talk about them. But I do have to say that the author did a great job of developing their personalities and backstories. Each character felt fully realized to me, and that's definitely a plus. It's clear that the author put a lot of thought into not just the setting, but also the people who inhabit it.
I have to admit, writing this review and looking back on the book, I'm still not entirely sure why I stuck with it despite my initial frustration. Maybe it's because the author's writing is solid, even if it didn't grab me. But I think I'd have to recommend this book to someone who enjoys a more meandering narrative and isn't bothered by the main character's whining. If you're looking for something a bit more fast-paced and less emotionally draining, you might want to keep looking.
Final Thoughts
If you're okay with a slow-burning story and a main character who can be a bit of a downer, then this book is for you. But if you're looking for something more dynamic and less heavy on the drama, you might want to keep looking. To be honest, I was so bored and frustrated with the main character that I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
Thanks for reading my review! Give it a like and leave a comment if you've got something to say!
Check out my profile for more reviews and book recommendations: my profile
Check out some of my other reviews: "The Network" by Pavel Astakhov
"Mutilated" by Natalya Yakobson
Twenty Years Later. Charlie Donley
Code. Isabella Maldonado
Bezmolvnyaya Zemlya by James Joyce
That's all for now!
live_helpFeatured FAQ
Is 'Down by the River' a good book?
Unfortunately, I wouldn't say it's a great book. The plot was predictable, and the writing style, while decent, didn't stand out in any way. However, if you're a fan of John Hart, you might enjoy this one.
What's the book about?
The book is a relatively new release by John Hart, and the story revolves around a mysterious plot that's supposed to be intriguing. Unfortunately, the actual story failed to impress me.
Is the author any good?
John Hart is a well-known author with a solid track record of Edgar Awards. However, this book didn't quite live up to my expectations.
What's the book's build quality like?
The book has a solid build quality, with a nice cover and decent paper quality.
Is the book worth reading?
I'd say it's worth checking out if you're a die-hard fan of the author, but otherwise, you can skip it.
Can I return the book?
I'm not sure about the return policy, but you can always check with the seller or the author's website for more information.
Is the book available in digital format?
I'm not sure about the digital availability, but you can always check with the seller or the author's website for more information.
What's the book's genre?
The book falls under the category of literary fiction, but it's not a great example of the genre.
How long did it take you to finish the book?
To be honest, it took me a while to finish the book. I had to force myself to keep reading, but I'm glad I did it.
check_circlePros
- •The cover art is really eye-catching and caught my attention right away.
- •The writing style is decent and easy to follow.
- •The author has a solid track record with Edgar Awards, which is definitely worth mentioning.
- •The book is a relatively new release, so if you're looking for something fresh, this might be a good option.
- •The author's bio on the back cover is really interesting and provides some insight into their background.
- •The book has a solid build quality, with a nice cover and decent paper quality.
- •The book falls under the category of literary fiction, which might appeal to some readers.
- •The author's use of language is descriptive and engaging, even if the story itself is predictable.
cancelCons
- •The book's blurb was way more intriguing than the actual story itself.
- •The plot was predictable and lacked any real tension or surprises.
- •The characters were underdeveloped and lacked any real depth or complexity.
- •The writing style, while decent, was nothing special and didn't stand out in any way.
- •The book was a total letdown for me, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a compelling story.
- •The author's name didn't ring a bell, and the lack of reviews made me question the book's quality.
- •The story was slow-paced and didn't keep me engaged for long.
- •The themes and ideas presented in the book were not particularly original or thought-provoking.
