You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
shiftyelliott's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
thenurabh's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
manic_madcap's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Ultimately, unsatisfying.
The world of 'Beyond Black' is intruigingly dark, with Mantel's attention to detail lending a sense of familiarity to a deeply bleak environment. The difficult subject of childhood trauma is handled with a chilling sense of knowing. However, though the world (and characters within it) feel very real, there is very little in this world to be enjoyed. The book offers little respite from its dark subject matter and relief can only be found in paragraphs that feel lengthy, insignificant and mundane. There is very little character development to glean satisfaction from, and the plot as a whole feels disjointed and weak. Having at least enjoyed Mantel's writing style I am curious to check out her other books, however this story left me feeling dissapointed and ultimately unsatisfied.
The world of 'Beyond Black' is intruigingly dark, with Mantel's attention to detail lending a sense of familiarity to a deeply bleak environment. The difficult subject of childhood trauma is handled with a chilling sense of knowing. However, though the world (and characters within it) feel very real, there is very little in this world to be enjoyed. The book offers little respite from its dark subject matter and relief can only be found in paragraphs that feel lengthy, insignificant and mundane. There is very little character development to glean satisfaction from, and the plot as a whole feels disjointed and weak. Having at least enjoyed Mantel's writing style I am curious to check out her other books, however this story left me feeling dissapointed and ultimately unsatisfied.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Pedophilia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture
Minor: Fatphobia, Suicide, and Lesbophobia
carliereadsstuff's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
chl03's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
sandygx260's review against another edition
2.0
Beyond Black is an uneven book that doesn't seem to know what it wants to be when it grows up. The main character, a genuine psychic named Alison, is a character you develop great sympathy for during the story. The storyline following how she unravels the questions about her tormented childhood is creepy and fascinating. She seeks to discover why dead people haunt her, especially a gang of wretched characters she calls "fiends" who act determined to make her life miserable.
The main problem the story offers is the secondary character, a humorless, cruel, angry woman named Collette who becomes Alison's manager/tax adviser/promoter. Collette is so miserable and one dimensional in her meanness you begin to hope Alison grabs a frying pan and whacks Collette in the head. Amusingly at one point Alison has similar thoughts but she keeps Collette around for seven years; Alison even has a house built for them to live in. Cue the lesbian jokes which are unnecessary and cheap. You sense Alison is so desperately lonely she'll endure Collette's insults and verbal abuse.
The book's other flaw is the writing style. Perhaps I am a simple dope who doesn't understand literary conceits, but when tense changes in the middle of the paragraph, or suddenly the dialog is written as COLLETTE: What do you mean? ALISON: Nothing, this reader thinks "Gee, I am reading a book, not enjoying a story."
Only my desire to discover Alison's secrets pushed me to finish the book.
The main problem the story offers is the secondary character, a humorless, cruel, angry woman named Collette who becomes Alison's manager/tax adviser/promoter. Collette is so miserable and one dimensional in her meanness you begin to hope Alison grabs a frying pan and whacks Collette in the head. Amusingly at one point Alison has similar thoughts but she keeps Collette around for seven years; Alison even has a house built for them to live in. Cue the lesbian jokes which are unnecessary and cheap. You sense Alison is so desperately lonely she'll endure Collette's insults and verbal abuse.
The book's other flaw is the writing style. Perhaps I am a simple dope who doesn't understand literary conceits, but when tense changes in the middle of the paragraph, or suddenly the dialog is written as COLLETTE: What do you mean? ALISON: Nothing, this reader thinks "Gee, I am reading a book, not enjoying a story."
Only my desire to discover Alison's secrets pushed me to finish the book.
bethkr's review against another edition
4.0
girl who is going to be okay (in the last two pages the rest of it is traumatic)
wykirsty's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship