It was interesing how the author managed to make all the different characters distinct from one another, but didn't feel that the footman had any personality whatsoever - or a purpose. What did you think of him?

@WillowTalksBooks

3 жыл бұрын

That's a very good point! He was built up to be a kind of unknowable evil force, and he very quickly shifts from that role to a kind of red herring. So I guess he was more of a plot device than a character.

@JesusChrist-iu3mh

3 жыл бұрын

@@WillowTalksBooks Yeah, I think the footman always liked to torture and kill people, and when he got both the money and opportunity from Daniel in doing so, he pounced on it and did what his heart wanted.

What a ride from start to finish. His characters have such a finesse to them and the writing marvelously describes it, I enjoyed it a lot. Can't wait to read the dark water book.

@WillowTalksBooks

2 жыл бұрын

I loved both books equally and I hope you do, too.

An absolute masterpiece of a book. Video game-wise, this book gave me MASSIVE Zero Escape vibes in all the best ways.

@leizero

Жыл бұрын

I love 999 very much!

@IchibanOjousama

11 ай бұрын

It gave me Umineko no naku koro ni

exactly, this book doesn't feel like a work of first time author. The prose are very beautiful here and I'm sure they'll stick with me for long time. I went into this book completely blind because a friend of mine recommended this to me so I didn't even read the blurb I just dived into it and I'm glad I did that because it made reading so much more enjoyable. some people find the end little bit disappointimg but you rightly said it's not about who the murderer is it's about how we get there, really this books is more about journey than the destination. And omg the themes that it touched upon, this book is really something

Great review! the twist at the end, wow! Loved this book so much. Thanks for this video.

Just finished the book, wiping my tears

Considering how much happens in the last 10% of the book, I can't believe you didn't finish it before making a review haha. Good video though!

@WillowTalksBooks

2 жыл бұрын

My logic was that I already knew I loved it. The last 10% wasn't going to change that (and it didn't). I also wasn't going to talk about the ending anyway so the video would've turned out the same!

@ster2600

2 жыл бұрын

@@WillowTalksBooks that's good to hear

I listened to this on audible and the narrator was fab, he managed to help distinguish between each character. Brilliant book, so so clever, what a brain to come up with this !

@WillowTalksBooks

2 жыл бұрын

I love when narrators are skilled enough to pull off something like that.

I totally agree with detective fiction needing to still be focused on the journey rather than the destination. Thinking about something like ‘The Murder of Rodger Ackroyd’ being imo, fucking boring until the reveal which compared to you I did enjoy, although haven’t read much of Christie’s other work. But Turton makes the journey so engaging and fresh throughout given both his character writing and the plot device of body swapping. This is one of the books that got me back into reading. Very underappreciated channel, love your work!

@WillowTalksBooks

2 жыл бұрын

I totally agree, Turton is slowly revolutionising the genre but adding genre-bending elements, action, and deeper characters, all of which I so appreciate.

Beautiful review, thank you! I hope to read this soon.

@WillowTalksBooks

2 жыл бұрын

No, thank you! And I hope you do, too :)

When I finished "The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" (for some reason, the U.S. edition has an extra 1/2 death in the title), I was completely and utterly amazed and almost kind of high, really, a sort of high when you read something worlds from what you might have expected, that manages to entertain, astonish and also engage your intellect and emotions. I rarely use terms like "gamechanger" but that's how I kept describing it to people--- as a gamechanger for the mystery genre. As much influenced by Kafka as Christie, with copious helpings of "Quantum Leap" and "Groundhog Day" thrown in, this novel creates something truly unique and special. Like you, I was blown away by the plotting and timeline. As a writer myself, I kept thinking, "This book must have been so difficult to write." The fact that it is also beautifully written with humor and heart just makes it all the better. This was the first book I read during the lockdown, and I think the joys it provides helped to keep me going through my dread. I try not to use the word genius too often, but I think this book definitely applies (and I'm not even a consistent mystery reader, to be honest). I pre-ordered "Devil and the Dark Water" immediately after reading this, and love that, too.

@climb318

2 жыл бұрын

The US version added an extra 1/2 death to distinguish it from the coincidentally similar-sounding title, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

@bobbykeniston7240

2 жыл бұрын

@@climb318 Thanks!

I have this on audio, and now that i've seen your review, i'm going to pick it up right away! Thanks for the recommendation 👍😊

Reading Evelyn Hardcastle right now. Love your reviews.

I absolutely have to read this author now. I always enjoy your reviews 👍🤓

I finished this book today and adore it, too. I'm looking forward to reading Turton's other book.

I watched this video about a year ago, and it got me to read the book and I LOOOVED IT. I only had minor critiques like fatphobia, etc. The language, the twists, the planning, and the intricacies of thos book are engrossing, enthralling... -- "How lost do you have to be to let the Devil lead you home?" Omfg. I ONLY realized the significance of that theme just now watching this back. I'm speechless.

"Constistently beautiful language" - yes!!

Speaking of games, it makes me think of the indie games Higurashi no naku koro ni (2002) and Umineko no naku koro ni (2006). Turton says somewhere at the end of the book that it took him 3 years to finish Seven Deaths, so if he was inspired by something released in 2015 or earlier. I'm mentioning Higurashi and Umineko, because not only do they deal with 1. looping 2. trying to prevent murder But also with: 3. the concept of a meta world - a higher plane of existance - We do see Aiden and Anna walking off, but their escape necesitates something we're not told, like a spell to be released or a button to be pressed. While Higurashi and Umineko present themselves as fantasy, I believe the answer is of a SciFi nature in the case of Seven Deaths (think Darkmatter2525's Power Corrupts series, where people are put into simulations and given absolute power, so that their true character can be assesed - very similar to what the Plague Doctor describes to be going on with people like Annabelle); 4. the protagonist starting out as a scaredy cat afraid of his own shadow and easily swayed into doubting his friends; gradually learns to let go of the past and hold onto the unwritten future; 5. the constant commentary over the nature of the human heart; 6. Heck, both Umineko and Seven Deaths are heavily centered around deaths "from 19 years ago". This is a little TOO specific not to catch my eye (yeah, I'm the type of person who expects to see things rounded up or down so something like "19, not 20" simply jumps at me)

This book took me into some twisted places in my own mind. Crazy ride! In a very good way however!

Full confession, I did not vibe with this book and I actually think you've pinned down what I disliked about the story in part of what you expanded on here. We never get a good sense of the cost of all of this to Aiden because he's a bit of a ghost given what's going on with him and the push of the other personalities onto him. This left me feeling like we were very generic NPC narrator style which a lot of people have enjoyed but super rankled with me and no one has explained that as well as I've seen you say here.

@testosteronic

Жыл бұрын

That's funny, I've just come from a video of three people who really had issues with this book and one of their main criticisms was that it would've worked better as a video game, w Aidan as the blank player character you use to interact w the story

I'm sure you've probably read it by now, but he does mention in the acknowledgements that planning the story took about 3 months

@WillowTalksBooks

3 жыл бұрын

And it definitely shows!

The devil in the dark water is my favourite book in 2020 and I am so looking forward to his first book

@WillowTalksBooks

2 жыл бұрын

It was a favourite of mine as well. Probably due for a re-read soon!

@moumitareads3738

2 жыл бұрын

@@WillowTalksBooks I m just confused should I go with his 1st book ... because just checked so many contrary reviews..... and I just don't have any recommendations on thriller mystery suspense nothing

My all time favourite book

@WillowTalksBooks

2 жыл бұрын

I don't blame you! It's special 💜

@krakesh5915

2 жыл бұрын

@@WillowTalksBooks yes

Maybe he was the game developer?

@WillowTalksBooks

2 жыл бұрын

He wasn't. I had a chat with him on Twitter and he said it's just a funny coincidence.

The devil in the dark water is my next to read 👍

@WillowTalksBooks

3 жыл бұрын

It👏is👏gorgeous👏 enjoy!

Why did you say the thing from the blurb if you thought it would be better to not know. 😭 I was looking forward to just reading it based on your love of it. (Not angry, just disappointed)

Idk if i'm just done but I could not get through this book. I made it to 250 pages then had to DNF

@WillowTalksBooks

2 жыл бұрын

You definitely gave it a fair shot!

Perfect? No. Far from perfect.

@WillowTalksBooks

3 жыл бұрын

lol I live for comments like these. You have a good day, commenter 💜

@modernwarriorsystems7347

3 жыл бұрын

@@WillowTalksBooks oook....

@modernwarriorsystems7347

3 жыл бұрын

@@WillowTalksBooks didn't get to hear how the prison works. Very convoluted that he's supposed to only occupy one body every day, but he interacts with himself as other hosts, author trying to hard to have a huge twist at the end. It was like Spiderman 3, too many villians. This has too many twists. The twist that they're in a prison was pretty easy to see coming. It's been done recently a couple of times. No one would actually be cool with someone who was a terrorist and murdered their sister, just because she helped him a little bit in a virtual reality prison. Cool idea. Disappointed it was executed poorly, because I loved Devil and the Dark Water.

@IchibanOjousama

11 ай бұрын

​@@modernwarriorsystems7347you should read the book first before commenting on it