Child of God is horrific. It’s fantastic. And it’s one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. People love to talk about Blood Meridian as Cormac McCarthy ’s darkest and most disturbing work, and while it certainly is, Child of God affected me far more. I think part of that is because Blood Meridian is an epic—its violence feels distant, almost mythological. As readers, we’re pulled back, observing Glanton’s gang from afar. Even the protagonist, "the kid," remains nameless; his identity doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. This narrative distance makes the horror feel abstract, part of something larger. But Child of God is different. It’s intensely personal. We are trapped with Lester Ballard, forced to witness his descent in an uncomfortably intimate way. This difference isn’t a flaw in Blood Meridian —it’s by design. But for me, it made Child of God feel so much more brutal, for lack of a better word. As much as this book disturbed me, I also loved it. N...
I’ve got to be honest — Pandora’s Star was a slog. This book was far too long, with way too many subplots that felt unnecessary and half-baked. It honestly felt like Peter F. Hamilton had one big idea for a first contact story, but wanted to write a sprawling space opera, so he padded it with filler just to make it feel “epic,” rather than actually delivering something focused or compelling. I picked this book up on a whim. I saw it at the bookstore, recognized the title, and thought, why not? I was in the mood for a fun sci-fi read. Unfortunately, this didn’t deliver. Yes, some moments were genuinely well done — but they were few and far between. In some ways, I almost wish there hadn’t been any good parts, because then I could’ve put it down guilt-free. Instead, I kept convincing myself it might get better... and kept pushing on, long after I should’ve stopped. By the time I realized it wasn’t going to get better, I was too far in to quit. But I’ve learned my lesson — I need to ge...