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John Cleaver #4
The Devil's Only Friend
John Wayne Cleaver hunts they've killed his neighbors, his family, and the girl he loves, but in the end he's always won. Now he works for a secret government kill team, using his gift to hunt and kill as many monsters as he can . . .
. . . but the monsters have noticed, and the quiet game of cat and mouse is about to erupt into a full scale supernatural war.
John doesn't want the life he's stuck with. He doesn't want the FBI bossing him around, he doesn't want his only friend imprisoned in a mental ward, and he doesn't want to face the terrifying cannibal who calls himself The Hunter. John doesn't want to kill people. But as the song says, you can't always get what you want. John has learned that the hard way; his clothes have the stains to prove it.
When John again faces evil, he'll know what he has to do.
The Devil's Only Friend is the first book in a brand-new John Wayne Cleaver trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Dan Wells.
. . . but the monsters have noticed, and the quiet game of cat and mouse is about to erupt into a full scale supernatural war.
John doesn't want the life he's stuck with. He doesn't want the FBI bossing him around, he doesn't want his only friend imprisoned in a mental ward, and he doesn't want to face the terrifying cannibal who calls himself The Hunter. John doesn't want to kill people. But as the song says, you can't always get what you want. John has learned that the hard way; his clothes have the stains to prove it.
When John again faces evil, he'll know what he has to do.
The Devil's Only Friend is the first book in a brand-new John Wayne Cleaver trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Dan Wells.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2015
208 people are currently reading
5888 people want to read
About the author
Dan Wells
88 books6,028 followersDan Wells is a thriller and science fiction writer. Born in Utah, he spent his early years reading and writing. He is he author of the Partials series (Partials, Isolation, Fragments, and Ruins), the John Cleaver series (I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I Don't Want To Kill You), and a few others (The Hollow City, A Night of Blacker Darkness, etc). He was a Campbell nomine for best new writer, and has won a Hugo award for his work on the podcast Writing Excuses; the podcast is also a multiple winner of the Parsec Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 661 reviews
November 7, 2025
Life isn’t a thing, it’s a condition; we switch it on and we switch it off.I abso-freaking-love this little psychopath.
John Wayne Cleaver (accidentally named after two serial killers and "blessed" with a weapon as a last name) is desperately trying not to become a murderer. He's always known he has the potential - he fantasizes about killing things, he has a hard time seeing people as humans, etc...BUT he doesn't want to become a serial killer.
Only, no matter how good he is at avoiding all his serial killer tendencies, his day job is pushing him ever nearer to the edge. He's working for the government now and all bets are off.
As seen with the previous three novels, he is slowly but surely exterminating "the Withered" - ancient creatures that kill humans for sport. And while it does provide an outlet for his serial killer tendencies, the more he kills the more he craves.
How many people haven't dies because I killed the Withered that would have killed them? How many people have died because I kicked the hornet's nest and woke the hounds of hell?I really liked the introduction of the secret government force and was disappointed when it didn't pan out the way I thought it would. But hey, this is Dan Wells. He could write anything and I'd love it!
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July 17, 2015
I love Dan Wells' brain. I want to keep it in my freezer.
Want to read
December 14, 2014THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE!!!!
July 5, 2015
WARNING: Spoilers For First 3 Books
...sometimes at night I go to the butcher shop and I buy the biggest roast they have and I bring it home and I cover the room in plastic and I hack the meat to pieces with a kitchen knife, slashing and ripping and chopping and grunting until there's nothing left but scraps. Then I roll up the plastic, meat and blood and all, and I throw it away and everything is clean and calm now.
Because I'm good now.
I promise."
Welcome back, John Wayne Cleaver. We missed you.
In The Devil's Only Friend, John is working with a special FBI task force hunting demons... while still dealing with his own metaphorical demons. Keeping to his rules, and struggling against his baser urges, he's focused on getting the job done: murder by proxy. But is that enough? And what happens when he goes from being the hunter to the hunted? Can he allow himself to kill?
It was good to be back in John's head. I enjoyed this installment immensely. Although, this one did have a different feel to it than the original trilogy. Somehow it didn't feel as intense, even though it was still quite dark. That could be because in The Devil's Only Friend John was forced to work with a team, and therefore forced to interact with the outside world. While we do get some of John's internal struggles, he wasn't as inside his own head, and the story was focused more on the mystery and suspense. Of course, all of the demon hunting was intertwined with John's homicidal tendencies, but it still felt like something small was missing. For me, John's internal struggles is what made the original three books shine. Still, this was very minor and didn't in any way diminish my enjoyment. Also, John is a little less intense in his demeanor here-- a little more wise crack-y and sarcastic than he was in the original. Our John is growing up.
As to the story, it did start out a bit slow, but I think that had more to do with the fact that I'd read the novella Next of Kin, John Cleaver #3.5 before this one. I saw a reviewer recommend not picking up that novella until after you've read this latest installment, and I have to agree. Next of Kin gives away the first third of the story, thereby taking away some of the suspense. However, the second half of the story picks up considerably and I couldn't put it down.
Another minor criticism has to do with the FBI team members. They felt a little flat, and I didn't feel much of a connection to them. But I loved Brooke and .
I also loved the theme of what it means to be good vs. what it means to be evil. And can people truly change?
I just love these books so much.
The Devil's Only Friend is a great addition to the John Cleaver series. Highly recommended for fans of the first trilogy.
Final Rating: 4 Stars
"I'm good now. I promise.❖❖❖❖
...sometimes at night I go to the butcher shop and I buy the biggest roast they have and I bring it home and I cover the room in plastic and I hack the meat to pieces with a kitchen knife, slashing and ripping and chopping and grunting until there's nothing left but scraps. Then I roll up the plastic, meat and blood and all, and I throw it away and everything is clean and calm now.
Because I'm good now.
I promise."
Welcome back, John Wayne Cleaver. We missed you.
In The Devil's Only Friend, John is working with a special FBI task force hunting demons... while still dealing with his own metaphorical demons. Keeping to his rules, and struggling against his baser urges, he's focused on getting the job done: murder by proxy. But is that enough? And what happens when he goes from being the hunter to the hunted? Can he allow himself to kill?
It was good to be back in John's head. I enjoyed this installment immensely. Although, this one did have a different feel to it than the original trilogy. Somehow it didn't feel as intense, even though it was still quite dark. That could be because in The Devil's Only Friend John was forced to work with a team, and therefore forced to interact with the outside world. While we do get some of John's internal struggles, he wasn't as inside his own head, and the story was focused more on the mystery and suspense. Of course, all of the demon hunting was intertwined with John's homicidal tendencies, but it still felt like something small was missing. For me, John's internal struggles is what made the original three books shine. Still, this was very minor and didn't in any way diminish my enjoyment. Also, John is a little less intense in his demeanor here-- a little more wise crack-y and sarcastic than he was in the original. Our John is growing up.
As to the story, it did start out a bit slow, but I think that had more to do with the fact that I'd read the novella Next of Kin, John Cleaver #3.5 before this one. I saw a reviewer recommend not picking up that novella until after you've read this latest installment, and I have to agree. Next of Kin gives away the first third of the story, thereby taking away some of the suspense. However, the second half of the story picks up considerably and I couldn't put it down.
Another minor criticism has to do with the FBI team members. They felt a little flat, and I didn't feel much of a connection to them. But I loved Brooke and .
I also loved the theme of what it means to be good vs. what it means to be evil. And can people truly change?
I just love these books so much.
The Devil's Only Friend is a great addition to the John Cleaver series. Highly recommended for fans of the first trilogy.
Final Rating: 4 Stars
February 10, 2017
For all you peeps missing a Serial Killer gone Good, or at least good-ish, or even just mildly tiptoeing the very broad definition of monsterhood, I'd recommend this series.
John's 17 years old, has lost almost everything, but he's done the right thing and joined the "good guys" to hunt down demons. John still doesn't give a flying rat's ass about whether anyone lives or dies and he still likes to take home a rack of meat to stab viciously in his off hours, but at least he has the intellectual stimulation of hunting down monsters that have been alive for ten thousand years and pins all his hopes on giving himself that one gift he lives for.
The thrill of the kill.
It's all gravy that the peeps he's running with are a morass of grey areas and are hardly any better than the monsters he hunts. Maybe he'll have a chance at an open smorgasbord? lol
The writing is smooth, the characters compelling, and John is constantly straddling that line that makes us readers squirm and squirm and squirm.
I think this might be the best of the books so far. I know I had a great time. :)
John's 17 years old, has lost almost everything, but he's done the right thing and joined the "good guys" to hunt down demons. John still doesn't give a flying rat's ass about whether anyone lives or dies and he still likes to take home a rack of meat to stab viciously in his off hours, but at least he has the intellectual stimulation of hunting down monsters that have been alive for ten thousand years and pins all his hopes on giving himself that one gift he lives for.
The thrill of the kill.
It's all gravy that the peeps he's running with are a morass of grey areas and are hardly any better than the monsters he hunts. Maybe he'll have a chance at an open smorgasbord? lol
The writing is smooth, the characters compelling, and John is constantly straddling that line that makes us readers squirm and squirm and squirm.
I think this might be the best of the books so far. I know I had a great time. :)
March 28, 2016
Cada vez que termino algún libro de la saga me siento completamente vacía, siento que algo me hace falta, John Cleaver es un protagonista inigualable. Y podría fangirlear intensamente con este libro, porque el terror y la sangre aumentaron, John sigue siendo un protagonista bien construido y con un gran desarrollo y cada vez sabemos más sobre este mundo de monstruos o demonios.
Es difícil el decidir cuál es mi libro favorito de la saga, si el tercero o este. Ambos me han hecho llorar aunque no deberían.
Es difícil el decidir cuál es mi libro favorito de la saga, si el tercero o este. Ambos me han hecho llorar aunque no deberían.
June 11, 2022
4,5⭐️
Cuarta entrega de la saga; nuestro protagonista, John, tiene 17 años y es parte de un equipo, de gobierno pero ultrasecreto, que se dedica a cazar demonios. ¿Cómo llega a ser parte del equipo? El autor no lo deja muy claro, pero asumo que es por una conversación que sostiene john con una policia en el anterior libro.
Broke, su vecina, se encuentra en una residencia, vigilada día y noche, ya que por lo ocurrido en la entrega anterior, su mente se encuentra fragmentada, como consecuencia de lo que le paso anteriormente.
Esta parte de la historia se centra mayormente, en la busqueda de John por volver a sentirse parte de algo, poder contribuir con su conocimiento a acabar con esos seres que tanto daño le han hecho; tb a la superación de las pérdidas que sufrió anteriormente (proceso de duelo).
La historia comienza media lenta pero a medida que se avanza van a apareciendo diversos plot twist y mucha acción.
Cuarta entrega de la saga; nuestro protagonista, John, tiene 17 años y es parte de un equipo, de gobierno pero ultrasecreto, que se dedica a cazar demonios. ¿Cómo llega a ser parte del equipo? El autor no lo deja muy claro, pero asumo que es por una conversación que sostiene john con una policia en el anterior libro.
Broke, su vecina, se encuentra en una residencia, vigilada día y noche, ya que por lo ocurrido en la entrega anterior, su mente se encuentra fragmentada, como consecuencia de lo que le paso anteriormente.
Esta parte de la historia se centra mayormente, en la busqueda de John por volver a sentirse parte de algo, poder contribuir con su conocimiento a acabar con esos seres que tanto daño le han hecho; tb a la superación de las pérdidas que sufrió anteriormente (proceso de duelo).
La historia comienza media lenta pero a medida que se avanza van a apareciendo diversos plot twist y mucha acción.
June 16, 2015
Review copy
Admittedly, I have never read the original trilogy of books in the John Cleaver series. One of these days I will need to rectify that. I'm also happy to say, it's not necessary to have read any of the other books to enjoy The Devil's Only Friend.
Reminiscent of Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, John Cleaver is a bit of an anti-hero, quick-witted with a sharp tongue, and an urge to kill. An urge that he controls in an unusual way. It's these tendencies that make him good at his job, working for a secret government kill team, using his gift to hunt and kill as many monsters as he can.
The Devil's Only Friend works very well as a stand-alone novel. The writing is crisp and clear. The action fast-paced and intense. I was barely through the first chapter when I realized I was going to love this book. Saving mankind is deadly serious business, but there's just a perfect dash of humor to break the tension once in a while.
Nothing quite goes as expected in this story and by the time it's over, John Cleaver finds himself asking, "Have I been wasting my time trying to be the good guy, when good and bad don't even make sense anymore."
I'd love to see this character on TV or in the movies, but for now, I'll have to settle for the printed word and am eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.
Available in all formats from a variety of retailers, The Devil's Only Friend is published by Tor.
Highly recommended.
Admittedly, I have never read the original trilogy of books in the John Cleaver series. One of these days I will need to rectify that. I'm also happy to say, it's not necessary to have read any of the other books to enjoy The Devil's Only Friend.
Reminiscent of Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, John Cleaver is a bit of an anti-hero, quick-witted with a sharp tongue, and an urge to kill. An urge that he controls in an unusual way. It's these tendencies that make him good at his job, working for a secret government kill team, using his gift to hunt and kill as many monsters as he can.
The Devil's Only Friend works very well as a stand-alone novel. The writing is crisp and clear. The action fast-paced and intense. I was barely through the first chapter when I realized I was going to love this book. Saving mankind is deadly serious business, but there's just a perfect dash of humor to break the tension once in a while.
Nothing quite goes as expected in this story and by the time it's over, John Cleaver finds himself asking, "Have I been wasting my time trying to be the good guy, when good and bad don't even make sense anymore."
I'd love to see this character on TV or in the movies, but for now, I'll have to settle for the printed word and am eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.
Available in all formats from a variety of retailers, The Devil's Only Friend is published by Tor.
Highly recommended.
January 28, 2019
I’m right in the middle with this book. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. Now that could be due to the fact that I haven’t read the first three books in the series but I didn’t know it was a series when I bought it and I said fuck it and read it anyways. I probably would have enjoyed it a bit more if I had read the other books but I still think it does relatively well as a stand-alone. I was able to follow the story easily and it was an incredibly interesting concept but it fell flat for me character wise. I felt no connection to the characters whatsoever and that’s always a bummer for me.
February 6, 2017
Es tan morboso y retorcido que ni sé qué puntuación ponerle. Así que vamos con 3.5
Dan Wells es un hdp, no hay otra expresión que le quede al desgraciado. Es realmente interesante lo enfermizo que es este John y lo oscura que es la historia.
Dan Wells es un hdp, no hay otra expresión que le quede al desgraciado. Es realmente interesante lo enfermizo que es este John y lo oscura que es la historia.
June 25, 2016
Classified as YA (or maybe Thriller with a teenager in the spotlight). Either way I found it to be enjoyable even as a 31 yo man. It has elements which Intrigued me - a sociopathic main character/protagonist who hunts and slays supernatural beings known as the "withered"? Who wouldn't be interested in reading this? If you enjoy the TV shows Dexter and Supernatural, you will likely enjoy this book/series. John Wayne Cleaver is one bad mother shut yo mouth!
April 25, 2021
Thickening plot, new game-changing reveals, and moral dilemmas galore — looks like the second half of this series will be even better than the first three books.
First person POV has never been my favorite, and I kind of expected it to get tiring right about now, but nope — John’s head is such a weird place to be; I don’t want to ever leave! The dichotomy of his character is so masterfully shown here… I can’t get enough.
Just to be clear: I loved this. The new killer was damn scary, even before he showed his true colors. I really enjoyed the chase, as always — Dan Wells writes a good thriller. What I did not love were John’s new coworkers (especially Nathan, that little bastard…) and I can’t say I was bothered by their fate.
And that ending! Whew, it gave me chills.
First person POV has never been my favorite, and I kind of expected it to get tiring right about now, but nope — John’s head is such a weird place to be; I don’t want to ever leave! The dichotomy of his character is so masterfully shown here… I can’t get enough.
Just to be clear: I loved this. The new killer was damn scary, even before he showed his true colors. I really enjoyed the chase, as always — Dan Wells writes a good thriller. What I did not love were John’s new coworkers (especially Nathan, that little bastard…) and I can’t say I was bothered by their fate.
And that ending! Whew, it gave me chills.
April 4, 2024
Book four time hops a bit to John working for the FBI hunting demons and Brooke having a new set of struggles/abilities. Once again a good read and continues the storyline well. There's betrayal, cannibalism, growth, and much more in the fourth installment. You have to suspend your grip of reality a lot more with this one but it was still enjoyable.
Would recommend.
Would recommend.
March 28, 2017
“Life isn’t a thing, it’s a condition; we switch it on and we switch it off.”
The Devil's Only Friend es el primer libro de la nueva trilogía de John Cleaver y...WOW...no creía que sucedería pero me ha encantado. Le he dado cinco estrellas porque creo que esta novela es la mejor de todas. En serio. La trama esta llena de suspenso y engancha desde el principio; es oscura, retorcida y llena de traiciones, secretos e intrigas. Los demonios son aún más increíbles y los personajes están muy bien construidos.
Primero, tenemos de vuelta a John. Siempre termino volviendo a él y, esta vez, no sólo no me ha decepcionado, sino que ha superado mis expectativas. Ya no queda nada en él del adolescente de los tres libros previos. John ha madurado mucho, a pesar de sólo tener diecisiete años. Y ahora también tiene un corazón.
Personalmente, yo sigo prefiriendo a John sin sentimientos y con pensamientos asesinos (muchos pensamientos muy malos). Sin embargo, John aún es John. En el fondo, sigue siendo él mismo pero en una versión mejorada. Entre su lucha con definir quién es realmente, controlando su lado bueno y malo, me ha da dado sentimientos y pensamientos psicópatas. Y me ha fascinado...como siempre. Sigue siendo muy inteligente y suspicaz. Solo me hubiera gustado que fuera un poquito menos melancólico respecto a Marci, pero digamos que lo entiendo porque era su novia después de todo.
“I never thought I had a heart until it was broken. It’s hard to see the point of something that only ever causes pain.”
Segundo...esta Brooke. En serio, me encanta. Ella rompe mi corazón, porque la adoro y no entiendo porque ha tenido que sufrir tanto. Además no entiendo porque no puede ser el interés amoroso de John. Bueno, aunque aquello haría las cosas más difíciles. Sin embargo, también me gusta su relación con John. No estoy segura de como etiquetarla, quizás ni siquiera pueda describirla, pero gusta que John y ella sean lo único que queda en la vida del otro y se apoyen, sin abandonarse.
“Why do our choices even matter if someone can just decide what right and wrong mean? Why did he have to die if this is all just arbitrary?”
Tercero, los villanos. En esta novela han aparecido muchos demonios y ha sido genial porque el autor te permite conocer detalles muy interesantes de cada uno de ellos y presenta un vistazo de la magnitud de la guerra que se avecina para John. El villano principal, The Hunter, ha sido convincente e interesante, para nada predecible y muy...muy malo. El misterio y suspenso que lo rodeaba me ha mantenido enganchada toda la la novela. Creo que ha sido el mejor de todos los villanos, haciendo honor a su verdadero título.
Otro demonio importante de mencionar ha sido Elijah. Su personaje me ha gustado mucho. Al igual que John, sentí simpatía por él y me da un poco de remordimiento todo lo que le sucedio. Sin embargo, es de mucha ayuda a lo largo de la novela.
Cuarto, el equipo de John. Ninguno me ha impresionado, de hecho, todos me desagradaban. Aunque cumplieron su objetivo y lograron entretenerme. Al final, solo un par lograron sorprenderme.
“How many people haven't dies because I killed the Withered that would have killed them? How many people have died because I kicked the hornet's nest and woke the hounds of hell?”
Por último, el final. Ha sido asombroso. También lo he disfrutado más que en los otros libros. No me ha aparecido apresurado y da paso a la continuación sin realmente dejar un final abrupto y sorpresivo. Este libro realmente ha cumplido mis expectativas y es el más rápido he leído de toda la saga.
Muy recomendado.
October 13, 2014
Dan Wells has written the perfect fourth volume to this trilogy. He knows his characters, knows his world, knows just how to ratchet things up to level eleven at the right times. I will never understand how he does it, but damn...I have no idea where it goes now.
June 7, 2024
John is dealing with the loss of his family and his girlfriend. He has joined a special government team that hunts and kills the withered or cursed. The Withered are humans that gave up their humanity in exchange for eternal lives. But that comes with a cost, and the withered kill humans, leaving trails of bodies in their wake. This book contains lots of action and is loaded with more Withered in one book than all the other books. This time, the Withered come out, but one in particular has chosen John to test their intelligence, taunting the team and John in particular, trying to draw out John’s dark side. Can John hold off those urges after suffering overwhelming loss? And will he break his strict rules?
John Wayne Cleaver uses his talents with a special team that hunt these ancient beings called the Withered. The withered possess people and take their lives, and their souls, not caring who they possess or destroy.
In their hunt to end all the withered, John and this elite team use Nobody, who possesses Brooks body, to find information about the withered and hunt them down hoping to eradicate the ancient enemy.
The book is loaded with supernatural twists and keeps you interested from page one. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves Supernatural, the book or movie series, or thrillers.
I enjoyed the characters and the way they interacted with each other and those around them. John has definitely developed since the beginning of the series. I enjoyed seeing him interact with the other team members.
The story is fast paced and is one of those stories that you don’t want to put down. This is definitely a book, and series, that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I definitely enjoyed the way Dan Wells draw you in. This was truly a fantastic read from start to finish. His books are definitely under appreciated
5 star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. A book I couldn’t put down and would recommend as well as reread
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ well developed
Twists ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Storyline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
John Wayne Cleaver uses his talents with a special team that hunt these ancient beings called the Withered. The withered possess people and take their lives, and their souls, not caring who they possess or destroy.
In their hunt to end all the withered, John and this elite team use Nobody, who possesses Brooks body, to find information about the withered and hunt them down hoping to eradicate the ancient enemy.
The book is loaded with supernatural twists and keeps you interested from page one. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves Supernatural, the book or movie series, or thrillers.
I enjoyed the characters and the way they interacted with each other and those around them. John has definitely developed since the beginning of the series. I enjoyed seeing him interact with the other team members.
The story is fast paced and is one of those stories that you don’t want to put down. This is definitely a book, and series, that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I definitely enjoyed the way Dan Wells draw you in. This was truly a fantastic read from start to finish. His books are definitely under appreciated
5 star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. A book I couldn’t put down and would recommend as well as reread
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ well developed
Twists ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Storyline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 10, 2019
This ties in to book 3.5 which I wasn't expecting. They are both telling the same story but from different POVs and 3.5 ends without the full ending of book 4. I would suggest reading both books together, alternating so you can get both games on what is going on.
I really love this series and am enjoying book 5 now. The narration is really good. Although when the narrator shouts he really does and it is loud and startling. Book 4 is a great story and it didn't end the way I thought it would.
I have no idea how this series will end but I don't know that it will be happy. John Wayne Cleaner is a sociopath and is a serial killer with no kills. If he no longer has demons to hunt, what will be focus his rage and urges on?
4 stars. Maybe 4.25
I really love this series and am enjoying book 5 now. The narration is really good. Although when the narrator shouts he really does and it is loud and startling. Book 4 is a great story and it didn't end the way I thought it would.
I have no idea how this series will end but I don't know that it will be happy. John Wayne Cleaner is a sociopath and is a serial killer with no kills. If he no longer has demons to hunt, what will be focus his rage and urges on?
4 stars. Maybe 4.25
February 16, 2023
Me siento realmente enfadada con este libro. Me encanta esta serie, pero esta segunda trilogía deja mucho que desear, o al menos el primer libro de esta segunda trilogía.
En este "primer" libro casi todo lo que conocemos de John deja de existir. En un principio podría ser lógico si tenemos en cuenta el final del libro anterior, pero su mundo cambia por completo. Ya no es John, el adolescente psicópata que intenta ser buena persona; es John, el adolescente que es buena persona en un grupo de malas personas. Incluso parece que ha dejado de ser sociópata. Si antes evitaba el contacto, en este habla con todo el mundo por los codos; si antes tenía pensamientos que daban repelús y eran muy negativos, en este solo se queja de que no puede hacer nada.
Creo que este cambio de personalidad en John se debe al cambio de escenario. Y esto hace que me pregunte si realmente escribir esta cuarta parte era necesario. Probablemente no. En mi opinión, creo que es mejor que una serie sea corta y con un final apropiado que estirar el chicle tal y como ha hecho el autor. O al menos esa es mi impresión.
La trama me ha parecido pobre. No me gusta comparar, pero en los anteriores el lector tenía el aliciente de continuar leyendo para saber quién era el asesino. En este la trama es policiaca total, lo cual tampoco es malo, pero ha perdido toda la esencia de un psicópata buscando a otro psicópata (monstruo).
Por otro lado, los personajes nuevos me han parecido planos y no me ha gustado ninguno. Y además me he cabreado porque el hecho de cambiar el entorno ha provocado que todos los personajes secundarios anteriores cayeran en el olvido.
No me ha gustado nada de nada. Pero es una opinión. Estoy segura de que la gran mayoría puede disfrutarlo sin problema.
P.D.: No quiero terminar esta reseña sin hacer un comentario acerca de la pésima traducción al español. No está traducido al castellano, sino al español latino, y no me refiero a esto, ya que he leído libros en español latino y se entienden perfectamente. Me refiero al hecho de que las frases parecen estar traducidas con el traductor de Google. Hay palabras mal traducidas, algunas no existen ni en el diccionario porque han sido traducidas tal cual del inglés; otras no tienen ningún sentido en la frase en la que se encuentra; hay verbos repetidos, uno detrás de otro, o dos infinitivos juntos o dos gerundios. Es horrible. No entiendo como una editorial no ha corregido el libro. Vamos, no le ha dado ni un triste repaso. Un desastre.
En este "primer" libro casi todo lo que conocemos de John deja de existir. En un principio podría ser lógico si tenemos en cuenta el final del libro anterior, pero su mundo cambia por completo. Ya no es John, el adolescente psicópata que intenta ser buena persona; es John, el adolescente que es buena persona en un grupo de malas personas. Incluso parece que ha dejado de ser sociópata. Si antes evitaba el contacto, en este habla con todo el mundo por los codos; si antes tenía pensamientos que daban repelús y eran muy negativos, en este solo se queja de que no puede hacer nada.
Creo que este cambio de personalidad en John se debe al cambio de escenario. Y esto hace que me pregunte si realmente escribir esta cuarta parte era necesario. Probablemente no. En mi opinión, creo que es mejor que una serie sea corta y con un final apropiado que estirar el chicle tal y como ha hecho el autor. O al menos esa es mi impresión.
La trama me ha parecido pobre. No me gusta comparar, pero en los anteriores el lector tenía el aliciente de continuar leyendo para saber quién era el asesino. En este la trama es policiaca total, lo cual tampoco es malo, pero ha perdido toda la esencia de un psicópata buscando a otro psicópata (monstruo).
Por otro lado, los personajes nuevos me han parecido planos y no me ha gustado ninguno. Y además me he cabreado porque el hecho de cambiar el entorno ha provocado que todos los personajes secundarios anteriores cayeran en el olvido.
No me ha gustado nada de nada. Pero es una opinión. Estoy segura de que la gran mayoría puede disfrutarlo sin problema.
P.D.: No quiero terminar esta reseña sin hacer un comentario acerca de la pésima traducción al español. No está traducido al castellano, sino al español latino, y no me refiero a esto, ya que he leído libros en español latino y se entienden perfectamente. Me refiero al hecho de que las frases parecen estar traducidas con el traductor de Google. Hay palabras mal traducidas, algunas no existen ni en el diccionario porque han sido traducidas tal cual del inglés; otras no tienen ningún sentido en la frase en la que se encuentra; hay verbos repetidos, uno detrás de otro, o dos infinitivos juntos o dos gerundios. Es horrible. No entiendo como una editorial no ha corregido el libro. Vamos, no le ha dado ni un triste repaso. Un desastre.
August 4, 2015
John Wayne Cleaver es un personajazo. Cuánto extrañé leer sus pensamientos perturbadores en cada página. Qué cosa tan siniestra.
¡Me alegra tanto haber retomado esta historia! La dejé en DNF al 58% no por mala, sino porque no era mi momento de leerla. Quién iba a pensar que a partir de ahí era cuando ¡BOOM!, los últimos capítulos serían una masacre. Literal. Mi mente enferma gozó con esta historia.
Mención especial a los demonios, Dan sigue sorprendiéndome con cada una de sus habilidades. Me encantó encontrarme con que a diferencia de la trilogía anterior donde eran muy superficiales, ahora estos villanos crecen junto con el protagonista, ambos se encuentran a la par. Además, el autor nos muestra que estos seres también tienen una historia detrás, y vaya que es compleja. Esta nueva etapa en la vida de John se encuentra en otro nivel, La línea entre el bien y el mal es más delgada que nunca en esta historia. Ya quiero leer el quinto libro.
¡Me alegra tanto haber retomado esta historia! La dejé en DNF al 58% no por mala, sino porque no era mi momento de leerla. Quién iba a pensar que a partir de ahí era cuando ¡BOOM!, los últimos capítulos serían una masacre. Literal. Mi mente enferma gozó con esta historia.
Mención especial a los demonios, Dan sigue sorprendiéndome con cada una de sus habilidades. Me encantó encontrarme con que a diferencia de la trilogía anterior donde eran muy superficiales, ahora estos villanos crecen junto con el protagonista, ambos se encuentran a la par. Además, el autor nos muestra que estos seres también tienen una historia detrás, y vaya que es compleja. Esta nueva etapa en la vida de John se encuentra en otro nivel, La línea entre el bien y el mal es más delgada que nunca en esta historia. Ya quiero leer el quinto libro.
November 22, 2015
Review coming after I can meditate over it a bit. I actually finished this book quite a while ago, but I never cleared it out of my Currently Reading list. (Argh. :/) I liked it as much as the first three John Cleaver books, and appreciated the diverse cast of characters. Wells does horror well, and notably knows how to create strong character voices.
October 29, 2019
No decepciona, ladies and gents uwu
November 30, 2021
En este punto entramos a la segunda parte de la saga de John Cleaver, aquí ha tenido que abandonar el condado de Clayton para unirse a un equipo especial y secreto del FBI, los cuales están entrenados en diferentes áreas y se están dedicando a cazar estos demonios que se esconden entre los humanos, aquellos a los que John conoce como Marchitos.
En esta nueva aventura Brooke tiene que ir junto con él, al principio al haber albergado a Nadie en su interior, les ayuda dándoles tanta información como puede pues miles de años de recuerdos están en su interior, pero al ser su mente humana y frágil no puede soportarlo y poco a poco la van perdiendo, aunque al estar ambos ayudando al gobierno, Brooke recibe también ayuda, pero esta mas alla de cualquier ayuda humana que pueda recibir.
Al principio del libro siento que empieza un poco lento, a John a pesar de su pasado y que se ha enfrentado el solo ya a varios Marchitos lo siguen tratando como un crío, si tiene un trabajo que realizar pero es notorio cuánto le cuesta el tener que trabajar en equipo cuando él está tan acostumbrado a trabajar solo, claro que su personalidad tan única está presente, tanto que ya tiene un plan de cómo asesinar a cada persona dentro del equipo, aquí presentan y se lidia con una mayor cantidad de personajes que aunque a veces puede parecer un poco abrumador si traen consigo varias perspectivas diferentes de él como enfrentan a este tipo de criaturas.
Para la segunda mitad del libro es cuando se siente que comienza la acción pues no solo se están cruzando con varios Marchitos a la vez si no que hay un nuevo asesino mandando cartas al equipo, las cuales se encuentran en cuerpos horriblemente agredidos y van dirigidas a John Wayne Cleaver mostrando una clara amenaza hacia él, esto le perturba en gran manera además que le hace cuestionarse quién puede decidir quien vive y quien muere, que es lo que realmente está bien o está mal y cómo puede saber quienes realmente merecen morir.
Definitivamente en este libro el autor pasó de la literatura bastante juvenil que marcaba los libros anteriores a una narración más oscura y brutal, volviéndose cada vez más y más tenso hasta llegar al sorprendente final, aunque el escritor te deja pistas durante toda la narración, sigue siendo increíble cómo llegan a la pelea final y todo lo que sucede en esta.
Recomiendo muchísimo este libro junto con los anteriores, el autor hace un magnífico trabajo en esta saga que se ha convertido en una de mis favoritas.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CW6AfdKFIsB/
En esta nueva aventura Brooke tiene que ir junto con él, al principio al haber albergado a Nadie en su interior, les ayuda dándoles tanta información como puede pues miles de años de recuerdos están en su interior, pero al ser su mente humana y frágil no puede soportarlo y poco a poco la van perdiendo, aunque al estar ambos ayudando al gobierno, Brooke recibe también ayuda, pero esta mas alla de cualquier ayuda humana que pueda recibir.
Al principio del libro siento que empieza un poco lento, a John a pesar de su pasado y que se ha enfrentado el solo ya a varios Marchitos lo siguen tratando como un crío, si tiene un trabajo que realizar pero es notorio cuánto le cuesta el tener que trabajar en equipo cuando él está tan acostumbrado a trabajar solo, claro que su personalidad tan única está presente, tanto que ya tiene un plan de cómo asesinar a cada persona dentro del equipo, aquí presentan y se lidia con una mayor cantidad de personajes que aunque a veces puede parecer un poco abrumador si traen consigo varias perspectivas diferentes de él como enfrentan a este tipo de criaturas.
Para la segunda mitad del libro es cuando se siente que comienza la acción pues no solo se están cruzando con varios Marchitos a la vez si no que hay un nuevo asesino mandando cartas al equipo, las cuales se encuentran en cuerpos horriblemente agredidos y van dirigidas a John Wayne Cleaver mostrando una clara amenaza hacia él, esto le perturba en gran manera además que le hace cuestionarse quién puede decidir quien vive y quien muere, que es lo que realmente está bien o está mal y cómo puede saber quienes realmente merecen morir.
Definitivamente en este libro el autor pasó de la literatura bastante juvenil que marcaba los libros anteriores a una narración más oscura y brutal, volviéndose cada vez más y más tenso hasta llegar al sorprendente final, aunque el escritor te deja pistas durante toda la narración, sigue siendo increíble cómo llegan a la pelea final y todo lo que sucede en esta.
Recomiendo muchísimo este libro junto con los anteriores, el autor hace un magnífico trabajo en esta saga que se ha convertido en una de mis favoritas.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CW6AfdKFIsB/
dnf-for-good
May 30, 2019I think I'm gonna give up on this series. I really loved books 1-3. I'm not really impressed with the direction this book took. I didn't get that far. Maybe 10%-15%. Either way I am not rating this because I am slumping big time and attribute part of my lack of enjoyment to that.
June 25, 2015
Even though I Don't Want to Kill You ended on sort of a cliffhanger, with the reader left wondering what John on a demon-hunting team sponsored by the federal government, it also seemed like a fitting ending. Although it ends with John having a traumatic experience, that experience is also defining and cathartic, and joining the demon-hunting team gave enough of a shape to his future to be going on with.
In other words, this next book was kind of superfluous, and hinged on whether or not what worked about this series translates into a team story. Spoiler Alert: It really doesn't. Mostly gone are is the great John internal monologuing and entirely gone are the great snapshots of small-town America that really held the series together.
I dunno, I still enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.
In other words, this next book was kind of superfluous, and hinged on whether or not what worked about this series translates into a team story. Spoiler Alert: It really doesn't. Mostly gone are is the great John internal monologuing and entirely gone are the great snapshots of small-town America that really held the series together.
I dunno, I still enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.
November 29, 2021
Continua la travesía de John Cleaver en su búsqueda de matar demonios, pero ahora trabaja junto a un equipo especial del FBI, quienes también les han seguido las pistas a muchos demonios y es por eso que han buscado la ayuda de John para completar su equipo.
En esta cuarta entrega de la saga, aunque si bien continua de buena forma la lucha entre John y los demonios, creo que es hasta ahora el libro mas flojo o con mas altibajos de los que he leido, son solo dos detalles que a mi parecer le restan puntuacion a esta grandiosa historia.
El primero como ya mencione, me parece ser el libro mas flojo, con mas altibajos dentro de su historia, gran parte de la misma no siente que transcurra algo sorprendente como con las anteriores entregas esto a pesar que si muestra enfrentamientos y escenas de accion con algunos demonios, pero sabes que no es el punto importante de la trama, el autor se toma mucho su tiempo y va armando ese encuentro entre el villano principal y John. Tarda a mi parecer demasiado en tomar fuerza y llegar a ese punto de climax; y que es ya en la tercera parte del libro donde sucede.
Otro punto a destacar y que fue el que mas me desagrado, es el cambio en el personaje de John, es decir aquí se muestra un joven mas grande, con una manera de pensar diferente, es un John de alguna manera mas maduro o simplemente mas cambiado, pero la cuestión es que es por momentos demasiado irritante, como cuando a los adolescentes les pega la pubertad y su humor esta en constante cambio y que son irritantes, bueno algo por el estilo, ya no se muestra al John que en pasadas entregas era hasta cierto punto inocente y jovial, aquí es sumamente amargado y lleno de coraje y culpa, se entiende este cambio por todo lo que paso en el pasado, pero aun así no deja de ser un personaje con el que ya no te identificas y que hasta por momentos lo odias.
Pero ya llegando a ese último tercio del libro, es una cosa de que ya no puedes parar de leer y los enfrentamientos están llenos de sangre y solo quieres ver en que acaba, eso último es lo que le sube puntuacion, veremos en las siguientes entregas como le va...
🌟8/10🌟📚
En esta cuarta entrega de la saga, aunque si bien continua de buena forma la lucha entre John y los demonios, creo que es hasta ahora el libro mas flojo o con mas altibajos de los que he leido, son solo dos detalles que a mi parecer le restan puntuacion a esta grandiosa historia.
El primero como ya mencione, me parece ser el libro mas flojo, con mas altibajos dentro de su historia, gran parte de la misma no siente que transcurra algo sorprendente como con las anteriores entregas esto a pesar que si muestra enfrentamientos y escenas de accion con algunos demonios, pero sabes que no es el punto importante de la trama, el autor se toma mucho su tiempo y va armando ese encuentro entre el villano principal y John. Tarda a mi parecer demasiado en tomar fuerza y llegar a ese punto de climax; y que es ya en la tercera parte del libro donde sucede.
Otro punto a destacar y que fue el que mas me desagrado, es el cambio en el personaje de John, es decir aquí se muestra un joven mas grande, con una manera de pensar diferente, es un John de alguna manera mas maduro o simplemente mas cambiado, pero la cuestión es que es por momentos demasiado irritante, como cuando a los adolescentes les pega la pubertad y su humor esta en constante cambio y que son irritantes, bueno algo por el estilo, ya no se muestra al John que en pasadas entregas era hasta cierto punto inocente y jovial, aquí es sumamente amargado y lleno de coraje y culpa, se entiende este cambio por todo lo que paso en el pasado, pero aun así no deja de ser un personaje con el que ya no te identificas y que hasta por momentos lo odias.
Pero ya llegando a ese último tercio del libro, es una cosa de que ya no puedes parar de leer y los enfrentamientos están llenos de sangre y solo quieres ver en que acaba, eso último es lo que le sube puntuacion, veremos en las siguientes entregas como le va...
🌟8/10🌟📚
July 15, 2015
I was lucky enough to win an early draft of the manuscript of this book.
John Cleaver is back and now, to his annoyance, is working as part of a team. Dan Wells' biggest strength as a writer, in my opinion, has always been the brilliant way in which he captures and relates the mindset of his POV characters. That was one of the main things that really hooked me on to this series in the first place, and he doesn't disappoint with this book. Elijah Sexton, the POV character from Wells' short story, Next of Kin, was so well written - it almost seemed as though he jumped out of the pages and into my room. In fact, Next of Kin was just the ideal teaser to get me excited about The Devil's Only Friend. And getting into John's head in The Devil's Only Friend felt like I'd never left it in the first place. It's just as disturbing as it was when I first read I Am Not A Serial Killer. The story itself was fast paced and interesting, however, I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. But overall, a solid release from Dan Wells. I'm looking forward to reading the final version when it officially comes out.
John Cleaver is back and now, to his annoyance, is working as part of a team. Dan Wells' biggest strength as a writer, in my opinion, has always been the brilliant way in which he captures and relates the mindset of his POV characters. That was one of the main things that really hooked me on to this series in the first place, and he doesn't disappoint with this book. Elijah Sexton, the POV character from Wells' short story, Next of Kin, was so well written - it almost seemed as though he jumped out of the pages and into my room. In fact, Next of Kin was just the ideal teaser to get me excited about The Devil's Only Friend. And getting into John's head in The Devil's Only Friend felt like I'd never left it in the first place. It's just as disturbing as it was when I first read I Am Not A Serial Killer. The story itself was fast paced and interesting, however, I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. But overall, a solid release from Dan Wells. I'm looking forward to reading the final version when it officially comes out.
October 24, 2022
Julio 2020: WOW. Aunque el tercero y este libro me costó el inicio en los últimos capítulos es imposible parar.
No dejo de asombrarme del ingenio del autor y de cómo en una historia llena de muerte y mounstruos puede tocar temas tan profundos.
No me mal interpreten. Es lo que precisamente amo de la ficción y de la fantasía. Puede decir tanto... es solo que estoy impresionada.
Hace poco empecé a hacer notas en mis libros. Antes lo veía como un sacrilegio y ahora me encanta. Esta saga tiene infinidad de anotaciones...
En definitiva recomiendo ampliamente el libro. Pero sobre todo la saga. Pienso que sobre todo el primero es una pieza fundamental.
Y pues ahora al siguiente...
Relectura octubre 2022: Este libro transcurre un año después de "No quiero matarte". John sigue enfocado en lo mismo que el primer libro, pero cuenta con más experiencia y con un equipo. Y mas importante, con un mejor conocimiento de si mismo. El detalle está que en un principio no tiene forma de desatar sus instintos y eso lo está carcomiendo por dentro 😶
Y remarco lo que dije en julio del 2020
No dejo de asombrarme del ingenio del autor y de cómo en una historia llena de muerte y mounstruos puede tocar temas tan profundos.
No me mal interpreten. Es lo que precisamente amo de la ficción y de la fantasía. Puede decir tanto... es solo que estoy impresionada.
Hace poco empecé a hacer notas en mis libros. Antes lo veía como un sacrilegio y ahora me encanta. Esta saga tiene infinidad de anotaciones...
En definitiva recomiendo ampliamente el libro. Pero sobre todo la saga. Pienso que sobre todo el primero es una pieza fundamental.
Y pues ahora al siguiente...
Relectura octubre 2022: Este libro transcurre un año después de "No quiero matarte". John sigue enfocado en lo mismo que el primer libro, pero cuenta con más experiencia y con un equipo. Y mas importante, con un mejor conocimiento de si mismo. El detalle está que en un principio no tiene forma de desatar sus instintos y eso lo está carcomiendo por dentro 😶
Y remarco lo que dije en julio del 2020
February 28, 2017
will post a review soon... I've missed you John.
EDIT:
When I first started this book I thought I missed something, like, it just dove right into John's new job with the FBI and I had no idea that that's how it was... John was now working for them. It felt weird, it felt foreign to me because I like John as a bit of a loner, not answering to higher-ups but doing his own thing.
I liked this book and then I didn't. I liked it for the character development and what was going on with Brooke. I didn't like it because all the characters that surrounded John were merely throw-aways with no real 'character' to them.
The Withered's backstory, the creatures that John is coming in contact with, gave me some serious Queen of the Damned origin vibes...
I just don't know if I like the downplay of the creepiness.
EDIT:
When I first started this book I thought I missed something, like, it just dove right into John's new job with the FBI and I had no idea that that's how it was... John was now working for them. It felt weird, it felt foreign to me because I like John as a bit of a loner, not answering to higher-ups but doing his own thing.
I liked this book and then I didn't. I liked it for the character development and what was going on with Brooke. I didn't like it because all the characters that surrounded John were merely throw-aways with no real 'character' to them.
The Withered's backstory, the creatures that John is coming in contact with, gave me some serious Queen of the Damned origin vibes...
I just don't know if I like the downplay of the creepiness.
September 4, 2015
John Wayne Cleaver, still trying hard not to be a psychopathic serial killer, carefully following his "rules", is on a FBI team tracking and killing "demons". This series (starting with I Am Not A Serial Killer) began as a story about a psychopathic teen who had the urge to kill but managed to suppress it and live almost a normal life, but the story added a supernatural element- John finds out a neighbor is not human. I would have liked the story even without the supernatural element- Dan Wells has created a fascinating character in John Cleaver. The series is deservedly popular.
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