3.25 ⭐️
When I first started this book, I honestly thought it was going to be a lighthearted and sort of silly, goofy time. The opening chapters, especially with the irritable, crazy rooster, had this quirky, small-town humor that made me think I was in for something more off the rails. But as the story went on, it shifted gears pretty quickly into a much more serious, high-stakes thriller than I expected. That tonal change actually worked in some ways. It caught my attention and made me curious to see where the story was headed.
The writing itself is simple and easy to follow but at times it also felt a bit too straightforward. There were several moments where the author seemed to over-explain things that didn’t need much explanation, almost as if they didn’t trust the reader to connect the dots on their own or assumed they didn't know what things were. This “hand-holding” took away some of the mystery and tension that could have made the story even more engaging and also felt like it immediately took me out of the story. I also noticed a few comments throughout the book that felt unnecessary, lines that didn’t really add anything to the characters or plot and could have been left out entirely.
That said, once I hit about the two-thirds mark, I found myself really getting invested. The story picked up, the stakes became clearer, and I genuinely wanted to know how it would all wrap up. I really enjoyed all the music references sprinkled throughout, especially the Ozzy nods, which added a fun, nostalgic touch. Although, I could have done without the infamous bat part. If you know, you know.
Overall, this book was not what I expected going into it. While it had its flaws, it managed to surprise me and keep me entertained, especially towards the end.