Official Review: Consequences by Sam Boyd

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any crime, thriller, mystery or horror books or series.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
MarisaRose
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 1444
Joined: 03 Sep 2016, 15:34
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 665">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a>
Currently Reading: The Family Upstairs
Bookshelf Size: 435
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-marisarose.html
Latest Review: The Magic Shard by eelonqa K harris
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU

Official Review: Consequences by Sam Boyd

Post by MarisaRose »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Consequences" by Sam Boyd.]
Book Cover
2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


Consequences: A Jack Turner Novel by Sam Boyd is a psychological thriller told from the perspective of the narrator, Jack, as he looks back on the past and tries to identify the events that led to the horrible, tragic place he now finds himself in. Jack tells of his school days, where he met his best friend, Rupert, and his first love, Anne. At the beginning of their friendship, the three have bright futures ahead of them: Rupert and Jack are heading to universities, and Anne is accepted at an accountancy firm. From there, their stories unfold as the three find themselves back on each other’s radar from time to time. Boyd tackles issues of the heart, social class, self-discovery, betrayal and honor in this thrilling novel.

From the first page, we are introduced to Jack, the narrator of the story. The first glimpse of Jack’s thoughts is foreboding and creates a plethora of questions one only hopes will be answered by the end of Jack’s story. Throughout Jack’s reminiscence, the author injects enough foreshadowing to keep one guessing about the outcomes of the main characters. The relationship between the three friends is reminiscent of those found in psychological thrillers like Tana French’s The Likeness and Donna Tart’s The Secret History. Although things appear normal as the story is told, looming over the seemingly mundane events of their lives is a very dark future.

Although there were many positive aspects of this novel, there were quite a few let downs. Most notably, the dialogue throughout the narrative is dull and unnatural. Even worse, the characters’ voices are not distinguishable from one another. The lack of variation is made more burdensome by the improper use of quotation marks; closing quotation marks are used when dialogue continues for the same speaker in the next paragraph – this made interpreting the speaker confusing at times.

Additionally, the use of foreshadowing works well within the story; however, the final scene the narrator builds up to is predictable. This absence of excitement can be attributed to the lack of tension between the characters and the large jumps in time throughout the story. Generally, the characters seem too accepting of life-altering events, and aspects like social class differences don’t have as big an impact as one would expect. Similarly, the span of time covered in this relatively short novel does not allow for proper development of the main character’s lives in between the initial meeting of the friends and the final, tragic events that occur at the end.

I had high hopes for Consequences given the eerie scene we read about when we are first introduced to Jack. Unfortunately, there were quite a few missed opportunities in this story, leading me to rate it 2 out of 4 stars. The story never reaches the level of psychological thrill like other books in its category, leaving many of the climactic moments feeling rather humdrum. However, I really enjoyed the author’s use of foreshadowing and think there is potential in this book. Fans of psychological thrillers may enjoy reading Consequences.

******
Consequences
View: on Bookshelves

Like MarisaRose's review? Post a comment saying so!
Abayomi2060
Posts: 120
Joined: 22 Jun 2017, 06:48
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 14
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-abayomi2060.html
Latest Review: Twisted Threads by Kaylin McFarren

Post by Abayomi2060 »

A very nice review. Though psychological thrillers are not my favourite, I might just take a look at this one.
User avatar
kislany
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 1118
Joined: 16 Aug 2014, 06:17
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 527
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kislany.html
Latest Review: Golden Skies by Juan Zapata

Post by kislany »

I love psychological thrillers, however I also want good dialogue, character progression, and plenty of suspense. Sorry to see that the book fails short in some departments.
A great review.
charlesjr2
Posts: 146
Joined: 10 Mar 2017, 10:37
Bookshelf Size: 11
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-charlesjr2.html
Latest Review: "Escape" by Belle Ami

Post by charlesjr2 »

It seems this book did not really live up to the heights of other psychological thrillers. But anyways, I could still manage this one.
Latest Review: "Escape" by Belle Ami
User avatar
kandscreeley
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 11682
Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 20:31
Currently Reading: Believarexic
Bookshelf Size: 486
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kandscreeley.html
Latest Review: The Elf Revelation by Jordan David

Post by kandscreeley »

It's too bad this just doesn't quite add up. Thanks for the review, though.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
User avatar
Manang Muyang
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 11153
Joined: 02 May 2017, 20:17
Favorite Book:
Currently Reading: Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
Bookshelf Size: 684
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-manang-muyang.html
Latest Review: Your Great Name by Shawn Funk
Reading Device: B00KC6I06S

Post by Manang Muyang »

I am a thriller addict so I've read a lot of them. This one doesn't seem to thrill me.

Thanks for sharing the consequences of reading this book, MarisaRose!
User avatar
The Researcher
Posts: 563
Joined: 23 Jan 2017, 05:41
Currently Reading: Buried Threads
Bookshelf Size: 101
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-the-researcher.html
Latest Review: "Curve Couture" by H M Irwing
Reading Device: B00I15SB16

Post by The Researcher »

Nice review but it seems that the book fails to create adequate thrill. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
What is the most special thing I did today- I was MYSELF. Happy and in love and unapologetically myself.
Latest Review: "Curve Couture" by H M Irwing
User avatar
DeboraSilva
Posts: 38
Joined: 09 Sep 2017, 14:34
Currently Reading: The Ask and the Answer
Bookshelf Size: 19
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-deborasilva.html
Latest Review: "Raven's Peak" by Lincoln Cole

Post by DeboraSilva »

Psychological thrillers are on of my favorites to read, but I think I will give this one a pass. It was a shame the author did not managed to capture you attention and the characters were lacking. Thank you for the review
Latest Review: "Raven's Peak" by Lincoln Cole
User avatar
kimmyschemy06
Posts: 2598
Joined: 20 Oct 2015, 20:49
Currently Reading: The Searching Three
Bookshelf Size: 694
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kimmyschemy06.html
Latest Review: Kazi Boku by M. Poyhonen

Post by kimmyschemy06 »

That was a very honest review. The premise sounds promising. Too bad, though, about the overall execution of the book. Good job on the review.
Sarah Immanuel
Posts: 135
Joined: 13 Oct 2017, 23:53
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 160819">My Trip To Adele</a>
Currently Reading: The House of Trysts
Bookshelf Size: 28

Post by Sarah Immanuel »

Thanks for the review. Not what I expected though. I give it 2 out of 4.
Post Reply

Return to “Crime, Thrillers, Mystery and Horror Books”